The shitty thing is though, it is also interfering with the other short term things in the game with the pre-event. Darkshire and Nathanos have been essential halted (with exceptions a time) and those are limited events. The icecrown rares are supposed to be an alt catch up mechanism, but if you cannot finish the intro quest, you cannot get the phase of icecrown with the rares (found out after simply going out there on an alt I never did the intro chain on since I had already done it many times).
Nathanos does not need the quest leading up to it, but there is still a block there most times. And you usually do not get credit for his death and the weapon if you were "zombied".
So sure it is only for a short time, but so are the things the zombies are effectively blocking.