If you have read any of my other reviews you will understand that I have a great deal of affection for Merlin Entertainments (the company which owns Tussauds which owns Madame Tussauds, Alton Towers etc) and that on any given occasion I would much rather praise them then boot them into Oblivion (no pun intended.) Whilst Merlin is ownership to some of the most impressive tourist hot spots in the UK (the London Eye being one and WarwickCastle being another) some of their attractions are unfortunately a hit and miss affair. Whilst some (such as Alton Towers and Thorpe Park) take off like a sparrowhawk others (such as the lacklustre Legoland and Madame Tussauds) bomb and leave you feeling perhaps as cold as the weather in Blighty.
At £25 for adults and £21 for children (£85 for a family of 4) Madame Tussauds is pretty expensive, and so must do everything it can to justify such a hefty price for really what is only a slightly more developed museum. Abeit much fanfare Madame Tussauds is frequently raved about, to such an extend as being classed as one of Londons top tourist attractions and for this reason no matter what time of the year you go expect quite an ordeal with queues (getting in, seeing exhibits/waxworks etc.) In the annoying tradition with other Merlin attractions, Madame Tussauds seems admenant on piling as many people inside at a given time as possible. Instead of having a limit number of people, hoards are left to their own free will once they have passed the entrance and the likelihood of getting crushed as visitors gather around their favorite celebrity is higher than it should be. For this reason Madame Tussauds feels like an ordeal, especially considering at peak times you may find yourself having to walk sideways just to have the privilege of being able to walk. Of course if you are a parent this won't be very benefiting as people swarm in and out of exhibits, some panicking about claustrophobia and others fussing about their own children. For the little ones daunting numbers or tourists and visitors enveloping the place will make the experience even worse.
Fortunatley the waxwork models themselves are wonderful- detailed, cared for and a great photo oppertunity should you get the chance. But that's where it goes downwards again. The fact so many people are allowed it at once means that actually seeing the models can be a task. If you want to see them you are going to have to work for it and by working I mean snaking your way through the front of the crowds (which again is not appealing to those who have children.) My advice by this point would be to give up and ask for a refund. We had a Merlin pass (which entitles entry into all of the Merlin attractions in the UK) so we wern't too bothered, however if I had paid over £80 to see- well basically not a lot then I am sure I would marched (or crawled?) to the entrance to get a full refund. Anyways catering- ahh catering. What can I say? Top tourist attraction, bottom prices. £3 for a sandwich, £2.50 for a bottle of Coke. £5.50 for a £2.50 meal. Lovely. And you are not allowed to take your own food in so either you don't eat during the day or you fork out. That is of course if you haven't left by lunch time which after reading this could be debatable.
Like I said, I do like Merlin- a lot. I would happily keep going back to Alton or Thorpe or Chessington. But every successful company has a stinker. Madame Tussauds certainly stinks regarding what you expect and what you are given. Celebrity sculptures don't have to mean celebrity prices. But sadly, such and such is the case at Madame Tussauds. Only go here if you MUST. Otherwise Madame Tussauds is best avoided like the paparazzi.
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Advantages: Indoors, quite a lot to see Disadvantages: It is a walk-through place, so not a place for little kids who might be overcome by the need to touch
Jun 18th, 2009
very helpful by (100%):
