SNOW! At least artificial snow, on probably the softest white carpet I’ve ever stood on. In front of me is a large painting of A Christmas Carol‘s beautiful Abigail Pettigrew, accompanied by her stasis pod (apparently usable); over my shoulder is the imposing figure of a Cybershade, just stood, staring at me.
But I bravely continue, bowtie around my neck, sonic screwdriver in the pocket of my long green coat, ready for anything… except the man in the red and white suit. He leans forward and, despite being a fully-grown man, asks whether I’ve been a good boy this year.
I answer yes, of course, and he proceeds to ask why I haven’t been to see him, suggesting perhaps that my TARDIS was knocked off course by evil Santa robots. It was roughly then that it dawned on me exactly how great the Doctor Who Experience is for kids… even grown-up ones.
Without exaggerating, I think he’s the most believable Santa I’ve ever seen, and the free gift bag of Doctor Who goodies really seals the deal. Inside the grotto you’ll come face to face with Robot Santas, Sycorax and see the Doctor’s PJ’s from The Christmas Invasion.
But that’s not all; there are loads of new additions to the exhibition, at least since I last went. There’s the Junk TARDIS and Idris’s dress from The Doctor’s Wife, a Ganger suit, beautiful-looking Silurians, Night Terrors’ terrifying Peg Dolls (who really are very imposing); not to mention the… oh wait… I can’t remember what I was about to say.
The interactive walk-through experience itself is as amazing as ever, giving adults and children alike the chance to fly the TARDIS, fight the Daleks and escape the Weeping Angels; a concept that thousands have yearned for and are now able to do. I spoke to one woman at the event who told me she’d convinced her kids to come back for their birthdays so she could go through again!
The Christmas grotto is open every weekend between now and Christmas, so why not take an excursion to Starship UK this holiday, and begin your very own quest to save the Universe! Oh and don’t forget to the look up at the ceiling, you might see a… sorry, my mind has slipped again.
> Visit the official website to book tickets.
Have you visited the Doctor Who Experience‘s Christmas grotto yet? Let us know below…