London Dungeon

Visited the London Dungeons in sept '08 with my mum. Had always wanted to visit this place as I like scary kinds of entertainment. We'd booked the fast track tickets with Madame Tussauds online previously to save a bit of cash and avoid any potential long queues.

There was hardly any queue though on this paticular sunday morning which I didn't know whether to take then as a good or bad sign? Almost immediatedly after having our tickets checked we were asked to do the photo of me pulling a really stupid face (as demonstrated first by one of the reception staff) with my head in a stock and my mum holding a pretend axe over me. Well i'm not that photogenic at the best of times but there was no way I was purchasing a pic of me looking half demented to stick on the mantle piece once home. We was then ushered through the first part- it was then I noticed the musty over powering smell that i'd read about before on here. Going round we were greeted by various members of staff in costume/character screeching at the top of their voices telling their horror stories from London history- e.g Jack the ripper/Great Fire of London/The Great Plague. The girls in paticular seemed to put in a lot of effort into their acts but after sometime I did begin to feel some embarrasement for them even if they themselves had none. There was also plenty of macarbe things to view aswell.

At times it felt like our group were rushed through onto the next sections of the tour before we'd had much chance to take things in yet irronically there was another couple of times where there wasn't much to view yet we had to wait tediously for 5-10 mins . On a few occasions while going around if you were unfortunate enough to grab the "characters" attention you'd be singled out and humiliated- e.g cringy pantomine style. One poor chap was having various punishments being done to him (well pretending obviously) with medieval instruments which gave some laughs. Another time in a mock court room I was very nearly singled out to stand in the docks..but I refused because I was too shy I said,lol. Thankfully they let me off and went onto pick some other poor girl who got accused of dancing naked I think? Then another male in the crowd was singled out and accused of doing bestality. It was at this point in time I thought to myself thank God I had at least warned my mum in advance that things got a little rude here.

The highlights:

Sitting in Sweeney todds barbers which gave us a few nervous giggles and a unexpected scare or two as did going through a room with all the lost howling souls. A couple of times we got slightly soaked which added to the amusement. The very dark mirrored maze which if it were not for some slightly clever foreigners who's sussed out the exit pattern within a few mins whose dimly lit outlines my mum and myself followed we'd of probably been going round in circles for ages it seemed. Then lastly the rides. Boat ride to hell which sounds better then it is but was still entertaining and the ride at the end- Extremis..which reminded me a bit of Oblivion at Alton Towers but nowhere near as good. But it gave a quick thrill and you have the option of purchasing your ride photo on the way out.

Lastly there was the gift shops to pick up London dungeon memento's none of which were that great to be honest. Inside you couldn't take pictures but there was opputunities just outside to sit in either some medieval or execution type chairs and before entering I saw some kids having pics taken with staff also dressed in grusome ghoulish costume. The toilets looked pretty cool too- with the doors designed like coffins. All in all...it was average entertainment for a couple of hours. I still enjoyed myself to an extent even though I came away a bit dissapointed- thinking i'd be scared/freaked out a lot more than I actually was. There is definitley room for improvement there.

Good Lord it is awful!

We were a group of 6 who had been to see most of the sights in London numerous times over the years but had never been to the Dungeon. As it was our last day yesterday we decided to go. Friends and members of the family had been there years ago and said how brilliant it was. (Was being the operative word-why on Earth did they change it?!) After queing and having an embarressing photo in the stocks/weilding axe's we paid nearly L21 each to get in. We thought this was expensive but if we enjoyed it would be worth it- how wrong we were! As we were waiting to get into the first room there were a few signs around the place stating if you felt faint or sick throughout the tour you should tell a member of staff- this made us think it must be extremely scary...

The group was greeted by a 'ye olde hag' (with PMT it seems) who stood up on a box and started banging on about hearing voices- Queue us looking around at each stifling laughs-and to be honest that set off the rest of the tone of the 'tour'. It was embarressing to watch sometimes & as the tour progressed from the 'plague' to 'sweeny todd' to 'jack the ripper' people became wise to the fact that they would get picked on and were all trying to hide behind each other. Its not fair really as a lot of people i think expected it to be some sort of history tour with waxwork models and didnt want to be dragged into some silly panto. And believe me it really is easier to participate when they call you up because they will humiliate you more if you dont!

In the courtroom scene i got selected to go into the dock. Im not a very shy person but this would be awful for someone who was as i was accussed of dancing naked around a "giant erection or fire as its also known ". A few people laughed but not many and a lot of children in the crowd didnt know what was going on. The next one in the dock after me was accused of sleeping with a horse! Its all very near the mark and unecessary and i wouldnt have been too pleased if i had brought youngsters there. Credit where its due though the actor who played the Judge was by far the best but it was all so over-the-top throughout the tour, so cringeworthy.

By this stage we were all so bored and fearing that we would going to get picked on it was hard to concentrate on what was being said. You dont really learn a thing from a historical point of view either which was disappointing not only for us but i should imagine for those who had perhaps travelled from other countries to London. London has so much History and to come out of there L21 poorer and having wasted an hour and a half of your life knowing as much as you did when you went in is ridiculous. It's not scary and thrilling and we (and most of the crowd in general) were plodding along willing it to end.

The 'rides' are pathetic.

Overall i would strongly advise against paying money to go to the Dungeon as long as it remains like a panto. Even if you get vouchers and can get in for half price dont bother. The guy behind the ticket counter on the way in tried to sell us a 'tour map' which is such a rip off as im sure many people do buy it. Dont bother because you can only go where they take you, its just another way to con tourists out of money. Its disgracful. You come out of there feeling deflated and thinking it was time and money wasted - and hotter than the surface of the sun.

There are so many cheaper and value-for-money attractions in London. This would defiantely be last on the list, never going there again!

Alarm bells should have rang when, on the queue to get in, theres a big sign saying MONEY CANNOT BE REFUNDED.

They were probably sick of people asking for their money back.