In a terrifying fanfare that would make Rick Grimes proud, The Walking Dead attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood held a sneak preview for press. Getting a glimpse inside this brand new, year-round walkthrough attraction we got up close and personal with some of the nastiest walkers and baddies the series had to offer.

Then something went horribly wrong.  The Saviors arrived on the scene with their bikes roaring. They took over the festivities and brought in a rope if the undead to cut for the opening.

Oh, then they unleashed a horde of zombies too.

Press took to the risers as VIPs and Park President Larry Kurzweil, Senior Vice President of Entertainment Universal Studios Hollywood, Tim Runco, Creative Director Universal Studios Hollywood John Murdy, and Director/Executive Producer of AMC’s The Walking Dead, Greg Nicotero prepared to open this living, breathing version of the hit T.V. series.

Below is video of the opening ceremonies.

The Walking Dead Opening Ceremony - Universal Studios Hollywood

Entering the queue we make our way under the crashed helicopter and down the alleyway to the entrance of Harrison Memorial Hospital. Bloodied corpses wrapped in cloth are stacked up opposite the entrance into the medical building and we turn to enter. In an ingenious bit of art direction by veteran HHN impresario and Art Director Chris Williams, the halls are strewn with trash that are part of the floor treatment. Look carefully here as even the discarded bits of garbage are, infact, a nod to the series.

Inside the Harrison Memorial Hospital things are even more dire than we saw before. The clock on the wall, frozen at 1:45pm (another direct reference to the pilot episode). Lights flicker and fade, ceiling tiles are missing from the metal frame above exposing the infrastructure, and we hear an incessant pounding coming from around the corner. Dare we proceed?

There, down the long corridor is the double door entry to the Cafeteria. Here we get our first taste of the threat to come and the level of production that is throughout The Walking Dead. The iconic “Dead Inside” doors lurch and pull as rotted hands squirm outward toward guests.  This moment perfectly recreates the moment when Rick realizes, as he is waking up in the hospital that something might not be right. The animated show scene features twelve independent, animatronic has that seems to reach out as you pas by. It’s a beautiful piece of work.

Getting away from the trapped walkers in the cafeteria we make our way to the Employee Break Room. Another beautifully themed indoor queue area (No the actual walkthrough hasn’t even started yet), we find the remnants of a battle against the undead. Gurneys and hospital equipment line the walls as the lights continue to flicker and the power churns from an unseen generator. Our destination is a corridor marked Neurology at the far end of the room.

While we wait to get out of this nightmarish hospital, “Hospital Staff” meeter the crowds leaving in groups of 10-12. It should be noted that care is being given to how many people go in at a time.  This makes us ecstatic. In this room we hear leftover radios delivering a message of hope and perhaps survival. A gravely-voiced man (you can practically hear the beard on his face) is telling us to make our way to the state prison and he will protect us. We trust him, right? Well, we kind of need to as we are next to leave the hospital. We venture forth into the darkness and have screams, laughs, and experience one of the best walkthroughs we have been though in years.

Universal Studios Hollywood has taken AMC’s top-rated television series and yielded a gritty, authentic recreation of the terrifying world of The Walking Dead. Being the movie studio that they are, Universal enlisted the eager help of the show’s Executive Producer and Director, Greg Nicotero.  Masterfully recreating the show’s decaying walkers, Nicotero’s company, KNB effects employed the original molds and specially created prosthetics to painstakingly create a living representation of what viewers see on the screen. There are a ton of replicated props from the show as well including Rick Grimes’ Hat, Daryl’s crossbow, Michonne’s katana, Negan’s bat “Lucille”, Carl Grimes’ 112-ounce can of chocolate pudding, and, of course Bicycle Girl.

The walkthrough is also housed in an all new, custom built show building. The sets get crazy tall as the soundstage is a full twenty-five feet high. When you enter a forest, those trees are full size. When you reach the prison, those bars are real, the set is two story, actors are walking above you.

To say that this is an unprecedented achievement in horror walkthroughs would be an understatement. Unlike the temporary attractions built for the annual Halloween Horror Nights event in the fall, this is a solid, sturdy, attraction whose substance is only matched by the extensive level of detail. Too, being a permanent attraction, the level of show control has never been seen. Precise, jaw-dropping effects like the fire on the Moonshine cabin, including heat and smell effects, has never been attempted before in a walkthrough.

Our hats are off to the Universal team. We are more than impressed with this beautifully detailed and immersive experience. Being the horror fans that we are, we were heartbroken to see the House of Horrors leave. To have an all-new, state of the art horror experience in it’s place has us beaming. The fact that we get a big new Starbucks too is the cherry on top.

For those interested we have a full walkthrough including the detailed queue.

The Walking Dead Walkthrough

The Walking Dead attraction opens to the public on Monday, July 4th.