Does Anyone Else Feel This Way About Chuck E. Cheese (Germ Related)?

[Christine]

My DS (10) is going to a birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese tomorrow. Honestly, I thought 10 year olds were "over" that. Anyway, I'm just dreading the fact that he is going there. I have never in my life been to such a germ-infested, snot encased, vomit spewing place in my life. I swear every time I go there, I have seen vomit. And the amount of snotty kids running around--YUCK!! I've always hated my kid going there and it always seemed like he got the "crud" a few days after being there. We haven't been there in years, thank goodness. I especially hate going during flu season--doesn't seem so bad in the summer. I'm only so happy that he is too big for the ball pit.

Am I the only nut out there who feels this way?

 

[chesirekate]

Honestly, I don't like taking Kate to those places either. We have a Caesarland near us and it's just not in good repair. If it was clean and looked like they workers disinfected the mats every day I would be okay with it but... there is no way the mats in that place have seen any kind of cleaner in a long while. I'm not really squeamish and I usually don't think twice about things like that, but when it's just so obvious I can't bear to think of my sweet baby rolling around in all that crud.

 

[CEDmom]

Wow, the Chuck E Cheese by our house in spotless. We were there this morning as a matter of fact. When I take DD we get there at 9:30 when they open. It's relatively quiet and I feel ok about letting her wander around without me at her side. Ours doesn't have a ball pit and she doesn't like going up in the climbing tunnels so that probably saves us from lots of germs.

We've gone to several birthday parties on busy Saturday afternoons and the place was still very clean. I constantly see staff wiping down stuff. I have to say that I've been in other type places by our house for parties and they were like the Chuck E Cheese you're talking about. In fact a few days after 1 such party DD woke up with pink eye and I couldn't help but think she probably got it there.

Good luck. Just make sure to hose him down when he gets home.

 

[Pooh Girl 71]

whoops...wrong thread.

 

[padams]

The Chuck E Cheese by our house is just like the OP's describes-disgusting. I am so glad that DSs 7 and 9 have outgrown CEC.

There is another CEC about 30 minutes from us that is spotless.

 

[Jolie C]

Wow, the Chuck E Cheese by our house in spotless.

The one we go to is really clean, too... (In NJ as well.) I'll count myself lucky, since I don't like to go there much anyway. At least it's clean!

 

[dcg0317]

You think the play area is bad, then don't go into the bathroom , at least the one near me. I won't let DS use it, he can go behind a tree. Haven't been to CC in almost 2 years and don't plan on anytime soon.

 

[CamColt]

Luckily I dont think Ive seen it as bad as you described, but I do get grossed out thinking about germs while there. Im not usually a germaphobe, but this is one place I do worry, especially this time of year. In fact I took DS there last Sunday for his friends birthday party. I couldnt believe I was the only parent who took my kid to the restroom to wash their hands before eating. They had all spent about 1/2 hour running around, playing games, and going in the tubes. Yuk yuk and more yuk!

 

[DisneyAddict_M]

That's a huge reason I don't like it. I told dd about a year and a half ago that it was closed and I'll take her there when it's open. So now everytime we drive by it, she asks me, "Can we go there when it's open?" And I say, "Sure."

I have been to another Chuck E. Cheese that was very clean. I think it depends on which one you go to.

 

[JESW]

The one we go to is also very clean and very well run. I take the kids (DD5 & DS10) there quite often - I also like to play all the games. But I won't eat their cardboard pizza...

Jill

 

[JerseyJanice]

Our Chuck E. Cheese is relatively clean, but I gotta say it--I am so glad my son has just about outgrown it. I hated that place!

I loved having a "little" kid and will miss a lot of kiddie stuff, but going to Chuck E. is one thing I will never miss. I'd have a headache for two days after leaving there.

 

[BWVDenise]

The LAST time we went to CEC, I had to ask the staff to get the fecal matter off the floor in the kiddie section!!! Haven't been back since!

 

[Bob Slydell]

The CEC by our house actually got one of those "clean plate" type awards that the local health inspector gives during random inspection. We've taken DS to it three or four times in the past year or so and he's never gotten sick afterwards.

 

[disneymom3]

It definitely depends on the one you go to. There are two about equal distance from our house and I will NOT go to one of them but the other I am quite willing to do. We go only on school days and right away in the morning. Sometimes we have lunch, sometimes we just play. Their toys prize things have gotten pretty crappy over the years, but overall the one we go to is very clean and bright. The other one feels like you are hanging out in a dungeon.

 

[cgcw]

Wow, the Chuck E Cheese by our house in spotless.

Our is too. I do not hesitate at all taking my daycare kids in there. We usually go around 9:15.

The game manager tests every game every single morning we've been there. Since they have no need for the tickets, they are free for the taking and my daycare makes short work of collecting them.

I have seen someone every time inside the huge crawling thing, wiping it down.

The last time we were there, they were moving the booths away from the wall in order to wipe the sides down, the wall down and vacuum underneath the seats. I was amazed that they go to that level of cleaning.

I have been there on a Saturday, though, with my own kids. No that it's dirty but it sure seems like a place where some parents take their kids and say "okay, we're going to sit here, you go have fun". Not long ago, I took DS4 and a friend of his there. They had some older girl (12-13) come along and take all of their tokens from them. I asked the girl for them back and she denied it was her, told me it was her sister but couldn't point out her sister. I then found the manager so she would be aware of the situation because if the girl did it to my DS & his friend, she would probably do it again. The manager gave us a roll of tokens to compensate and went to talk to the girl herself. I couldn't believe the girl had enough nerve to take them and then go on to deny it. I won't be back on a Saturday if I can help it again. Just a very different crowd.

This reminds me that I did want to sent an email to the corporate headquarters commending the level of cleanliness in our CEC.

 

[goofygirl]

I agree, that place is foul. Is it me, or is there no ventilation in there? When I was in high school, I knew someone who worked there and she had to wear that awful mouse outfit! That mouse is no Mickey, and that place is no WDW!

 

[Kallison]

I felt like my kids got pink eye every time we went. I don't like it either.

 

[Christine]

I didn't mean to insinuate that my local CEC was filty, dirty. Actually, it doesn't *look* that bad (unless your there late on a Saturday). I guess it is more of the fact that there are several hundred kids all crammed in this building, crawling through tubes, vomiting in ball pits, touching everything, touching their mouths,etc. I swear that half of them have a least a runny nose or a terrible cough. It just seems like a breeding ground for all kinds of things. I'm usually not a germaphobe, but CEC just makes me feel dirty.