The Walking Dead: WSC Atlanta unveils The Walking Dead Experience

If you’ve ever wanted to get a taste of Rick Grimes’ world, you may now have your chance! The Walking Dead Experience is just that – a theatrical and immersive experience.  These are the words used by creator Michael Counts in describing the brand new event developed by Walker Stalker Con and Robert Kirkman’s Skybound Entertainment.  The attraction is being unveiled at Walker Stalker Con Atlanta.

I had the unique opportunity to get a glimpse inside The Walking Dead Experience prior to Walker Stalker Con Atlanta’s opening day.  Media representatives were divided into groups of seven to sample “the experience” together.

Friends and colleagues were separated and placed in different groups as the attraction is at its most harrowing when you are among strangers. They are not strangers for long, however, as I can attest that you quickly rely on the other six in your group to navigate Chapter I, the initial outbreak.

Each participant is given a job or task to complete during the experience, which keeps the storyline moving. There are actors throughout the attraction that not only tell the story but also engage the participants in the scenario. The set is dressed in painstaking detail with realistic props that bring the scenario to life. Dark rooms and crowded spaces are encountered.

The attraction includes vivid sound effects and even holographic technology that further enhance the seemingly perilous experience. The key to the immersive experience is that participants are not merely spectators — they are involved in the story — so much so that you’ll find a warning sign outside the attraction:

"You will be safe at all times but it will not seem so during most of the experience."

That’s how I managed to have the courage to enter the attraction in the first place!  I knew I would most certainly feel terrified, but I would not be harmed.

With that said, the event is recommended for only those 15 and older. Its also limited to those without significant health issues that could be of concern based on the intensity of the experience. You should note that there is some graphic language and, of course, gore galore.  In fact, one stop during the experience revealed a character with his intestines spilling out before us. But participants are given a panic sign to invoke if they feel the need to exit the event at any time.

Subsequent chapters will be added to the experience over time, allowing the experience to grow.  Another unique aspect of the experience is its variability.  I asked James and Michael if the attraction was intended to be something a participant may want to experience multiple times, trying to improve his or her performance on subsequent runs.  They compared the experience to video gaming where different players and different choices effect the outcome each time.

So, yes, they believe it is an attraction participants will want to experience more than once.  Between the variability within each visit and additional chapters on the horizon, the experience is one that can be both exciting and terrifying for a long time to come.

Participants are asked to keep the details of their experience to themselves as sharing key details and decisions within the attraction could potentially ruin the excitement for those who have not yet participated.

Michael Counts, James Frazier, and their crew are busy working out any last-minute glitches in order to provide a most impressive experience for convention attendees starting Friday, October 30th, at the Georgia World Congress Center in downtown Atlanta. The experience will then be moved near Atlantic Station Mall for a 4 week run before heading to the next Walker Stalker location.

Tickets can be purchased online at twdexp.com.  Prices vary according to the options selected.  Participants can choose to be a survivor or a walker, with additional premium options available as well.

Check it out if you dare to be scared!

Next: Walking Dead 50 most shocking moments and deaths

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