Features:
✓-Free Parking✓-Restrooms/Porta Potties On-Site✓-Handicap Accessible✓-Gift Shop/Souvenirs✓-Optional Games/Midway✓-“Hi-Tech” Attraction✓-You will NOT be touched✓-Original Characters✓-Indoor Waiting Line✓-All-Indoor Attraction✓-Family Friendly
How Do We Get These Scores?
Our Rating System
UPDATE FOR 2022: Our former “Atmosphere” and “Theme” categories have now been combined and renamed “Immersion.” Our intent with this is to give more appropriate credit to attractions that have shown a clear focus on achieving and maintaining better customer experiences (both inside and outside the attractions) and developing creative storylines.
Each of the category scores in this review are calculated using a weighted average of several questions that we rate on a scale of 1 to 10.
The following breakdown explains what these scores typically mean. All of our Teams use this as a reference for providing accurate ratings:
10: “Peak Performance”This score is treated as if it has a chastity belt on it. “10’s” are reserved for the best of the best; those that we feel could not possibly improve on what they’re doing.
9: “Innovative and Groundbreaking”It rocked! Nearly everything seemed to go as planned and it was one of the best we’ve ever seen! These guys are leaders in the industry, and attractions like this are truly hard to come by.
8: “Solid”A high score on our scale. They had a good handle on it and, overall, they knew how to use it well. Most attractions can learn from what these guys are doing.
6 to 7: “Good”We could tell that a good effort was made. However, we’ve seen this done much better at other places, or can detect areas where significant improvements can be made. This is about the top end of what we’d call “Family Friendly.”
5: “Average / Fair”Compared to the competition, they weren’t the best, but definitely not the worst. Scares and Special Effects in this range are usually considered “Family Friendly.”
3 to 4: “Below Average”We could see that a clear attempt was made, but most other professional attractions are doing a much better job at this.
1 to 2: “Poor”It appeared that very little time, thought or effort was contributed to this aspect.
0 (Zero): “Non-Existent”No apparent effort was made to make this a significant contributor to the attraction.
Afterword:This rating system is standardized across all of The Scare Factor’s official haunt review teams. However, keep in mind there will always be minor differences between Teams, as we all have varying levels of experience. Regardless, we do our best to remain true to our core values, which is to promote all haunted attractions!Perhaps the biggest thing to remember is: sometimes the score – in and of itself – doesn’t tell the whole story about an attraction’s merits. This is why we provide detailed explanations for each category… to help you better understand how and why we chose the score/s that we did.We do our best to not let feelings or emotions rule our judgement, while also viewing the attraction through the lens of the typical haunt-goer. But, because all reviews with ratings are inherently subjective, this is nearly impossible to completely prevent. Though, when in doubt, we tend to give slightly lower scores than our original “gut feelings” to account for this, and also give the attraction more room to improve over time.We also do our best to be fair and consistent across all of the haunts that we review. We know that you’ll be looking at these scores and comparing them to other attractions, so we hope this review helps you out in that aspect.Do you have some feedback about our review system? Contact Us Here to let us know what you think!
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Final Score: 6.55
How Did We Get This Score?
Final Scores:
(15% of Final Score) Cast: 5.75
(15% of Final Score) Costuming: 7.04
(10% of Final Score) Customer Service: 9.7
(10% of Final Score) Atmosphere: 4.98
(15% of Final Score) Special Effects: 7.24
(5% of Final Score) Theme: 8.55
(15% of Final Score) Scare Factor: 6.15
(5% of Final Score) Entertainment & Value: 5.58
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Summary:
Where can you run away from some flesh-hungry zombies in the middle of the summer? At Pigeon Forge’s Outbreak Dread the Undead haunted house, of course! Matter of fact, you can run from them on any of the 365 days of the year!
In this high-tech, year-round haunted attraction, you and your group will be faced with a task. You will be entering a zombie-infested laboratory, which has been craftily-called ‘ChemaCorp.’ Did we mention you won’t have anything to defend yourselves with?!
In this story, a military experiment has gone wrong and your team must carry out the cleanup and disposal efforts. But, as if going in without so much as a mop to whack zombies with isn’t enough, there’s one more important thing to remember: don’t get near the zombies, and especially don’t let them touch you! Will you be able to escape without being exposed to the DNA-altering virus?
Cast: 5.75
How Did We Get This Score?
Cast Scores (15% of Final Score):
(20% of Cast Score) Did it seem like there were enough actors?: 4
(30% of Cast Score) How creative, believable and convincing were the actors?: 7.5
(20% of Cast Score) How interactive were the actors (verbally and physically)?: 7.13
(15% of Cast Score) How creatively & appropriately did they use dialogue?: 7.5
(15% of Cast Score) Was there a good variety of characters?: 1
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When visiting a year-round haunted house outside of the Halloween season (typically September through October), you can expect the number of cast members to be rather slim. Outbreak was no different; we came across one live zombie during our tour. However, he must have been really hungry because he lunged at us from hiding spots in nearly half of the rooms we walked through (and we had a group in front of us a little ways).
Other than making a brief-yet-startling medley of reveals, there’s wasn’t much for this zombie to do when it comes to interacting with our group (after all, he had a lot of people to scare all by himself). We did notice that, while he was roaming the pathways, he made sure he never actually caught up with us. This is a sure sign of lots of experience that added to the realism of his character. In reality, what would a non-touching zombie do once he caught us? His relentless attacks and unwavering efforts deserve major kudos.
Costuming: 7.04
How Did We Get This Score?
Costuming Scores (15% of Final Score):
(15% of Costuming Score) How complete / finished did the costumes appear to be?: 6.25
(25% of Costuming Score) How creative / detailed were the costumes?: 5
(20% of Costuming Score) Was their makeup creative? Detailed? Realistic?: 6.5
(15% of Costuming Score) How effectively did they use masks (if used)?: N/A
(25% of Costuming Score) How appropriate were the costumes for their scene/s & theme/s?: 10
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The zombie chasing us down the hallways was wearing appropriate lab attire for a recently-infected doctor. Because of the consistent theming throughout the haunt, it did seem to fit all of the areas that we found him in (or, where ‘he’ found ‘us’). The flesh on his face was showing advanced signs of deterioration, which reminded us to stay as far away from him as we could. If you see him and that gooey stuff hasn’t cleared up yet, you might tell him he needs to get that checked out.
Customer Service: 9.7
How Did We Get This Score?
Customer Service Scores (10% of Final Score):
(25% of CS Score) How easy was it to locate the attraction, park, and navigate the premises?: 10
(30% of CS Score) How safe was the attraction?: 10
(25% of CS Score) How professional, helpful and friendly were the staff members?: 9.38
(20% of CS Score) How easy was it to find their information before* arrival?: 9.25
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Outbreak takes place inside the Castle of Chaos, so just look for a big castle with purple and blue wizard hats as you’re driving through Pigeon Forge and you’ll know right where to go. It is also located right next to the Hollywood Wax Museum, which sits slightly closer to the main road. Plenty of well-lit, paved parking was available and at no additional cost.
Once inside, a friendly staff member went over the ticket options with us to ensure that we picked the best deal for our group (we opted for the all-access pass for just a few bucks more, which gets you into all 3 attractions plus the wax museum next door). They also kindly directed us to the entrance of the haunt and made sure we knew what to do before entering.
Navigating the attraction was a complete breeze (minus the zombies) and we didn’t come across any trip hazards or other real safety concerns along the way. Well’ there was that ‘explosive’ tank sitting near a fire. You might watch out for that one (Joking…, sort of).
The exit of the attraction spit us back out into the main lobby area of the Castle. We did notice some unique gifts and memorabilia items that were available for purchase.
Atmosphere: 4.98
How Did We Get This Score?
Atmosphere Scores (10% of Final Score):
(60% of Atmosphere Score) How obvious was it that you were at a haunted house before entering?: 6.75
(40% of Atmosphere Score) How well did the atmosphere prepare you for what you experienced inside?: 3
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Well, this one is tricky. The exterior of the Castle is very cool-looking and welcoming for those looking to let their inner child out on some unique entertainment. But, other than the screen displaying the attractions on the outside of the building, it’s wasn’t obvious that were about to get scared before we entered. The facade resembles more of a renaissance-era, stone-built structure with two wizard hats on its towers… literally.
Once inside, it was a very family-friendly atmosphere. We didn’t feel like we were at a haunt, though; the lobby area gives off more of a ‘gaming’ or general ‘amusement’ type of vibe with its multitude of TV screens, promo photos and turnstiles. that is, until we were shut inside of a room with the strangers that we’d be going through the haunt with. Once we realized there was no turning back, and a TV displaying the events that took place in the lab before our arrival, zombie apocalypse survival-mode kicked in!
Special Effects: 7.24
How Did We Get This Score?
Special Effects Scores (15% of Final Score):
(20% of SFX Score) How effective were the sound effects?: 7.5
(20% of SFX Score) How creative / original were the scenes & props?: 7.25
(20% of SFX Score) How well were the scenes detailed?: 7.25
(25% of SFX Score) How well did they achieve & maintain the suspension of disbelief?: 8
(15% of SFX Score) How effective were the SFX at providing scares / entertainment?: 5.63
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This is, hands-down, the most high-tech year-round haunted house that we’ve been through. With that said, this haunt is very animation-driven. Now, for those of you that don’t like animatronics, don’t give up on this one yet. We can attest that a lot of the effects were unpredictable and we came across quite a few that we’ve never seen before! Actually, for a haunt with almost no actors, it’s probably safe to say that this was the best usage of special effects that we’ve seen that were (almost) solely being relied on for scaring purposes.
From CGI’s, lots of different zombies, and a tripped alarm system to convulsing doors, blinking lights and a fallen vending machine, there was a wide variety of effects. We also appreciated the smells, which added authenticity to the rooms… especially in the burning area. Watch out for those zombie-infested hallways; let’s just say it’s REALLY hard to keep from getting scratched or bitten!
Theme: 8.55
How Did We Get This Score?
Theme Scores (5% of Final Score):
(30% of Theme Score) Could you tell what the theme was?: 9.5
(50% of Theme Score) How well was the theme carried throughout the attraction/s?: 10
(20% of Theme Score) How well does their location authenticate the theme?: 3.5
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Before we could enter the main attraction, we received a briefing in a secluded room. During this time, we were informed that a military experiment that took place in this facility had gone terribly wrong. Everyone in the building had been turned into zombies due to the Alpha Strain… a DNA-altering virus. We were now left with only our group in charge of cleanup and disposal. What could go wrong?
We were warned that the zombies could be identified by their glowing blue eyes. Seeing that nearly every zombie we came across had this unique characteristic, including the fake ones, it was quite a treat for us to see this intricate theme detail being carried throughout the haunt! The decor, signs on the walls and clothing worn by zombies all reiterated the ‘lab-style zombie outbreak’ theme as well.
Scare Factor: 6.15
How Did We Get This Score?
Scare Factor Scores (15% of Final Score):
(30% of Scare Factor Score) How scary was it?: 6
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How well did they provide scares to the entire group?: 7.5
(25% of Scare Factor Score) How predictable were the scares?: 6.75
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How well did they provide a wide variety of scares?: 4.75
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How strong was the ending / finale?: 5.5
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As mentioned earlier, most of the scares come from the props and animatronics here at Outbreak. However, the level of fright and number of times you get scared will largely depend on your skittishness and ability to predict when they’ll happen. In addition to the animatronics, there is a lot of death and darkness that you’ll need to permeate as well. If those kinds of things scare you, the random loud noises, good hiding spots and overall sense of panic will add up to quite a mixture for you. During our visit, we went in as a group of six (we were paired with four strangers), but came out as only a group of only two (Could it have been the zombies? Or the fact that we wanted to soak up the haunt without rushing out of the place in 5 minutes for $16?) We aren’t sure what happened to them, but we do know they were petrified enough to not stick around for very long.
Entertainment & Value: 5.58
How Did We Get This Score?
Entertainment & Value Factor Scores (15% of Final Score):
(30% of E&V Score) How satisfied were you with the entertainment received during the main attraction/s?: 7.5
(25% of E&V Score) How satisfied were you with the entertainment that’s available with* the ticket price, excluding the main attraction/s?: 1
(30% of E&V Score) How appropriate is/are the ticket price/s?: 7
(15% of E&V Score) Have they effectively used their available space?: 6.5
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Tickets for Outbreak alone can be purchased for $15.99. Outbreak shares a building with a couple of other attractions, and combo all-access tickets can be purchased for all of those – plus entry to the Hollywood Wax Museum – for $32.99. This is the route we took because we were staying in Pigeon Forge for a few days and wanted to try out all of their activities.
In summary, we feel like Outbreak: Dread the Undead was worth what we spent on it and we would be very likely to spend $15.99 just to experience it again. Outbreak Dread the Undead was not aware of our review visit and we paid full price for our tickets.
How Did We Get These Scores
Our Rating System
Each of the category scores in this review are calculated using a weighted average of several questions that we rate on a scale of 1 to 10.
The following breakdown explains what these scores typically mean. All of our Teams use this as a reference for providing accurate ratings:
10: “Peak Performance”This score is treated as if it has a chastity belt on it. “10’s” are reserved for the best of the best; those that we feel could not possibly improve on what they’re doing.
9: “Innovative and Groundbreaking”It rocked! Nearly everything seemed to go as planned and it was one of the best we’ve ever seen! These guys are leaders in the industry, and attractions like this are truly hard to come by.
8: “Solid”A high score on our scale. They had a good handle on it and, overall, they knew how to use it well. Most attractions can learn from what these guys are doing.
6 to 7: “Good”We could tell that a good effort was made. However, we’ve seen this done much better at other places, or can detect areas where significant improvements can be made. This is about the top end of what we’d call “Family Friendly.”
5: “Average / Fair”Compared to the competition, they weren’t the best, but definitely not the worst. Scares and Special Effects in this range are usually considered “Family Friendly.”
3 to 4: “Below Average”We could see that a clear attempt was made, but most other professional attractions are doing a much better job at this.
1 to 2: “Poor”It appeared that very little time, thought or effort was contributed to this aspect.
0 (Zero): “Non-Existent”No apparent effort was made to make this a significant contributor to the attraction.
Afterword:This rating system is standardized across all of The Scare Factor’s official haunt review teams. However, keep in mind there will always be minor differences between Teams, as we all have varying levels of experience. Regardless, we do our best to remain true to our core values, which is to promote all haunted attractions!Perhaps the biggest thing to remember is: sometimes the score – in and of itself – doesn’t tell the whole story about an attraction’s merits. This is why we provide detailed explanations for each category… to help you better understand how and why we chose the score/s that we did.We do our best to not let feelings or emotions rule our judgement, while also viewing the attraction through the lens of the typical haunt-goer. But, because all reviews with ratings are inherently subjective, this is nearly impossible to completely prevent. Though, when in doubt, we tend to give slightly lower scores than our original “gut feelings” to account for this, and also give the attraction more room to improve over time.We also do our best to be fair and consistent across all of the haunts that we review. We know that you’ll be looking at these scores and comparing them to other attractions, so we hope this review helps you out in that aspect.Do you have some feedback about our review system? Contact Us Here to let us know what you think!
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