You may remember the disastrous Willy Wonka event which went viral early last year for all the wrong reasons.
Well this year, similar complaints are being made about the underwhelming experience at Cardiff’s Halloween Festival which organisers have blamed on “severe weather” conditions.
Advertised as “South Wales’ Biggest Family Halloween Festival” on their website, the festival takes place at Alexandra Head on an island of Cardiff bay until 31 October and promises an “unforgettable Halloween adventure”.
The most frightful Halloween scare could be the prices according to some attendees, as daytime family tickets for 2 adults and two children costs £53.50 with a £6.00 booking fee.
Parents have lodged complaints that despite the extortionate entry fee, they have also had to pay for individual activities inside the venue.
Jenna Gold was one such individual who attended the festival this year and spent £90 on the entry fees alone for her family of five. She shared on a post on Facebook, that it was “honestly the most disappointing event I’ve ever been to!”
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 to then enter through what looked like a Covid jab queue and get inside to pay for absolutely everything separately”.
When she entered she had to spend money on individual activities, such as £5 per person to do arts and crafts, £9 per person to walk around a maze in a tent, and even £9 to dance per person.
She also complained that there were “actors dressed up not even acknowledging anyone wandering aimlessly and no atmosphere” and how it was “a shame as previous years and location have been fab!”
Nick Swithenbank similarly was “fuming” and called the festival a “waste of time” demanding a refund from the organisers and warning others not to waste their money.
He posted on Facebook: “Severely disappointed, left feeling frustrated and sad that my children could not enjoy what was supposed to be a fun morning, celebrating Halloween.”
Mr Swithenbank explained how on entry to the festival it became quickly apparent that “minimal effort had been made to make the festival Halloween themed” and instead the music was more Christmas related. He also noticed that many attractions were not open or half built.
He added: “People have paid a lot of money for this. I was infuriated that it cost £18 for a pizza fries and a fruit shoot equivalent for my toddler – this is outrageous robbery!”
Mr Swithenbank also complained about the dirty conditions of the pumpkin field which he claimed looked like it hadn’t been cleaned since last year.
Kirstie Bevan, from Neath, told BBC News : “It just reminded me of the Willy Wonka experience in Scotland.”
Cardiff Halloween Festival told The Independent and said that they are “listening carefully to all feedback”.
“We are very sorry that some guests did not have the experience we wanted for them during the opening daytime session. Severe weather in the 24 hours before opening meant that a number of areas were still being finalised on Saturday, which understandably led to disappointment.
“We have been working tirelessly since then to enhance theming, complete those zones and ensure the atmosphere reflects the fun, family-friendly Halloween experience people expect from us.”
