Stranger Things: The Experience - The Ups and Downs of the Interactive Upside Down

By John Kirk

Rating: B-plus

Showing the desire to embrace fantasy, to dance on the boundaries of verisimilitude, immersive experiences are very much in vogue.

Bringing fandoms to life - like The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Universal Studios in Orlando, or the Marvel Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. in Toronto a couple of years back - Stranger Things: The Experience, presented by Netflix and Fever hopes to entice fans of this Netflix television show into surrendering their disbelief, fall into the Upside-Down and hopefully party like it’s 1984.

So, the question to be asked, is it worth it? Remember: friends don’t lie.

There are two distinctive stages to the event.

Writer John Kirk and daughter Hope brave the Upside Down at Stranger Things: The Experience.

The first experience is a 40-to-45 minute cinematic event that takes you into the Hawkins Lab Sleep Study along with about 18 to 30 of your closest friends. You’re divided into three coloured groups – blue, red, and yellow. After your orientation and testing, you’re taken through a series of rooms with all sorts of cinematic stunts, special effects, augmented by actors and 3D screen viewing experiences supported by performances from the television cast.

The narrative is very theme park in nature. It’s definitely fun and if you’re with a group that’s into the participatory nature, then you’ll enjoy the event. On that note, the level of set detail in the different rooms was impressive. You could handle fake documentation, touch the consoles and walk around. Sharing that with a group is the best way to enjoy the experience.

If you’ve ever been on the Hogwarts Express at the aforementioned Wizarding World of Harry Potter, it’s a comparable experience. It might be a bit scary for young kids, which is why you should follow the directives of the age recommendations. There’s also some salty language that’s in line with the show.

Of course, being threatened by illusory demogorgans wasn’t enough excitement; it had to be the presence of a vintage Commodore 64 complete with original monitor and floppy drive that gave me a thrill.

Nerds know what I’m talking about.

However, the story event is a bit generic and fairly limited in terms of the show’s events. There’s not much that’s a part of Season Four. So, if you were hoping to see some of Eddie’s metal performance in the Upside-Down or some other element of Season Four, you’ll be disappointed. I’d have liked to see Soviet troops or even some Dungeons & Dragons elements in the story.

Like I said, Nerds are my people.

After the performance event, you get to then sally forth into the neon-lit section known as the Mix-Tape. It’s a combination photo-op/swag shop/food-court complete with vintage arcade console games from the 1980’s, and an appropriate soundtrack from that decade.

There’s a wide selection of cocktails and mocktails available for consumption at the bar (named The Upside.) The Suzie Poo mocktail was a decided winner out of that list, while the Smoking Demogorgan was the winner of choice for the Jim Hoppers in the crowd.

Of course, it’s in line with branding from the show. Corn dogs, pizza and soft tacos are available at the Surfer Boy Pizza shack while ice cream can be scored at Scoops Ahoy. Even the vendor t-shirts and uniforms can be bought at the swag shops.

Oh, there are also chicken and waffles – and I’m hoping Eggos were the key ingredient.

There’s no time limit to how long you can stay at the Mix-Tape. However, if you want to get pictures at the various photo-ops, you might have to wait a while as the lines might take up some time.

In the negative column, the location (Cinespace Marine Studios) and parking will pose a slight obstacle. Located south of Lakeshore and on the lakefront, there’s a lot of construction and limited space to park on site. Parking needs to be arranged in advance and it’s probably advisable to take a taxi or rideshare. Make sure you arrive on time for your scheduled entry point as the event is timed. In fact, you might want to aim for an earlier arrival.

In terms of ticket prices, again, the cost is also something to consider. VIP tickets for adults are $116 each and youth are priced at $93. The VIP level includes priority access, a complimentary beverage and a tote bag with collectibles valued at $35. Standard pricing is $79 and $63, respectively. There are group options available, which brings the cost down a bit but, again, it’s something to consider. Also, food pricing is separate.

If you’re a devoted fan of the series franchise, then this will be an experience you’ll enjoy. If you’re with a group of like-minded fans then it’ll be a shared memory that you all appreciate – when you were all transported to the Upside-Down and surrounded by agents of the Mind-Flayer.

In short, it’s a worthy way to celebrate the television show that re-invigorated a love of Dungeons & Dragons and made us think fondly of the ‘80s, a vastly under-valued decade in my opinion. But it was fun to see my youngest “getting down” to Michael Jackson’s Beat It in the background, while she was playing Joust on a vintage arcade console.

Just remember folks: Eddie Lives.