As Guests enter G-Force Records’ recording studio at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, they come face-to-face with Aerosmith. The band seems to be in a hurry to hit the road and make it to the concert, but Joe Perry, lead guitarist for the band, needs his signature instrument. He leans into the microphone, and asks,
“Chris, can you grab my black Les Paul?”
When Rock n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith first opened in 1999, some Guests may recall that an actual, real-life Cast Member named “Chris” would acknowledge Joe’s request, grab the Les Paul, and exit the studio. Although it was a small role, it added a little touch of magic to the pre-show and made it feel even more authentic.
The name “Chris” was cleverly used as a gender-neutral character; it can be the name for a man, as well as a nickname for a woman. (Fun fact: Disney Costuming often issues “Chris – Orlando, FL” nametags as temporary replacements for those who lose or forget their nametag at work!)
There is speculation as to why the character “Chris” disappeared.
Or has he? Some Disney message boards, as well as the Wikipedia page for the attraction, claim that “Chris” sometimes still appears, although from personal observation, he/she has never been seen since the attraction’s early days. The majority of dates point back to 2005 as being the last regular “Chris” sighting.
With so many Cast Members being shuffled through this brief yet effective role, rumors swirled that some of the props in the studio were being moved, damaged, and sometimes stolen as “Chris” made his/her run through the studio.
Supposedly the guitar being handled by the Cast was truly a black Les Paul signed by Joe Perry himself, and has since been removed from the studio and kept backstage, according to Disney myth. It would actually be quite surprising if multiple Cast Members were allowed to handle an expensive autographed piece of property.
The Cast Deployment System (CDS) works in such a way that Cast Members are never stuck in one position all day. “Chris” would not have been retrieving the guitar every five minutes for an entire eight-hour shift. Perhaps it was used more as a “task”, which is common when an area is overstaffed, but can be dropped when necessary. The position could have been permanently dropped as a result of being consistently understaffed and has simply never returned.
Some people claim that there are two separate versions of the pre-show, but this is not true. The pre-show video is filmed in such a way that “Chris” does not have to be played by a real Cast Member. There is a pause after Joe makes his request, and a roadie appears on-screen briefly, acknowledges the guitarist, and disappears.
Have you ever seen “Chris”?
