Meet Me in the Gift Shop: Madame Tussauds

Madame Tussauds, Orlando

The Uncle Sam wax figure is one of the first upon entering the Museum.

8401 International Drive | Suite 100
Orlando, FL 32819

866-630-8315

https://www.madametussauds.com/orlando/en/

AT A GLANCE: Madame Tussauds, Orlando
Date of Visit:	Saturday, August 5, 2016
Parking	Plentiful and free, onsite parking, but the area is busy and congested. Park in the parking structure and walk the short distance to the Museum. Tip: take a photo or make a note of the level / color of your parked vehicle. For some reason, it’s too easy to get turned around in this parking structure.
Amount of time needed to peruse exhibits:	40 – 50 minutes. .
Amount of time needed for gift shop	20 - 35 minutes
Dress code	There’s no dress code here, but dress as to not offend the general public.
Be sure to…..	Check online before you go for discounted tickets.
Nearby/other establishments to visit	· Orlando Eye · Skeleton Museum · Sea Life Aquarium
Walkability, general downtown area / amount of traffic	This is a walkable area. Cars are allowed no further than the parking structure. That said, this area is full of activity.
Safety, in terms of type and number of crimes committed in general area	Generally safe if proper precautions are followed: store valuables out of site and lock your car.

I recall a trip to London many years ago. The museums, historical buildings, and galleries were plentiful and phenomenal. That is, until I visited Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum. My host was unaware, but I don’t enjoy being frightened, whether it’s from a book, movie or other manifestation. The genre of horror films is dead to me, meaning that I will never watch “Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” “The Exorcist,” or “The Blair Witch Project.” I’ve always been this way. I just don’t like to be scared. That’s exactly what happened at Madame T’s in their Museum had a Chamber of Horrors. To this day, I still recall the piercing blue eyes of Charles Manson, and the squeaking sound of a nearby guillotine. I walked hurriedly through the Chamber with that sick feeling in my stomach, vowing never to return.

Fast forward to 2017. Upon exiting the Bone Museum (Museum of Osteology), we take note of two other museums located in that complex. There was Sea Life in addition to one other: in 2015, Madame T’s opened a location in Orlando, Florida Orlando which is one of the seven US locations. Others include: Hollywood, Las Vegas, Nashville, New York, San Francisco, and Washington DC. I recall saying to myself, “You don’t have to go in. You’ll be ok.” My repetitious mantra failed me, though and I found myself standing in line for admission tickets. When it was our turn, I flat-out asked the ticket seller if they had a Chamber of Horrors. She kind of squinted at me, and raised an eyebrow before answering “No”. This Madame T’s was tourist and family oriented, as I would see for myself when I came across the exhibits. Exuding false confidence, I entered.

Pull up a chair next to Audrey Hepburn.

I loved Madame T’s in Orland! Whereas I recall the exhibits in the London Madame T’s being set back toward the wall and roped off. Not in Orlando. If there was a category for “Best Place for Selfies,” Madame T’s would win, hands down. Each wax figure had been positioned so visitors could pose with them. Audrey Hepburn was seated at a restaurant table, from the famous scene in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” The Museum supplied extra chairs, and we witnessed visitors taking turns getting photographed sitting next to Ms. Hepburn. Serena Williams, professional tennis player, is much taller than I thought. The top of my head aligned with her chin. Einstein, on the other hand, is shorter than I thought he would be.

Me and Einstein. I'm the one on the left.

Browse through the photos, and notice that all of them had a spot for visitors to interact and create fun photos with the exhibits. As you can see from the above photo, Madame T's provided amusing props.

This being Florida, a wax museum without Ponce de Leon wouldn't be complete.
Perhaps the map revealed the Fountain of Youth.

Notice how the figure of Muhammad Ali doesn't match its shadow.

People stood in line to have their photo taken with wax Obama.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

If you recall, I mentioned that all of the wax figures are set up to offer photo opportunities. MLK was another exhibit for which folks were willing to stand in line. Most of them stood next to the figure, much like what I did with Einstein. Understand that I mean no disrespect, but Bob gave MLK a high-five greeting. He went for something different after I told him I was photographing for this blog. I don't know if the second pose is much better.

Bob and MLK

We saw figures of Miley Cyrus, Justin Beiber, and Brad Pitt, among others. I read accounts of the real person posing next to their wax twin. They'll stand still just long enough to lure the crowd into a false sense of security, then they move all of a sudden startling visitors. Thankfully, this didn't happen during our visit. I don't like being scared.

Walt Disney.

Andy Warhol with some of his art.

The physical space of Madame T's is not overly large, but it can take time to get a photo with a favorite wax figure. It's all in fun here, so don't get huffy if there's a 5-minute line for some of the popular figures. That's all the more time to imagine your unique photo. Here's photos from previous visitors (from a Google search of "Madame Tussauds Orland," and clicking on the Images selection)

Other photos from Madame Tussauds

Madame Tussauds is one of many attractions in the area. Park the car and walk from here to there.

Sea Life Aquarium is located opposite the entrance to Madame T's.

A food court is onsite.

How's the gift shop, though? Not bad, in my opinion. Lots of refrigerator magnets, wearables, and shot glasses. If I had to change something, I would add branded wearables, to go along with the Captain America and Shrek t-shirts and hats. I think the gift shop space could have been used more efficiently if they had reduced the number and sizes of Academy Awards offered. I don't need to see 50 of them in a row to know that they're there. Sports and historical items corresponding with the exhibits would fit nicely in the spot occupied by the Hollywood items.

Madame T's gets a passing grade for including photos of historic, political and sports figures above items for sale.
I would have liked merchandise for sale that supported these figures.