Last weekend, families in Glasgow were left bitterly disappointed after attending what was billed as a magical "Willy Wonka Experience" event, only to find themselves in a sparse warehouse with minimal attractions.
The event, organized by House of Illuminati, promised an immersive journey filled with chocolate delights and enchanting surprises, inspired by the beloved Willy Wonka franchise. However, attendees quickly discovered that the reality fell far short of expectations.
Willy Wonka-Inspired Event Dubbed 'Absolute Shambles'
Described as a "celebration of chocolate in all its delightful forms," the event was eagerly anticipated by families who had spent up to £35 per ticket.
The website of the event explicitly stated that it lacked any official affiliation with Warner Bros.
Nonetheless, expectations were set high with promises of giant mushrooms, candy canes, chocolate fountains, and performances by Oompa Loompas straight out of Roald Dahl's classic tale.
Upon arrival at the venue in Whiteinch, however, attendees were immediately met with disappointment. Instead of the promised wonderland, they found a sparsely decorated warehouse with few props, a small bouncy castle, and inadequate backdrops.
Reports indicate that the disappointment was palpable among early arrivals, many of whom demanded refunds on the spot.
The situation escalated further as the event unfolded. Angry families vented their frustrations on social media, describing the event as a "farce" and labeling the organizers as "cowboys."
Police were eventually called to the scene to address the mounting complaints.
The debacle has left many families feeling cheated and disillusioned. Attendees, some of whom traveled significant distances to attend, have even voiced their disappointment on Facebook and are demanding accountability from the event organizers.
"What an absolute shambles of an event," Stuart Sinclair, an attendee, described his family's experience through a Facebook post accompanied by photos of the event. "Took 2 minutes to get through to then see a queue of people surrounding the guy running it complaining."
Frustrated families banded together to form a Facebook group for those dissatisfied with the event, providing a platform for discussion.
Actor Paul Connell, hired to perform at the event, also joined the group, where he expressed his disappointment at the dismal state of affairs.
"I'm happy to talk on news outlets. Mainly just to talk about how it was for the actors who were also conned by the event," he shared to the group. "We knew we were unlikely to get paid for the event when we turned up on the Saturday morning but stuck around because we knew they would do it with or without us and we can at least try and make some aspect of it fun for the kids."
Organizers Issue Statement
In response to the outcry, House of Illuminati issued an apology, acknowledging the "very stressful and frustrating day" for attendees. They admitted to being let down in several areas of the event and conceded that canceling earlier would have been the prudent course of action.
"Unfortunately, last minute we were let down in many areas of our event and tried our best to continue on and push through and now realise we probably should have cancelled first thing this morning instead," the post read.
The organizers reassured customers that full refunds would be provided, although it could take up to 10 days to process. The post has now been deleted.
