Aerosmith Contract To End Soon? What Then To Do With Rock N Roller Coaster?

[Lakin]

I just called my 16 year old nephew and asked him if he knew who Aerosmith was. He had no idea.

I'm 13, and to tell you the truth, I wouldn't know a thing about Aerosmith if it weren't for RocknRollercoaster. If I weren't a Disney fanatic, I'd have no clue.

[Aero]

I'm 13, and to tell you the truth, I wouldn't know a thing about Aerosmith if it weren't for RocknRollercoaster. If I weren't a Disney fanatic, I'd have no clue.

Then your parents have raised you wrong.

My daughter and her friends are into Aerosmith, Bob Marley, U2, Journey, Led Zep, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and more. She's 17 now, but this started a couple years back. I think it's a commentary on the state of today's pop music.

- Aero

[Dznygrl79]

Who says Aerosmith won't resign? Don't you think they would have closed the ride or sceduled it to close by now if they had to do a refurb? As far as music tastes remember everyone is different, I know who aerosmith is and can appreciate they are a classic band but thats about it, I am a Christian Rock person, also I don't see Disney retheaming it to Hannah or Jo Bros because 10 years from now who knows where they will be, I doubt a 26 year old Hannah will be as popular as she is now with the teeny bopper crowd.

[DisneyFanaticDargon]

If they change this over to Hannah Montana/Jonas Brothers, I will refuse to ever ride this again. I already feel an intense wave of nausea whenever I'm exposed to their already heavily overmarketed music and television appearances. Couple that with a ride that goes really fast AND upside down, and a mess will ensue.

[Ian]

I have no doubt that you're correct that some people under that age don't know Aerosmith, but I think they're the exception. In general, to my experience, kids under 20 are well aware of Aerosmith. Has he never been to WDW? Uncle NotaGeek should take him!

"Under 20" is a pretty broad spectrum of ages .... I wouldn't find it tough to believe that kids between say 15 and 20 know who Aerosmith is, but I highly doubt that Aerosmith is at all relevant to the majority of kids under the age of 15.

I honestly can't imagine they would re-theme the ride to Hannah Montana, though, because I don't even know that Miley wants to continue being Hannah Montana. This current tour is just a Miley Cyrus tour ... no mention of Hannah at all. I can't see Disney taking a risk like that.

JoBros? Eh ... maybe ... but honestly they've never had quite the level of appeal that Hannah did in the first place and, really, they're going to be a flash in the pan just like every other Disney manufactured teen pop star.

Unless there is some compelling reason not to (i.e. money, band refusal, etc.) I think the most likely scenario would be for Disney to just re-up with Aerosmith. You have to factor the cost of that in vs. the costs of shutting the ride down, re-theming it, etc.

To me it just makes the most fiscal sense to go that route and, with Disney today, money talks and everything else walks.

Although I've always found it to be a very odd pairing in the first place. It's really one of my least favorite "themes" of all Disney's attractions. I just don't see Disney and Aerosmith being a likely union.

[Gusgus]

My boys are 10 & 13 and know who Aerosmith is and even have them on their iPods. They even know the names of the band members! I raised my kids well I guess

[SBETigg]

"Under 20" is a pretty broad spectrum of ages .... I wouldn't find it tough to believe that kids between say 15 and 20 know who Aerosmith is, but I highly doubt that Aerosmith is at all relevant to the majority of kids under the age of 15.

You're right that the under-a-certain-age argument throws things off track a bit. The majority of kids on Splash Mountain haven't seen Song of the South, but they still love it and then, as they age, they gain some familiarity. If everything at Disney had to be understood and embraced by the under-15s, we might be in some trouble. In that case, perhaps they should re-theme Tower of Terror? Not many kids under 15 are familiar with the Twilight Zone.

The point is that classics stand the test of time. Aerosmith may not outlast the Beatles, but you hit an age (and it seems to be in later teen years perhaps) that you discover classic bands, classic TV, classic movies, and you learn and grow and embrace new things. Any band that has been recognized by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame probably has some degree of staying power. Kids under 15 are just as unlikely to know any other bands that have longevity in the industry. But will they not hear of them in the next five or ten years? I think they will. A band like Jonas Brothers or the show and music of Hannah Montana in ten years? Maybe not. So perhaps the solution is to go with a more general approach and not have focus on one band alone. The Rock and Roller Coaster could be themed around the music in general, should they lose Aerosmith, but the story set-up tends to work best when built around a specific band example, as the Aerosmith pre-show currently allows. To build it around a band that younger kids know would leave it open to be needing a redesign every few years.

[big blue and hairy]

Saying Aerosmith should come out of Rock-n-Rollercoaster because some young people don't know a lot about them is the same as taking all the classic movies out of the Great Movie Ride.

If they don't work out a contract, that's one thing, but they are THEE classic American rock band.

[Ian]

A band like Jonas Brothers or the show and music of Hannah Montana in ten years?

Oh, I absolutely agree with this and said as much in my post.

Despite their relevance to kids, I'd hate to see them go the "flash-in-the-pan" route in selecting a band. Unless they're willing to pony up the cash to constantly update the ride to whatever the latest and greatest Disney pop star is, I'd find it a waste. It would be completely irrelevant in 5 years.

Also, I'm not sure Hannah or the JoBros really hits the sweet spot in terms of where their biggest audience is for this ride. They need to find some kind of crossover act that resonates with tweens and adults alike.

If they don't work out a contract, that's one thing, but they are THEE classic American rock band.

Eh. I disagree. I've always found them tremendously overrated.

Their early stuff is awesome, but some time around the late 80's they went off-track and have never really recovered.

[diz_girl]

Girls of the late 70s -- how long did you like Shaun Cassidy? I rest my case.

I love Shaun Cassidy. He's dreamy. Actually, he's aged pretty well.


Anyway, I agree that the logical thing would be to re-up with Aerosmith. I would assume that you would want a band that is still intact and most of the members are still alive. However, these guys are at or pushing 60, so maybe going with another band is an option to consider.

Once the members of Aerosmith start needing hip replacements or dying off, then maybe WDW should pair with another, younger, band who has music that is already or has the potential to become classic and have fans that are multi-generational, like Aerosmith. And I would think that the band would still need to be together.

But who? There's Green Day, the Red Hot Chili Peppers (on hiatus), Pearl Jam, Metallica and Rage Against the Machine (not recording, but periodically performing). Can anyone think of anyone else? I'm talking rock (not pop) bands that have been around a while, but aren't old enough to qualify to collect Social Security retirement benefits within the next couple of years.

I agree that Hannah Montana and the Jonas Brothers aren't the way to go, since their demographic is so narrow.

[Aero]

My boys are 10 & 13 and know who Aerosmith is and even have them on their iPods. They even know the names of the band members! I raised my kids well I guess

You done good, Gusgus.

- Aero

[meldan98]

My comment about the younger crowd not knowing Aerosmith was mostly in jest. With Guitar Hero, a lot of bands that most teenagers might not get exposed to are, IMO, gaining in popularity. My daughter, who is five, knows Elvis, Buddy Holly, the Beatles, just to name a few, because that's what I listen to.

I really could see Disney swapping out Areosmith and making it more about the latest and greatest in current music. I could Miley and the Jonas Brothers, or another well known artist on one of the Disney labels.

[Tygger7]

I have no doubt that you're correct that some people under that age don't know Aerosmith, but I think they're the exception. In general, to my experience, kids under 20 are well aware of Aerosmith. Has he never been to WDW? Uncle NotaGeek should take him!

Wow...where in the heck has your nephew been his whole life?? In an isolation booth? My 16 year old DD is a HUGE Areosmith fan, and so are most of the kids in her high school. In fact, I'd go so far to say that at least 60% of them have even seem Aerosmith perform live in the past 5 years. As others have said, they are a classic band...I'd be willing to be that any kid that doesn't know who Areosmith is, probably also has never heard of Led Zepplin, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Kiss, etc. There are very few bands of this caliber that come along, and I'm definitely one that hopes that Aerosmith continues to be associated with Rock-n-Roller Coaster. The mere thought of making this a "teen idol" attraction makes me ill. The age group that supports current Disney stars will grow out of them sooner rather than later, so there would be a lot of expense continually having to update an entire ride to stay current with a fickle pre-teen audience. Ok, off my soapbox now.

[Aero]

Just a thought here... The original premise of this thread was that the 10-year anniversary of Rock 'n' Roller Coaster is coming up, and so the license must be set to expire. But, does anyone know that for sure? Perhaps they re-upped back in 2002 when RNRC avec Aerosmith opened at Disneyland Paris.

- Aero

[bruin1344]

If they change this over to Hannah Montana/Jonas Brothers, I will refuse to ever ride this again. I already feel an intense wave of nausea whenever I'm exposed to their already heavily overmarketed music and television appearances. Couple that with a ride that goes really fast AND upside down, and a mess will ensue.

same here

Aerosmith fits the theme perfectly for the ride. I cant think of any better replacements. I dont want any emo, pop, or death metal non-sense replacing aerosmith.

Everyone should know who Aerosmith is, what musical group do you know that had had major hits in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s? Plus they are an American band. They have broader appeal. Disney shouldnt only appeal to teenagers that would listen to Hanna Montana or Jonas Bros.

[5togetherWDW]

Recently, my boys have been asking for Aerosmiths version of Guitar Hero -- apparently EVERYONE else already has it Teens and preteens around here all know "old" music through Guitar Hero.
In fact, some of the "old" stuff is among the most heard, these days.

[Bamf1000]

It would be a bummer if Aerosmith wasn't a part of RRC but if they had to replace them i think Metallica or Led Zeplin would be good choices.

[big blue and hairy]

Eh. I disagree. I've always found them tremendously overrated.

Their early stuff is awesome, but some time around the late 80's they went off-track and have never really recovered.

You're one third right. Not overrated at all. They did go off the rails for a couple of albums but recovered nicely thank you, now go listen to Toys In The Attic and quiet down...



PS What artist hasn't had a clunker or two?

[fupresti]

All I know is, if KISS is ever featured on RnR count me out. That no talent hack circus band is a joke. Gene Simmons makes me want to throw up in my mouth.

However, I see no reason not to extend the contract. I am sure Aerosmith gets some good exposure and even if kids don't know who they are, they still know the music. It's not like they wont ride it because its a band they don't recognize.

Now, if they need to change it, they could always go with a Queen theme. They are a great classic rock band, everyone knows We Will Rock You and others AND they are on Hollywood Records, a Disney owned label.

[Imagineer1981]

Aerosmith will stay because of a few reasons:

1) They are a classic rock band and the ultimate rock icons

2) They are family oriented (yes I know they have a shady past, but I just saw them on June 10 and yes there were 10 year olds there, they don't curse on stage)

3) My 6 year old cousin knows who they are and loves them. They are still played on the radio a ton and each new generation keeps rocking to them.