Q1. What was your overall impression of the day and KidZania? What did your DCs think?
We were thrilled to receive complimentary tickets from MN and went with DH, DS (10) and DD 7.
We looked at the bewildering website before visiting which didn't give much useful information on how to plan the visit.
On arrival we Whizzed straight through check in being with MN although there were no queues. DCs given 50 'kidzo's' which they could either spend on various activities or added to by doing 'jobs'. No explanation given on how to spend, acquire or save kidzo's.
So DS did the Formula 1, chocolate making, recycling, the vault (security).
DD did puppetry (with stage performance), fashion styling, forensics.
We were there 3 hours covering just those experiences. It would be easy to stay all day.
So DCs thoughts on the day:
DD loved it and wants to go back.
DS' overall opinion was that many of the activities were 'too young' and aimed at younger children (maybe 9 and under). For instance the emergency services just involved wearing basic dressing up clothes and riding on the back of adapted toy 'emergency service' vehicles. Great fun for a 6 year old, not so much for a pre-teen. Even the formula 1 vehicle inspection was about disappointing- I think they had to stop the experience half way through DS' turn. He had a peak at the piloting experience but it just seemed to involve sticking a hat on, fiddling with knobs and having your photo taken (for which parents pay extra!)
Q2 How would you explain KidZania to someone who hadn’t been before?
Never heard of the idea although understand it originated in Mexico and is franchised across the world. Had no idea what to expect or even really where it was located, never having been to Westfield. Excellent concept where children get hands on fun experience with huge variety of real life jobs/careers. All under one roof.
Q3 What was your DCs favourite part of the show?
For DD the H&M fashion show (such a diva!)
for DS I really couldn't say, he just didn't really enjoy the experience at all although apparently the recycling experience was 'a bit interesting'!
Q4. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend KidZania to friends or family to go to for a family day out?
Potentially for those with girls up to about 10/11 and boys about 8/9 yo max. I think any older and the children would be disappointed.
HOWEVER, it is a massively expensive half a day and as said before, you cannot charge adults to enter!!! There is absolutely nothing for adults to do should they decide to go in except traipse around after their DCs or spend more money in the 'adult only' coffee shop. Obviously our tickets were free otherwise I'd be seriously hacked off at having to pay adult entry charges. We also paid £10 parking so all in all, it would ordinarily be a VERY expensive day.
I am aware that children over 8 can be left to do the experience on their own, however we wouldn't have been comfortable to do that, certainly on the first visit. It is incredibly bewildering the array of activities, scheduling, queuing, etc.... There is no structured guidance by staff on how it all works, how to select an activity, whether it is a paying job or an experience the child must pay for from their kidzo's. I think if I'd have left my DCs alone they would have spent most of the time wandering around in a trance trying to decide what to do, what the scheduling meant and how to queue properly. As it was we only managed about 4 activities in the time frame because the place is so confusing (and that's with 2 adults in charge!!). The place is too busy, too big I think to leave younger children on their own. I also think the queues could quite easily stack up waiting for activities, resulting in very bored children. Maybe a kids 'entertainer' would be an idea if queues were over 20minutes.
While we were there we overheard a heated debate between a father and security guard where the father just wanted to go into Kidzania for 15 minutes with his DCs at the start of the visit, just to check the venue out and make sure DCs were happy with the set up. What he didn't want to do was pay £18 to do that. Clearly he and his wife just wanted to make sure their DCs were ok before heading back into Westfield for a child free afternoon (lucky them!).
Security were not happy for him to do that and said he either couldn't go in or pay to enter (albeit for 15 mins!!). Eventually they agreed to let him after he got really bolshy but insisted it was against policy and he mustn't tell anyone else! I think there is some issue with security in that parents and children are tagged together and if parents leave the children are in theory not 'attached to anyone'. Not sure
IMO they need to review the entry policy. Kidzania have to recognise that while most responsible parents are happy to let their older children have some independence, it is only right that they would want to check the place out first, just for peace of mind. Kidzania need to come up with way of letting parents do this without charging them (in fact parents shouldn't be charged at all!)
Another HUGE misgiving of ours was that there is no formal security (eg scanner) on entering Kidzania. Given that it is located in London, in one of the country's biggest shopping malls, I felt more than a little uneasy. It would be extremely easy for someone to enter Kidzania and create a terrorist incident. We visited on a bust Saturday afternoon and more that once half joked about what could be sneaked in via pushchairs, certain items of clothing etc.
So many thanks MN/Kidzania for a very interesting day out. Hope I dont sound too negative; as I said DD is desperate to go back. Great concept and if all you take on board feedback from us wise MNers it should be a great success 