The organizers of the Barbie Dream Fest weekend in Florida are issuing refunds to attendees after customers complained of a lacklustre event.
The creators of the event promised unforgettable experiences and advertised a roller rink and disco with a caption that read: Join us for three days of glam, nostalgia, and dream-big energy made for Barbie fans of every generation.
But ticketholders, who paid up to $450 (£340), say it was far from that. Photos of the event show a grey convention centre space with pink cardboard cut-out Barbie signs.
Mattel, which owns the Barbie brand, said that full refunds would be given to everyone who purchased tickets.
One attendee, Michael Gorey, who flew to the event from Ohio for a spring break trip with his daughters and wife, told the Times that upon entering the concrete event space, he thought: Is this it? Like, did I miss something?
Others took to social media to air their complaints. This event sucks, one user wrote on Reddit. The 'life-size Barbie dream house' is a cheap backdrop with a picnic table on some fake turf/grass.
Hell Hotel, a burlesque group who attended the event, told the BBC that they were expecting much more based on what was advertised to us through their social media channels. They claimed that many of the experiences at the convention were height-restricted and catered mostly to children up to eight years old.
There were empty halls, maybe 14 vendors, lack of things to do for all ages and especially a lack of events for our demographic, the group said.
Barbie Dream Fest was created by Mischief Management, which licensed the Barbie brand from Mattel. The company is managing attendee feedback and issuing full refunds. We want every fan experience to be an excellent one, a Mattel spokesperson stated.
On the financial side, tickets ranged from $33 for children to $72 for adults and as much as $250 for three-day passes that included a swag bag with Barbie-themed merchandise.
Some attendees likened the unsatisfactory experience to the viral Willy Wonka Experience in Glasgow, where ticket buyers faced similar disappointment regarding the quality and depth of the event.
