San Diego is the next to fall to the Zombie Apocalypse.

The Walking Dead Escape is returning to PETCO Park and promises to be bigger and better than last year. A couple weeks back we were able to take part in the East Coast run in Philadelphia to get a feel for what new experiences the event will be offering participants at Comic-Con this July.

We spoke with Liam Brenner, Executive Producer for the event, who said they’re going to deliver a new experience for folks who participated last year.

Liam Brenner: One of the things we learned last year is that, the more the sun went down, the higher the energy level on the course went up. So this year the course doesn’t start until six o’clock at night, and it will be running all the way to ten o’clock or eleven o’clock at night, depending on how long we go. And the darker it gets, the higher the energy level. And instead of running it during the day like we did last year, we’re only running it in the evening this year. Jeremy Rutz: That’s great. And of course you guys are keeping the lights down low, right? [laughs] Liam Brenner: Oh, absolutely. Jeremy Rutz: What are you adding to the course that’s different? What are some of the other things that people can look out for? Liam Brenner: First of all, we’re changing the entire course. The format and the flow will be different than last year. Some of the obstacle zones will be fundamentally different from last year. And the goal is to keep Survivors, even if they were there last year in San Diego, you’ll still be guessing every inch of the course on what’s next.

Of course it’s not just Survivors who have all the fun. People can participate as a Walker as well, and get transformed into one of the infected by Greg Nicotero and his KNB EFX team, the same team responsible for creating the Walkers who appear on AMC’s hit television series week in, week out.

Check out the full interview on the return of the SDConCast this week, where he talks about what goes into designing the event, where the Zombie Apocalypse might be spreading next, and a tease about what exclusive might be given away to participants this year.

Now that the event is after hours, what are you waiting for? It’s great fun and will surely add to your Comic-Con experience, and it won’t interfere with attending panels. Sign up now before slots are sold out.

Did you already get your tickets for this year? Did you run it last year? Let us know in the comments.