Is the Paddington Bear experience in Southbank worth the money? Let’s take a closer look. We visited a couple of days ago, and I can honestly say it was a fantastic experience from start to finish. Now, I’m going to share my review with you. Just a heads-up: this review will include some spoilers, so you might want to skip it if you prefer to keep it a complete surprise.
First, let’s talk about the price. It was just myself and my eight-year-old daughter, and the total cost was £88. My ticket was £49, and my daughter’s was £39, including a £1.75 booking fee. Tickets start at £29 for adults and £19 for children, with kids under two going free. Prices vary depending on peak and off-peak hours. At the moment you can find the experience on Virgin Experience days with a discount code. Check out this link here.
Upon arrival, we went to the ticket office to check in and get our wristbands. The wristbands are colour-coded, and when it’s time to board your train (downstairs at Paddington Station), you’ll hear your wristband colour being called out. Once you’re done at the ticket office, you can use the buggy park to park your buggies if you need to if not just head downstairs to Paddington station. Here you’ll find a cloakroom available for £1.50 per item, and toilets are also available if needed.
At Paddington Station, you get to interact with some of the characters, like the train conductor. At one point, he asked my daughter if she could help find Paddington’s suitcase, which she quickly did. He then told her to keep hold of it. Your time at Paddington Station is your opportunity to take some pictures and videos, as you can’t take any during the actual experience.
Not long after, we were informed that our train had arrived and the red wristbands were called to hop on. Before boarding, we were able to take a green screen picture. The train itself was very lifelike. The train conductor came on board, asked my daughter for the suitcase, and thanked her for finding it.
While we hopped on the “train” from Paddington to Windsor Castle, it didn’t actually move, but the seats did, creating the illusion of motion. The window screens also displayed moving scenery, enhancing the effect. The illusion was quite cool.
We then came off the train and arrived at 32 Windsor Gardens. I was honestly in awe of the set design; everything felt very realistic. We met our first character, Mrs. Brown as she prepares for a very special occasion – The Marmalade Day Festival! Some children were picked from the audience to help put up bunting with Mrs. Brown. She was very much like her movie character in both mannerisms and costume.
She then escorted us through her home, and again, I can only say it was ridiculously realistic. We reached a huge staircase where she showed us Paddington’s famous coat and boots and talked about the first time she met him. It was really sweet. She then escorted us to the next room, the living room, which was full of paint. Of course, Paddington had made this mess while trying to be helpful, but as we all know, sometimes Paddington’s helpfulness can be quite the opposite.
I can only applaud the amazing set design; the attention to detail was absolutely brilliant. In this room, there were four different easels. The paintings on the easels had been scrambled, and kids and parents worked together to find the pieces and put them in the correct order. Once everything was done, there was a bit of a sing-song and dance before Mrs. Bird came running in from the kitchen.
We said goodbye to Mrs. Brown, and Mrs. Bird took over, guiding us to the kitchen where various activities were set up. The group kind of split off, and although I didn’t catch all the details of the activities, my daughter was tasked with getting a key out of the drains in a sink using a big magnet. It was quite a fun activity.
Afterward, we moved into the pantry. This part was really lovely. Mrs. Bird left us, and we got the opportunity to hear from Paddington as he read one of his letters. This part of the experience is quite dark, so smaller kids might find it a little scary, but it’s so magical that I find it hard to believe they wouldn’t be captivated. The magical screen projections added to the enchanting atmosphere.
In the pantry, it felt like there was no visible exit, and I wondered how we would move on to the next room. Suddenly, one of the walls opened up, and we met an explorer who took us all the way to Peru. This part was definitely my favourite. Peru was completely magical and realistic, with a strong but pleasant smell adding to the immersion. We were set with the task of finding pieces of a map, which was quite fun as we walked around the forest. After we all discovered pieces of a map, the Explorer assembled them and revealed that it was actually a blueprint for a marmalade-making machine.
After that, we were transported to another part of Peru where we met another explorer who showed us the marmalade machine. We split into smaller groups; some were tasked with finding oranges to put into the machine, while my group was tasked with powering the marmalade machine. My daughter powered it up with a stationary bike, which was quite cool.
After this fun experience, it was time to head back to London, where we got to see an animatronic version of Paddington. It was very lifelike and cute, a really lovely way to end the experience.
We are back in Windsor Gardens, ready for the Marmalade Day Festival! This is an opportunity for you to purchase a variety of foods, including ice cream, wine, beer, banana cake, marmalade sandwiches, and more. During this part, you can also play carnival games, do some colouring, and take photos with Paddington.
Photo prices are as follows:
£15 for one print
£20 for two prints
£25 for two prints and two keyrings
While the Paddington Bear Experience is suitable for all ages, I believe it is best for kids 5 and up. The younger ones in my group tended to lose focus as the event is a bit long for them, even though it was fantastic. This is just my opinion, and I’m sure some young children were completely captivated and focused the entire time; I can only speak about what I observed.
The experience lasts around 70 minutes and features many amazing rooms that make you feel like you’re in the Paddington movies. Yes, it is a little bit pricey, but considering it’s essentially a live theatre performance you get to be involved in, it’s a good value. Compared to West End theatre tickets, even though those shows are a bit longer, you’re actually paying a lot less.
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You may also want to consider the Paddington Afternoon Tea Bus tour. Read my review here.
