Children were left heartbroken and in tears after being turned away at the door of the highly anticipated Jurassic World: The Experience in London, following a major ticketing error. Families who had travelled significant distances for their pre-Christmas treat were informed that a system failure had led to oversold time slots, specifically affecting those who had purchased discounted tickets via Wowcher.
Christmas Plans Shattered at the Door
The distressing scenes unfolded on Monday, December 22, at the immersive dinosaur attraction located within the iconic Battersea Power Station. According to Neon, the creators of the experience, a booking system error meant that around 30-40 people were affected that day, having purchased vouchers for time slots that were already full.
One mother, Kate Stevens, 39, had made a lengthy journey from her home in Canterbury, Kent, to collect her 11-year-old son, Jacob Harris, in Enfield before heading to the venue. She described the moment she had to tell her son, who has autism and ADHD, that they could not enter. "He just burst into tears and then got really upset and said: 'I just want to go home, I just don't want to be here, I hate my life,'" Ms Stevens recounted. "He was very upset and he cried, that made me cry. It's horrible - it's Christmas."
Widespread Distress and Inadequate Communication
The situation caused chaos and significant distress for numerous families. Ms Stevens witnessed other upset children and noted a particular case of a mother with two autistic children who were having a meltdown. She was told by staff that only those who had paid full price were being admitted, while discounted ticket holders were being refused.
"They were letting people queue up and then when they got to the front of the queue, telling them that... because they had vouchers they couldn't come in because they were oversubscribed," Ms Stevens explained. She added that some families had started their journeys as early as 5am, only to be met with disappointment at the entrance.
Apologies and Promises of Refunds
In response to the incident, Neon issued a formal apology. A statement clarified that the error led to too many Wowcher vouchers being sold for certain slots and, due to strict capacity limits for safety, they could not admit everyone. The company stated that all affected ticketholders were notified in advance and that they were "liaising with visitors to either accommodate them in alternative sessions or refund them for their tickets."
Separately, Wowcher told the Daily Mail that the overselling was due to an issue with the experience's own booking system and was "clearly not acceptable, especially at this time of year." The voucher company confirmed that all affected customers would receive a full refund.
The event, which sees around 1,800 visitors daily during the holidays, is the first to be held at Neon's new venue within the Battersea Power Station landmark. Both companies have stated they are reviewing processes to prevent a repeat of the deeply upsetting incident.
