Apocalypse Rawhide is a fairly unique experience in the world of haunted attractions. I’ve seen the occasional zombie paintball, and one memorable experience in Columbus has an assault weapon themed haunt, but it is very rare to give your haunt goers weapons. Being armed inherently makes things less scary, it gives you agency and a means to make the scary things go away. This leads to a much less scary haunt, but it does absolutely appeal to the childlike sense of glee in all of us. It also very much appeals to children of a certain age, which is why I brought a 13 year old along. I had a genuinely fun time making my way through the old west setting and blasting zombies with my laser shotgun. I don’t know that I’d go out of my way to see it in future years, but if I was in the area or already there to attend their Glowing Pumpkins event I would absolutely make a reservation. Our junior jackalope, however, found it to be some of the most fun he’s ever had in his life.
The cast absolutely did their best to make it a great experience. Some zombies charged at us, some screamed, others shambled. One notable zombie had a baby and yelled at us for pointing shotguns in its direction. The second someone let off a shot a horde poured out and gave chase to us, it was a great moment. There were plenty of zombies to go around, most areas felt fairly stocked. The one area that was lacking is also the spot that hurt the most for the lack. During the finale, an event happened that could have been a tense moment if it had been followed through. We grew alarmed, braced for incoming… and no one came. Just a few extras in that final spot would have gone a long way.
I do my best to find something positive to say about all costumes, but there is not really a whole lot to celebrate in the costuming and makeup department. Everyone was explicitly zombies, but beyond that it very much felt like they threw a bit of dark green paint on faces and called it good. Most necks were clean; hands and arms were clean. Everyone was in generic western wear, which absolutely fit the theme but was not especially exciting either. Genuinely, writing this a few days after the experience, I could not tell you what a single zombie looked like. It was dark enough throughout that not a lot would be needed to sell this. A bit of eyeshadow on the arms could simulate disease and mottling, with all the shadow you would not need to be at all detailed or layered in your look. A bit of bronzer on the neck would likewise go a long way. Then most of your zombies are solid. Have one or two detailed ones in better lighting to give the sense that the rest would look that detailed if you could see them properly would be all you would need.
Rawhide uses the same virtual queue system as Tucson’s Slaughterhouse, and I love it just as much here as I do there. You give them your phone number when you check in, and then you just wander through the park and enjoy it. Eat food, take in the glowing pumpkins, listen to music, do whatever you want. When it is time for you to face off against the zombie horde you get a text message letting you know it is your turn. It is efficient, it nearly eliminates standing in line, and it makes the whole experience much nicer. Every employee I spoke with was nothing but polite, and the entire walkthrough went completely smooth. The few who are at the very start of the haunt to give you your weapons and send you on your way were a special delight. A woman I went through the attraction with did suffer some minor cuts and scrapes, but that was due to her diving for cover into the Arizona desert when a zombie spooked her. You cannot really prevent injuries like that.
You would think that each zombie having a visible sensor on them that blinks when you shoot it would kill immersion, but in a weird way it increased it. At no point was I unaware that we were playing a game, but I got so involved in the game and shooting the zombies away from me that it reinvested me. It is a neat trick. They also put more effort into story than many haunts do. The story is incredibly basic, a drifter in town died and then came back, the deputies were bit and now the town is infected. It is bare, but it has a defined beginning, middle, and end. It works well to pull people in and keep them there.
The guns themselves have fantastic special effects. They work surprisingly well with the sensors on the zombies, making you feel like you are in a battle with the undead despite a lack of any real danger. There is not much in the way of other effects. The setting itself is flawless thanks to taking place in Rawhide, an old west venue that has put real effort and resources into its facades. Props are a bit more hit and miss. The baby bit was solid because the actor sold it. A few zombies also had rubber hands they were chewing that clearly came from either Walmart or Spirit Halloween, which took away a bit from the spooky factor.
21. How scary was it? (35% of score): 4.5
22. How well did they provide scares to everyone in the group? (15% of score): 7.5
23. How predictable were the scares? (25% of score): 6
24. How well did they provide a wide variety (types) of scares? (10% of score): 6.5
25. How strong was the ending / finale? (15% of score): 7.5
This haunt is not going to scare anyone that has experience with haunts, but for the uninitiated it is a solid scare. The threat is zombies, and they tended to come at us from hiding and to bang on the fence behind us to make us jump. I was not scared in the slightest, but my party had the aforementioned “diving for cover into the desert gravel” incident, so clearly your mileage will vary. The finale leans toward something approaching tension, but they needed a few extra zombies to really execute. I would not go here if your goal were to really be scared, it is on the more family friendly side of things.
It took my party just over 12 minutes to walk through the apocalypse. With a general admission price of $39 at the cheapest, that is a Minutes Per Dollar of .31. That score is not great, making it not the greatest value. I did have an enjoyable time at the event and would recommend it if you have the cash and are already there for the delightful Glowing Pumpkins jack-o-lantern walk they have at the same site. It is also fantastic for kids who love playing zombie modes of video games. I would not go too far out of my way for this attraction though or make a trip here just for this.
5700 West North Loop Road, Chandler, Arizona 85226
