Families were left devastated and children were reduced to tears after being denied entry to a popular London dinosaur attraction, with fears now mounting that the same scenes could be repeated this weekend.
Chaos at the Door as Voucher Holders Turned Away
The incident occurred at Jurassic World: The Experience at Battersea Power Station on Monday, 29 December. Visitors who had purchased discounted tickets through the deal site Wowcher were told they could not enter, despite having valid bookings. The problem was reportedly caused by a booking system error that led to tickets being oversold for specific time slots.
An individual claiming to work at the attraction stated that management made the decision to deny entry to Wowcher customers, leaving front-line staff to manage the fallout. "This led to extremely distressing scenes, including crying children, angry customers, and multiple confrontations with staff and management," they said.
"He Just Burst Into Tears": A Mother's Distress
One affected parent, Kate Stevens, 39, had travelled from her home in Canterbury, Kent, to Enfield to collect her 11-year-old son Jacob, who has Autistic Spectrum Disorder and ADHD, before heading to the show. She described the moment they were turned away.
"I showed him my ticket, and I was like: 'Does that mean us as well?' And he said: 'Unfortunately, yes,'" Ms Stevens told the Press Association. "I'm really sorry, but we can't come in. He just burst into tears and then got really upset and said: 'I just want to go home.'"
She highlighted the distress of other families, noting one woman with two autistic children who were having a meltdown. Another visitor had reportedly left home at 5am to make the journey. In total, between 30 and 40 people were affected by the error on Monday.
Apologies and Refunds Amid Fears for Final Weekend
Neon, the creators of the experience, issued an apology, explaining that strict capacity limits for safety meant they could not admit everyone. A spokesperson said: "We understand how disappointing this would have been for families – we sincerely apologise to anyone whose visit was impacted and are reviewing our processes." They confirmed they were liaising with visitors to offer alternative sessions or refunds.
Wowcher also stated the overbooking was due to a system error on Jurassic World's side and confirmed they are contacting impacted customers to offer full refunds.
With the attraction scheduled to close on 4 January, there is now serious concern that tickets for the final weekend are once again oversold, risking a repeat of the distressing scenes. The immersive exhibition, the first event in Neon's new Battersea venue, sees around 1,800 visitors daily during the holiday period.
