The 3rd Unit: Tales from the Production Crew of Universal Orlando’s Revenge of the Mummy

by Mike Mangione, Bob McLain (Editor)

Revenge of the Mummy at Universal Studios Florida is one of the premiere attractions at the park. For fans who want more than a two-minute thrill ride, this book presents the exclusive behind-the-scenes story of the attraction written by the Universal production crew who know it the 3rd Unit. Revenge of the Mummy soon celebrates its 15th anniversary. In celebration of that auspicious event, the production crews (past and present) for the ride have shared their personal stories about running it, working on it, and getting up to various Imhotep not-approved hijinks backstage. All those stories are here—and we're relatively sure you won't be cursed if you read them. Don your pith helmet—or pharaonic crown if you're feeling anti-colonial‐and brush the sand and grave mold from these pages. (Ignore the scarab they were just fed the last reader.) You're about to learn the secrets of Imhotep, delve inside the pyramids and sarcophagi of ancient Egypt, and learn what King Kong has to do with any of this. See you on the other side.

190 pages, Paperback

Published April 30, 2019

Reviews

[Adam Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Largely overcomes indie-pub flaws in the edit (which get more noticeable late in the book) with the charm and pride evident on every page. Each chapter is introduced with a present-day conversation with the author and his coworkers before going into a short story memory from a team member’s perspective. I get this framing even if it did feel fluffy at times, but again - the charm!

I was retelling many of these stories, from seemingly lawless to silly, to the friends who gifted me this book. As I finish this morning, I’m looking forward to seeing if I can spot the ghosts allegedly hiding in this ride. The book is definitely a gem for theme park fans, and I’m glad this book exists. Reading The 3rd Unit as we close in on the dawn of a new theme park, with the first Universal Horror attraction since this one (21 years!!), I think the book launched me from Revenge of the Mummy enjoyer to Revenge of the Mummy superfan!

[Major Havoc · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun collection of true stories centered on the Revenge of the Mummy attraction at Universal Orlando told by members of the crew who operated the ride during its early years. I enjoyed the adventures of this tight knit crew, especially some of the spookier tales like "Ghost Cycling" and "The Curse Is Real." There is also an appendix at the end with some facts about the attraction itself as well as some personal notes from the "3rd Unit."

Overall, the book is fine, but could use more editing. It often slips from past tense to present tense in mid-recounting, has some awkward phrasing, and frequently uses the wrong form of a word (for example, "alter" instead of "altar"). Despite these quibbles, the stories still resonate and reflect the love these crew members have for a truly wonderful attraction.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a lot of fun, you don't need to be a massive fan of the Mummy attraction, but I'm sure it would help if you were. It's a lot of crew-member stories from behind the ride. The stories themselves are really funny, though I have some doubts to the realism of them due to their seemingly scripted nature. I would love to ask some current employees if the lid or Whittaker have been causing problems lately though... Overall, would recommend, even if just for fun!

[John Gardiner IV · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is rare that I’ve been so emotionally impacted by a book, yet I found myself fully slack-jawed and beaming with glee while reading this book. Chapter Five is worth thrice the cover price alone. While there are a few grammatical faux pas from indie publishing, I’d rank it among the best books I’ve ever read. It makes me want to visit the park again and congratulate the ride attendants for existing.