Disney Headlines for December 9th, 2025
Aerosmith is no longer “Livin’ on the Edge,” as its roller coaster has careened into oblivion.
We’ll discuss the end of an era in the latest batch of Disney Headlines.
This Is Not F.I.N.E.
Photo: Rappler
Raise your hand if you know what F.I.N.E. stands for.
AI will tell you that it’s a Myers-Briggs thing, which tells you just how much you should trust AI.
The people who were alive for ‘90s music remember a time when Aerosmith ruled the airwaves.
The people who weren’t alive then have no idea what airwaves are.
wallup.net
Kids, ask your Pappaws about radio.
As a band, Aerosmith was churning out hit music starting in the 1970s and remained relevant until the Armageddon soundtrack.
Photo: Deadline.com
That’s when the band’s hit single “I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing” hit number one on the charts while somehow simultaneously ruining Aerosmith’s reputation.
By that point, it was largely too late for Disney.
The company had rushed the opening of Disney’s Hollywood Studios in 1989 since it was suing MGM, the other studio involved.
In the aftermath of this decision, the park just didn’t have any rides.
So, Disney spent the body of the 1990s trying to correct that, most notably with the two attractions on Sunset Boulevard.
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror came first, but it was joined soon afterward by another very good thrill ride.
Photo: Disney
That attraction, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith debuted in July 1999, only a few months after Aerosmith had topped the charts.
At the time, the licensing agreement seemed like a coup, as Aerosmith was as hot as it had ever been.
Image: Disney
For more than 25 years, the roller coaster delighted park fans, even as the band continually blanketed itself with controversy.
At one point, every member of Aerosmith except Steven Tyler appeared on 60 Minutes.
What did they talk about? How much they hated Steven Tyler.
Not-So-Sweet Emotion(s)
Photo: Disney
Band dynamics notwithstanding, the members of Aerosmith always delighted in having their own Disney roller coaster.
Disney threw an opening day party for Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, and members of the band have ridden it countless times over the years.
Photo: Disney
Aerosmith took pride in this attraction and never wanted it to end.
Alas, fate and self-inflicted wounds forced a change of plans.
Tyler’s personal life dating back to the 1970s became tabloid fodder, which caused rumors that Disney would retheme.
Even if that hadn’t happened, Tyler’s vocal issues ended the band’s ability to tour or record new music.
People.com
Oddly, the closure of a different attraction is what triggered the change, though.
Park officials made the controversial decision to close Muppet*Vision 3D, a classic attraction.
Photo: Disney
Since that outraged Disney fans everywhere, management threw us a bone by saving the Muppets, kind of.
The characters will take over the thrill ride, turning it into Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets.
Photo: Disney
Many people are a bit salty about this decision, as they wanted Muppet*Vision 3D to remain.
Fans won’t know what to think about Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets until it opens in the summer; however, Aerosmith is gone.
Photo: Disney
Disney took the unusual step of removing the preshow and thereby eliminating all remaining ties to the band save for the music playing during the ride.
Since Walt Disney Studios Park had previously rethemed its version of the ride, Aerosmith is mostly gone from Disney parks.
The closure won’t officially happen until next spring, which gives you a few more months to enjoy Aerosmith music on Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster.
Disney officials will never admit it, but they’re thrilled by this change.
They own the Muppets, but they were licensing Aerosmith.
‘The Simpsons’ Are Hot Again
Simpsons
Here’s a video, some of which you may understand.
Those are characters from The Simpsons and Fortnite joining together in a wholly unrequested collaboration.
Photo: Disney+
The only people who wanted this were the accountants at Epic Games and Disney.
They were right and the rest of us were wrong.
Disneyland Game Rush
As proof, here’s a link discussing the triumphant success of Fortnite’s season of The Simpsons and what developers can learn from it.
While this is an opinion piece, they do throw an important statistic into the conversation.
Fortnite
“Average [‘Fortnite’] player numbers for November are the highest since March…”
Then, the writer adds a personal opinion that Fortnite is fun again.
I don’t play Fortnite to know whether that’s accurate, but I can say this.
I did download the game and intended to play it if I had the free time.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
As someone who doesn’t play Fortnite, I didn’t realize it was a condensed season.
So, I missed my opportunity to explore Springfield.
(Photo by Tobias SCHWARZ / AFP) (Photo credit should read TOBIAS SCHWARZ/AFP via Getty Images)
Those who did are euphoric about the experience, even if they aren’t diehard fans of The Simpsons.
That’s always the sign of a successful collaboration, as fans of one brand grow to admire another.
Ready Player Homer
(Photo by Tristan Fewings/Getty Images for Hamleys)
On the part of Simpsons fans, those who could avoid getting fragged long enough could find Easter eggs throughout the town.
Here are 50 of them, including a variant of the beloved Homer Simpson bushes meme.
The season ended with whatever this is, and fans adored it.
I suspect that’s probably at least partially because of the KPop Demon Hunters cameo, as well as the appearances of Godzilla and Kong.
Ultimately, fans are referencing the unmistakable homage to the climactic events of Avengers: Endgame.
I’d argue they’re missing the point, though.
Photo: Amazon
Fortnite has recreated the video game highlights of the final act of Ready Player One at the same time everyone is swearing that the Metaverse is dead.
You have to admire the moxy of the people at Epic Games. First, they successfully sued Apple, and now this.
Disney
For its part, Disney has indoctrinated an entirely new generation into the wonderful world of The Simpsons.
While plenty of people stream the series on Disney+, Fortnite targets an entirely different demographic, and a massive one at that.
Photo: EPIC Games
Fortnite averages about 1.1 million concurrent viewers each month and had 10 million players show up for the conclusion of The Simpsons’ season.
Disney will release a new Simpsons movie in less than two years, and the fans of this collaboration are more likely to see the film in theaters.
Photo: Disney, Epic Games
Meanwhile, I guarantee you that Epic executives are drooling at the thought of collaborations like full-throated Star Wars and Pixar seasons.
Collabs such as these demonstrate why Josh D’Amaro was smart to persuade Bob Iger to buy a chunk of Epic.
Josh D’Amaro at the Featured Session “The Future of World-Building at Disney” during SXSW Conference & Festivals in the Austin Convention Center on March 8, 2025 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Adam Kissick/SXSW Conference & Festivals via Getty Images)
The two parties fit together better than anyone realized at the time, and now we have the data to prove it.
Photo: MickeyBlog
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