This Chuck E. Cheese location is probably like most others - crowded, busy and fun! It's being remodeled, but that doesn't interfere with anything but the entrance. All the rides and games are still working. My family isn't crazy about the pizza, so we ate somewhere else and then went to Chuck E. Cheese just to play. We got about 200 tokens for under $30 using a coupon from Sunday's paper. At first that may sound like an expensive bunch of tokens, but we spent two hours there and had a great time. It was cheaper than the movies would have been. And the kids loved it!
I really like the way that this Chuck E. Cheese is laid out because the toddler rides and games are in the back. Games for older kids are in the front. This keeps the toddlers from getting ran over. There's plenty of games so even when it's crowded like today, you don't have to wait in line. I went with two toddlers. They loved ski-ball and the "hit the mole" games. They also enjoyed some of the games aimed for older kids. I think a lot of these games are great for developing good hand/eye coordination. Maybe that's just my justification for being an arcade junkie!
The staff at this location is great. The ones working the ticket area and the restaurant were very efficient and friendly. Others were very visible in the crowd. I like the stamping system, but I don't trust it, so I try to keep the kids together and within an arm's distance. Having the employees so visible and walking around does make it a little safer.
For me, the worst part of a trip here is the ticket cash in. You feed your tickets through a machine, so you don't have to worry about getting them But the choices are just overwhelming for most kids. And, if you spend an hour or so playing games, you'll walk out with a ton of clappers, glow bracelets, candy necklaces, slinkies and more. For a four- or a five-year-old, this must be like a spending spree at the mall. Allow at least 30 minutes for this.
The only reason I'm withholding the fifth star is because of the pizza. It's not very good. The restaurant area has added a few options like sandwiches and salads, but it's still not a great meal. Plus, kids aren't going to want to sit down and eat with everything else to do!
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