25 years later, this Disney attraction remains one rocking ride

Who was going to star in Rock n Roller Coaster?

If not for money, we’d be talking today about Rock n Roller Coaster starring the Rolling Stones. 

It’s only logical that Disney would want one of the most iconic rock bands of all time to be the stars of this attraction. They reached out to the Stones, who were interested. The problem was, the Stones don’t come cheap as just licensing the rights for their songs for movies can cost a pretty penny. According to sources, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards demanded a whopping $10 million to lend the band’s songs and likenesses for the ride, which was a hefty sum in 1999.

Given that, like any major Disney attraction, the budget was already rising beyond the initial expectations, the extra cost was too much. So Disney turned the Stones down and looked for another band. The second choice was KISS who likewise asked for a big price. Too bad, as we were robbed of the sight of those makeup-wearing, leather-clad crazies being used on Disney merchandise. Next was U2 and not surprisingly, the iconoclastic band didn’t want to be involved in a theme park ride.

That led to Aerosmith. The Boston-bred rockers had become a hit in the 1970s, faded away only to experience a fantastic resurgence in the early 1990s. It’s surprising Disney just didn’t go to them first as their tunes lent well to a thrill ride. There was also how they were doing the theme song “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” for the Disney-produced blockbuster Armageddon.

Aerosmith loved the idea and, better, they were willing to do this for a tenth of what the Stones had asked for. It also gave the Imagineers more songs to use, allowing them to mix up the soundtrack so guests can get a fun medley of Aerosmith tunes.