Revenge of the Mummy at Universal Studios: Can You Escape the Curse??
Revenge of the Mummy has become an iconic attraction at Universal Studios Orlando.
Since its opening in 2004, this dark-ride/high-speed-coaster combo has been delivering fright and fun for the guests who dare to ride. And seriously, this coaster isn’t for the faint of heart! You’ll get an adrenaline rush at every turn, from psychological thrills as well as physical spills.
To be clear, the ride is based on the Mummy movie series directed by Stephen Sommers, not Scooby Doo: Where’s My Mummy? So you know it’s going to be genuinely creepy. (Not that Scooby Doo can’t be scary, too!)
Are you ready to enter the tomb?
I’m not! But here we go anyway, I guess?!?
Revenge of the Mummy: A Chilling Tale
We love movies and rides that break the fourth wall, and Revenge of the Mummy delivers, placing you in the heart of a spooky story.
The setup for the ride is that Universal Studios is making another Mummy movie entitled “Revenge of the Mummy,” and you’re being recruited as an extra. The queue for the ride is a museum of antiquities where you’ll learn about the curse of Imhotep and the possibility that it might be very, very real.
As the queue transitions to the boarding area, you’ll find yourself in an ancient Egyptian dig site. But is this a movie set or an actual tomb?
I’m going to pause here to warn you there are spoilers ahead. If you haven’t ridden Universal Studios Florida Revenge of the Mummy roller coaster yet, these moments are best experienced by going in blind. You can pick up reading this article at the next header! Unless, like me, you’re anxious and need to know what you’re getting yourself into. In that case, read on!!
Once you board the ride, you’ll wind your way through dimly lit passages, past hieroglyphics that would no doubt read “TURN BACK” if translated. Eventually, you’ll find Reggie, a missing Revenge of the Mummy cast member, trapped in a sarcophagus and partially mummified! He tries to warn you about the curse…right before Imhotep appears and sucks out his soul!
From there, Imhotep turns his sights on your soul, and the coaster shoots to life, zooming through scenes of fire, mummy soldiers, and swarms of scarab beetles.
You’ll reach a stop where a female attendant thanks you for riding – but Imhotep swoops in to take her soul as well! The coaster then completes a dramatic drop, bringing you face to face with Brendan Fraser (from the Mummy franchise), calling out to his assistant for a cup of coffee. However, the assistant is none other than Imhotep.
Everything goes black, and you’re ushered out, running for your life, as Fraser’s helpless cry echoes behind you…
Walk Ride Like an Egyptian
Frankly, I’m terrified. But even if the storyline isn’t enough to rattle you, here are some stats about the Revenge of the Mummy roller coaster you may want to take into consideration before boarding.
This coaster is an indoor, steel roller coaster with lap-bar restrained, “mine car” style vehicles.
Just because it’s indoors doesn’t mean it’s less intense! The entire ride takes place in the dark, and sometimes that means complete, pitch-black darkness. Everything – from the scary story elements to the actual speed of the coaster – feels exaggerated in the dark, providing a type of thrill that couldn’t be achieved on an outdoor ride.
- Does Revenge of the Mummy go upside down?
Thankfully, of all the horrors posed by this coaster, there are no inversions!
- What is the Revenge of the Mummy height requirement?
You must be at least 48 inches tall to enter the tomb!
- What is the Revenge of the Mummy ride drop height?
The big drop you experience toward the end of this ride is 39 feet. While this isn’t a record-breaking height, the drop is fast and in the dark, which definitely adds to the intensity!
- Is Revenge of the Mummy a Launch Coaster?
Yes! In fact, the Revenge of the Mummy roller coaster utilizes three launches, meaning it shoots off at 40 to 45 mph from a complete standstill. This can be shocking, even when expected – and most guests agree it feels much faster than the given speed!
All in all, the Revenge of the Mummy roller coaster might be too scary for younger riders, and if you suffer from the curse of motion sickness, you may want to avoid it, too. With jerky turns and movements, the escape from Imhotep is not necessarily a smooth one. This coaster is often ranked as one of the most intense rides at Universal Studios.
The Mummy Re-Awakens
Many of our readers are probably aware of the Revenge of the Mummy coaster’s closure for the first half of 2022, but there’s no keeping Imhotep down!
The ride underwent a soft re-opening in August of 2022 and remains open today, but it’s still in a “Technical Rehearsal” phase, as detailed by Universal’s website. While we’d love to have an official, 100% re-opening date, there still doesn’t seem to be one as of writing. However, we’re just thrilled we can get back on the ride! So, what does riding during technical rehearsal look like?
Basically, technical rehearsal means you can ride, but you might experience some hiccups with the show elements, and the ride may even be closed at random. However, as of December 2022, WDW News Today reported technical rehearsal signage at the park had been removed, and the ride was utilizing Universal Express passes again!1
Revenge of the Mummy roller coaster honestly seems to be back to normal, save for Universal’s continual technical rehearsal announcement on their website. (Imhotep is probably causing problems, as usual.)
While some fans expressed concern over what changes would take place during the months-long refurbishment, the storyline and iconic “coffee bit” with Brendan Fraser have remained intact. (Yay!) The refurbishments seem to have centered around the ride system and control booth, although there’s no official statement about it yet.
Even though it was a bummer to be without the Revenge of the Mummy coaster for several months, we’re happy Universal is keeping its ride system up to date. Hopefully, this iconic attraction can generate screams for years to come!
Have you braved Revenge of the Mummy roller coaster or noticed anything different since the refurbishment? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Now, could someone please get me a cup of coffee?
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Photo: daryl_mitchell via Flickr
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