Revenge of the Mummy Review
The Mummy, angry scarabs and Brendan Fraser make this ride a must-visit in Universal Studios
This is one of the best indoor roller coasters you can find in Florida.
This simple, one-line sentence should be enough to make you close this tab and add this ride to your itinerary, but let’s talk a little bit more about The Mummy. Not the amazing 1999 movie, and definitely not the terrible 2016 reboot. Thankfully, the ride draws all its inspiration from the original, featuring Imhotep, a lot of fire effects, multiple mummies, and the great Brendan Fraser.
The Mummy is way more than just a roller coaster. A lot of people consider it a dark ride as well, and I can definitely see that. In fact, you spend more time slowly journeying across dark tombs than actually doing classic roller coaster stuff. Let me say that both parts are equally very fun. The dark ride portion is filled with awesome practical effects and great atmosphere and the roller coaster section is brief but has a very fun launch and a great drop full of cool visual projections.
The Good
There is much to like about Revenge of the Mummy. The queue is simple, but really atmospheric. It’s set almost completely in the dark, as you walk around an ancient excavation site checking out tombs as if you are Indiana Jones. This part can actually be rather scary to children, so keep them close until you are ready to board your vehicle.
Even Brendan Fraser makes an appearance on some TVs, welcoming you to the ride and sharing a bit more about the movie. Unfortunately, he won't be joining us for the ride. He is waiting for his cup of coffee or something. But hey, more space in the vehicle for us and shorter wait times! Speaking of which, wait times for this ride are usually quite short, rarely exceeding thirty minutes. It's a blessing considering how cool this ride is.
You start the attraction by exploring an ancient tomb, and immediately coming face to face with Imhotep. He is super nice to us, and says that we are now cursed and our souls belong to him. You now, typical mummy stuff. Then it is time for some awesome practical effects: fire surrounding you, scary animatronics popping out and even traps trying to make you a permanent resident of the mummy domain! It’s awesome. There's also a very cool section with scarabs on a digital screen, followed by a backwards section reminiscent of something from Animal Kingdom's Expedition Everest.
The roller coaster part is equally fun. You do get catapulted forward, but it’s not as intense as something like Tron Lightcycle Run. In fact, Revenge of the Mummy isn’t intense as all, and could certainly be compared to the thrills offered by a family coaster. You won’t be doing any loops or going upside down, and the sharp turns aren’t too aggressive.
I do wish the roller coaster portion lasted a little while, since it’s mostly a drop with a few turns, but it gets the job done. It’s also fun since you are fleeing from the mummy’s fury, and can see a few effects surrounding you like a giant… mummy… head and some other stuff. It’s all really cool.
There's really nothing bad I can say about Revenge of the Mummy. My only gripe is that the roller coaster portion feels a bit short, but the immersive dark ride makes up for it. Overall, it's a ride that keeps you smiling from start to finish. Well done, Imhotep. While you haven't managed to steal a single soul, you've certainly delivered one of the best rides in Universal Studios.
Will Kids enjoy it?
Revenge of the Mummy might be too scary for young children. The queue is incredibly dark and atmospheric, reminiscent of something like Tower of Terror in Hollywood Studios. It's so dark at times that you might need to raise your hand to see what's in front of you. The atmosphere, resembling an ancient tomb, adds to the spookiness. Occasionally, park operators hide in secret spots just to spook passing guests! However, I've never seen them spooking little kids. They seem trained to avoid them, likely because the queue is already quite spooky.
The ride itself features some scary moments as well. There is an evil mummy out there that wants to steal your soul, after all. There are also fire effects, other mummies and visual projections of scarabs that surround your vehicle. Interestingly, the roller coaster part of the ride is actually the least scary aspect of it all.
