Families say they feel 'ripped off' by an event that 'is nothing like it was promised' and left children bored and disappointed.
Dreamland Imaginarium opened just before Christmas in a building at Regent Retail Park in Salford, close to the border with Manchester.
Promising 'a magical interactive world' to explore, those behind the temporary event said parents and young children would be able to 'explore multiple spaces with giant inflatable creatures, games and many surprises'.
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Billed as 'a magical place where dreams come to life' they said it would feature 'four colourful worlds of imagination filled with exciting inflatable creatures such as talking cacti, hanging birds and a giant octopus'.
But families who splashed out on tickets, which previously cost £19 per person but have since been reduced, have complained saying it is 'nothing like the website suggests' and there was very little for youngsters to do.
Mum Lana spent around £100 taking her family including her 19-month-old daughter, sons aged seven and 10 and her five-year-old nephew.
She said: "To say we were disappointed is an understatement. The lights and colours were nice, but literally that was it. £100 it cost too.
"It was supposed to be a sensory experience, yet there were no smells, no sounds - it was no different to what you’d get in a good play centre.
"There was one bouncy castle and one ball pit and a few things said they were 'under maintenance'. You could literally walk round in five minutes."
Lana complained to the events company Fever, the people behind The Chocolate Factory experience that came to The Trafford Centre last summer, and was refunded £40, but says it's 'unacceptable' and a 'disgusting' way to treat families.
Jaime Heathcote took her daughter, who was free because she's under two, and says she's glad she didn't pay for the two of them, adding that the photos 'make it look better than it was'.
"I was really glad that I got my daughter in for free," she said. "I was shocked at how little there was, and how much didn’t work. I was really disappointed."
Grandmother Shirley Dittrich took her grandchildren and has vowed never to take them to another Fever event.
"I totally agree it was overpriced," she said. "So much so I made a complaint which is what I recommend everyone else to do.
"My two-year-old and four-year-old grandchildren were told to stop bouncing on the inflatable slide. I paid full price for my 13-year-old grandchild to come along too and she was told not to bounce on the trampoline, what else was she supposed to get out of the experience?
"It was by far the worst experience we have had at any event we have been to and there were items that did not work or were broken, never again will I take my grandchildren to a Fever event."
Another mum, from Salford, who took her autistic son along said he struggled to cope with the numerous 'rules' that seemed to be in place and staff had no idea how to support any families there with special needs.
She said: "I have logged a complaint and suggested they do research into hidden disabilities. Not to mention the place is pants.
"It was 'don’t touch this, don’t touch that, don’t throw the balls, don’t jump on the inflatable slide', it went on and on."
The indoor event, aimed at children aged two to 10, opened on December 21 and is running until February 16.
Tickets have been reduced to £16 for children, aged two to 19, and £10 per adult.
A spokesperson for Fever said: "Unfortunately after the initial opening, we experienced a few technical issues within the experience, the majority of these have now been fixed and final fixtures will be taking place at the end of this week. We are working hard to increase our rating back to a 4.5/5 and apologise of any inconvenience caused.
"Fever have been dealing with all complaints individually and are continuing to make the necessary improvements on the feedback provided."
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