I won't be waxing lyrical about Madame Tussauds... (Madame Tussauds)

Member Name: angel_at_birth

Product:	Madame Tussauds
Date:	12/05/09 (153 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Get up close and personal with the stars!

Disadvantages: Hot, overcrowded and overpriced.

Madame Tussauds has been standing over 200 years and is one of London's most popular tourist attractions. Located just around the corner from Baker Street Tube station on the Bakerloo line, it is easy and convenient to get to (barring any inconvenient tube works!)

The first thing you will notice about Madame Tussauds is the mildly confusing array of entrances, and the second will most likely be the length of the queue. We waited around three quarters of an hour in the entrance queue which felt like an eternity, but by all accounts was a reasonably short wait considering.

There are several different areas within the attraction, the first of which is A List Party. This is a large room littered with waxworks of A List celebrities such as David and Victoria Beckham, Orlando Bloom and Julia Roberts and featuring a BB9 Diary Room, the set of Friday Night with Jonathan Ross and the opportunity to pose for a dinner date with the gorgeous George Clooney. There are several other rooms similar to this with varying themes, featuring the Royal Family, world leaders, music legends and sporting heroes but the two stars of the attraction are Scream and Spirit of London. In Scream the visitor is taken through a prison setting complete with live actors playing serial killers. The experience is extremely unsettling and the actors can get very close, so for those with a more nervous disposition or small children there is a way to avoid this section. The Spirit of London is altogether more family friendly and consists of a black taxi ride through the history of London, looking at the key events in its colourful history including the Plague, the Great Fire of London and the Blitz. There is also a small section half way through detailing the history of Madame Tussaud and the waxwork making process which makes for interesting reading.

It has to be said that the features of this attraction exceeded my expectations, the Scream and Spirit of London exhibits offer an interactive experience and it is possible to get up close and personal with all of the wax models - there are no velvet ropes or snotty signs at this attraction. However there are a few things where Madame Tussauds lets itself down and which can limit the enjoyment of the visitor. Firstly there is no control over how many people enter the attraction at the same time, so rooms have a tendency to feel over crowded, stuffy and claustrophobic. Be prepared to be pushed, shoved and beaten almost black and blue around the more popular figures and photo taking is difficult at best as people with no consideration walk past the camera and jump in front of others waiting to have their picture taken. The experience can feel rushed and frustrating and by the time the crowd begins to thin after the first few exhibits, patience will most likely be wearing extremely thin. The second is the high price of a ticket! Luckily I had a half price voucher and paid just £12.50 but I would not have been happy paying the full £25 plus to get in. It is worth booking in advance on the Madame Tussauds website or looking out for half price entry vouchers to try and save some money.

All in all, the attraction itself is worth a visit, even if it's just to be able to say 'I've been there' - after all, where else can you date George Clooney, meet the Queen, shake your booty with Beyonce on stage and challenge some of the worlds sporting legends at their own game all in one day?! However, be warned that if you choose to visit during the peak hours, at weekends or during school holidays it will more than likely be overcrowded, hot and frustrating. Bring a camera, patience and a cool head!

Summary: Worth a look, but once is more than enough!