An “immersive experience” that promised to transport Willy Wonka fans into a “magical realm” has turned out to be such an epic letdown that customers called the police and compared the attraction to a meth lab.
The U.K. event was titled Willy’s Chocolate Experience and charged customers $44 each (photos below). The attraction was not affiliated with the Warner Bros. movie Wonka, though the event’s marketing came as close as possible to suggesting it was based on author Roald Dahl’s creation. The ad copy invited fans to journey to “a universe where confectionary dreams are brought to life” that included “mind-expanding projections, optical marvels and exhibits that transport you into the realm of creativity” and “wondrous creations and enchanting surprises at every turn!”
The event organizers apparently used artificial intelligence to generate promotional images that suggested a very high-quality attraction, which looked just like the immersive and trippy Wonka-esque world that the ad copy promised. But the result was somewhat different, and ticket buyers needed pure imagination to think it looked anything like a fantastical chocolate factory.
As reported by The Guardian, customers showed up in Glasgow to find “a sparsely decorated warehouse with a scattering of plastic props, a small bouncy castle and some backdrops pinned against the walls.” Scotland police were even called to the scene, the event shut down and parents said their children were in tears. All the event lacked was a man in top hat telling customers: “You get nothing! You lose! Good day, sir!”
Photos from the event went viral online comparing what was promised to what was delivered: [Reply]
Originally Posted by Womble:
Scotland is part of Britain. We don't talk about it much because it's basically a leper colony full of ginger alcoholics who will be lucky to see their 50th birthday.
Thank you Nigel, but I meant that I don't believe Donger is Scottish. :-) [Reply]
Originally Posted by Womble:
Scotland is part of Britain. We don't talk about it much because it's basically a leper colony full of ginger alcoholics who will be lucky to see their 50th birthday.
So odd because everyone loves the English. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Womble:
He's American actually. That piece of shit traitor renounced his right to be called British when he chose hotdogs over chip buttys.
Guess you guys took another L to the USA :-) [Reply]
Originally Posted by Womble:
I'm from there originally and still in London, just not Wimbledon anymore. Still travel there every 2 weeks to watch AFC Wimbledon play.
I used to live in Surrey and went to an American school in St John's Wood. [Reply]
