Disney Tips Your Guide To A Great Disney Vacation
Disney’s Hollywood Studios guests woke up to an unexpected issue on October 6, involving one of the park’s biggest thrill rides.
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets hasn’t even been open for five months, but guests have already learned that its daily operation isn’t always predictable. Now, Disney has thrown another wrinkle into the mix.
The company announced an unusual change that immediately affected guests who wanted to ride the roller coaster. However, what actually happened after the park opened made the situation even more interesting.
Disney Publishes an Unexpected October 6 Change
Disney initially listed Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets with an 11 a.m. opening time on October 6.
That’s a major departure from how the attraction normally operates.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios opened for Early Theme Park Entry at 8:30 a.m., followed by regular park opening at 9 a.m. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is typically among the attractions available during Early Entry, allowing eligible guests to ride before the park officially opens to everyone.
But that option disappeared on October 6.
Under Disney’s original published schedule, the coaster wouldn’t open during Early Entry or alongside the rest of Disney’s Hollywood Studios at 9 a.m. Instead, guests would have needed to wait another two hours before getting their first opportunity to ride.
For anyone who planned to start the day on Sunset Boulevard, that was a significant operational change.
However, Disney’s original schedule didn’t last.
The Situation Takes Another Turn
Despite Disney publishing an 11 a.m. opening, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets was operating by approximately 9:30 a.m.
Disney was ultimately able to begin operating the attraction much earlier than its originally published 11 a.m. opening time.
The attraction still missed Early Entry entirely, meaning resort guests couldn’t take advantage of the normally available opportunity to ride before the park’s regular opening. But once 9 a.m. arrived, the wait didn’t last much longer.
Instead of remaining unavailable until 11 a.m., the coaster began accepting riders roughly 30 minutes after the park officially opened.
That’s an important update for guests visiting Disney’s Hollywood Studios on October 6, particularly for anyone who saw Disney’s original operating hours and had abandoned plans to visit the attraction in the morning.
It also shows why checking attraction availability throughout the day can make such a difference.
Why Losing That Extra Time Matters
Two hours can completely change a morning at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Early Entry gives eligible Disney Resort hotel guests and guests at select other hotels access to the park 30 minutes before regular opening. That window can provide a valuable opportunity to experience popular attractions before more guests enter.
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets normally participates in Early Entry.
Its absence meant guests couldn’t use that strategy on October 6. Anyone arriving early specifically for the coaster had to choose another attraction instead.
The nearby Twilight Zone Tower of Terror provided one obvious alternative, while other guests could head toward attractions such as Slinky Dog Dash or Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.
Had Disney’s original 11 a.m. schedule remained in place, crowds could have also formed once Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster finally opened.
Fortunately, guests didn’t have to wait that long.
The Muppets Took Over Earlier This Year
The unusual October 6 operation comes only months after Disney completely transformed the attraction.
The original Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith closed permanently on March 2, 2026, ending a run that stretched back to 1999.
Disney kept the coaster itself but replaced Aerosmith with The Muppets.
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets officially opened on May 26, 2026. The new storyline puts The Electric Mayhem at the center of the adventure, sending guests racing across Hollywood as the band tries to reach its concert.
Although the theme changed substantially, the attraction retained the coaster system that longtime visitors already knew.
Guests still experience the high-speed launch, indoor track, inversions, and frantic trip through Hollywood.
That combination also makes Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster one of the more intense attractions at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and an important part of the park’s thrill-ride lineup.
So, when the coaster doesn’t operate normally, its absence can quickly affect how guests plan their day.
Disney’s Warning Ultimately Proved Too Cautious
Anyone checking Disney’s operating information before arriving on October 6 had every reason to believe Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets wouldn’t become an option until late morning.
Disney had announced the 11 a.m. opening.
Instead, guests received a much better outcome.
The coaster missed Early Entry and remained unavailable when regular park operations began at 9 a.m., but Disney had it running by about 9:30 a.m. That cut approximately 90 minutes from the expected delay.
Disney hasn’t indicated that the unusual October 6 schedule represents a permanent change. At this point, the altered operation appears to be limited to this particular morning rather than to the beginning of a new daily schedule.
Still, it created a notable interruption for one of Hollywood Studios’ major attractions.
A Rough Start Comes With Better News
Disney pulled Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets from its normal operating pattern on October 6, eliminating Early Entry access and initially pushing its opening all the way to 11 a.m.
Fortunately, the worst-case scenario never materialized.
Disney managed to get the coaster running around 9:30 a.m., giving guests access roughly an hour and a half earlier than the company originally advertised.
For anyone visiting Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the morning offered a useful reminder: published attraction hours can change quickly.
And on October 6, that change actually worked in guests’ favor.
