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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think Tussauds is not worth visiting?

27 replies

Jestrin · 25/05/2013 18:16

We all had a day trip to London today. The Eye was brilliant but Tussauds was very disappointing. They let far too many people in at a time so that it was crowded and we couldn't see many of the waxworks at all. People forgot their manners and would just barge in so that you couldn't get the chance to take a photo. I'm not saying they should return to it all being roped off but they must know their peak times and plan accordingly for it shouldn't they? My friend recently went to the Pompeii exhibition and she had a set time to go in. So crowd control can be dealt with.

It was hot inside too and when the children finally said they were not enjoying themselves and could we leave, actually we couldn't. You had to see it through to the bitter end before there was an exit.

Has anyone else been and had a better experience than us or AIBU?

OP posts:
AgentProvocateur · 25/05/2013 18:18

And the waxworks are shit - most of them don't look anything like the person!

Original poster
Jestrin · 25/05/2013 18:20

I must admit now that you can get up close to them, they look slightly 'dishevelled'!

No one was getting up close with the Justin Bieber one Grin

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nancy75 · 25/05/2013 18:21

The only good bit is the 4d film, the rest of it is rubbish

MrsRajeshKoothrappali · 25/05/2013 18:22

I like the taxi ride thingy.

But otherwise it's a bit pants. The wax works barely even resemble half of the people they're supposed to be.

Original poster
Jestrin · 25/05/2013 18:23

The photos that were taken if us on the taxi ride are hilarious. DH looks bored and I'm bright red! We didn't buy them!

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Bowlersarm · 25/05/2013 18:27

Quite agree with you, very boring. We were in and out in about half an hour which made it very bad value for money.

Hashtagwhatever · 25/05/2013 18:28

Agree its way to packed.

meglet · 25/05/2013 18:29

Yanbu. I went 30yrs ago and thought it was deeply dull.

VinegarDrinker · 25/05/2013 18:30

It's shit. I'm a Londoner, went once with exchange students when at school and never felt the urge to go back or recommend it to anyone. Far, far better things to do in London imho.

The planetarium next door used to be awesome,though, not sure if it's still there? (I used to get free entry with my Blue Peter badge!)

VinegarDrinker · 25/05/2013 18:31

And I will never understand why people queue for so long to visit. DH was at the Royal Academy of Music just down the road so we spent quite a lot of time around Baker St and were always flabbergasted at the queues.

crumblepie · 25/05/2013 18:33

we were disappointed with the waxworks , if they didnt have the names near some of them we wouldnt know who they were , our children got bored as well so we rushed to the end and that was the best bit , the ride on the way out .

Original poster
Jestrin · 25/05/2013 18:36

VinegarDrinker I agree. We rushed through as the DC were hating the crowds and when we came out they were queuing around the block.

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fuzzpig · 25/05/2013 18:38

I wouldn't bother. I was taken as a child and only really liked the chamber of horror bit (but I was a morbid child obsessed with jack the ripper etc).

I have no interest in celebrities so I wouldn't pay to see a bunch of wax versions of them!

ivykaty44 · 25/05/2013 18:51

Vinegardrinker - what should we do then? I am taking dd's down in August and looking for ideas

I thought London eye again as it was good and we could do it early eve late afternoon- we have from between

10.30 ish and 3pm for something good but pretty central

have done museums as they are early twenties and mid teens, we have done galleries

so was thinking MT - but after this thread...no

chelsbells · 25/05/2013 19:02

It's one of those things you do once and will never return to. DH and I went earlier this year, I was desperate to go but it was packed, couldn't get close to many waxworks. But the 4d film at the end was good, but certainly won't be returning - was very glad we had BOGOF deal, would have been annoyed to pay full price for two adults.

Sallyingforth · 25/05/2013 19:02

Agree with all the comments.
Too many of the waxworks were 'celebs' that I'd never or only vaguely heard of, and the ones I do know were poor replicas anyway.
Long queues and high prices - a waste of time and money.

Tailtwister · 25/05/2013 19:09

We went years ago on a corporate jolly one evening. We were the only people there and I just remember it being really odd. Can't remember that much more about it really, so it can't have been particularly great. I certainly wouldn't pay to see it.

BalloonSlayer · 25/05/2013 19:12

Yes we went and it was awful - so crowded. There was a woman with a lady in a wheelchair and she couldn't move her through the crowds at all. We had to carry our 5 year old as it was so intimidating for him. Goodness knows what would have happened if there was a fire.

Half way round an employee asked if we were enjoying the day and I said what I thought, and that if I had paid cash (we have Merlin passes) I'd be demanding my money back. He looked sympathetic but I expect he hears it all day.

I enjoyed the taxi ride and the 4D film.

Was a bit dubious about the waxworks. I noticed that the models of Tom Cruise and Leonardo DeCaprio were positioned back to back either side of a pillar. Well we all know that TC is a shocking shortarse, but I have read interviews with LdeC that express surprise at how tall and burly he is. Therefore I was Hmm to see that TC was only about 4" shorter than LdeC. I also thought the David Cameron model was suspiciously tall, about the same height as the Muhammed Ali model and there's no way he is the same height.

Add to this some dickhead doing Nazi salutes next to the Hitler waxwork and you will understand that it was a pretty shite experience.

Original poster
Jestrin · 25/05/2013 19:16

There was a lady in a wheelchair today and I can't imagine for a minute that she had a good time. Sad

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Original poster
Jestrin · 25/05/2013 19:18

I thought that about a fire too. We just couldn't get out. We had to carry on going.

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Mandy2003 · 25/05/2013 19:21

It was shit 40 years ago - is it still?!

Chivetalking · 25/05/2013 19:23

We used to go with the free annual passes we got with Tesco points.

Would have felt completely done if we'd paid for it although we did pay for the Big Brother diary room experience one visit.

I've always fancied Louis Tussauds Grin *Note - DM link for those who are averse.

Chelvis · 25/05/2013 19:28

Louis Tussauds in Blackpool was fabulously rubbish, but now it's a Madame Tussauds Sad which is expensive crap, not hillarious crap like Louis was

Chivetalking · 25/05/2013 19:32

Ohhh. My dreams are dead Sad

KitNCaboodle · 25/05/2013 19:34

We went a few months ago on our Merlin passes. Never again for all the reasons posted.
The waxworks looked ropey at best, was over crowded, people being thoughtless about taking photos...
London taxi ride was ok and the 4d very good but not worth the hassle of fighting through the crowds.