Chuck E Cheese's

[luvflorida]

It's been over twenty years since I last stepped foot inside a Chuck E. Cheese's. Well, since before last night anyway. My husband and I took our three and half year old grandson for his first trip to Chuck E. Cheese's, and let me just say-

We used to take our own kids when they were young (many years ago!)and I do remember it always being a wild place. It IS billed as a place "where a kid can be a kid!", right?!?! Even so, last night was nuts! I saw kids jumping and up and down on the skeeball platforms, running up the platforms and depositing balls directly in the holes, kids climbing up and touching the animatronic figures, screaming for more tokens, running, pushing, shoving...you get the picture.

It was like Lord of the Flies in there. Survival of the fittest!

And oddly, our grandson didn't want anything to do with the costumed Chuck E. Cheese character that was walking around. I say oddly, because he LOVES all the Disney characters and always runs up to them and hugs them. Chuck E. Cheese was walking around carrying a sign that said "follow me for free tickets!", but our grandson wasn't the least bit interested in following that mouse anywhere.

This was his favorite thing at Chuck E. Cheese's:

He likes Barney, but I guess he only has room in his heart for one mouse, the one that lives at Disney!

Besides the lack of parental supervision (and I know there were parents there because the kids weren't old enough to drive themselves!) some of the games ate tokens and didn't work, or if they did work, they didn't pay out tickets when they should have. On the plus side, the pizza actually wasn't too bad.
Not sure we'll be going back, though!

Chuck E. Cheese's catch phrase should be- Not for the faint of heart!

 

[mrsv98]

It's been over twenty years since I last stepped foot inside a Chuck E. Cheese's. Well, since before last night anyway. My husband and I took our three and half year old grandson for his first trip to Chuck E. Cheese's, and let me just say-

We used to take our own kids when they were young (many years ago!)and I do remember it always being a wild place. It IS billed as a place "where a kid can be a kid!", right?!?! Even so, last night was nuts! I saw kids jumping and up and down on the skeeball platforms, running up the platforms and depositing balls directly in the holes, kids climbing up and touching the animatronic figures, screaming for more tokens, running, pushing, shoving...you get the picture.

It was like Lord of the Flies in there. Survival of the fittest!

And oddly, our grandson didn't want anything to do with the costumed Chuck E. Cheese character that was walking around. I say oddly, because he LOVES all the Disney characters and always runs up to them and hugs them. Chuck E. Cheese was walking around carrying a sign that said "follow me for free tickets!", but our grandson wasn't the least bit interested in following that mouse anywhere.

This was his favorite thing at Chuck E. Cheese's:

He likes Barney, but I guess he only has room in his heart for one mouse, the one that lives at Disney!

Besides the lack of parental supervision (and I know there were parents there because the kids weren't old enough to drive themselves!) some of the games ate tokens and didn't work, or if they did work, they didn't pay out tickets when they should have. On the plus side, the pizza actually wasn't too bad.
Not sure we'll be going back, though!

Chuck E. Cheese's catch phrase should be- Not for the faint of heart!

Why do you think they sell alcohol????

It has always been wild. I miss many things about DD being small, wanting to go to CEC is NOT one of them! My DCousin, who is 17, works at the one by our house and I give her all the credit in the world. After 8 hours there, I would either go postal or they would find me in the corner, drinking...heavily...

 

[ICF]

Maybe it's just the one here or the time of day we used to go -- typically on a week night, but it's never been that bad here.

Sure there are "kids being kids", but nothing like what you've described....

Of course, we haven't been in a couple of years, so maybe they've gone downhill since then.

 

[luvflorida]

Why do you think they sell alcohol????

It has always been wild. I miss many things about DD being small, wanting to go to CEC is NOT one of them! My DCousin, who is 17, works at the one by our house and I give her all the credit in the world. After 8 hours there, I would either go postal or they would find me in the corner, drinking...heavily...

I do like their safety measure of stamping everyone on the way in and then checking the stamps on the way out. However, my husband said they don't do this to make sure someone doesn't leave with a child that isn't their own, but so that they don't purposely leave a few kids behind.

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

It's been over twenty years since I last stepped foot inside a Chuck E. Cheese's. Well, since before last night anyway. My husband and I took our three and half year old grandson for his first trip to Chuck E. Cheese's, and let me just say-

We used to take our own kids when they were young (many years ago!)and I do remember it always being a wild place. It IS billed as a place "where a kid can be a kid!", right?!?! Even so, last night was nuts! I saw kids jumping and up and down on the skeeball platforms, running up the platforms and depositing balls directly in the holes, kids climbing up and touching the animatronic figures, screaming for more tokens, running, pushing, shoving...you get the picture.

It was like Lord of the Flies in there. Survival of the fittest!

And oddly, our grandson didn't want anything to do with the costumed Chuck E. Cheese character that was walking around. I say oddly, because he LOVES all the Disney characters and always runs up to them and hugs them. Chuck E. Cheese was walking around carrying a sign that said "follow me for free tickets!", but our grandson wasn't the least bit interested in following that mouse anywhere.

This was his favorite thing at Chuck E. Cheese's:

He likes Barney, but I guess he only has room in his heart for one mouse, the one that lives at Disney!

Besides the lack of parental supervision (and I know there were parents there because the kids weren't old enough to drive themselves!) some of the games ate tokens and didn't work, or if they did work, they didn't pay out tickets when they should have. On the plus side, the pizza actually wasn't too bad.
Not sure we'll be going back, though!

Chuck E. Cheese's catch phrase should be- Not for the faint of heart!

Not to mention it is a hot bed of germs especially the ball tank. My kids got sick everytime I took them there especially when they got to go in the ball tank. Then I saw a show on tv about how kids pee and throw up in there. I know they are supposed to disinfect but ICK!

 

[rascooby]

My kids like Chuck E Cheese, but whether or not I can tolerate it depends on the location, and definitely the time. You won't catch me there on a weekend. We like to go at 10am on a weekday, right when they open. The staff drops tokens randomly on the floor for the kids to find and they leave tickets hanging out of many of the machines. I can usually spend $5-$10 and get out in an hour. If it's crowded and crazy, forget it.

 

[luvflorida]

Maybe it's just the one here or the time of day we used to go -- typically on a week night, but it's never been that bad here.

Sure there are "kids being kids", but nothing like what you've described....

Of course, we haven't been in a couple of years, so maybe they've gone downhill since then.

It was a week night when we went. I hate to think of the weekends being worse.

 

[Lilpuppy2]

Chuck E Cheese was always out of control when I went there for my little sister's/cousins birthdays. There are usually 3-4 games that don't work or ones that don't give tickets and the playground is the grossest thing on the planet. I was in there playing with the little kids and there was blood from a bloody nose just sitting there dried up from another day.

 

[pooh4evr]

I worked there in high school and college-- whew the stories I coul dtell would make you hair stand up! Our store is one of the busiest in the country, and our general managers run it like a "tight ship" Cleanliness is a top priority ans is customer satisfaction. My tip- stay away far away from january- easter on the weekends-- we would have 2 hour waits from friday night until sunday evening- not fun for anyone!

 

[avgeek81]

I went with my friend and her 5 yr old like 2 weeks ago. It wasnt too bad. I didnt see anyone going wild. My friend;s kid likes skee ball the one where you shoot the water in the clowns mouth and racing games. I think there was one kid that came upo and tried to play his game while he was still playing but that happened to him at Nick Suites arcade too.

He kept wanting me to play the games too so I played some with him and he played this game where you sit on like one of those mechanical horses they used to have outside grocery stores and look at a screen like you are at the Kentucky Derby so when he was done he was ok its your turn. i said i think I'm alittle too big for this game Ill play some more skeeball.

Also I worked at Chuck E Cheese for like 3 weeks in high school. It wasnt a bad job but the were only giving me like 1 night a week and I ended up getting a different job that I worked at for 4 years after. I just walked around checking tickets in games and emptying tokens. I was Chuck E once and i had to crawl thru the tunnels at night and clean them. I hated vacuuming at the end of the night tho.

 

[Boston Tea Party]

I am a teacher and could not stand that place when my kids were young! It was a major struggle not to go into "teacher mode" and redirect the misbehavior.

On a lighter note, when my daughter was young, she was in the tunnels, enjoying herself. She came out with wet knees and said, "Mom, someone spilled Sprite in the tunnel!"

It ain't Sprite, honey...

 

[reelmom]

I would rather go 10 years without a Disney trip than go to Chuck E Cheese. My kids love that place but I never want to step foot in there. DH doesn't mind going and will take them occasionally. I think he just like to play the games. Plus their new marketing slogan on their commercial is driving me crazy. It says "Chuck E Cheese is funner." I cringe everytime at the incorrect grammer.


ETA: My DH just googled funner and apparently, the word can be used as an adjective according to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary. I cannot believe this is true. We were always taught it was not a word. And I refuse to believe that Pluto is not a planet. HAHA

 

[Nox54]

I have never stepped foot in a CEC. DS is 22 years old. DD is 4 years old and I'm hoping to hold to my record.

fingers crossed!

 

[QVCshopper]

CEC has an awful rep, but the one near me is great. I went this week; it's totally remodeled and clean. I even told the manager that he is doing a good job.

Anyway, I spent $20 and we ate lunch, played for two hours, and my son got an Angry Bird toy with tickets. I think that's not bad for $20 anywhere. Sometimes, we just buy tokens and get $1 ice cream out of the machine.

As for the costumed character, my kids love Disney and could care less about The CEC one. I think it's quite possible they have been very spoiled with experiences. They have done quite a bit for their ages.

 

[MichelleinMaine]

My kids like Chuck E Cheese, but whether or not I can tolerate it depends on the location, and definitely the time. You won't catch me there on a weekend. We like to go at 10am on a weekday, right when they open. The staff drops tokens randomly on the floor for the kids to find and they leave tickets hanging out of many of the machines. I can usually spend $5-$10 and get out in an hour. If it's crowded and crazy, forget it.

That's when we would go, as well, very tolerable. The couple birthday parties we went there made me cringe!

 

[Pixiedust34]

We've managed to completely avoid it, and our kids never felt they missed out on the experience. I have no desire to step foot in there.

 

[SideshowBob]

Too funny!

When my boys were younger I used to take them there all of the time (when I knew not too crowded) as they loved the games and amassing tickets. I must have spent a fortune there as they had enough to credits to get huge stuffed animals and the other "big prizes".

 

[sbell111]

We took our kids to CEC a couple weeks ago. They enjoyed the games and it wasn't too wild. The food, however, was just horrible. The pizza was like what you would buy at Kroger in the deli case twenty years ago while the fries and chicken tenders were like the grosest store brand ones they could find. It seems that they could at least make their pizza fresh.

We won't be back. There's plenty indoor play places with a snack bar around here to choose from.