Chuck E Cheese

[ChetMC]

Do you take your kids to Chuck E Cheese? Why or why not?

[Drummer's Wife]

we do on occasion. It's definitely not something *I* look forward to, but the kids enjoy it there. At least the closest one to us is pretty nice and clean. I think the pizza is nasty and eat off the salad bar.

[newbymom05]

I don't because my oldest is 3.5 and --for us-- that is too young for video games. Once he's over 5 I'll consider it, but the idea of going to a place like that to waste our money--for what? I'd much rather take him somewhere like bowling or a bounce house.

Of course I haven't been in a CeC since I was a preteen, which was a LONG time ago, so maybe I'm missing something fabulous. But I'm willing to risk it.

[queenjane]

Not Chuck E. Cheese really,but when my older son was little i would take him to Ceasarland quite often (just like chuck e. cheese but little ceasar pizza)...he could run around and play and i could read or whatever. We'd also often go to a mcdonalds with a playland.

When we'd go to ceasarland, it would be during the day and not on a weekend, so it wouldnt be very busy. I hate it when those places are packed full of kids and birthday party groups....chaos reigns. Of course, if you go in the middle of the day you get to see lots of moms with 2 or 3 yr olds yelling at their kids, and thats no fun either. I've heard that some of these types of places can be really dirty but our local one is fine. Either that or i have low standards.


Katherine

[Ivan's Mom]

We went once and it was yucky. The pizza is tasteless and just not good, a lot of the small kid stuff was broken, and it was loud and dirty. We wont be going back. Don't know why I wanted to go in the first place :

[junipermoon]

yes we go. the boys are not allowed to do the shooting games. we don't eat there. it is a great deal. good for cold days, way cheaper than the movies, too. they love it.

i used to hate it, i mean a lot of dread, and then i learned to just focus in on my kids and kind of finding a way to disconnect from the lights/sounds frenzy.

occasionally i find myself caring for unattended kids, esp toddlers, when it is crowded. sometimes a kid will be overwhelmed or sad or whatever and that can be a bummer. though often it is fascinating to see little ones managing on their own and some very tiny kids are amazingly self sufficient. and cute.

[Mountaingirl79]

We go to the one in town a few times a year. The boys really like it now that their older. I like that ours is small and clean and we all play the games together. Sometimes we don't even eat there. So...yeah, we go. It is taxing on someone like me who doesn't like long periods of beeps and whistles and screams and such. LOL But I've enjoyed it the past few times we've taken the boys.

[milkmamamerina]

Originally Posted by newbymom05

Of course I haven't been in a CeC since I was a preteen, which was a LONG time ago, so maybe I'm missing something fabulous. But I'm willing to risk it.

I hadn't either and I was avoiding it for a while, but I was pleasantly surprised, it was redone (at our location, at least) with young children in mind. Video games are all child-friendly and there are lots of ride-on toys, basket ball, soccer, a drumming game, and even a hampster tube/slide-type apparatus. So yes it's still a lot of chaos, and the pizza is so-so to poor, but all in all it's not too bad. We try to reserve it as a place for celebrations so we adults don't have to endure it too often.

[Shera971]

I went once and while my son had a great time, I thought the food was HORRIBLE! So I'd consider going again but will definitely eat before hand.

[karemore]

Yes, we go once a month. ONLY on a weekday when school is in session! And early, they open at 9 am believe it or not.

We get there between 9:30 and ten and leave at lunchtime when it starts to pick up a bit.

They are usually very clean in the am.

With coupons online you can get tokens for 10 cents each. During the week you don't have any pressure to buy their food. They don't care if you have sippy cups, and we have never been approached about giving our kids snacks we bring along. I've seen moms whip out lunchboxes and feed their kids a whole lunch from home.

They have a toddler area with a small slide. The little kids love to climb on the rides, and it is very inexpensive for toddlers.

Now that DD is old enough to play some of the games, it's still a cheap morning out.

We are big CEC fans, but that's only because we are able to go when older kids are in school.

[Sierra]

We've gone for a birthday party. We won't go for any other reason. The food is very low quality (putting aside how unhealthy it is) and it is so super over-stimulating. I'm not into it and can't see a good reason for me to allow my kids to get into it.

[brackin]

Not to the one here--it's dirty and the food is awful. We occasionally go to the one in my parents' town. The food is still awful, but it's much cleaner.

[Liquesce]

Maybe I just read too much, but TBH this article kind of put me off the whole notion of the place.

[Ceili]

We go, but only early in the mornings (ours opens at 9am) when school is in session. We meet friends there and it's usually empty except for us. We have a good time. Our CEC is fairly new and well maintained. It's nice during the winter when it's too cold or too rainy to be outside. We've become friends with the day manager and we rarely have any problems while we're there. I won't go on the weekends though, it's way too crowded.

[kriket]

I enjoyed reading the responses! That article was... intresting. It makes me sick that adults really do act like that!

I think I would take a kid for a special occasion, like a birthday or maybe a really good grade improvement KWIM?

Probably not just because it is friday!

Too bad they don't have discovery zone anymore!

[funkymamajoy]

Not if I can avoid it (my in-laws like to have my nephew's birthday parties there). The food is bad, its expensive and I find it overwhelming.

[littlemizflava]

oh ya i love there wish i could go more there is this game there that me and my bestfriend play. the older ones have to stick together and can go play games and my son is to young so he has to stay with me. we dont eat there we bring snacks and drinks. love it because kids cant get out with out me every parent is matched with their kids via stamps on their hand u can only see with a blacklight. if you do go there sign up online u get bonus coins for bdays and even get some for good grades in school (works for hs too.

[Mymble]

yes, my experience is pretty much the same as karemore's -- we go during the week, during school hours. It's generally deserted and we never buy food. They've never said anything to us about DD's water bottle or snacks. As for games, she only likes to play skee-ball!! And DH plays pinball. Then we're out of there. It's actually a pretty cheap hour or so indoors, which we can really use in winter!

[onlyzombiecat]

I've been to a Chuck E Cheese twice in my life.

We don't go because-
1. We were not impressed with the food quality.
2. It is loud and dd is noise sensitive.
3. We don't eat out often and when we do I would like to spend our time together talking and eating.
4. The closest location is over an hour drive from where we live.

[Lemon Juice]

We go when dp has to visit his hotel in Portland, ME (which is 4 hours from us). We tag along and he drops us off there. It is quiet (during the day ) and clean and we can stay there 3 hours and not be bored while we wait for him. Food is awful but we get the salad bar to help with that. It is also great for winter days in Maine where I can sit back and nurse my newborn and watch my kids run and play and have fun.

But you couldn't pay me enough to go on the weekend when it's jam packed full of people!