Universal Studios Hollywood · Lower Lot
Revenge of the Mummy
An indoor launched coaster in total darkness with fire, a reverse section and a false ending — the park's only real roller coaster.
Ride facts
- Type
- Roller coaster
- Height
- 48in (122cm)
- Intensity
- Intense
- Motion sickness
- Moderate motion risk
- Getting wet
- Stay dry
- Indoor / outdoor
- Indoor
- Air conditioned
- Yes
- Single rider
- Available
- Rider Switch
- Available
- Travels backwards
- Yes
Last verified July 2026
What it is
Revenge of the Mummy opened on the Lower Lot in 2004 and is the only genuine roller coaster at Universal Studios Hollywood. It is an indoor, fully enclosed, electromagnetically launched coaster with a themed first act: you move slowly through Egyptian tomb sets, an animatronic Imhotep threatens the car, and then the launch takes the whole thing from a walking pace to full speed in about two seconds.
The Hollywood version is the shorter of the two Revenge of the Mummy coasters. Orlando's is longer, with more show scenes between the coaster sections. What Hollywood keeps is the essential structure: a slow scare-setup, a hard launch, a run through total darkness with a reverse segment and a fire effect, and a false ending that is one of the best-executed gags in any theme park.
The darkness is what makes it work. There is no reference point, no advance warning of a turn, and no lighting except the deliberate effects. Riders who are comfortable with much bigger outdoor coasters find this one genuinely disorienting, and that is the intended effect rather than a flaw.
What riding it is actually like
The queue runs through an Egyptian excavation site and into a tomb, well themed and mercifully indoors. Free lockers at the entrance are compulsory in practice — nothing survives this ride in a pocket.
The ride opens slowly. The car climbs through tomb chambers with scarab effects and an Imhotep animatronic, everything gets dark, and there is a moment of stillness that is the setup for what follows. Then the launch, which is abrupt and hard.
The coaster section runs in near-total darkness at speed, with a reverse segment, banked turns you cannot see coming, and a ceiling of fire above the track that you feel as real heat. It is short — the whole ride is about two minutes — and relentless while it lasts.
The false ending is the part people talk about afterward. The car comes to a stop, the lights come up, everything appears to be over, and it is not. Do not spoil it for anyone; it is the best moment on the ride.
Is Revenge of the Mummy scary?
This is the most frightening operating attraction at the park. It runs in total darkness, launches hard, reverses without warning, and includes a ceiling of fire you feel as heat on your face. There is a false ending that catches almost everyone the first time. Clearing 48 inches says nothing about whether a child is ready for it.
Scores are editorial, on a 1–5 scale, judged against what frightens a typical four- to seven-year-old rather than an adult.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair
- Must transfer to the ride vehicle
- Audio description
- Not offered
- Handheld captioning
- Not offered
- Assistive listening
- Not offered
- Sign language
- Not offered
- Service animals
- Must use a kennel or wait with a companion
You must transfer out of a wheelchair or ECV into a coaster car with a lap restraint. All loose articles must go in the free lockers before the queue — enforcement at the platform is strict and there is no pocket that will hold anything through this ride.
Tips that actually help
- Use the free lockers. Enforcement is strict, there is nowhere to hold anything, and phones do not survive the launch in a lap.
- Ride it first thing. The Lower Lot is close to empty in the first hour and this is often a walk-on before ten in the morning.
- The single rider line is short and effective. In total darkness you cannot see who you are sitting with anyway.
- Do not tell first-time riders about the ending. It is the best gag at the park and it only works once.
- The fire effect above the track produces genuine heat, and the whole ride runs in true darkness with no reference points. Clearing 48 inches does not mean a child is ready for it.
Timing
- Best time to ride
- The first hour of the day, or the last hour before close when the Lower Lot empties out.
- Typical wait
- Usually 25 to 50 minutes from mid-morning; frequently under 15 in the first hour.
- Express Pass
- Universal Express Pass
Revenge of the Mummy: common questions
What is the height requirement for Revenge of the Mummy?
48 inches, the tallest at Universal Studios Hollywood alongside Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. It is also the most intense ride here, and clearing the height says very little about whether a child will enjoy it.
Is Revenge of the Mummy scary?
It is the most frightening operating attraction at this park. The whole ride is in darkness, the launch is abrupt, there is a reverse section, a fire effect you feel as heat, and a false ending. Riders comfortable with big outdoor coasters still find it disorienting.
Does Revenge of the Mummy go upside down?
No. It has no inversions. It does have a backward section, sharp unlit turns and a hard launch, and the darkness makes all of it feel more extreme than the layout is on paper.
How does it compare to the Orlando version?
Hollywood's is the shorter of the two. Orlando's has more show scenes between the coaster sections and a longer track. The core — the launch, the darkness, the fire, the false ending — is the same, and Hollywood's is the more compact, more relentless ride of the two.
Do I need to use a locker?
Yes, in practice. Free lockers sit outside the queue and platform enforcement is strict. There is no safe place to hold a phone, a hat or a bag through the launch and the reverse section.