Kidtropolis Event Review – 2016 Family Day Out Archive

Archive note: This is my original family review of Kidtropolis at ExCeL London in October 2016. We were invited to attend in return for blog and social coverage and received complimentary family tickets; our travel expenses were not covered. The event feedback, accessibility observations and our experience below are preserved as part of the Clarissa’s Corner family days-out archive.

Kidtropolis was billed as a huge family event packed with toys, games, tech, crafts, sport, entertainment and familiar children’s brands. We visited on the first day, arriving for our session at 2pm.

As it was the first day of a new event, there were a few things that didn’t run as smoothly as they could have. I hoped at the time that some of those issues would be ironed out over the remaining days.

Getting Around Kidtropolis

We were given wristbands, which meant we could leave the main event area for food and come back in. Buggies and pushchairs were allowed too, which was important for us because I didn’t think Evie would manage four hours on her feet.

What Worked Well for Us

There were activities KK could properly get involved with, including the roller disco and wall climbing. I was also impressed by the attention to safety around the Kingswood activity.

Seeing Monkey play on the little train and in the play area was lovely too. There were definitely moments where both girls were having fun, even though their ages meant they weren’t always interested in the same things.

What Didn’t Work So Well

My main negatives from that first-day visit were the lack of time limits on some activities, not enough for younger children, and the number of selling stands.

The queuing around meet-and-greets was particularly difficult. Children were understandably excited and wanted photographs, but without a clear queue it became easy for other children to jump in front. KK was waiting and found that frustrating.

KK is autistic, and situations where the expected order suddenly disappears can be hard for her. Looking back, this is one of those early family days-out experiences that showed me how much difference clear queuing, predictable systems and good organisation can make for an autistic child and their family.

And Then I Found Bumblebee…

There was also a car at the back of the event — my beloved Bumblebee from Transformers!

I felt a bit let down that Bumblebee wasn’t showcased in the same way as Optimus Prime.

It became a case of grabbing a quick snap and hoping for a decent picture. Apparently even at a children’s event I could be distracted by Transformers. 😂

Our Kidtropolis Verdict in 2016

Kidtropolis had some genuinely fun activities and the girls had things they enjoyed, but our first-day experience also highlighted areas where the organisation could have been better — particularly queues, activity turnover and the balance of things available for different ages.

At the time I felt that, with those first-event problems addressed, a future Kidtropolis could have been a much smoother experience for both parents and children.

This article records our October 2016 experience and should not be used as current visitor information.

More From This Half-Term Adventure

Kidtropolis formed part of my original Face Your Fears Week, which also included family theatre and other half-term adventures. You can also browse more old and new adventures through Travel & Days Out.