GC to Chuck E Cheese...

[twowhat?]

We got 2 GCs to CEC for the girls' 3rd birthday from a family friend. Does this belong in the BP?? All I can think of is this:

http://www.rantsfrommommyland.com/2010/10/i-partied-with-chuck-e.html

How bad is it really? Is it THAT bad? It seems a little weird...for 3-year-olds...

[fivi2]

I have been to two CEC's (and had our 4 yo party at one!). One of them is new and nice and clean. We would go frequently on a weekday morning when it opened (when I sah). We didn't eat, just got tokens and played. It was usually EMPTY at that time. We loved it. Weekends are pretty crazy, but they are at a lot of kid places.

Then we went to a party at an older one. It was much like the post you linked described. Pretty hellish. It was dark and dirty and crowded.

So I would look around in your area for a new one. Go when it won't be crowded. I think 3 yos can find stuff to do there.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Weekday morning at 10am= lots of cheap, good fun, ime! Good even for 3yos.

Beth

[kristenk]

DD, at 7.5, still adores CEC. I've learned to live with it and know that taking her there brings an absurd amount of joy to her life.

A few hints. Go during the week, in the morning. Be there soon after it opens and plan to play games then. More people start arriving close to lunch. DD doesn't care either way about the food. She wouldn't be heartbroken if we didn't have lunch there, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. You're definitely NOT going to CEC for gourmet fare.

There are a lot of different games and there are several that younger kids would enjoy.

I have a possibly irrational (but most likely very rational) fear of the germs and filth lurking in the climbing tunnels. DD has NEVER been allowed inside of them and is a-ok with that. They can seem like a free-for-all sometimes if you watch the dynamics going on inside.

We wash hands a lot.

She loved feeding the tickets into the ticket chomper.

You end up with a lot of junk that you could have purchased for 1/20th the cost elsewhere, but at least you have gift cards to use. And you could probably hold off on using them for a while if you want to delay the experience.

I avoided going there during cold & flu season.

[LisaMom2Allie]

Wow, I just read some of that post and they must have experienced a really nasty CEC. Personally, we generally go on a weekday(summer or school day off) and it is not as crowded. I have been to a party on the weekend and it is crazy busy.

I find it to be pretty clean-there is always a manager on duty walking around, they are very quick to clean the tables and are friendly and I have even eaten their salad bar GASP! The salad bar is always fresh because they only use small containers of food and refill frequently-I have personally observed this on many occasions.

I seriously might be the only one to stand up for CEC but with a coupon it is a decent deal and the kids really seem to enjoy it. I feel comfortable letting my daughter(now 8) run around and play. I do make her come get me before she goes to the bathroom-I am still not comfortable with letting her go alone places, you never know who could be in there LOL!

[niccig]

Our CEC isn't as bad as the one described in Rants. We've gone for a couple of parties. I don't like it - it's too noisy for me. I prefer to go to a place that has a great big indoor playground - it's very clean as an adult can climb through it standing.

I would go early one weekday and if you don't like it, you can leave and not be out any money as you have a GC.

[lalasmama]

I have a possibly irrational (but most likely very rational) fear of the germs and filth lurking in the climbing tunnels. DD has NEVER been allowed inside of them and is a-ok with that. They can seem like a free-for-all sometimes if you watch the dynamics going on inside.

We wash hands a lot.

I avoided going there during cold & flu season.

:yeahthat:

:bag It's a pretty rational fear. When XH and I were married, he did some "father-son" time with his 6yo at Chuck E Cheese's..... And a day later, he woke with a c.l.a.s.s.i.c Chicken Pox rash all over, and told us that he had been itchy since the day before. In other words, on a Saturday afternoon in the middle of winter, I'm sure we caused more than 1 or 2 cases of chicken pox to happen. Ooops. Now, DD can only go when she's really super-duper healthy, and we Purell at the top of each hour.

[justlearning]

I don't think it's bad at all. Ours is clean and nearly always empty (I've gone with my boys at off-times during the day.) Every single game is only one token, which is 25 cents or less if you have a coupon. I also really like the machine that prints out their pictures in sketch form--we've gotten some really cute ones from there! They also have machines that print out a driver's license with your picture, etc.--and all those are still only one token each.

Ours isn't close by so we don't go often, but whenever we do I print out coupons from their website for 30 free tickets and free tokens for good grades or doctor visit or whatever. So it turns out being lots of entertainment value for little money (especially when my boys spend a long time playing a game of air hockey, for example, for just a token.) We've never eaten there--I just go for the kids to play.