Family’s Guide to Universal: Revenge of the Mummy
A film crew has moved into an ancient Egyptian tomb to create a mummy movie starring Brendan Fraser. While in production, it’s discovered that the mummy’s curse in the movie script is not just legend. Imhotep, the evil mummy, has awakened and taken some of the crew as his victims. Imhotep attempts to seduce passengers on the ride to join him. Refusal, though, brings about the mummy’s wrath. A chase ensues as passengers find themselves on an indoor roller coaster involving a number of twists, turns, sudden stops, and complete directional changes.
I recently rode this attraction with all three of my children. Each had a slightly different opinion of the ride. Between the four of us, there is a span of nearly three decades in age as well as a wide spectrum of personalities. This is our family’s take on one of Universal’s most popular attractions – Revenge of the Mummy.
Elle
Elle is 10-years-old and a bit of a daredevil. Very little frightens her. In fact, she takes pride in her ability to venture where others turn away. From the beginning, this attraction appealed to her nature with its eerie queue; however, the real fun began when she boarded the ride vehicle.
She described the initial part of the ride as “very dark, but not super dark” and appreciated that there was enough light to see things around the vehicle, which helped tell the story. Special elements in the ride such as water, fire, and speed were highlights for her with the sudden explosions of fire being her favorite special effect. When asked if she would be willing to repeat the ride, she said enthusiastically, “I would definitely do this ride again.”
Miller
Miller is 13-years-old and takes most things in stride. He doesn’t seek out thrills, but he doesn’t run from them either. His strength is being able to “bend in the wind” in most situations. That was the approach he had when stepping onto Revenge of the Mummy.
Miller described the roller coaster as “very fun, dark, and fast.” He pointed out that one doesn’t know what is coming up next as you reach high speeds in the dark, but that is the very element of the ride which made it such a great experience for him. When asked what he felt others should know about the ride, he cautioned, “If [kids] are scared of things popping out at them, they might not like it, but I think the majority of kids would like it.”
Margeaux
Margeaux is 15-years-old and is timid about attractions that tend to frighten. In general, she despises rides that drop you or place you in the middle of a harrowing situation. While she can appreciate a thrill or horror story, actually experiencing one is not something for which she volunteers. For this reason, Margeaux required a bit of coaxing to board Revenge of the Mummy.
Margeaux described the queue as “pretty interesting to look at” (with the faux movie props displayed for viewing), but that was the most positive thing she could say about this attraction. In truth, when she was asked to describe her favorite part of the ride, her response was, “I don’t really have a favorite part for it because it’s not a favorite ride of mine in general. It’s just something I’ll ride if someone else wants to ride it, and I’ll be willing to go on it with them.”
She pointed out that the sudden nature of the special effects scared her and the roller coaster drops made her uneasy; however, she felt that these things were mild enough that she was able to tolerate the attraction for the sake of others. She allowed for the idea that others who are fearful might feel the same. “For the kids that aren’t that big into roller coasters,” Margeaux expressed, “it is really not that bad in comparison to some other things. Honestly, there are some rides that I am not willing to put up with. [Revenge of the Mummy] isn’t one of them. I would suggest riding it at least once to see how it goes.”
JeniLynn
I am the mom of this brood and a thrill seeker at heart. Scary things, fast things, and “bragging rights” have always appealed to me. As I have entered my fourth decade of life, though, my ability to handle certain thrills has diminished. I find myself more prone to nausea at times, and I’m not as likely to accept a challenge just to prove a point. Revenge of the Mummy, however, was a ride that still called to me.
I definitely place this attraction in the “thrill ride” category. The fact that guests are required to place items into a free locker before entering the queue is a clue that the ride has a degree of intensity. While there aren’t any exceptionally challenging aspects to it such as loops or terrifying drops, the attraction still gave me a rush of adrenaline with its creepy theme, high speeds, surprising effects, and mild drops. Aside from briefly traveling backwards (which brought a wave of nausea), this experience was what I had hoped it would be. It presented excitement without panic, and I found that the storyline behind the attraction mildly enhanced it. The dark ride features interspersed with the roller coaster made Revenge of the Mummy an attraction my children and I will repeat when we visit Universal Studios.