'Intimate Fan Convention' for Barbie Fans Was Anything But

Barbie fans in Florida hoping for a life-size Dreamhouse instead walked into what some say looked more like an empty convention hall with a cardboard prop. The three-day Barbie Dream Fest in Fort Lauderdale, billed as an immersive celebration of the classic doll, is now drawing online comparisons to Fyre Fest and that disastrous Willy Wonka pop-up in Glasgow, Scotland, after attendees shared images of sparse decor and pay-per-activity setups. One visitor told People she spent $190 for two adults, a child, and parking, only to find a delayed entry, no music inside the venue, and a "Dreamhouse" that amounted to a cardboard cutout, with a pink blanket and some chairs outside of it and a VW bus you couldn't enter (check out her in-person review here).

The rest of the venue's ambiance also left much to be desired. "Concrete gray floors, gray walls, gray ceiling ... I didn't fully know what to expect, but it felt like being just trapped in a big, dark warehouse," another visitor tells the New York Times. NBC News notes that ticket prices ranged from a $69 standard pass to a $449 "Dream Pass." Many on-site activities also reportedly cost extra, prompting confusion over what the expensive entry tickets actually covered. Not everything was a flop: Attendees praised crafts giant Michaels for having fun activities at its vendor stand, and celebrities like Serena Williams, Angel Reese, and Marlee Martin did show for their scheduled speaking appearances—though pics with the stars were a hefty extra cost.

The festival's organizer, Mischief Management, which had dubbed the event an "intimate fan convention," said it's issuing full refunds to all ticket holders. Mattel, which licensed the Barbie brand but didn't run the fest, said it's working with the organizer and wants "every fan experience to be an excellent one." Meanwhile, Misfit Toys Communications, which was originally contracted to help promote the event, said it ended its contract with organizers last fall "due to lack of payment and our concern that the event was not shaping up to be what was originally described."