20 fast facts celebrating 20th anniversary of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
It’s been 20 years since the first audiences were given special backstage passes and invited to ride in the “super-stretch” limos at Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith in Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World.
For the 20th anniversary, we thought it would be fun to look back at some fast facts about this coaster which opened July 29, 1999.
1. Need for speed: The attraction’s high-speed launch catapults
each Limotrain to approximately 60 mph in 2.8 seconds — similar to
the feeling of sitting in a supersonic jet as it blasts off from
the deck of an aircraft carrier.
2. The track: The ride propels you 3,403 feet, which is more than a half-mile of twists, turns, loops, corkscrews, hills
3. Upside down: Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith is Disney’s first coaster in the U.S. which featured inversions. There are two roll-over loops and one corkscrew.
4. Super-stretch: The “Limotrain” carries 24 guests, about twice the number of
passengers who fit in the average stretch limousine.
5. The make and model: The super-stretch limo is based on a 1962 Cadillac.
6. Ride time: The actual ride time for the roller coaster is 1:22; the cycle time for each Limotrain is 3:12 (the exact running time of one of Aerosmith’s “Greatest Hits,” “Sweet Emotion”); and the attraction’s pre-show feature is approximately two minutes.
7. Exclusive audio: There are five specially recorded Aerosmith soundtracks. Each Limotrain features a different Aerosmith song, with lead singer Steven Tyler and guitarist Joe Perry recording custom lyrics and riffs for each tune. Examples include “Love In A Roller Coaster” (“Love In An Elevator”) and “What Kind of Ride Are You
On?” (“What Kind of Love Are You On?”).
8. Look for the license plates: The license plates are the cars indicate what songs you will hear:
- 1QKLIMO: “Nine Lives”
- UGOBABE: “Love in an Elevator” (Rollercoaster) and “Walk This Way”
BUHBYE : “Young Lust”, “F.I.N.E.*” and “Love in an Elevator” (Rollercoaster)- H8TRFFC: “Back in the Saddle” and “Dude (Looks Like a Lady)”
- 2FAST4U: “Sweet Emotion”
9. On-Board sound system: Each guest’s seat boasts two high-frequency
tweeters, two mid-range speakers and one subwoofer (mounted under
the seat). By comparison, most automobiles have a total of four
speakers in the entire vehicle.
10. Total Speakers per Limotrain: 120.
11. Total Speakers in Attraction: 900.
12: Watts of Audio Amplifier Output Power: More than 32,000.
13: Height Restriction: 48 inches.
14: That’s a big guitar: At 40 feet tall, the larger-than-life electric guitar has a neck which morphs into a scale-model coaster track and extends 320 feet to the entrance arch.
15. Why it’s called G-Force records: Remember the initial launch we talked about earlier for the need for speed? Well that G-force can be up to 5gs.
16: What lead singer Steven Tyler had to say about the project: “When you’ve toured the world as much as we have, it’s a real thrill to find a new audience,” he said. “Coming up with a soundtrack for this Disney ride really brought the kid out in all of us and has given us the opportunity to play audio gymnastics with our music.”
17: The manager looks familiar: The band’s manager who appears in the preshow was played by actress Illeana Douglas.
18. Aerosmith history: The legendary band was formed in 1970 by Steven Tyler (vocals, keyboards), Joe Perry (guitar), Tom Hamilton (bass), Joey Kramer (drums), and Brad Whitford (guitar).
19. Another version, but nor for long: The Walt Disney Studios Park version of the ride in Disneyland in Disneyland Paris opened on March 16, 2002. But on Sept. 1, 2019, it is closing to be rethemed as an Iron Man/Avengers ride.
20. The DJ: The current voice of the DJ of “LA’s Classic Rock Station. is Bill St. James, the former host of
