The Muppets and celebrities have always gone hand in hand, so it comes as no surprise that the updated Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster starring the Muppets is absolutely packed with celebrity cameos. I was anticipating there being a lot to unpack, but I did not count on just how many there would be. However, what was even more surprising was the staggering number of deep-cut Muppet references. Shoutout to the Imagineer who looped me in.
The Rock’n’ Roller Coaster starring the Muppets is just one of Walt Disney World’s new attractions. CinemaBlend had a chance to experience the ride firsthand during a preview of Cool Kids’ Summer, which kicked off on May 26, and I tried to spot as many Muppet references as possible while queuing up to ride the chaos-fueled coaster.
As I made my way through G-Force Records, I spotted a couple of deep-cut references myself. One of my favorites has to be a tribute to MuppetVision 3D — may it rest in peace.
Keep Your Eyes Peeled for Gonzo, Gags, and Deep-Cut Details
Near the old show’s entrance, there used to be a door with a sign reading “keys under mat,” where guests could lift a nearby floor mat to find a hidden key underneath. I’m happy to report that the door has made its way into the Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster queue, where it now serves as the entrance to Gonzo’s Flight School. A sign explains that Gonzo is away at the concert and, once again, the “keys” are under the mat — though this time, if you look closely, you’ll spot a set of piano keys peeking out from underneath.
This is just one tiny example of the details hidden throughout the ride. So when I had the chance to speak with one of the Imagineers behind the new coaster, David Brescia, I had to ask about other hard-to-spot Muppet references. He told us:
There are a lot of deep-cut Muppet references. There are a lot of deep-cut park and attraction references. . . you're gonna find different ones every single time you walk through the queue. There’s a really heartfelt one right at the exit. We have the Muppet representation of Jim Henson kind of looking over the ride, and he was kind of hanging in the rafters of Muppet Vision 3D. So it was really sweet to be able to bring that over here.
I got a little choked up when I saw the portrait for myself the first time. Brescia also told us to be on the lookout for PizzaRizzo, and I can confirm there are several references to the fun-loving rat’s restaurant both in the queue and on the ride itself. Pizza slices and boxes are scattered throughout the sets and can even be spotted while cruising down the 101. And if you take a quick peek to your left after loading into the L.I.M.O. (Lengthy Immediate Motion Object) ride vehicle, you might spot the Squeakeasy, a rat biker bar established in 1936 — the year Jim Henson was born.
A Constantly Revolving Door of Celebrities in the Livestream
Besides the countless Muppet references — of which I barely scratched the surface — I need to talk about the “livestream” video that plays in the rotunda queue. The video features all-new material showing everyone backstage and in the audience waiting for the Electric Mayhem to show up to their own concert, which they are several hours late to.
If you stay and watch the whole thing (or are stuck in line for more than 30 minutes), you will spot a ton of celebrities throughout the stream. I was able to catch most of them, but I still had to follow up with Brescia to make sure I did not miss any. He had several names to drop:
Weird Al makes an appearance. Wayne Brady, Yvette Nicole Brown is a great friend of The Muppets, Darren Chris. Some of my favorites were actors we were able to bring back from the Rock and Roller Coaster. So, Illeana Douglas, the former band manager. Ken Marino, who was the lowly audio engineer in the old pre-show, didn't have a speaking part, it was at the beginning of his career. So being able to bring him back and give him a bigger role in the story, which hopefully you get to see in there, was such a treat for us.
Ken Marino goes from soundboard operator to G-Force studio executive—a pretty solid upgrade. Brescia also mentioned John Stamos and Danny Trejo, but the full list is even more impressive, including Awkwafina, Neil Patrick Harris, Questlove, Travis Barker, Joe Elliott, and Phil Collen. And for another fun Muppet reference, Walter from The Muppets and The Muppets Most Wanted also shows up ready to watch the concert.
This is only a fraction of the references you can find on the ride, and every time you go on, you are bound to discover something new. Whether you are rocking out to one of the songs on the set list, spotting a poster featuring Angus McGonagle — who appeared in a single episode of The Muppet Show — or waiting to see if John Stamos finally makes it into the VIP room, there is always a reason to ride again.
