The Pokémon Company has joined several game developers and players in commemorating the viral Willy Wonka Experience, which has inspired tons of hilarious memes and community creations.
The Willy Wonka Experience in Glasgow, Scotland, garnered attention after those who parted with £35/$45 to get their hands on a (not-so-golden) ticket for the event realised they would have to rely on their pure imagination to enter the colourful and wonderful world that appeared on the suspected AI artwork for the attraction.
Even the actors hired to play roles couldn't sugarcoat it, with one Wonka performer admitting he received "15 pages of AI-generated gibberish" as a script, which included dialogue about an entirely made-up and nightmarish villain, aptly called the Unknown (because no one had any clue who the mask-wearing mystery figure was).
Willy Wonka actor speaks on the event
— Culture Crave ? (@CultureCrave) February 28, 2024
? paulconnellcomedy | TikTok pic.twitter.com/deMUw2d2nB
The Unknown provided a few jump scares at the event, much to the children's dismay, but also became an unwitting internet sensation (along with a sad-looking Oompa Loompa) as the internet found the humour in the horror of it all and turned social media into a vat of reactions, memes, and jokes poking fun at the fiasco.
Game creators and communities decided to play along by making references and faithful recreations of the bleak experience. Pokémon took to X/Twitter with its Pokédex to remind people of the psychic Unown (which might have known what was coming, unlike the unsuspecting visitors of the Willy Wonka Experience).
Meanwhile, Headbangers: Rhythm Royale, World of Warcraft, and Sea of Thieves shared carefully crafted renditions of the event, adding to several other self-made submissions from online spectators who quickly got to work on bringing the lackluster Wonka experience to life in the likes of The Sims and Animal Crossing.
— ???? ?????? ? (@SianThymes) March 1, 2024
What's all the fuss about? ?
— Headbangers: Rhythm Royale (@HeadbangersGame) March 1, 2024
The Wonka Pigeonverse event was top tier! pic.twitter.com/QSmqTazY02
— World of Warcraft (@Warcraft) February 29, 2024
Two jelly beans and a half-tankard of grog is what was offered at the event. pic.twitter.com/fzt2y4DdOs
— Sea of Thieves (@SeaOfThieves) February 29, 2024
They were taking the photo. pic.twitter.com/ZeKlW2qCD6
— Sea of Thieves (@SeaOfThieves) February 29, 2024
cHocOlate? https://t.co/EenKLjnQyJ pic.twitter.com/7b6RWImkVG
— Dead by Daylight (@DeadbyDaylight) February 28, 2024
The Willy Wonka Experience has made it to Core Keeper. Who wants a ticket? ? pic.twitter.com/dyIZS4Pjp9
— Fireshine Games (@FireshineGames) February 29, 2024
akinator is aware of the unknown pic.twitter.com/QmOSGTdOYt
— ❀ euan ✰ (@blondngone) March 1, 2024
The §35 Willy Wonka experience has officially opened in SimCity pic.twitter.com/cwcK4ZOI9i
— TW!?K (@imcxllumbtw) February 28, 2024
Immersive Willy Wonka experience shuts down after parents complain pic.twitter.com/lt7tKLMGhh
— Haztecamarera (@Haztecamarera) February 29, 2024
The Willy Wonka experience certainly has a lot to answer for, and event organiser Billy Coull didn't have all the answers. He instead offered his sincere apology for the event falling "short of the expectations of the people," telling STV News that his vision of "the artistic rendition of a well known book didn't come to fruition."
Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on X/Twitter @AdeleAnkers.
