A festive event held at Bluewater has been blasted as “overpriced” and “underwhelming” with frustrated families claiming it lacked any “sense of magic or atmosphere”.

The Elf on the Shelf Christmas Adventure launched at the Greenhithe shopping centre last month to much fanfare but is facing an online backlash.

Organisers have been at pains to point out it’s not – contrary to some reviews left – a traditional Christmas grotto, and they’ve had lots of people that enjoyed the “free play/roaming nature” of the event.

The new 25-minute experience, which kicked off on November 16 and runs until December 24, promises to help get Christmas off to a “flying start”, with an 11ft elf door and interactive activities the whole family can enjoy.

It’s being held on the Upper Rose Gallery, next to clothing brand FatFace, in partnership with the Lumistella Company – home to the Elf on the Shelf Christmas brand – and replaces the former grotto held at the shopping centre in previous years.

On the ticketing website, it says: “This never-seen-before interactive, theatrical experience will transport you to the North Pole on an immersive adventure where you'll help the Scout Elves spread Christmas cheer by completing a series of magical games and challenges, including making a wish at the wish-gatherer, Christmas tree decorating and snowball throwing!”

However, not all the customer feedback has matched the festive spirit the organisers are hoping to engender so far.

On review site Trustpilot, it has been rated “poor” with a 2.5 score.

One person said: “The setup was poorly executed and lacked any sense of magic or atmosphere.

“There weren’t even any elves to be seen – my little boy was looking behind the curtain in the hope of finding an elf – which led to tears when we left!

“What’s even more frustrating is once inside, you’re hit with additional costs for extras like a photo with Father Christmas...which only adds to the feeling of being exploited.

“The entire setup felt rushed and thrown together, as though little thought or effort had been put into creating something truly enjoyable or memorable for families.

“This can only be described as an overpriced and underwhelming attraction. Save your money and look elsewhere for a genuinely magical holiday experience.”

The event costs £6.50 for an adult and £14.50 per child aged two years and over.

There is an additional booking fee of £2.50, with no mention of any extra charges inside the event.

Every child also receives a gift – either a non-branded storybook or an Elf of the Shelf sticker book – to take home.

In the FAQs, the company emphasises it is not a traditional grotto but instead encourages “free play and roaming”.

“The entire setup felt rushed and thrown together, as though little thought or effort had been put into creating something truly enjoyable or memorable for families.”

Another unhappy customer who went on Sunday (December 1), described it as a “tragic Santa’s grotto”.

They added: “I was disappointed when I walked through the door to find it was just a half-empty blue room with a few ‘activities’ in.

“Then when Santa walked into the room chatting away I was shocked that they hadn’t upheld the mystery and magic of meeting Santa properly, especially when he kept looking in the mirror to fix his beard and make-up.

“There was no time given to each family in private for the children to tell him what they’d like for Christmas.”

“Never have I experienced such an awful ‘grotto’,” the review went on to say.

“I thought I was in an episode of The Apprentice and this was the team getting fired. I am disgusted that I was charged for such rubbish.”

But not everyone who visited left disappointed.

One parent, who went with their twins on Saturday (November 30), left a review saying they had an amazing experience and “absolutely loved it”.

“Staff were amazing and interactive and the girls even got to meet Santa even though this wasn’t the purpose of my visit to this event, just an added extra,” they said.

“We then picked up our gifts which were lovely sticker books, the girls were delighted. I would highly recommend as an additional Christmas activity!”

A spokesperson from the Elf on the Shelf Christmas Adventure said: “We have had both positive and negative responses to the experience.

“We’ve shared this feedback with the third-party events company who developed and manage the experience and have worked with them to make some improvements.”

“I think some people may have assumed that this is a traditional Christmas Grotto, similar to what Bluewater has previously provided, which it is not and has never been advertised as but equally, we have had lots of people that have enjoyed the free play/roaming nature of the event.”

It also says Santa will be at the event but won’t be available for private meetings.

A spokesperson for Bluewater added: “It’s our upmost priority to ensure that everyone that visits us at Bluewater Shopping Centre has a positive experience.

“We understand that a small number of guests have shared feedback relating to The Elf On The Shelf experience.

“We’ve shared this feedback with the third-party events company who developed and manage the experience and have worked with them to make some improvements.

“We look forward to welcoming more people to enjoy the experience throughout the remainder of the festive season.”