@ChoatieMom haha! Yes!
@milee30 One thing I do remember about Chuck E Cheese is that it wasn’t super clean. I’m no germaphobe, but it does still stick with me. That’s what I liked about Kidsasaurus and all these other places, they seemed cleaner. I’m sure they weren’t and I’m sure the ball pit and play structure were swimming in germs, but they gave the outward appearance of looking clean…may explain why they were slightly more expensive then Chuck E Cheese.
In this day of anti-vaxxers, I would think hard about letting my kids romp around those indoor ball pits. We’ve been to CEC only once… and that was plenty. Ours did not serve adult beverages and did not have those giant rats running around, but it was loud as heck, greasy, and icky.
I actually liked the pizza. The ones I have been to weren’t that bad if you were there on a weekday(kindergarten went as part of field trip), but Saturday morning could be pretty awful. Everything is almost an hour away from me, but the one in Florence was much better than the one in Tupelo. Cleaner, better run, and the people/kids there acted better. I can only imagine the germs in a place like that, but really school isn’t much different. That’s why I make my kids wash their hands as soon as they get home and take a bath before bed.
Areas with the highest amount of anti-vaxers will vary:
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/anti-vaccine-hotspots-rise-across-u-s-study-finds-n882461
Nonetheless, I’m sure CEC’s are gross.
I think we’ve been to CEC once. My more distinct memory is of the Pistol Pete’s Pizza Palace we went to in Central Texas. Older kid was tiny and went right into overload and we left early.
And I may as well confess that I had a horrible moment reading about multiple independent sightings of a “giant rat” until I realized you were all (I hope!) talking about someone in costume!
This thread is making me realize the one thing I do not miss from the kid’s childhood is their birthday parties. I found them to be just a lot of work to organize and have. Maybe it’s because my boys birthdays were 10 days apart.
Tough crowd. My youngest, who was full of tons of energy as a young child, loved Chuck E. Cheese. I did take enjoyment in watching my kid’s enjoyment and living in a place with long, cold, snowy winters, it provided a place to burn off energy and hang out with friends when it wasn’t possible to be outdoors for long.
I thought about starting a “remember birthday parties you planned” thread - have we done that before??
@abasket yes!! That’s a great idea!
Last night all my dreams were based on being at a Chuck E. Cheese. Thanks thread…
@conmama I always enjoyed planning my kid’s birthday parties and seeing them have fun! But, you’re right it is a lot of work and it’s very tiring for both the kids and parents.
@doschicos Yes, in cold climates an indoor play place like Chuck E Cheese is a godsend.
My fabulous neighborhood Chuck E Cheese!!
https://www.heraldnet.com/news/snohomish-health-district-closes-chuck-e-cheese-in-lynnwood/
I must have gone for the first and possibly only time about 35 years ago in a D.C. 'burb. It was a whole new concept. At that time there was zero security or accountability by the restaurant. So, as an extra mom hanging around I placed myself between the “fun” and the front door and watched like a hawk. There weren’t even barriers! Anyone could have easily snatched a kid in no time. I was appalled.
@HiToWaMom - howdy neighbor! 
Kid went to that filthy place once back in mid-90s. I was surprised to see in that link that it was still open in 2019! Holy cow, it took the Health Departmet so long to shut them down. ?
@VaBluebird Oh dear! I heard they have barriers now. But still…
@HiToWaMom Oh god! Good thing it was finally shut down!
@BunsenBurner I wonder how many more Chuck E Cheese places should be shut down
omg 75 posts in the chuck e cheese thread. Had to come see. The one good thing about the place was they were very strict about who left with which kids and checked matching IDs or something. So you could let kids run around without worrying they would escape or go home with the wrong person.
Ha! See my post. Not in the beginning!
I do remember going there with my little ones during the horrible winters when we were cooped up. I also remember going to the fast food restaurants that had ball pits and play areas. Anything to get out of the house and rid of kid energy. Truthfully, I never worried about germs, at that point it was more about keeping my sanity. Like I like to say, it was either put on another Barney video or you get a crazy mom. What’s the worse evil lol.
In the days my kids and I went, no one watched who was coming or going. I never heard of any problems, so maybe it was not an issue there.
There was a KidZone which was very particular and checked carefully as parents left kids to go shopping. At our CEC, the kids were supervised by the adults who brought them or go were hosting.