I usually visit Madame Tussauds late in the day when the tickets are cheaper and the queues are shorter (see Madame Tussauds Visitor Information for full details) but I decided to try this popular London attraction during the recent school holidays to see how busy it gets during the day when the UK school-kids are in town.As it was raining during the school holidays, and it's well known that the lines outside Madame Tussauds can be long, I arranged Skip the Line tickets which was worth it as we were inside within 10 minutes and the line was constantly moving. We got chatting to other visitors who said they had come the day before and the lines were too long so they booked tickets to come back the next day so it seems it is best to be plan ahead so you don't waste your vacation time.
Many we spoke to were return visitors but had last been inside more than 10 years ago. Many adults were returning with their families as the kids loved celebs and the adults wanted to see how the attraction has changed. The biggest change is how close you can get to models now. There's no more shuffling along past roped off waxworks; now you can put your arms around your favorite celeb and get a photo of you with them making it much more fun.
The first section - A List Party - has music and noise and gets you in the mood quickly with everyone taking photos and squealing with delight when they spot another idol. You can get a professional photo taken with the most popular stars which on this visit included Robert Pattinson, President Obama, and the British Royal Family.
The Spirit of London ride is starting to look a bit tired and could do with updating and I've no idea why Queen Victoria is wearing flying googles.A trip to Madame Tussauds is a good barometer for seeing who is popular with the public so I was surprised to see Justin Beiber left mostly alone in a corner but The Beatles next to him were noticed by all. Rihanna had crowds and was just in front of an unnoticed Amy Winehouse. There was lots of Lady Gaga love but Beyonce was left alone. And interestingly, David Beckham was ignored in the Sports Zone but had crowds in the A List Party when stood with Victoria Beckham.
We skipped the Chamber of Horrors as it's really scary but loved the Marvel Super Heroes 4D Movie which is a story about the heroes set in London featuring Buckingham Palace and Madame Tussauds. Younger children might be nervous as from the cinema seats you'll feel bumps, sprays of water and jets of air but my 6 year old daughter loved the show and asked when we could come back again.
The suggested visit duration for the whole attraction is 2.5 hours but we only stayed for around 1.5 hours. We didn't join any of the queues for professional photos and did rush around as the adrenalin really gets pumping with all the camera flashes and celeb spotting. And as long as celebrities continue to exist (so that'll be forever) Madame Tussauds will continue to be popular. Thanks to getyourguide.com for providing the tickets. | Images: © Laura Porter
Queen Victoria wearing flying googles is probably a tribute to Steampunk
Ha! Maybe the ride has been modernized and that was one of the new additions.