By Judy Shields
Photos by THT Judy Shields and Raquel Shields and Susana Willie
Montebello, California (The Hollywood Times) 06/28/2023
The Hollywood Times was offered the chance to be part of the VIP Preview of Bubble World: An Immersive Experience on Tuesday and it was awesome.
Here was our intro:
I took along my daughter-in-law Raquel, 4-year old grandson Max and my friend Susana. We went through the main entrance, there awaited the “adult” guest some champagne. My friend got her glass, the rest kindly declined. This is the area where you can go to Dino Alive to your right and to the left was the brightly lit area for “Bubble World,” which also leads to the merchandise store, but that room is for when you come out of the Bubble World: The Experience. So down the hall to the entrance, which on the wall was tubes with water that was making bubbles. Way cool.
Grandson Max just stood there to look at the colorful arches which was the Gateway to Bubble World. Then he made his way through it, stopped and turned around and told us to follow him. That was precious and a great photo op! He said it was neat colors and named them off for us. Great job Max. Off into the next room which had bubble clouds on the walls and you had to make a hard left to enter into this really awesome LED Room with hanging lighted tubes, which brought out that inner child to where we started bumping them around and at each other. Way too FUN!
That was way cool. Then more bubbles on the walls and we entered the Bubble Ocean Room. WOW… ocean floor room with sea creatures like hammerhead sharks, jelly fish, variety of fish, sting rays and sea turtles with beautiful effects and water bubbles too! Great photo ops and you find yourself even sitting on the floor as to have a picture of yourself in a boat on the bottom on the sea.
What would a Balloon World be without a Cloud Room full of large size balloons replicating clouds. Max could not wait to get in that room and once he did he was hidden from us and that was super cool for him that his mom was unable to find him. That experience brought out the child in his mom. A great experience for parents and their children.
Next up was the Giant Bubble Room and it was fascinating to say the least. We walked around it and then saw a door to enter inside and that was way cool! Once inside our voice was deeper and different sounding. Make sure to go inside this half dome bubble and there are bean bags to sit and appreciate your surroundings.
Next we entered the Bubble Bath Room. The look on all of our faces was priceless. WOW! What an amazing concept come to life. Marcos did a great job with this experience. Max was a little hesitant to get in, but first you need to take off your shoes and it is good to put all your loose items on the benches provided and watched over by other members of your family. Kids were asked not to jump in and to use the pool like ladder. Max made his way to the ladder and down he went. I followed him too and it was totally cool. He started to go under and we couldn’t see him so I had to try it and it was fun. A great experience for all ages.
On to the next room known as the Cloud Room, which had some floor and wall art as a photo op and two large/different size blow- up clouds to bounce on and kids and adults alike jumped away. There were a few bubble type games for kids and adults to have fun with. One that you were given a wrapped Bubble World paper straw to blow through a hole to inflate a balloon on the screen and Max really liked that one. One game had a hand bike pump. Great experiences.
Through the curtains to another room called Balloon Getaway. A net full of colorful balloon to simulate a hot air balloon and the cage you are in while the walls come to life. We all loved this room and experience. Some may get a little dizzy, but it was worth the experience as the dizziness will soon pass, speaking from experience.
The next room was called the Shelfie Room, which was appropriately named. There was a cactus, which I thought was odd, but could not resist taking a photo of it since I love cactus. There was a small inlet room that you get into the center of large wand in bubbles. You pull on the ropes and the large bubble wand covers you, up if you pull on the rope just the right way and if the child that is with you doesn’t keep popping the bubble before you can get it up and over you. Max was having a blast popping the bubble his mother was trying to make. Hilarious and a great photo and especially video opportunity.
There was another room called the Bubble Effect when you were done with the selfie room. Right away I thought about a car wash and swimming pool noodles! Video time.
So after experiencing all these bubble rooms, we couldn’t imagine what could be next and let me tell you, what came next was brilliant! The Infinity Room. I won’t explain it, you must come to see it in person.
Next up was the Virtual Realty (VR) Room with clear bubble like half dome hanging chairs. We all put on an eye mask, which was well appreciated before we put on the VR headgear. Whomever put together the video for this VR experience did an amazing job with the colors and objects. I took a photo of the gang while wearing their VR goggles. That was a nice and relaxing time to sit in a comfortable chair. There is a $5 charge to have this experience and well worth it for the entire family to enjoy.
Once you leave the VR room you come into a room that has a couple of big screens and table and chairs so we could color some fishes and once done you put them on a projector type screen and then you see your masterpiece up on the big video screen. Totally cool. There was also a cotton candy cart with three different flavors: Strawberry, Bubble Gum, and Gummy Bear. I choose Bubble Gum. It was delicious. Max choose Gummy Bear.
They have a merchandise store once you are done with The Bubble World Experience and lots of bubbles to purchase and many bubble gadgets to get those bubbles in the air. A wall mural to measure how big you blow your bubble gum bubble. There is a ball fountain to put balls to make them float as water does.
Once we were done with the Bubble World: The Experience, I was able to interview Marcos Bassols, designer and art director. Here is that interview. Enjoy!
REVIEWS:
“Bubble World has made its way to the Eastside!! Located in beautiful Montebello, California find yourself emersed in a bubble filled encounter!! The experience will be an exciting time for adults and children alike. It’s like going through a themed maze of different activity rooms for all to enjoy. The digital images actively engage one’s senses. It’s colorful and breathtaking at the same time. There are activities for children to individually participate in, to which challenge their skill set. Over-taken by the string of lights room and the 360-degree projection makes it for a return journey to Bubble World.” Susana Willie
“Bubble World was quite the experience. The creative ideas they intricated to recreate a bubble experience. It was a lot of fun to visit the multiple rooms with various themes, colors, and even sound. My toddler and I especially enjoyed the fun interactive & participation this experience provided as we walked through each exhibit of the bubble creations. It was all so vibrant and inviting. My toddler keeps asking when we are going back to the bubbles. Needless to say, our experience was a success.” Raquel Shields
Bubble World: An Immersive Experience
- Following its world premiere in Milan, Italy earlier this year, Bubble World: An Immersive Experience, a spherical interactive experience that promises to challenge your imagination and awaken your inner child, is set to arrive in Los Angeles on Monday, June 26.
- Co-produced by Exhibition Hub – curator, producer, and distributor of large exhibitions globally – in partnership with Fever – the leading global live-entertainment discovery platform. This power duo is also behind internationally acclaimed immersive experiences such as Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience and much more.
- Tickets are available for purchase now on Fever’s marketplace here, starting at $26.90 for adults and $20.90 for children. VIP tickets, group bundles, and family passes are also available. This experience is suitable for all ages.
After we purchased some bubble merchandise we were told that pizza and a drink was waiting for us. There was A Slice of New York pizza food truck serving cheese, pepperoni, vegetarian and white slices of pizza and choice of soda. The pizza was delicious and the drink refreshing. Thank you Bubble World: The Experience and A Slice of New York.
