An unsanctioned event in Glasgow touted as a “Willy Wonka experience” has been going viral online for its, uh, let’s go with “less than impressive” final product as compared to the incredible artwork it originally presented online.
As reported by Daily Dot, the website for the experience originally promised an “enchanted garden” filled with “giant sweets, vibrant blooms, mysterious-looking sculptures, and magical surprises” as well as an “imagination lab” stocked with “mind-expanding projections, optical marvels, and exhibits that transport you into the realm of creativity.”
However, the end product that entrants were greeted to upon opening day was…yeah, not that:
Allegedly, guests who were promised an immersive, magical experience powered by pure imagination were instead presented with a warehouse covered in posters haphazardly hung on otherwise blank walls, and—most insulting to me personally—no chocolate at all.
No chocolate. In your chocolate factory?! Fools!
It has since been reported that the experience was met with anger from guests, who allegedly went so far as to “call the police” and the entire thing left many of the children in attendance “in tears”:
But things really took off when those who actually attended the experience began sharing the photos they took online, gifting all of us with some of the most genuinely hilarious shots I’ve ever had the pleasure of viewing:
Anyway—while those who’d purchased tickets for the event were clearly disappointed by the lackluster experience—you better believe users on X and TikTok who didn’t attend were quick to memeify the whole thing, turning the entire event into a mega-viral moment.
Here are just a few of the funniest reactions shared:
And the plot has continued to thicken even up to today, as they’ve appeared to add more to the exhibit in a bid to appease guests—and by “add more to the exhibit,” I mean adding a second Oompa Loopa:
I feel like these images are definitely, somehow, both blessed and cursed. Either way, I can’t unsee them.
In short: