On July 4, 2016, Universal Studios Hollywood opened its Walking Dead attraction, which was built by the same company as the TV series. On the first day over 10,000 visitors attended the park, and the first wave of live actors in cabins created the first zombie apocalypse experience. \n\nWalking Dead was one of the first zombie series on television and began broadcasting in 2010 on AMZ. At the end of the series, it had run for 6 consecutive seasons and had created a fervent following across the globe.\n\nThe main reason for the interest in the show was the frighteningly realistic zombies and the vivid and graphic scenes of survivors in the show. This made Universal Studios Hollywood a must-see attraction for true fans of the show because it captured the essence of the show and replicated many of its best scenes.\n\nIn the past, on select evenings in the fall, Universal Studios Hollywood had created mini zombie-themed attraction, but they were very short in duration. This Halloween themed Walking Dead attraction was built for the whole year. \n\nWalking Dead was also built inside the main part of Universal Studios Hollywood and was included in the ticket price. This attraction was also a total walk-through attraction meaning you could never avoid the scares by closing your eyes. \n\nThe first scene in the attraction was a replica of the show's hospital scene. Before you could even enter the attraction, guests would encounter a huge metal door with the show’s signature phrase “Don’t Open Dead Inside” as the zombies on the other side of the door growled and rattled the door as guests were hesitant to enter the attraction. This set the theme for the experience. \n\nIn the experience, guests encountered a number of zombies, and the majority of the actors were actually performed by live zombies.
For those brave enough to step inside the attraction, the dimly lit sets, unnerving soundscapes, and detailed effect makeup created an extremely scary experience. \par \p\ Due to the extreme nature of the attraction's scares, Universal placed an age restriction of 13 and up. \par \p\ The attraction faithfully recreated several scenes from the series, such as the cabin that burned with Daryl and Beth. The recreation used real steam and flame effects to create the sensation of real heat. Guests could also see walkers advancing towards them as if they were on fire.\par \p\ Walkers posed for pictures with guests, but the rules prevented them from physically interacting with guests. There was nothing to fear from contact, as scaring guests was the entire purpose of the attraction.\par \p\ Makeup details were also important, with special effects artists from the original team of the show spending approximately four to six hours on each character design. \par \p\ The actors also underwent rigorous training, and their facial tics, movements, and distinct walking styles were carefully developed to create an experience that was as immersive as possible. \par \p\ Photos: Universal Studios Hollywood, The Walking Dead.\par \p\ The Walking Dead attraction opened less than a month ago and has already become one of the most popular attractions at Universal Studios Hollywood and has the long waits to go with it.
The best strategy was to arrive at the park before other visitors to experience this major attraction before the lines grew to what would likely be an all-day wait.
