The "Mummy" sure seems to have many of the same elements that we were hearing about with the long shelved BK dragon coaster project. Wasn't that also rumored to be a LIM powered, multiple stop, immersive effects, close encounter with large animatronics experience?
The hype sounds great, the only curious thing is the $40MM price tag (assuming $80MM is for two installations). I think MIB was well over $50MM and Spidey well over $100MM. Sounds like a pretty good investment is it really delivers.
Universal probably started out hoping they could be enough of a technological peer that the competition could be waged on who had the most interesting story to tell. Disney has given them an opening on the technology front and they seem willing to try to exploit it. From a technical complexity standpoint they win out in a number of different ride categories (BTTF, MIB, Terminator, Spider-Man), will the Mummy be next?
Now, more technologically complex is a negative (cost) unless the experience is better, but it can be a major WOW component. The omni-mover was a huge technology platform for Disney in the past. Interestingly, if there is one technology area Disney seems to own hands-down it is in creating weightlessness (TOT, M:S, Soaring?). Who would have thunk it?