BAY LAKE, Fla. – There’s no mayhem quite like Muppet mayhem, and starting May 26, guests at Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be right in the middle of it.
News 6 got a first look at the newly reimagined attraction, getting a VIP peek at the chaos before the Electric Mayhem takes the stage at the biggest concert Hollywood has ever seen.
Guests arrive at G-Force Records — where the keys to the building have officially been passed from Aerosmith to the Muppets. Run by Scooter’s uncle, real estate tycoon J.P. Grosse, guests take part in a VIP studio tour, only to find the Electric Mayhem still in Studio C, blissfully jamming away while an entire concert crowd waits across town.
“Thanks to a little help from Muppet Labs, we’re able to get everyone across town on a very speedy limousine and get to the concert and see them perform,” David Brescia, story lead at Walt Disney Imagineering.
A visual overhaul built for Muppet fans
The mayhem doesn’t stop at the storyline. From the queue to the courtyard, Muppet color, character and chaos are crammed into every corner of the experience.
“Our approach was just trying to bring as much Muppet fun and color and character and authenticity to absolutely everything we could,” Brescia said. “You’ll see something in basically every part of the queue, every part of the building.”
Brescia said delivering on the full roster of beloved characters was a personal priority.
“Everybody has a favorite,” he said. “That’s why you see that live feed in the rotunda — all these different characters that pop up. Hopefully, you get to see your favorite character somewhere in the attraction.”
Celebrity cameos are also woven throughout, from the queue to the merchandise shop, with stars including Awkwafina, Danny Trejo, Darren Criss, John Stamos, Neil Patrick Harris, Travis Barker, Yvette Nicole Brown, Wayne Brady and “Weird Al” Yankovic making appearances.
“The Muppets have such a great history of working within the entertainment industry, the music industry, working with guest stars,” Brescia said. “We wanted to bring some of that into the attraction as well.”
A set list built to rock
At its core, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is a musical ride — and the new version leans hard into the Electric Mayhem’s rock-and-roll roots. Every track on the set list is a cover, performed by Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, and none of the songs will be heard anywhere else until guests ride for the first time.
[RELATED: We got a taste of the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets soundtrack. Here are our rock-on ratings]
The lineup features collaborations with Jennifer Hudson, Kelly Clarkson and Def Leppard, alongside Electric Mayhem performances of tracks guests may not expect to hear rocking a roller coaster.
“Jennifer Hudson and Kelly Clarkson bring incredible rock-and-roll vocals to their songs,” Brescia said. “And rocking up some songs that you may not think sound like rock songs off the bat — they just bring so much fun and so much energy.”