Chrissy Callahan is a writer for Today.com.
The Barbie Dream Fest wasn’t exactly a dream for many attendees. The event, which took place in Fort Lauderdale, Florida between March 27 to 29, was advertised as “three days of glam, nostalgia, and dream-big energy” for Barbie fans of all ages.
But many attendees have taken to social media to express their disappointment in the event’s execution, prompting organizers to issue full refunds to ticketholders. What happened at the event and what do attendees have to say about their experience? We’re sharing everything you need to know below, including Mattel’s response. What Was Barbie Dream Fest Advertised As? Barbie Dream Fest was described as “The Ultimate Barbie Fan Event” on its official Instagram page. A website for Barbie Dream Fest outlined the schedule for the three-day event. The packed schedule included activities like “dream flow yoga,” a guided painting class and talks with Barbie designers and public figures like WNBA star Angel Reese and “Love on the Spectrum” star Madison Marilla. There was also a photo opp with Serena Williams. Ticket prices ranged from $30 day passes for kids and $69 for adults, through to an 'Icon Pass' that was over $500. What Barbie Dream Fest Attendees Had to Say The event wasn’t what many hoped for. Online, people are sharing imagery from within the Barbie Dream Fest, including festival-goers traversing large swaths of concrete flooring and showcasing small attractions. One TikToker called it a 'scam.' A Reddit user suggested that the Barbie Dream Fest was a case of false advertising. “Anyone else who went to Dreamfest….. we got Fyre-fested.” The user was one of many to invoke Fyre Fest, the notorious 2017 fiasco that has become shorthand for in-person experiences that don’t measure up to expectations. Speaking to TODAY.com, Mary Anne Trotter, a mom of five and a 'hard-core' Barbie collector, flew in from Toronto. She took time off from work, where she has a Barbie-themed office, and had been looking forward to the event for months. 'I bought the ticket the minute they went on sale and bought the dream pass. I thought it was going be the most amazing Barbie thing I’ve been to. I was so disappointed. The way they advertised this was so not true. It was the worst experience,” she says. 'It’s sad because I love Barbie.' Attendee Jessica Nova tells TODAY.com the event’s execution was “embarrassing.” “When they said ‘life-size interactive Barbie house,’ we definitely weren’t expecting a cardboard backdrop,” they say. As another example, Nova says says certain ticket tiers were promised a swag bag. Nova was disappointed to only receive a small hand sanitizer. When asked where actual swag bag was, staff members said they were delayed. Nova says the ticket level above the package they purchased was going to get hand sanitizer ... and a hairbrush. Attendee Cherry Bonbon, who spoke to TODAY.com using her stage name, tells TODAY.com she was initially taken aback by the event’s low attendance. As she made her way around the convention center, she was surprised that there weren’t many vendors on site and says some of them were “not at all related to Barbie or Barbie adjacent.” For instance, one vendor was advertising windows. “It was rough,” she says. On the second day of the event, Bonbon was pleased to see that event organizers did “enlarge the roller rink” and added a disco ball. “But the roller rink was supposed to be an '‘80s neon disco roller rink.' It was a roller rink. None of the other words applied. There was no music to make it ‘80s. There was a disco ball, but it wasn’t moving. There were no lights reflecting off of it,” she says. Speaking to TODAY.com, TikTok user @SailorTortilla expected “immersive, adult-sized photo opps” or at the very least, “pink carpet throughout the venue instead of concrete.” Instead, she says she was met with an event geared toward children. “The marketing featured adults in the photography, which set the expectation that the event would be more adult and collector-focused,” she says. She managed to have a good time with her friends, but says the event “felt like a letdown given the price.” “The execution didn’t match the expectations set by the marketing. I’ve been to better conventions organized by college clubs. You don’t need to have a giant convention space to create excitement and a special themed atmosphere,” she says. Julia Borga, meanwhile, says she had a positive experience at the Barbie Dream Fest. Going in, her expectations were “higher” than what she experienced, but she enjoyed it all the same, especially the photo booth and crafts. “I was like, ‘Well, we’re here and let’s still have fun with what they have,” she says. “Yes, it was a letdown, but I think just remember to see the positive in anything, really. You can still have fun with little things. I mean, kids did. It was the parents that were let down,” she says. What Has Mattel Said? A Mattel spokesperson tells TODAY.com the event was created by Mischief Management, a company that licensed the Barbie brand from Mattel. “We are working with Mischief Management, who are managing attendee feedback and issuing full refunds to everyone who purchased tickets. We want every fan experience to be an excellent one,” the spokesperson shared in a statement. A Mischief Management spokesperson tells TODAY.com the event organizers are “incredibly grateful” for attendees and they “appreciate the passion and engagement from the Barbie community.” “Bringing fans together — alongside Barbie role models, designers, partners, and global icons who embody the true spirit of Barbie — was at the heart of this event. Barbie Dream Fest was created as an intimate fan convention designed to foster meaningful connection, inspiration, and closer access to Barbie and her world. We will be providing full refunds to everyone who purchased tickets,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
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