‘I went to a new Disney-themed experience and was simply blown away’

Disney fans are in for a real treat as a brand-new themed experience has landed in the UK. ‘Wonder of Friendship: The Experience’ will transport you to a socially shareable world of beloved classic stories which many will remember fondly from childhood.

‘Wonder of Friendship: The Experience’ has been launched to celebrate 100 years of Disney. It will only be open in the UK for the next couple of days before moving to Paris and Berlin.

I went along with a friend to try the brand-new experience at 180 The Strand in London. A smiling host was on hand to talk us through the experience before we were directed to a staircase where two other hosts were on hand to get us started.

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We sat down to watch a five-minute video which showed some of the most legendary friendships, from Lilo and Stitch to Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. I was then handed a card which would act as a key throughout the experience, unlocking screens which all revealed a fun surprise that we would get once we had reached the end.

Snapchat was a large part of the experience with the social app needed to unlock funky filters which we then used to take a range of photographs. A host asked whether we had the app downloaded before we were sent on our way to explore the first room which was called the ‘Garden of Mystery’ themed around Alice and Wonderland.

Alice was standing in the corner of the room with the floral touches and other decors perfectly reminiscent of the classic story. Cards were hanging from the ceiling and the room was filled with large colourful flowers which were brought to life by vibrant lighting.

Up next were the tropical sights, sounds and scents of Ohana Bay as we took a trip to the home of dynamic duo Lilo and Stitch. We were directed to the first room where clips played, before making our way to the second themed room where we hopped on a surfboard for the perfect photo opportunity.

A jungle-themed adventure was next as we went on through to the ‘Orchestral Oasis’, which was based on The Lion King. It was filled with bugs and butterflies with the atmosphere bringing to life Simba, Timon and Pumbaa on Hakuna Matata.

It was made even better by a set of swings which played a tune when we swung in harmony. I thought this part of the experience was truly magical, to be honest.

We then went to see lit-up cutouts of some of the most legendary characters in ‘Mickey and the Friends Wonderverse.’ Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Pluto were among the characters featured as bursts of light flashed before our eyes, and the more we engaged, the bigger, brighter and bolder the animations appeared.

After all of that exploring, I completed the experience by snapping a picture in the photo booth, which you can either take home with you or hang on the wall at 180 The Strand. It took around an hour to complete the experience, and we spent around 15 minutes exploring each themed room at the attraction on Arundel Street.

I absolutely loved every moment of the experience, which was the perfect escape for lovers of Disney. It brought back childhood memories as some of the most legendary friendships are celebrated. It was also great for photographs as all of the rooms are vibrant, colourful and quirky.

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