After a quick visit to the convention and then checking into the hotel, me and two very excited children headed over to Cardiff Bay for our visit. The site is about a ten minute walk from the train station, but if you walk directly down to the bay, you can take in the sights, many of which have appeared in Doctor Who and mainly Torchwood. You can see the big blue building across the water! If you get lost, look for the brown road signs use to signal directions of tourist sites and if you find one with a dalek on, you are heading in the right direction. Walking across, we also spotted BBC Wales, where Doctor Who is filmed.
The first part of the experience is a walk through adventure with specially filmed scenes featuring the 11th Doctor, as played by Matt Smith. Sadly, we never made it through the entirety of this as Mattie got very scared and needed to leave. We managed to make as far as the Tardis, which Rachael got to help fly, but the moment the smoke started, Mattie got so scared. As we were making a decision over what to do, the group moved on to the next section and Mattie heard the Daleks, which made the decision for us. Luckily the staff were very understanding, they led us out and told us to speak to security, who could take us into the exhibition section instead as to avoid a wasted trip.
One of the best parts of the exhibition is the chance to have a green screen photo. When it is your turn for the photo, you get to choose from a trunk full of well known accessories the doctor has had from the 11th Doctor's Fez to the 4th Doctor's very long scarf. Everyone gets to have a sonic screwdriver, because you get to be the Doctor! Rachael and Mattie both chose a Fez, whilst I went for the scarf. I did start with a Fez but it looked stupid on me so I chucked it aside! There is a range of backgrounds that can be chosen with the chance to have photos against all of them, even if you choose not to purchase them. We decided to stick to the interior of the Tardis. Mattie originally did not want to be in the photo but changed his mind when he saw he would get to wear a Fez!
The downstairs' part of the exhibition was mainly costumes and a selection of the Tardis interiors. Each outfit worn by every Doctor was displayed, with all other costumes being from the companions, with a focus on Matt Smith's tenure. This included a slab of concrete in which were Matt's hand prints! Upstairs was the huge variety of the Doctor's foes, ranging from the Daleks to Sontarans. Again, these were mainly from newer series. There was a whole section showing the evolution of the Cyberman, which I have to admit I found funny to look at as the earlier ones do not seem as scary as the current ones.
There was an extensive section for the Daleks, one of the most recognizable enemies! There was even a Dalek that you could operate. Mattie is petrified of them and was not immediately impressed when he saw a moving one but when he discovered it was someone inside doing it, he immediately wanted a turn and became much more relaxed around them.
One of the best things about coming when we did was how up to date the exhibition was. It included a whole range of things from the most recent series and of course, the 50th Anniversary episode. This included each Tardis used by the war, 10th and 11th Doctor. The end of the exhibition included wigs, costumes, sketches and a variety of photos from the series, whether it was behind the scenes or while shooting. Once we left, we also took the chance to look at some props which were out in the lobby, including Clara's leaf and book and numerous items of River Song, including her famous blue diary!
We only spent about an hour there, though I feel like I could have spent longer, but when one child wants to leave, you have to leave. But it was definitely worth the trip and the money. So if you are a Whovian, go visit if you have not already! However, do note, it is possible that by the time you go, the exhibition may have changed slightly to include new costumes, props and perhaps even new recorded material from the new Doctor, Peter Calpaldi.
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