Universal Studios Hollywood | Revenge of the Mummy-The Ride

THERE AND BACK AGAIN

Page Two

Jackal gods guard the portal into REVENGE OF THE MUMMY. Check your bags (and cameras, dammit) into free lockers inside.

PASS THROUGH THIS CURSED GATE

. . . and enter the Sarcophagi of Personal Artifacts!

Imhotep has his undead minions, USH has its very attentive crew members who let no guest pass without storing their loose items in complimentary lockers. Since my camera's a bit too bulky to pocket and I didn't want it to go on a wilder ride than I would, I stashed it under lock and key — so unfortunately I have no interior ride pictures to share in my review. (For now, anyway!)

Alas, this diversion from your hasty dash into the line is necessary, since the coaster cars have no place to store personal articles. Any loose item you can't stow in a pocket would have to be surrendered to the ride crew anyway, so you might as well take advantage of the free, secure storage. The locker room's tiny dimensions (compared the constant foot traffic through it) make for an elbow-bumping start to REVENGE OF THE MUMMY, so the better you're prepared to store your goods, the quicker you'll be out and back in line. And speaking of the line . . .

Rear view of the MUMMY entrance archway and locker building with photo op store in back, as guests exit ride across the elevated walkway.

. . . odds are, you'll be in line quite a while if you visit USH this summer. I went mid-week and the shortest line wait I saw was 50 minutes — but within an hour the wait time rocketed to 95 minutes. Credit due, USH makes the wait as comfortable to endure as possible, more on that below.

First, the fates must determine which entrance to the Mummy's tomb you shall enter . . . and by "fates" I refer how many dollars fall out of your wallet into Universal's till. There are two options and two lines: those who purchase Front of the Line or VIP passes are directed to the short queue against the wall and enter the themed portal, seen center frame in the photo above; everyone else takes the rightmost line and spends some quality time with other guests in the great outdoors (see those happy campers snaking around the corner and out of sight, to wait in the tarp-covered queue area, noted on the previous page).

This theme-less brand of queue is typical of the lower lot attractions, where there simply isn't room for elaborate indoor lines and decor — and since putting the line indoors would steal precious show space away from the ride itself, just be glad MUMMY is worth an hour or so wait once you enter. The queue area is shaded and got a decent breeze courtesy of nature, but the long switchbacks full of guests in summer raises the local temperature regardless. Yet lo and behold, Kool-Fans save the day! You've seen them in other parks: large, twin-fan mounts which spray water mist as they circulate the air. These fans were not operating as I arrived in line (1:30pm) and I can't imagine why not, but within five minutes someone hit the switch and refreshing mist wafted over the crowd, dropping the air temp by a good ten degrees. This kept the excited and patient crowd cool both literally and figuratively, and without the summer weather making the wait an endurance test, guests remained focused on anticipation instead of annoyance. Smart move!

Universal also provides line waiters and waitresses live entertainment by a . . . how shall I say it, eclectic band of musicians called The Mummy Dummys. A mildly entertaining group who play a variety of tunes loosely tied to the ride theme — all of which sound like a cross between Dick Dale surf swing and folksy bluegrass. I think it's the banjo which kept deflating the hipster beach vibe into corny country twang . . . well played by all, guess I'm just not a fan o' the banjo. Their attempts at inter-band humor are a bit forced and stilted, but then again it would help if the banjo player's mike were set to an audible level.

Still, they provide enough entertainment to keep your feet shuffling around the corner and into the show building entrance, though a replica of the winged stone portal seen at the VIP entrance above, but under a shady portico. This is where the otherwise non-existent show themeing begins . . . and a surprisingly short pre-show queue awaits.