Fuming parents have hit out at the new Nickelodeon Experience family attraction in Heaton Park slamming "rip off" prices for food and toys on the site, queues for popular attractions and not enough to do for kids for the ticket price. The family festival features characters from the Nickelodeon children's TV channel like SpongeBob SquarePants, Paw Patrol, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Henry Danger.
It opened in Manchester on Saturday, with three-hour sessions for families throughout the day and runs until August 3. The event is billed by organisers as an outdoor experience "where families can discover the very best of Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. for an unforgettable day out."
But a number of parents have hit out to say they were less than impressed with the event, which has a full price ticket for children aged over 4 starting at £29.50, while adult tickets start at £9.50 and under-2s go free. Food and drink prices included £4.50 for a cappuccino, £7 for a hotdog and £7.50 for loaded fries, while parents were aghast to see a large SpongeBob toy on sale in the gift shop on site for £40.
Read more : 60 free and cheap things to do with the kids this Summer holidays in and around Manchester
In a statement, organisers said there had been an "overwhelmingly positive response from fans in attendance". But that they would now look at reviewing adult ticket pricing to "recognise the pressures on families caused by the rising cost of living."
Rachel Halewood posted on the Nickelodeon Experience Facebook page: "Awful, as a family of 4 we paid £100 and there was literally nothing to do! You have to pay to park on a field and then walk 15 mins to the event.
"We went for mainly paw patrol and Henry danger, paw patrol characters were great but also had to wait half an hour in the line to see them. A “Henry danger” maze which was pointless.
"One food stall for the whole event which we didn’t even end up going to because the line was so long. £17 for two slushes. Went into the gift shop, barely anything there.
"Small soft plays for I’d say under 1s they were that small. My 6 year old was bored nothing for her to do, so god knows what a 7-14yr old does. So disappointed and so are my kids! Feel robbed."
Mum Samantha Chater told the MEN it was "outrageous". She took her 4-year-old and 11-year-old to the event on Saturday afternoon. She said "It was such a con with extortionate food prices too. I feel very strongly about warning others about how much of a rip-off this event is and the poor quality and lack of what’s there. It's the worst event we have ever been to."
Mum @EmRaff89 posting on twitter said: "If you’re thinking of going to the Nickelodeon Experience at Heaton Park in Manchester - don’t. Save yourself the extortionate entry fee and just watch SpongeBob in your garden in the rain.
"I was hoping for a fun day and couldn’t have been more disappointed. The absolute CHEEK of what they’re charging for genuinely the worst event I’ve ever been to."
She further added: "There were two hour queues for the inside events and an hour and a half to have a photo taken with the paw patrol mascots. The teenage mutant ninja turtle part was four tubes for kids to crawl through but they all kept getting stuck because there was no one way system. The whole thing was absolutely abysmal."
Danny Senior said: "What an absolute joke this is. £50 for me and my daughter and was done in 40 minutes… absolutely disgraceful."
Vicky Parson also "felt robbed" saying on the Facebook page: "Totally agree total waste of money in Manchester today. I feel robbed. We spend more time queuing for the c*** than actually doing it and left before session finished."
The event has been created by Luna Cinema who are behind the popular FriendsFest event, in association with Paramount Global. A spokeswoman for the Nickelodeon Experience said: "The Nickelodeon Experience had a fantastic opening weekend at Manchester’s Heaton Park, with an overwhelmingly positive response from fans in attendance.
"The event is the only one of its kind in the UK, offering visitors of all ages the opportunity to explore a site full of adventure and interactive experiences.
“Each zone in the Nickelodeon Experience brings to life a popular TV show from the channel for fans to enjoy at their leisure. Younger fans can explore the Ninja Turtles’ underground network of tunnels, climb aboard Santiago of the Seas’ ship and meet their favourite Paw Patrol characters.
"Among the attractions for kids is an interactive Hunter Street escape room, a Henry Danger maze and a zone dedicated to the Thundermans school for superheroes, where audiences get to perfect their superhero powers.
“While we believe ticket prices reflect value for money and the investment required to bring this unique touring experience to life, we do recognise the pressures on families caused by the rising cost of living. As such, we will be reviewing adult ticket prices.
“We also work with our food and drink partners to provide visitors with a range of price points for refreshments, starting at £2.50 for beverages. Similarly, the onsite shop stocks a variety of products at a wide range of prices, starting from £3.
"All families also receive a free gift, so no one leaves the Nickelodeon Experience in Manchester empty-handed."
The experience launched in Edinburgh at the start of July - where families had shared similar frustrations over "extortionate" prices at the event with our sister site Edinburgh Live.
The billed entertainment includes a timed immersive escape room, an interactive maze, a pirate treasure hunt, and the opportunity to get slimed. On publicity for the event, it is recommended for ages 1-14, with attractions for the older age group of 7-14 the Thundermans' School for Superheros and a Henry Danger Maze as well as the Hunter Street Escape Room.
Attractions suitable for all ages included the "trip to Adventure Bay" with an opportunity to meet Paw Patrol's Chase and Marshall, a tunnel adventure with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and a Santiago of the Seas pirate ship. There is a large SpongeBob-themed outdoor seating area where episodes of the cartoon are played.
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