USF Mummy Rumor. OH MY!

[WDWHound]

The following is from Screamscape.com. Oh man, I hope this is more than just a rumor:

"2004 - Revenge of The Mummy - (5/19/03) “3000 Years In The Making”... The Mummy will return in 2004. Universal has described the new ride as a fusion of “Roller Coaster Technology, Space Age Robotics and “Live” Pyrotechnic Special Effects”. The rides in both Hollywood and Florida will be similar, though it is clear that the space available in Florida will allow for a much bigger ride. The ride itself will indeed feature LIMs to propel the car from scene to scene, both forward and backwards it seems. All the while you will be haunted by ‘the most advanced animatronics ever engineered”. They are keeping the ride’s story under wraps for now as well as a few surprises they want to keep close to the vest until it opens. “unsuspecting guests will be swept into a terrifying underworld of ancient Egypt awash in deadly curses, powerful forces of nature and vengeful creatures intent on wreaking havoc. Adding to the terror will be the mystery of two of the ride’s scenes, which will not be made public until the attraction debuts.” One scene they are very proud of however is a room that will have a “ceiling of flame” only inches above you burning at up to 2000 degrees. They also mention that you may not experience the exact same scenic elements each time you ride. One effect that you wont miss however is a large robotic skeleton warrior who will leap onto your vehicle itself. If it is half as good as it sounds, this ride could change the way we look at coasters and dark rides. "

It sounds a bit too good to be true, but it should be great even if they only do a small percentage of the things mentioned here.

 

[pheneix]

That's not a rumor, it's the real deal. Here is the press release from Universal:

----------------------------------

UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOLLYWOOD
AND UNIVERSAL ORLANDO
TO BRING PHENOMENALLY POPULAR
MUMMY MOVIES
ROARING TO LIFE VIA MOST ADVANCED
THRILL RIDE EVER CONCEIVED:
“REVENGE OF THE MUMMY”

Over Ten Years In Development,
Mummy Will Be First Indoor Ride In History
To Fuse Roller Coaster Technology, Space Age Robotics
And “Live” Pyrotechnic Special Effects

Guests Will Hurtle Through Authenticated Egyptian Sets,
Chambers, Passageways And Tombs In
“Psychological Thrill Ride”
Serving As Latest Sequel In Mummy Franchise


UNIVERSAL CITY, CALIFORNIA, UNIVERSAL ORLANDO, FLORIDA (May 19, 2003) -- Based on the phenomenally popular “Mummy” films that have grossed nearly $1 billion worldwide and heralding a new era in thrill rides, Universal Studios ride designers have unveiled plans for “Revenge Of The Mummy” – the first attraction in history to feature an unprecedented fusion of threshold technology, high-speed roller coaster engineering and space age robotics to propel guests through authenticated ancient Egyptian catacombs and “live” pyrotechnic effects.

Ten years in research and development, the indoor thrill ride, that will debut simultaneously next year at both Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando, will also integrate design concepts by visionary Stephen Sommers, who reinvigorated the classic Universal monster film “The Mummy” in 1999’s worldwide smash and its even more popular sequel in 2001, both of which he wrote and directed.
(more)

Revenge Of The Mummy – 2

“This really is the latest evolution for the entire ride industry,” said Scott Trowbridge, vice president of design and creative development for Universal Parks & Resorts. “The ‘Revenge Of The Mummy’ ride is the next threshold attraction in our industry – there is no other ride like it anywhere.”

Indeed, the design and construction of the ride marks an unparalleled collaboration between a director and producers from the worlds of moviemaking and theme park design. Sommer’s longtime creative partner, Bob Ducsay, also applied extensive creative input into the ride.

Unique methodology in theming and technical elements for the ride have been conceived by the combined team resulting in a unique “High Velocity Show Immersion System” that completely engulfs the riders’ senses in the eerily-haunted world of “Revenge Of The Mummy.”

The ride will also possess the most advanced animatronics ever engineered, elaborately staged “dark ride scenes” and a revolutionary new ride track employing new linear induction motors to create a series of visual, visceral and motion-based effects that will continually surprise guests while drawing them into Sommers’ immersive storylines that have thrilled hundreds of millions of movie-goers worldwide.

“This is really a thrill for me,” Sommers said. “I am really energized to have the world of ‘The Mummy’ films turned into a thrilling, scary, scream-worthy ride. This is in many ways, the next sequel of ‘The Mummy,’ and one that I personally can’t wait to experience firsthand.

“I am especially happy that it extends my successful partnership with Universal into a new and exciting area.”

In two of the world’s largest sound stages, unsuspecting guests will be swept into a terrifying underworld of ancient Egypt awash in deadly curses, powerful forces of nature and vengeful creatures intent on wreaking havoc. Adding to the terror will be the mystery of two of the ride’s scenes, which will not be made public until the attraction debuts.

The same technology employed in futuristic magnetic levitation trains now being unveiled will be utilized in the ride launch system. Among the ride’s many unprecedented design elements, magnetic propulsion launch wave systems will be employed throughout the experience, thrusting riders forward, backward and forward again.
(more)



Revenge Of The Mummy – 3

In the midst of such dynamic motion, the riders will also be subjected to a one-of-a-kind “ceiling of flame” – with undulating flames akin to a brain fire that will hover only inches above them at temperatures soaring to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

“Revenge Of The Mummy” themed elements will be the most elaborate ever created for a thrill ride experience. Universal’s ride producers have traveled to Egypt and The British Museum to assure the authenticity of the ride’s shadowy, curse-ridden interior environment that will range from glistening golden amulets to dusty “Canopic Jars” containing the grisly remains of the haunted long-deceased royalty portrayed in the ride.

Other dramatic elements will include objects and figures that startlingly materialize. Contrasting lighting effects will alter light levels from daytime ambience to total darkness. The number and quality of the ride’s fast-paced scenic effects will be unparalleled in theme park history and the experience from inside each of the ride’s cars will vary. Riders may experience different scenic elements each time they ride.

Utilizing engineering techniques gleaned from the Mars robotic range vehicle, the attraction will include a skeleton warrior who, in the midst of defending the twilight world of his netherworld tomb, literally leaps into the rider’s vehicle.

“When we conceived of attractions like ‘Back To The Future’ ‘T2-3D’ and ‘The Adventures of Spiderman,’ ” Trowbridge said, “we envisioned that there was yet another level to enthrall our guests. We researched and integrated technology from a multitude of areas and then searched for the right story to make this ride leap to life. ‘Revenge Of The Mummy’ accomplishes that.”

This new ride continues Universal Studios’ successful tradition of creating attractions from its own library of hit films, including “E.T.,” “Back To The Future” and “Backdraft,” all of which have become popular attractions at its theme parks.

# # #

Media Contacts:

Jim Yeager Susan Lomax Eliot Sekuler
Universal Parks and Resorts Universal Orlando Universal Studios Hollywood
(818) 777-1047 (407) 363-8220 (818) 622-6896

 

[DisneyKidds]

Sounds like it could be a great attraction. Good for Universal, and hopefully it will raise the bar for Disney - which would be good for Disney fans if they respond.

Kind of sad, isn't it? Talking about someone setting the bar for Disney when they used to be the one's to set the bar for everyone else.

 

[SeaShelley]

Boy, I hope this is open by Oct. 2004!!!! Sounds like a blast!

 

[EUROPA]

Originally posted by SeaShelley
Boy, I hope this is open by Oct. 2004!!!! Sounds like a blast!

I'm pretty sure it will be..I thought they were shooting to have all three new attractions open within a year of each other. Even if its not...sure beats the snails pace that Disney has currently.

 

[emmagata]

Hope this is open when we go in Oct 2004 too!!!!!!

Sounds like a blast!!

 

[HB2K]

LOL!

I think I remember Scoop comparing this to a RnR clone....some clone.

Kind of sad, isn't it? Talking about someone setting the bar for Disney when they used to be the one's to set the bar for everyone else.

Quite sad, and a little pathetic since Disney did this to themselves.....

 

[roymccoy]

Guests hovering above flames 2000 degrees fahrenheit? Ceiling of flames? Kind of puts the cardboard cut-out Pooh Ride to shame, huh?

Roy

 

[d-r]

Pooh Ride?? Oh come on. I'm sure this will be a fun ride, but Pooh isn't the comparison here - the comparsion is mission:space or Expedition Everest - and having never ridden any of them, and knowing nothing about them beyond press release hype - they compare pretty well, frankly.

And please, come on. Guests "inches" away from 2K degree flames?? You believe that??

DR

 

[Planogirl]

Maybe it's only a 2000 degree flame in the story line but not in real life. But even a fake 2000 degree flame sounds interesting.

 

[Another Voice]

"And please, come on. Guests "inches" away from 2K degree flames?? You believe that??"

More than I beleive I'm going to experience weightlessness at Epcot sometime in October.

Actually, if you've seen the 'Backdraft' show at Universal Hollywood than you know Uni has been pulling this effect off for years.

 

[Cindy B]

You know its USF.. they have to have an explosion somewhere... they LOVE to blow things up/create fire!

Twister, Earthquake, Wild WestShow , Posiedon walk through show, Spiderman (heat elements)... not to mention JAWS..etc.. they love blowing things up!


Seriously, a brother of one of my DH's workmates works in the pyro department at USF...

There's a rumor somewhere, either this board or the USF/IOA board, that there is a cover /false wall over parts of Kong.. and obviously its under a tarp. But under the tarp is said something like M (with a symbol) Unearthing/Unveiling 2004....

 

[EUROPA]

Originally posted by Cindy B

There's a rumor somewhere, either this board or the USF/IOA board, that there is a cover /false wall over parts of Kong.. and obviously its under a tarp. But under the tarp is said something like M (with a symbol) Unearthing/Unveiling 2004....

Check out the front page picture at IOACENTRAL...

http://www.ioacentral.com



Oh and there is a little bit about MS and the Mummy ride on the mainstream media sites...

http://www.msnbc.com/news/750150.asp?0cv=CB20

The technology of thrills: Imagine strapping in for a high-velocity trip on a maglev train ... riding through a 3-D, virtual-reality landscape ... getting a jolt of space-travel acceleration. This is no sci-fi vision of the future: It’s thrill-ride reality, circa 2003.
Two of the theme-park superpowers, Disney and Universal Studios, are gearing up for the next volley in what one consultant told the Los Angeles Times is an “arms race”: Disney’s $150 million Epcot attraction, “Mission: Space,” is due for a soft launch (so to speak) in mid-August, with an astronaut-studded formal opening in October. Universal announced that its $80 million high-tech ride, “Revenge of the Mummy,” would open next year in Hollywood as well as Orlando.
Both projects have been portrayed as key efforts to get the theme-park business back on track: Last year, Wired magazine said “Mission: Space” could be “the last blockbuster attraction for a while” — and the Columbia tragedy made Disney’s marketing job that much harder. Universal’s “Mummy” move comes even as the theme-park business is up for sale.
So what will thrill-seekers find? “Mission: Space” will use a centrifuge, coordinated with video, to give you the feeling of a 2.5-g rocket launch to Mars. In comparison, shuttle astronauts usually pull no more than 3 g’s. When the centrifuge spins down, and your pod-type “spaceship” is tilted just the right way, you and your three fellow crew members will feel about a minute of near-weightlessness.
“It’s a combination of all the technologies that are used in astronaut training,” Disney spokesman Rod Madden said.
CoasterBuzz and WDWMagic provide more facts and rumors about the ride.
“Revenge of the Mummy,” meanwhile, is what’s known in the business as a “dark ride”: The story is based on the Universal film “The Mummy” and its sequel, “The Mummy Returns.” Riding on a magnetic levitation rail system, you’ll visit curse-ridden underworlds, confront unspeakable animatronic evils and zoom under a “ceiling of flame” that seems to blaze just inches above your head.
Universal is providing few hard details about the technology, other than that the attraction uses “engineering techniques gleaned from the Mars robotic range vehicle” — and that the end result is a “High Velocity Immersion Experience.”
“This really is the latest evolution for the entire ride industry,” Scott Trowbridge, vice president of design and creative development at Universal Parks and Resorts, said in a statement.
Trowbridge was behind the last “latest evolution” at Universal as well: “The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man,” which added 3-D virtual reality to the “dark ride” equation. That attraction cost an estimated $100 million to build.
The price tag for thrill factories may sound high — but that’s showbiz for you. In comparison, the box-office gross for just the opening weekend of “The Mummy Returns” was $70 million, and before the Columbia tragedy, the list price for a passenger ticket to the international space station was $20 million (although the Russians had been offering a hefty discount).
In the wake of Columbia’s loss, “Mission: Space” may well be as close as paying customers will get to space flight for the foreseeable future. What do you think?

 

[Bob O]

I sure hope that this is open in Dec. of 2004!!!! With fotl i should be able to ride this numerous times. Now if only disney would add something like this on their own without requiring a sponsor to pay for it!!!

 

[EUROPA]

Originally posted by thedscoop


Folks, I'll take the same approach that I do with Disney's rides. It's fun to speculate and get excited, but at this early stage who knows?

I'm just wondering what Universal attraction in the past has left you in doubt about the current hype of Mummy ?

 

[airlarry!]

I think that BobO meant he hates waiting for corporate sponsors for Disney to have to build a ride, not that he hates corporate sponsors. Heck, I'll bet if Michael Moore was willing to front the cost of a hyper-mega-ultra coaster in the middle of a new Australia area at AK, he'd jump for joy.

 

[HB2K]

Originally posted by thedscoop
I've never personally been to Universal Studios (I have been to IOA), however, I've heard some friends comment on how overhyped MIB was. Creating yet another list of what attractions are good and bad wasn't the intent of your quoted quote though.

Rather, it is to suggest that a press release should be viewed for its purpose. This holds true for Mummy, E:E, M:S, or whatever ride is preceded by a press release.

To say the MIB ride was a letdown is QUITE overdrawn. The MIB attraction BLOWS anything which even resembles it out of the water, and I'm not just comparing Buzz. I can't see how MIB disappointed ANYONE (And I've never read anything to that point as well).

While a press release isn't a finished product, what makes a press release worthless or a glimpse to a finished product is the company behind it and their history with over promising and under delivering.

Personally I have no reason not to believe universal will not deliver as advertised. I do have quite a few reasons to think Disney will do the opposite with E:E. We'll see how it shakes out.

 

[HB2K]

I compared this to an RnR clone? Feel free to use the search function to find that one.

I would if I could.

In a past argument / debate regarding Universal's upcoming rides compared to Disney's business philosophy of cutbacks till you drop, you said (paraphrased since I can't find the thread).

"Yep, can't wait to ride Universal's RnR Clone".

This statement was made in referrence to the Mummy coaster when someone brought it up as a way Universal is trying to do the right things to attract business.

So now, even if you create an incredible attraction, its lessened because it has a sponsor? Whew. Some claim that Disney apologists will look for any x'cuse to take a rose-colored view...Frankly, I could care less if it was Compaq's Mission:Space or just Mission:Space. Corporate sponsorship has been a historical reality at Disney from day one.

As another poster pointed out, there was no sponsor annouced for the Mummy attraction. Universal built it because it makes their park better.

They didn't sit on the attraction and wait for someone else to foot the bill to upgrade their park.

Disney does.

That's what is sad scoop. Nothing gets built at Disney unless someone else foots the bill.

 

[Bob O]

As someone already said, my comment was in regards to the fact that Universal is willing to spend THEIR own money to create great attractions for their theme parks(like disney used to do at one time).While disney is UNWILLING to spend their own money to create great attractions but is happy to let a sponsor pay for it which explains why so little of aything that is truely excellant has been added to their parks in FLA in years. Unless of course some claim PW/Pooh/Buzz/ Alladdin are truely great attractions.
As for MIB it is a GREAT interactive expereince that can be enjoyed numerous times and set the bar very high for similiar interactive rides. And while Universal did give us this disney went the VHEAP route and used an old ride mechanism/building to give us a Buzz ride that pales in all comparsions to MIB, with no interactivitvity between the people riding the ride and the ride itself.

 

[HB2K]

This is simply an incorrect statement by a person so personally frustrated with Disney that the person gets the facts wrong.

Please show me over the past 5-7 years what has been built, funded soley by the Disney company?

As for the personal attack, I'll let it slide. Am I frustrated? Yes. Am I going back to WDW? Not in the forseeable future until I see things changed.

Does that make you any more of an expert than I when it comes to our opinions of WDW?

No.