Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Dismal Willy Wonka 'Experience' Issues Refunds After Kids Left In Tears Over Sparse Warehouse

Timothée Chalamet from 'Wonka'; Willy Wonka's Chocolate Experience
Warner Bros. Pictures/@CultureCrave/X

The 'Willy’s Chocolate Experience' in Glasgow, Scotland, was abruptly canceled after police were called over the sparsely-decorated event that took place in a warehouse.

Refunds were issued to attendees of Willy's Chocolate Experience in Glasgow, Scotland, after police were called to the event over its dismal and sparsely-decorated warehouse venue that in no way delivered on the promises made on the website.

The experience, which was slated to offer a “celebration of chocolate in all its delightful forms” charged up to £35 (nearly $45 US) for tickets.


Promotional materials promised an "immersive experience” with giant mushrooms, candy canes and chocolate fountains, Oompa-Loompas and an “enchanted garden” filled with “giant sweets, vibrant blooms, mysterious looking sculptures, and magical surprises.”

When attendees arrived at the event, however, they immediately realized they were not getting the experience they paid for. Photos of the decorated warehouse showing backdrops hung on the walls, plastic props and an inflatable bounce house quickly went viral.


And, yes, that was the only Oompa-Loompa at the event.

What really sent people over the edge, though, was a terrifying character named "The Ender" who climbed out from behind a mirror, causing children to cry.

The experience also promised an "imagination lab" and a "twilight tunnel" boasting “captivating projections, enigmatic sounds, and surprising turns.”

But those were empty promises, as well.

People on social media noticed right away that the promotion for the event, which was pushed mostly on Facebook, used AI-generated images and descriptions to lure their participants.

But many noticed red flags from the beginning, especially in regards to spelling and mechanics of the ads, which promised "dim tight, dodjection, vivue sounds, dippractions, and ukxepcted twits."


The experience was so infuriating, in fact, that police were called when parents realized they were not getting anything remotely similar to what they purchased.

The actor who was hired to play Willy Wonka for the event, Paul Connell, took to social media to reveal he, too, was shocked when he arrived at the venue.

“My heart sank looking around … I just felt sad because I was aware of how many kids were going to be coming through."
“We were told to hand the kids a couple of jelly beans and a quarter cup of lemonade at the end.”

He also shared that when he asked how he was supposed to deliver his "15 pages of AI generated gibberish" script, given the props and special effects were missing, Connell was told to "improvise."

Reactions on social media were all over the board.

Several were surprised that people fell for the scam in the first place, considering errors prevalent in the ads.




Of course, many expressed their sadness for the children who did not get to enjoy the experience they were so greatly anticipating.




Thankfully, the company behind the event, House of Illuminati, promised to issue full refunds to all patrons and apologized for a “very stressful and frustrating day”

“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 realize we probably should have cancelled first thing this morning instead."

Customers should receive their refunds within 10 days.

More from Trending

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson; Speedy Morman
Complex

The Rock Was Just Asked If He Ever Has 'Fun'—And His Response Has People Emotional

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson gave a poignant response when exploring the concept of having "fun," which was something lacking in his jam-packed daily schedule.

Twice named one of the world's "most influential people" by Time magazine, Johnson has been juggling fatherhood along with numerous Hollywood projects, philanthropic endeavors, and various engagements, including appearances at film premieres like Moana 2 and Red One in the past month alone.

Keep ReadingShow less
Laura Benanti with Zachary Levi attend the Tony Honors Cocktail Party presenting the 2016 Tony Honors For Excellence In The Theatre
Jenny Anderson/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions

Laura Benanti Rips Zachary Levi For Politicizing Broadway Costar's Death: 'F**k You Forever'

Broadway star Laura Benanti didn't mince words slamming her former She Loves Me costar Zachary Levi for his baseless claim about their costar Gavin Creel's death.


Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of Jeanine Pirro and Jesse Watters
Fox News

Jeanine Pirro Warns Jesse Watters To 'Stop' Amid His Vengeful Take On CEO Shooting Suspect

Fox News personality Jeanine Pirro had a warning word of advice for her co-host Jesse Watters after he hoped the suspect in the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson would be murdered in prison.

Luigi Mangione, 26, was charged late Monday in Manhattan with second-degree murder, forgery, and three firearm-related offenses. The charges stem from the fatal shooting of 50-year-old Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan last week. The New York Police Department had previously released images of Mangione in connection with the incident.

Keep ReadingShow less
Ruth Bader Ginsburg; Elon Musk
Tom Brenner/Getty Images; Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

RBG's Granddaughter Has Mic Drop Question For Musk After He Funded Ads Comparing Trump And RBG On Abortion

Clara Spera, the granddaughter of the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, has a pointed question for Elon Musk, who was revealed as the sole funder of a PAC devoted to spreading misleading ads muddying President-elect Donald Trump's abortion stance.

Musk allocated $20.5 million to fund a campaign of digital ads, mailers, and text messages, falsely claiming that Ginsburg would have supported Trump’s stance on abortion.

Keep ReadingShow less
Demi Moore
Taylor Hill/WireImage via Getty Images

Demi Moore Celebrates First Golden Globe Nod In 35 Years With Powerful Reminder

Actor Demi Moore was recently nominated for a Golden Globe for her role as the central character in The Substance.

Moore, who was last nominated in 1997 for her role in If These Walls Could Talk, had not received a nomination for that particular award in the intervening 35 years.

Keep ReadingShow less