Been there, Dome that! (The O2 (formerly the Millennium Dome))

Member Name: macutmore

Product:	The O2 (formerly the Millennium Dome)
Date:	16/12/00 (32 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: An attempt to create some kind of British attraction

Disadvantages: Controversial, give me the eiffell tower anyday!

My friends & relatives including myself knew no one personally that had actually had first hand experience of a visit & I was very eager to put at rest any prejudices on the Dome that might exist due to its initial press controversy.
I visited ‘The Millennium experience’ exhibition in Greenwich before the Dome was built back in 1998 & I have a copy of the concept book from that time. How different the artist’s impressions look in reality!
Anyway I paid a visit and this is the story...

My first glimpse of the Dome came as I vacated the new North Greenwich platform (after literally riding on what must be the quietest underground train in existence).
From what I’d heard I had perceived the structure of the Dome to be actually somewhat larger than this. It looked very new but not necessarily futuristic.
A large tent really!
Ushered on around the side eventually passing a very inviting McDonald’s, it was decided to indeed go for the big breakfast. The most spacious McDonald’s I have ever seen- tidy & everything you want on earn.
I could actually move in this one!
Video screens- this was unheard of- very entertaining- I had a feeling I was in for a good day!
Ten am tolled and I strolled casually toward the ‘very inviting Dome’. A large video screen welcome- but there were menus of timings for queues to various ‘zones~ ranging from 1minute to 3minutes & reams & reams of performance times for “skyscape” & “Blackadder’ & a ‘millennium show’- what on earth were these? Might involve some planning? - But I was here to enjoy myself! APGHH!
Within seconds was inside, - Spacious- but I wouldn’t say massive.
Where first then? I’m going to try this one ‘The Work zone’- Clocking in machine’s- production lines- in a factory- I’m familiar with this. So what I thought, onto the next.
I got the impression this
was designed to be an awareness exercise’- lots of wall banners & lots yes lots of TV screens & TV screens & TV screens- but these weren’t your Sony Trinitrons- these were £3000 a throw gas plasma slim windscreen ‘hang on the Waller’s- No wonder everything cost so much!
The Dome doesn’t give a museum atmosphere, it doesn’t give an ‘entertainment’ or ‘thrill’ atmosphere, - it tries to give an ‘awareness’ or ‘learning’ appreciation atmosphere of the kind of things we take for granted - like life. - It could even be accused of trying to pass this message on- to the kids among us! But they were to busy pressing all the buttons! It wasn’t until ‘Home Planet’ that I was then taken for a ride (no seat belts needed though)! This was a fairly impressive interactive Digital projection- smells & sounds included- but this one really was for the kids! What’s next? More TV screens- I know -I’ll go on the net & have a surf- what’s this-‘cyber café’ but it’s £1 for 10 minutes! - Bye bye!
I remember being promised high street prices here- McDonald’s was about right but a cup of coffee is at least £1 & SO is a ruddy sandwich! - Conned yet again!
Everything is in a different enough environment here & the time goes quite quickly & I’m certainly not bored but as the day wears on the queues get longer & longer & longer & you guessed it longer & you even find yourself queuing 20-25mins for a walk though a zone that’s interesting enough to take 5 minutes to walk through- something is wrong here! Beware - the queues are very cleverly disguised because they go around in circles having been strapped off. The Millennium show in the central arena is nothing short of spectacular and this forty-five minute show was worth well over half of my twenty quid! This goes one step further than the ‘circus ‘big top- there is
no animals but they’re sure is a high wire act and a half! The music is good too (Peter Gabriel).
Don’t miss this one!
It wasn’t as if at any stage I wasn’t being asked my opinion, every 5 minutes or so it was ‘vote for this & vote for that’ -As ill could change what would actually be an outcome- hardly political democracy!
I managed to ‘cram in’ virtually everything in 9 hours - You can really rest in the rest zone- a weird darkened bubble of nothing but soothing music tones & dim lighting (yawn)!
The sad fact is I saw no one smile at all during my visit & people were actually ordered to smile on their exit by the roaming entertainer’s (jokingly)!
The Dome is amusing when you’re not queuing & it does make a great day- No Americana’s’ here- a few French perhaps?
Not bad, but it’s so easy to see why it really cost so much. - Televisions don’t come cheap! You’ve got to see it - as the badge says- been there, Dome that!

I visited the Dome on March 18th 2000. News on 28th December is that it is to close and eventually be a business related park. Unfortunately many people did not visit the dome. This I feel is because they mainly did not want to be associated in any way with the political cloud that surrounded its funding and conception. Lets face it the resources could have been more sensibly used in society.
There are too many prejudices to justify any opinion without first hand experience. This is how the problem began. This clouds politicians. I believe the one thing that qualifies a person to assume an opinion or certain stance on a subject is to have first hand experience or to have done something that someone else has not.
If you didn’t visit the dome you missed an exciting day out. There is no doubt about that. It is your loss.
The Miss World contest was an ideal for the dome. This country still needs an ‘Eiffel Towe
r’ of some description (and the real Eiffel tower wasn’t even permanent)!
At least we have the Millennium wheel (oops the French were responsible for this one in part as well).
ARRPPRGGHH!!

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