FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) – Fans who attended the Barbie Dream Fest were met with disappointment after spending hundreds of dollars to get into the event.<\/p>\n
Instead of a world of sparkly make-believe, Barbie fans saw cardboard cutouts at the festival and said it did not live up to the hype.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe inflatable B is deflating!\u201d said an eventgoer.<\/p>\n
The event took place in Fort Lauderdale over the weekend.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was just so much emptiness,\u201d said a person on social media.<\/p>\n
With ticket prices as high as $500, fans complained on social media that the dream did not match reality.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt said it opened at 9, we weren\u2019t let in until 9:45,\u201d said a social media user.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe interactive dream house was a VW Bus, that you were not allowed to enter into, and it was a cardboard cutout box,\u201d said Alexandria Dougan, an attendee.<\/p>\n
Mattel, which sponsored the event, released a statement that reads:<\/p>\n
We are working with Mischief Management, who are managing attendee feedback and issuing full refunds to everyone who purchased tickets,\u201d the statement said. \u201cWe want every fan experience to be an excellent one.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mischief Management\u2019s goal was to give fans a fantastic fantasy experience.<\/p>\n
\u201cBarbie dares you to dream big, and I think that it\u2019s been really fun to see that concept come to life,\u201d said Michael Corrigan, the event organizer. \u201cCelebrating not only the legacy of Barbie, but how she inspires people daily to want to be the best version of themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dougan said she was expecting that interactive experience with her 7-year-old niece, but got far from that.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like that was just really heartbreaking,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Serena Williams received the inaugural icon award at the event, celebrating the spirit of possibility. She even brought her daughters along.<\/p>\n
Despite the negative reviews for the first-ever event, Barbie fans still believe something is possible for next year.<\/p>\n
However, while others had a bad experience, some had fun at the event.<\/p>\n
Mischief Management said that their goal was to help fans feel empowered just like Barbie.<\/p>\n
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