Arriving at Wembley Park Underground Station, we saw a sign above the exit directing us to Mundo Pixar Experience. We headed down the steps and along Olympic Way, before turning left on Fulton Road, and turning right when we saw all the Mundo Pixar signs. The full address is Fulton Road, Wembley, HA9 0TF_._ It's a 5-10 minute walk from Wembley Park Station and really easy to find. Look out for the signposts and you can't miss it.
Our first impression was how big the purpose-built space is - the exhibition spans more than 3,500 square metres. If you're wondering what the 'Mundo' part is about, well the immersive experience debuted in São Paulo, Brazil, and mundo is the Portuguese word for 'world'. So, Mundo Pixar means 'Pixar World'.
The attraction invites families, film fans and Pixar lovers of all ages to step inside the animated movies that have shaped generations. There are 14 themed areas including Up, Monsters Inc, Toy Story, Cars, Coco, Inside Out 2, Finding Nemo, Elemental, Luca and Ratatouille. If you're wondering why that doesn't add up to 14, that's because some movies have two themed rooms. There's also a great gift shop, selling all kinds of merchandise for Pixar super fans.
I attended the launch of Mundo Pixar Experience with my husband and our two young son, Odhran, 10, and Reuben, 7. As a toddler, Odhran was obsessed with Cars and Nemo and Dory. So, parts of this exhibition were a warming trip down memory lane. But we always look forward to the latest Pixar movie, and the exhibition is timely with the upcoming release of Pixar's movie Hoppers this March, and the highly anticipated Toy Story 5, hitting cinema's in June.
Throughout the exhibition, there's ambient music to match each movie, and the sets show meticulous attention to detail. We enjoyed browsing the picture frames and ornaments on the mantelpiece in the living room of Carl from Up, and pretending to swim among the coral with Nemo and Dory. If you've ever watched these beautiful animations and wondered what it would be like to see them brought to life - this is your opportunity.
Odhran enjoyed taking selfies with some of his favourite characters, and pretending to change one of Lightening McQueen's tyres, while Reuben enjoyed peeking behind the door in the Monsters Inc room. Visitors are encouraged to take part in a Pixar Ball Treasure Hunt, searching for the famous yellow ball with a red star hidden in each room of the exhibition. This is a playful nod to the beloved Easter egg that appears in Pixar films, and Reuben rose to the challenge - refusing to leave a room until he'd found it. Our hint is to look up. But if you get stuck, staff are on hand to drop clue or two. Another thing to mention is the friendliness of the staff, who brought an upbeat energy to match the children's excitement. They'll also advise you on which parts of the exhibition you're allowed to touch or sit on to pose for a picture.
We had fun in the Toy Story rooms, where the scale of the props left us feeling shrunken down to toy size. In the re-creation of Andy's bedroom, visitors were posing as toy figures next to the giant bed, or jumping up and pretending to try open the high drawer in the bedside table. My favourite room in the whole exhibition was Sunnyside Daycare. The colours were so bright and uplifting and there was so much attention to detail, from the toys scattered around to the children's pictures on the walls.
We spent about an hour enjoying the experience. The boys loved it, but Odhran was a little disappointed there wasn't a room dedicated to The Incredibles. Obviously the exhibition can't include every Pixar movie. But if your child has a particular favourite, maybe be clear with them about exactly what to expect before your visit, to avoid disappointment.
Mundo Pixar Experience runs from now until the end of June and is open every day except Tuesdays. Daily time slots begin at either 9am or 10am (depending on the date) and run until 7pm. During UK school holidays, the exhibition is open daily, including Tuesdays.
Tickets cost from £24 for adults (16+), from £18 for children (3-15), free for ages two and under. Family tickets (two adults + two children) cost from £76. Prices vary by date and time slot. Peak times including weekends, school holidays and evenings are priced higher than off-peak weekday mornings. But tickets are selling like hotcakes. So, if you don't want to miss out, you can purchase from here