Halloween festival branded ‘Cardiff’s answer’ to disastrous Willy Wonka event
You may remember the disastrous Willy Wonka incident that went viral for the wrong reasons early last year.
Similar complaints are being made about the negative experience at this year’s Cardiff Halloween Festival, which organizers blamed on “severe weather” conditions.
Billed on their website as “South Wales’ Biggest Family Halloween Festival”, the festival takes place at Alexandra Head on the Cardiff bay island until 31 October and promises “an unforgettable Halloween adventure”.
According to some participants, the scariest Halloween fear might be prices; because daytime family tickets for 2 adults and two children cost £53.50 with a £6.00 booking fee.
Parents complained that despite the exorbitant entrance fee, they also had to pay for individual activities within the venue.
Jenna Gold was also one of the festival attendees this year, spending £90 on the entry fee alone for her family of five. In a post on Facebook, he shared that it was “honestly the most disappointing event I have ever attended.”
Ms Gold urged others to “get a refund” because she said she “waited 45 minutes to get on the ‘pirate boat’, which was actually just a water taxi, and then walked in through what looked like a Covid vaccine queue to pay for absolutely everything separately.”
Once in, he had to spend money on individual activities, such as £5 per person to do arts and crafts, £9 per person to walk a maze in a tent, and even £9 per person to dance.
He also complained that “there were actors dressed up who didn’t even realize they were wandering around aimlessly and there was no atmosphere” and that this was “a shame as in previous years and the location was amazing”.
Nick Swithenbank was similarly “furious”, calling the festival a “waste of time”, demanding a refund from the organisers, and warning others not to waste their money.
“I am severely disappointed, frustrated and saddened that my children were not able to enjoy a Halloween celebration on what was supposed to be a fun morning,” she posted on Facebook.
Mr Swithenbank explained that upon entering the festival it quickly became apparent that “little effort had been made to make the festival Halloween-themed” and instead the music was more Christmas-related. He also noticed that many tourist attractions were not open or half-built.
He added: “People paid a lot of money for this. I’m infuriated that the equivalent of a pizza fry and a fruit sprout for my toddler cost £18 – it’s an outrageous rip-off!”
Mr. Swithenbank also complained about the dirty conditions of the pumpkin patch, which he claimed appeared to have not been cleaned since last year.
“It reminded me of the Willy Wonka experience in Scotland,” Kirstie Bevan, from Neath, told BBC News.
Cardiff Halloween Festival told Independent and said they “listened carefully to all feedback.”
“We are very sorry that some of our guests were not able to have the experience we wanted for them during the opening day session. Severe weather conditions in the 24 hours before opening meant that some areas were still being completed on Saturday, which understandably led to disappointment.
“Since then, we have been working tirelessly to refine the theme, complete these areas, and ensure the atmosphere reflects the fun, family-friendly Halloween experience people have come to expect from us.”
