The Rolling Stones Were Disney’s 1st Choice for Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster — Until They Asked For $10M
Disney is known for their award-winning original music. When it came to partnering with rock bands for Hollywood Studios’ Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, though, the company faced money-related challenges. Here’s what we know about the groups they approached (besides Aerosmith) for their iconic thrill attraction.
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith almost featured music by The Rolling Stones
Will you make it to the world’s biggest concert on time? Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith is among Disney’s thrill rides at Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World, complete with 2 rollover loops and one corkscrew.
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster features the music of Aerosmith, with the band even reworking “Love in an Elevator” into “Love in a Roller Coaster” specifically for this attraction. However, this award-winning rock group wasn’t Disney’s first choice for the Hollywood Studios ride.
According to Weird Disney, the first band Disney approached was The Rolling Stones — the band behind “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” “Start Me Up,” and “Paint It, Black.” With an asking price of $10 million, Disney moved on to other music options.
Disney asked Kiss and U2 to be the featured band on Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
Disney approached Kiss as their second choice, although Mickey Blog reports that the “Rock and Roll All Nite” band asked even more than the Rolling Stones. The same source claims that the company also approached U2, a group that did not want to be associated with attraction. Eventually, Disney landed on Aerosmith, even featuring the band in the preshow.
“It’s Aerosmith, myself, and Illeana Douglas as Aerosmith’s manager,” Ken Marino said during an interview with Vulture. “I just sit there in a lighting board, and I just look like I’m mixing stuff.”
“Then, they stand behind me, and they start talking about, ‘We’ve gotta make this roller coaster the coolest roller coaster thing possible…,’” he continued. “Illeana Douglas says, ‘That’s great, guys, but you’ve got a concert to do.’ She leads them in a limo.”
With “Walk This Way,” “Dude (Looks Like a Lady),” “Sweet Emotion,” and “Back in the Saddle” used throughout the ride experience, it’s unclear how much the “Dream On” group received in compensation.
Other Disney World attractions feature popular songs
Music is an integral part of Disney’s storytelling, especially when it comes to its theme parks. The Guardians of the Galaxy (particularly Peter Quill) also have a deep love for music, making EPCOT’s newest attraction (and its soundtrack) extra magical.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind highlights six songs in Star-Lord’s “awesome mix,” theming the ride experience to each hit.
That includes “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire, “Disco Inferno” by The Trammps, “Conga” by Gloria Estefan, “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Tears for Fears, “I Ran” by A Flock of Seagulls, and “One Way or Another” by Blondie.
