Willy Wonka-themed chocolate experience prompted upset families to call the police after they showed up at an empty warehouse in Glasgow, Scotland just last month.
The unlicensed event was meant to be a magical Willy Wonka chocolate factory experience from February 24-25, where families could “Indulge in a chocolate fantasy like never before,” as stated by the website. The event listing website promised Oompa Loompas and other characters, chocolate fountains, and fun interactive activities.
The entire event used AI-generated images for marketing and the official website was completely made by AI. Paul Conell, the actor who played Wonka in the experience, also stated on a TikTok post that the script he received was “15 pages of AI-generated gibberish.” He also said they introduced the “Unknown [who] is an evil chocolate maker who lives in the walls,” who was a completely AI-generated character the AI threw in the script, as he has never appeared in any official Willy Wonka material.
The entry tickets cost around $45 per person, and children were distraught upon entering to find a foggy, poorly decorated warehouse that only took about 5 minutes to walk through. There wasn’t even any chocolate, and the children had only received a half cup of lemonade and a single jellybean. As for the decorations in question, it was mostly empty with a few folding tables and chairs, themed blankets and bedsheets pinned to the walls, a small bouncy castle, a small handful of candy-themed props, and prints of the AI images that were posted up on the website.
The event was supposed to be a 2-day long experience, but the company in charge of the event, House of Illuminati, cut it short after the police were called over angry parents reporting the scam. “Unfortunately, last minute we were let down in many areas of our event and tried our best to continue on and push through and now realize we probably should have cancelled first thing this morning instead,” Billy Coull, director of the House of Illuminati said in an apology on Facebook after the event. However, backlash continued after the first post, so the company released a second statement: “I am reaching out to address the recent cancellation of the ‘Willys Chocolate Experience’ event. Firstly, I want to extend my sincerest apologies to each and every one of you who was looking forward to this event. I understand the disappointment and frustration this has caused, and for that, I am truly sorry.
“Regarding the refunds, I am committed to rectifying this situation. All 850 Transactions will be continue to be refunded has been posted to ensure transparency and to demonstrate my commitment to making this right for everyone affected.” Coull had also blamed the failed event on “unforeseen circumstances,” saying that the “holographic paper” they had ordered for the decorations didn’t arrive on time, claiming it would’ve been much less underwhelming if it had come.
Stuart Sinclair, one of the parents who had brought their family to this event, stated that when he and his kids arrived at the empty warehouse, he and his older kids found it quite funny. However, his 4-year-old daughter who was dressed as Willy Wonka was extremely disappointed. “They [the kids] were quite upset. I think they were confused,” said Kirsty Paterson, the actress who played the Oompa Loompa. “I’m laughing about it now, but I was so angry for the kids and the parents. I know people spent a lot of money coming here.”
After the event was cut short, Willy Wonka’s chocolate experience is now a viral meme on the internet, with people posting photos from the disaster and poking fun at what had happened. They only recently took down the website a few weeks ago.
