Disney’s London 100 anniversary expo branded a ‘total shambles’ by unhappy guests who say they waited in the cold for hours outside ExCeL before being ‘crammed in like sardines’

Disney’s 100th anniversary exhibition in London has been branded a ‘total shambles’ by disgruntled guests who say they waited for hours in the cold outside the ExCel center before being ‘crammed in like sardines’.

The event, which was billed as a ‘magnificent’ celebration of the company’s 100th anniversary, was condemned for overcrowding, as guests with prams or wheelchairs struggled to see the exhibits.

Visitors said they waited for more than an hour in the cold to gain entry to the ‘money-grubbing’ Disney100 exhibition at ExCel London, with no toilet facilities available to them by the time they entered.

The heat of the crowded galleries left some visitors feeling faint, and with no sanitary facilities, parents had no choice but to change their babies’ diapers in the crowded room.

The exhibits themselves, meanwhile, were labeled ‘sparse and small’, with several interactive displays not functioning until days after the doors opened.

The 20,000-square-foot Disney100: The Exhibition promised fans “of all generations the opportunity to immerse themselves and rediscover some of their favorite Disney stories in ten beautiful, imaginatively themed galleries.”

Rebecca, a mother-of-two from Hertfordshire, paid more than £70 to visit her husband and young children.

She said: ‘It was a total mess. We waited for over an hour in the cold with an impatient two-year-old and a nine-month-old baby who had just recovered from a respiratory infection.

‘The website FAQ specifically said ‘there will be no queues outside’, but the queue was huge.

‘And no wonder: once you’re inside, all guests are photographed in front of a green screen, for which the photos cost extra, before you queue again for an introductory film.

‘We had waited so long, we had to change the boys’ nappies but there were no toilets inside so we had to either leave and queue again or change them in the crowded galleries.

‘It was a nightmare to wheel a pram through these busy rooms and there was very little for young children to interact with; our toddler was upset all the way home.”

Helen, a photographer from Kent, paid £60 to visit her autistic friend Jon.

She said they waited 90 minutes outside – and another 25 minutes inside – before reaching the exhibit.

The 58-year-old said: ‘The heat was hitting us and it was so packed we couldn’t see – we were crammed in like sardines.

‘We could barely move and Jon panicked and wanted to get out. It felt so claustrophobic.

‘We heard people around us complaining about the heat and feeling unwell. It was impossible to see and enjoy the exhibition, I wanted to see it from the point of view of the artwork and the costumes. The exhibition felt sparse and small.’

She added: ‘There was no magic at all, it was disappointing and poorly managed.’

Vikki Neighbour, a carer from London who paid £93 to visit her husband and son, queued outside the venue for 80 minutes.

She said: ‘I feel angry, ripped off and disappointed.

‘It starts with a movie in a waiting room. My husband is a wheelchair user and couldn’t see any of the movie.

‘The start of the exhibition was packed; you could barely see anything. I admit that I pushed through it because I wanted to see the early drawings.

‘My husband didn’t see anything. My oldest son is autistic and panicked because he couldn’t move in front of the crowd.

‘My husband kept letting people press against his injured legs, causing severe pain. People said they felt faint.”

It cost Laura, a 33-year-old librarian from Oxford, almost £94 to visit her mother and father.

They also had to wait outside for 80 minutes.

She said: ‘The exhibition was full and you had to wait a while to look at the items.

‘It was the opening weekend and some interactive machines were already broken.

‘We were told there were no toilet facilities inside, which is poor planning considering we spent around three hours there – with the waiting time.

“I felt like the exhibit items became scarcer as you went through them.”

Shaunna Mulford, 32, regretted driving five hours for her visit.

And although her VIP tickets allowed her to skip the line, there was no escaping the crowds.

“It was way too busy,” she said.

‘You couldn’t see the exhibitions without pushing through the crowd.

‘It was very warm inside, probably because of the numbers and the lights. My mother felt faint in the first few rooms.

‘We drove from Manchester and in the end it didn’t feel worth it.’

A number of visitors used the term ‘money theft’.

Madam Neighbor, 47, said she spent almost £100 in the exhibition’s gift shop but was told the only bags available to carry her purchases were carrier bags costing £18 each.

Helen said: ‘It felt like it wasn’t a celebration of the Disney name and the work, but a cash grab.’

A number of guests who came on Monday, the actual centenary, said they were also expecting “surprises” for the big day.

But some said they saw no unexpected extras, while others reported only a balloon artist or a barbershop quartet serenading fans in the outer row.

Rebecca said: ‘A balloon man might do the job at a town fete, but it’s a bit disappointing for Disney.’

However, some guests were big fans. Jo Routh, a civil servant from Essex, said: ‘We loved it.

‘We waited 45 to 50 minutes. The exhibition was fascinating with original memorabilia and some dating back to the 1920s.

‘It’s not a theme park, but it is fascinating if you are interested in the social history of the 20th century.

“I thought there was a lot of pixie dust in there.”

At the time of writing, a Facebook page covering both the London exhibition and its yet-to-open US counterpart had an average review score of just over three out of five.

Disney100: The Exhibition runs until 2024.

MailOnline has contacted Disney, ticket seller Fever, Semmel Exhibitions and FKP Scorpio Entertainment for comment.