Halloween Storytelling Experience on the London Eye
26 October – 2 November 2013
Reviewed by Sandra McGhee
I was very fortunate having the opportunity to complete a review on the Halloween Storytelling Experience on the London Eye and representing What’s Good To Do. My husband, 2 sons (12 & 13), daughter (9) and I arrived at the venue at least 20 minutes before our timed take off as I wasn't sure how easy it would be to find and how busy it would be as the last time I went to the London Eye was before my daughter was born and the boys were quite little so they didn't really remember too much so all 3 were very excited to have the opportunity to visit especially in the evening too!
Upon finding the London Eye which was pretty easy as I did my research and had a map to refer to we arrived at the venue about 5 to 6 minutes after arriving at Waterloo Station, the walk was pretty pleasant! We couldn't believe how busy the queues and how popular this attraction was still 13 years after it first opened. I went to the box office located in County Hall literally right opposite the attraction and was greeted with a representative from EDF who instantly made us feel welcome and made us feel comfortable, he said we were slightly early and informed us where we could get refreshments and where the cloakrooms were located etc. About 10 minutes later we came back to the meeting point to then see there were a number of other guests on the VIP list along with at least another 7 or 8 children ranging from 4 to around 11 with their families. All of the children were given a witches hat and a 360 viewing guide which was brilliant as it displayed birds eye views photos of both night and on reverse the day displaying all the typical tourist attractions ranging from County Hall, where we was located to Downing Street, along with BT Tower, Tower of London to name a few of a total of 50 landmarks. This in itself is a lovely souvenir/keepsake for any guest experiencing the London Eye, especially children. My daughter very proudly showed this in show and tell the following day and told her class about the whole experience.
Whilst all the guests were waiting before we knew it Witch Priscilla turned up in full costume and introduced herself, she then took the time to ask each child member what their name was and whether they was ready to participate along with some questions of what their favourite potions and spells were etc… She was very convincing and I was impressed she instantly asked my sons and daughter questions about whether they were ready to be Wizards & Witches and joining the Witches Academy, Priscilla put most of the kids on the spot and they were all quite excited as none of them knew what to expect! Once all the guests had arrived we made our way to a fast track queue and then proceeded through security and did feel special not having to queue. This was a smooth process and within 5 minutes or so we were all on the London Eye capsule. This part of the ticket package is great as it cut down I would estimate at least 30 minutes of queuing time which could be even more during the day or half-term! At the end of the day if you have smaller children they don't generally want to queue for too long, so I think this was an added bonus.
Upon all the guests entering the capsule the Witch for a good 20 minutes or so got all the children involved and fully participated and engaged them in joining in her storytelling activity. The whole scene was based upon the Crown Jewels being burgled from the Tower of London. There was spooky music throughout to set the scene! All of the children were fascinated in the story which was based on all the main landmarks of London, i.e. Tower of London, Big Ben, lots of riddles. Even the parents were glued to Witch Priscilla as the story was quite believable. Once the kids had solved the riddle Priscilla awarded them all a badge displaying Witches Academy Experience, London Eye 2013, which was a lovely souvenir, they also got a special lollipop!
Whilst the ghoulish storytelling was taking place the guests could take in all the absolutely fantastic views of London, by night this was amazing and breath-taking most of the guests were blown away. Inside the capsule there was plenty of room to move and have the opportunity to take personal photos. There was also an announcement before landing given you the opportunity to have a photo taken, I think the charge for this was £15 (this is another nice keepsake).
I asked my daughter what did she like best about the experience, she said the Priscilla, she was really funny and loved all the questions, as she continually took it in turns asking the various children if they had clues to solving the mystery of the hidden treasure. The experience is advertised as storytelling for children aged 4-9, I think this is suitable to 12 as my son aged 12 fully participated and was engaged the whole time and he happily took part as a Wizard amongst other boys and girls ranging from around 4 upwards!
My daughter also liked the Tablet which gave lots of information on various landmarks.
Included in the entry price is entry to 4D experience, we did this after our experience on the London Eye, which was good as most people did this beforehand, apparently you can do before or after. Luckily when we decided to do this there was hardly any queue. The 4D experience was just brilliant, upon collecting our glasses we wasn't really sure what to expect, it was the icing on the cake, the kids thought magnificent, the effects were great, we felt like we were in so many different scenes, a fireworks display, snow, doves flying, kids were blown away! My daughter said this was her best day ever!
So in summary a really lovely day out, which I would definitely recommend and would consider doing again! The Halloween theme was really special, we wasn't really sure what to expect and it was a real surprise, a real treat and perfect day out for the family! Something very different to celebrate Halloween and appropriate for all ages, adult and young children.
Value for money: Reasonably priced as this included the 4D experience and little extras for the kids to take away, well worth it in all honesty!
Highly recommended!
The Halloween Storytelling Experience on the London Eye runs from 26 October to 2 November 2013. Tickets cost £28.80 per adult (age 16 plus), £17.40 per child (age 4-15 years), £92.40 for family of 4 and under 4's go free. Book online in advance and save up to 20%.
Rating: 5/5 
For more information or to book your tickets online visit www.londoneye.com.
