Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
65 Hilarious Comparisons Of What People Expected And What Was Actually The Result
What you want and what you think you’ll get won’t always neatly match up with reality. Many of us instinctively understand this. However, our expectations are sometimes dashed in such an epic fashion that we can’t help but be disappointed, somewhat impressed, and want to share that experience with others.
We’ve collected some of the biggest, funniest, and most dramatic expectation vs. reality fails to show you just how ridiculously bad things can get. Keep scrolling for Bored Panda’s curated list of comparison pics.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Guard Dog
RELATED:
#2
This Polish Hotel's Picture On Trivago vs. In Real Life
#3
Expectation vs. Reality
#4
This Sustainable Paper Bottle Is In Fact A Plastic Bottle
Rick Murray 6 months ago
Anybody who had the misfortune of dealing with paper straws ought to know one simple fact - without a lot of plastic, paper and liquids *DO* *NOT* mix.
#5
My Kid Cried
#6
My Wife’s Felting Project
#7
The Great American Sugar Horse Moves On To Greener Pastures, In Search Of The Last Box Of Twinkies
#9
Girlfriend Tried To Recreate A Photo She Saw Online With Our Cat
#10
What Was Advertised vs. What I Got
#11
Sunflower Expectations vs. Reality
Rick Murray 6 months ago
Good grief - *SUN*flower. Sun, clue in the name. No wonder this one was unhappy. And let's not even discuss what the hell it is trying to grow in.
#12
I Way Over-Estimated My Abilities
#13
Expectation Versus Reality
#14
Airbnb Pool Listing vs. Reality
#15
My Wife’s Cinnamon Rolls vs. My Cinnamon Rolls [homemade]
#16
Expectation vs. Reality
#17
Ordered A Cake For My Father’s Birthday
#18
The Cake We Asked For vs. The Masterpiece We Got
#19
Growing Hydrangeas Expectations vs. Reality
#20
What I Thought I Ordered vs. What We Got. Ordered 21 Stems Got 10. 1 Smashed 1 Broken
#21
$60 "Professional" Halloween Makeup. I Asked For The Photo On The Left, With Just A Little Fake Blood. On The Right Is What The Makeup Artist Gave Me
#22
What I Asked For - And How It Turned Out
#23
Expectations vs. Reality
#24
Expectations vs. Reality
Deta Rossiter 6 months ago
why does it look like an old pice of fish or something. that should not be eaten
#25
Tattoo Stencil vs. Reality. No They Didn't Own Up
#26
The Colour I Asked For vs. The Colour I Got
#27
The Two Sides Of Traveling. A Serene Sunrise At Angkor Wat
#29
Mirror Cake. Tried Baking This Cake For The First Time
#30
The Tombstone We Ordered For Mum vs. The One We Got
#31
Looks Like A Before And After Of A Horror Movie...
Kristiina Männiste 6 months ago
I think severed heads on sticks looks pretty horror movie already..
#32
Expectation vs. Reality At Aquarium.. My 600 Gram Life
#33
What I Ordered vs. What I Got
#34
Expectations vs. Reality
First time growing zinnias—here's what I planted, and here’s what I grew. Am I doing something wrong? This is one of the first few just now coming in, so maybe the others will be fluffier.
Daniel Atkins 6 months ago
This is probably a hybrid and the seed reverted to the original or there was one that slipped in from another variety.
#35
What I Ordered vs. What I Got
#36
Haha This Is Very True That's Why I Don't Do Online Shopping
#37
Expectations vs. Reality
Nicole Weymann 6 months ago
DUH - the first picture has a different cutting inlay especially for wedges, while OP used a dicing inlay for their experiment. This one's on the user so far.
#38
Expectation vs. Reality. I Give Up
#39
The Qualities Of Sweethearts Has Gone Downhill
#40
Surely Eggspectation
#42
My Sister’s Nails For A Wedding
#43
The View I Booked vs. The One I Got. Same Place, New Neighbour
OneHappyPuppy 6 months ago
Had this happen to my family's summer house. We had a bomber view, the lot in front of our house had a building ban on it, and then someone payed off someone to get that lot...
#44
I Followed A Complete Recipe Guide To A Perfect Burger And This Is The Outcome vs. Expectation
#45
So Majestic
Tyranamar Suess 6 months ago
The person taking the photo didn't have you stand in the right place.
#46
Expectation vs. Reality
#47
My Daughter Asked Me To Draw The Girl On The Book Cover And This Was My Result
#48
Expectation vs. Reality, Lake Louise
#49
The Phone Case I Ordered vs. The One I Got
#50
What? I Mean Yeah, But I Was Expecting More Than The D
#51
Dried Watermelon. Tasty, But Looks Awful Compared To Packaging
#52
What I Ordered, vs. What I Got
#53
Decorating Easter Eggs For My Niece, Totoro Expectation vs. Reality
#54
This Is What We Get For Ordering Around Midnight
#55
Advertised vs. Actual Chrome Paint
#56
When A Hairdresser Messed Up My Hair In 2018
#57
Picture I Showed Nail Tech And What I Got
#58
Mega Starmie Cosplay Disappointment. Was Hoping To Join The Starmie Army But I Don't Know About This One
#59
You Lost The Second You Didn't Eat It Straight Away
#60
Wanted Large Soup Bowls. Tricked Myself By Not Checking The Measurements
#61
My Nails
#62
My Worst Press-On Expectation vs. Reality
#63
Instagram vs. Reality
#64
Airbnb Listing vs. Reality
karen snyder 6 months ago
Sorry but this is just really bad photography on the part of the guest and they took pics after sleeping in the bed. Maybe, they have a point about the bedding being downgraded but this is exactly what they paid for.
#65
Expectation vs. Reality
Add New Image
What do you think ?
karen snyder 6 months ago
This thread should be, I Suck At Cooking, or Nailed It. 90% of these are just people failing at their own cooking and craft projects. The "expectations" that they disappointed in are mostly disappointment with themselves.
Roxy222uk 6 months ago
I think there’s three lessons to be learnt: 1) it takes a while to be skilful at baking, we’ve all made mistakes, just stop whining and keep practicing 2) for some reason in the US people are allowed to set themselves up in business promising outcomes they do not have the skills to produce, and to keep ripping people off 3) with what you paid for that item, what did you expect?
Load More Replies...
karen snyder 6 months ago
This thread should be, I Suck At Cooking, or Nailed It. 90% of these are just people failing at their own cooking and craft projects. The "expectations" that they disappointed in are mostly disappointment with themselves.
Roxy222uk 6 months ago
I think there’s three lessons to be learnt: 1) it takes a while to be skilful at baking, we’ve all made mistakes, just stop whining and keep practicing 2) for some reason in the US people are allowed to set themselves up in business promising outcomes they do not have the skills to produce, and to keep ripping people off 3) with what you paid for that item, what did you expect?
Load More Replies... 
Related on Bored Panda
