I just found out that one of my favorite rides from the Halcyon Days is closing as of today in order for it to be fully re-themed.
Rock n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith at Disney's Hollywood Studios isn't the best coaster I've been on, or the most interesting... it isn't even in my top five favorites, but it stands out in my memory as one of the most memorable rides at probably the most memorable park of those by-gone years.
I've talked before about the glorious years of roughly 1999 through 2001 when I had annual passes to all the major theme parks in Orlando and frequented them multiple times each month with friends such as Jay, Roger G., Steve B. and of course Ric and Gary. These were the Halcyon Days. Many times leaving work early and making the short drive over to a theme park to "get our park on."
Disney's Hollywood Studios, or as it was known then, Disney-MGM Studios, was probably the favorite for Jay and me for a while then since I remember we seemed to keep going there more than other parks. It was there we ate at the highly themed eateries like Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater and 50's Prime Time Cafe, drank from the many walk up windows or drink stalls (I don't remember any good bars like Baseline they have now back in the day), enjoyed the shows (and for me, one time, participated in) Indiana Jones and Muppets 3-D, and rode all our fav rides like Tower of Terror, Star Tours and this, at the time, the only coaster in the park.
We rode this coaster so many times that we got to know the videotaped queue presentation with the band being rushed to get into a limo their manager was calling up on her Motorola StarTAC cell phone (after she pulled it out, flipped it open and extended its antenna... yes, this was filmed in the late '90s folks!) and "counted" our heads to include us in the party and told the transportation service, "Better make it a stretch... no, a Super-Stretch." And then she'd try to rush Aerosmith out the door yelling "Sorry folks, we gotta go!" The manager was played by actress Illeana Douglas and Jay and I goofed on her every time. She was okay enough but it was awkward and it just stuck with us. In everything I've ever seen her in since, I think back to her tiny performance in this roller coaster ride queue pre-boarding video scene and I see her as just as awkward and quirky. Well, heck, I found a clip of it, see for yourself...
Goodbye old friend, sorry I couldn't take one last crazy LA freeway ride on ya!