Review: Mundo Pixar Experience (Wembley Park)

Review by Daz Gale

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If you’ve ever watched any Pixar movie and wished you could step into the screen and be a part of that world, you’re in luck, as the largest immersive Pixar exhibition on Earth (and other planets presumably) has arrived in the UK, with Mundo Pixar Experience now open in Wembley. I couldn’t resist the opportunity to unleash the inner child in me, so I went along to check it out - would this experience truly take me to infinity and beyond, or would it fail to create the right kind of buzz?

Set over 3,500 square metres, the scale of the Mundo Pixar Experience hits you before you’ve even set foot inside, with the striking building only becoming more magical the moment you enter. There, you are met with a bustling world of Pixar movies, glimpsing recognisable characters and already immersing yourself into this fantastical world - all of this is before the experience officially starts. Even the holding area is impressive as you wait in a corridor full of video screens featuring characters darting along - immediately, the technical capabilities astonish you, setting the tone for what is to follow.

Inside the experience, you walk through 14 different rooms, each one recreating environments from different movies. It fittingly starts on a high, bringing you into Carl’s house in Up as you enter a world you can freely explore, taking in all of the meticulous details from the film. Throughout the experience, you can also enter rooms (or, more appropriately, worlds) from Pixar favourites such as Monsters Inc, Cars, Coco and Inside Out, with newer titles like Elemental and a personal favourite of mine, Luca, filling other rooms.

It was the third room that completely took my breath away, as a nondescript curtain parted to reveal Andy’s room from Toy Story. This is where the scale of the experience can really be seen, both metaphorically and literally, as the oversized objects, such as the giant bed, give the feeling that you are one of the toys - luckily, Andy was not there at the time, so we could all walk around to our hearts' content, without dropping to the floor suddenly. I may not be the child I was, but this Toy Story room took me back to my childhood, returning that lost sense of childhood wonder. I’m not ashamed to say I welled up when I first walked into this room. If Disney and Pixar movies are great for their escapism and ability to transform you to their wonderful worlds, the Mundo Pixar Experience beautifully recreates this, with the Toy Story room a perfect example of this.

That room is swiftly followed by a Toy Story 3 room, though sadly there were no rooms for the second or fourth movies - other notable absences to manage your expectations are The Incredibles, WALL-E and Brave, though maybe they can be saved for a second experience in years to come? Ratatouille was another highlight, with the largest spaghetti you will ever see or your money back (not legally binding. Don’t message me for refunds), with the final room book-ending the experience at its best with a stunning recreation of an environment from Finding Nemo. As well as the gorgeous design, the use of video elements in these rooms wows at every turn, with a video floor to look out for at Coco, and Nemo’s world immersing you so effortlessly, it is a shock to the system when you leave and find the experience is over.

With that in mind, I thought it would be beneficial to impart some tips and advice - the biggest of which is take your time. There is no set allowance in each room, but it is a one-way system, so once you have left one room, you can’t turn around and go back into it. I perhaps ventured through each room too quickly and immediately regretted it when it finished all too soon, so allow yourself a good few minutes for each room, bearing in mind there is far more to see and experience in some than others, and the entire experience should take approximately one hour from start to finish. There is also no toilet throughout the experience, only before you start, with no food or drink allowed during it. There are always staff members on hand in every room to help out if anyone does need anything; however, emergency exits are of course always available.

Another aspect that impressed me was how well they catered for accessibility - it shouldn’t need to be said, but some experiences disappointingly overlook this, or just do the bare minimum to cover their backs. Not the case for Mundo Pixar Experience, who have versions available with British Sign Language and braille on all of their signs throughout. The entire experience is step-free and completely wheelchair accessible, and though the scale of the building may be massive, there isn’t actually much walking to do with each room connected to the other.

As well as immersing you into the various worlds in each room, there is also no shortage of photo opportunities - in fact, the amount there is is incredibly impressive. You can have a photo with Dory (and if your brain works anything like mine, make a niche Ellen DeGeneres joke), step into Buzz Lightyear’s box and even meet Lightning McQueen. Official photos are available at a cost through a QR code you receive upon entry, though staff members there will happily take photos on your own devices, ensuring you have these memories and mementoes for years to come.

Another clever aspect of the Mundo Pixar Experience is the brilliant treasure hunt they have created throughout.  At the introduction, you are told to keep an eye out for the iconic Pixar ball, as one is hidden in each and every room, with 14 to find. A great bit of fun that I took far too seriously, refusing to leave any room until I had spotted the ball - some were more obvious than others, with 1 or 2 incredibly tricky to find. I almost wish there had been an app or a little card to take around with you to tick off when you find each, as if I had that much fun doing it, I can only imagine how children feel doing it.

Of course, no experience would be complete without the gift shop, and the obligatory exit through it proved very dangerous with the exclusive and brilliantly designed merchandise available. T-shirts, mugs, plush toys and even your very own Pixar ball - something to bear in mind when bringing visitors with you, as they will be sure to want something after the hour of magic they have just experienced. Indeed, after well-behaved children in every room, you could see people crying and having tantrums outside the gift shop when they left empty-handed, though in my defence, I really wanted my friend to get me a tote bag.

If you have ever loved any Pixar movie, the Mundo Pixar Experience is a must-visit. I worried the experience may be aimed solely at children, and of course, there is so much there for kids to fall in love with, but there is nothing that ever feels a bit too childlike for the big kids like myself. With that in mind, this experience is perfect for children aged 1 to 100 (and beyond) - no matter how old you are, what kind of mood you’re in or how miserable the weather is (as it was on my visit), this experience is guaranteed to put a smile on your face, a spring in your step and a song in your heart. A brilliant idea, faultlessly recreated, this is one of the greatest experiences you can visit in London right now, and one I really can’t recommend highly enough.

Mundo Pixar Experience is booking at Wembley Park until June 2026. Tickets at www.mundopixar.com