Children were left heartbroken and families distraught after being refused entry to a highly anticipated immersive dinosaur exhibition in London, following a significant booking system error.
Christmas Outing Ruined by Overbooking Glitch
The incident occurred on Monday 30 December 2025 at the newly opened Jurassic World: The Experience inside Battersea Power Station. Approximately 30 to 40 visitors who had purchased discounted tickets through the website Wowcher were turned away at the door after the event was overbooked for specific time slots.
Among those affected was 11-year-old Jacob Harris, for whom the trip was a Christmas present. His mother, Kate Stevens, had travelled from Canterbury in Kent to collect him from Enfield in east London before journeying to the south-west of the capital for the show.
"He was very upset and he cried, that made me cry. It’s horrible – it’s Christmas," Ms Stevens, 39, told the Press Association. She described a chaotic scene at the entrance, noting that only those who had paid full price were being admitted.
Families Face Distress and Long Journeys for Nothing
Ms Stevens recounted the moment they realised they would not be allowed in. "(My son) was standing next to me and then I could see other people being told and I went up to somebody... and he said: ‘Unfortunately, yes.’"
She highlighted the particular distress of other families, including a woman with two autistic children who were having a meltdown. Another visitor had reportedly started their journey at 5am.
Jacob, who has Autistic Spectrum Disorder and ADHD, was profoundly affected. "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,’" his mother said. His hopes for a rescheduled visit were immediately dashed, with staff reportedly giving a flat "no" to such requests.
Companies Issue Apologies and Promise Refunds
Both Neon, the creators of the experience, and Wowcher have issued apologies. A PR company representing Neon confirmed the problem was a booking system error that sold too many vouchers for certain slots.
"As the experience operates under strict capacity limits to ensure visitor safety, we were unfortunately unable to admit everyone at their original arrival time," their statement read. They confirmed they are liaising with affected visitors to offer alternative sessions or full refunds.
Wowcher's statement placed responsibility on the event organisers: "This event was overbooked due to a system error on Jurassic World’s side." They confirmed they are contacting impacted customers to process full refunds.
Neon noted that around 1,800 people visit the exhibition daily during the holiday period and stated they are reviewing their processes to prevent a repeat. For families like Jacob's, however, the disappointment of a ruined Christmas outing remains.
