What is Bubble Planet?
Having opened at the tail end of 2023, Bubble Planet is another manifestation of the popular phenomenon that I’m calling Instagrammable immersive family experiences. This one is a particularly close kin to the now defunct Balloon Museum.
Where is Bubble Planet?
Located in the increasingly culturally vibrant Wembley Park, I’m about 75 percent certain it’s in the same building the last Secret Cinema show was in, just a few minutes walk from the station.
What happens at Bubble Planet?
The theme is nominally bubbles, though this is interpreted extremely freely, from a balloon room and a ball pool, to a computer generated ocean and a VR experience, both of which do technically feature bubbles. There is a lot of descriptive text on the wall, but it’s mostly waffle rather than anything you need to pay attention to.
Is it any good?
God help me, I have been to a lot of these things with my children and maybe I’m developing Stockholm Syndrome but I’d say Bubble Planet is the best example in London of This Sort Of Thing: I have literally seen some of these rooms (or something very close to them) before, but not in a combination that so conspicuously maximises the fun. Unburdened by the weird artistic pretensions of the Balloon Museum or the penchant for padding out the attraction with rubbishy little rooms where not much happens a la most of the other experiences, Bubble Planet all killer no filler, if by ‘killer’ you mean ‘room full of giant balloons that keep bursting and there are staff employed to stand on the side inflating new ones’. There’s also no moving you on from the most popular bits – notably the ball pool – which makes it a more substantial trip out with the kids than experiences where you’re bounced through the best bits quickly.
It irks to have to pay an extra £3 a head for the VR room: it’s not a lot but it seems profoundly dubious to leave it out of the initial ticket price. There’s also something a bit weird about the shop at the end, which is largely pushing rubber ducks, though it does also include a drawing area and a small additional ball pit.
These things are not high art and if you’re of voting age and thinking of heading down to Bubble Planet without children in tow I would beg you to consider visiting one of London’s many world class free museums and art galleries instead. But for primary school age kids, this is the thing perfected, bubbles of pure, basic joy.
