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Chuck E. Cheese is one of those places that you hope you won’t ever have to go to again when you make the decision to eat and live more naturally…at least is was for me. The last time I went to CC was a long time ago but I still vividly remember a lot of sickly looking kids with green snot running down their faces and hacking up a storm all the while they had their hands all over the games and play toys. The last time I went it was winter time and it seemed everyone had a cold. Sure enough, my kids did get sick after that visit. Well, my son turned six this weekend and he decided he really wanted to visit Chuck E. Cheese. Well, okay…if I must.
I made sure we all ate very well at home before we went out and I explained that we would be playing games only…no pizza and no soda would be had at all. Surprisingly they were okay with that and they never even asked once for any of those things, despite the fact that we were surrounded by them. I was happy to see that no children looked visibly sick. But I did remember another reason why I hate places like that. I really start to feel as though I am the only one who still believes in parental supervision at these places. Children run absolutely wild and parents are just oblivious! They congregate together and catch up on the latest gossip while their children terrorize other guests. My two youngest children barley missed being pelted by ski-balls that were thrown outside of the designated area (deliberately). My oldest child was being followed around by an older child (who I would guess had Down’s syndrome) that would wait until my son inserted a token and would then push my son away to play the game or wait until my son was finished and then steal his prize tickets. He was also doing that to several other children. Where were his parents?! I never once saw them in the two hours we were there. Another child that looked to be about 12 or 13 years old was trying to remove the metal plates that covered the ticket dispensers so that he could steal tickets. Lots of children were running wild like this, with a sugar high from all the high fructose corn syrup they were drinking in their sodas.
I am so glad that I do not frequently have to subject myself or my children to that place. But of course now my daughter has talked non-stop about how she wants to go back.
Anyone else have a Chuck E. Cheese horror story to share?
Christy said,
August 27, 2006 at 10:12 pm:
I have many of the same feelings about Chuck E. Cheese that you do, but I believe that the greatest horror story ever from one of our family’s visits involved the ridiculous unprofessionalism of the staff and bizarre-ness of the stage show. Once, while we were sitting and the kids were watching the animatronic show, the back of the cheerleader duck’s head fell off, and the animatronic thing kept on singing. She mouthed lyrics, waved her hands in the air, and swung her head from side to side, all while a snarl of wires and gears shot out of the back of her head. My children were slightly disturbed. So, I went to tell a “cast member” about it, assuming they’d close the show early, close the curtains, and reattach her head before the next show. So what does the teenage “cast member” do? He jumps on stage while the show is still going on, picks up the back of the duck’s head off of the floor, places it on the back of her head, and proceeds to POUND it repeatedly with his fist to get it into place. Nice. Klassy.
And the running children, unsupervised older kids, oblivious parents, and general insanity level are not good either. We’re blessed to now live over an hour’s drive from any of the closest Chuck E. Cheeses.
Carrie said,
August 29, 2006 at 12:42 pm:
I hate Chuck e Cheese’s too for a couple of the reasons you mentioned. Firstly, the no supervision thing. I ALWAYS trail my kids… I have two and dh has two, and we don’t let them wander around alone. We’ve had some of the rude kids (dh has had a run in with some of these!) who push ahead when your child puts his money in. Grr…
My kids have never eaten the food there though, they’re always content to play the games. So we’ve never really paid attention to the animatronic thingie. it’s so loud and chaotic though. I hate that!
Tiffany said,
August 29, 2006 at 3:41 pm:
I always trail my kids too. If Dh isn’t home to go with us then both of my parents come to help. I can’t imagine turning them loose on their own.
Ran said,
November 24, 2007 at 3:06 pm:
I took a job as a Tech. Manager at Chuckie E. Cheeses, hoping for a nice quite job, what the hell happened? With in the first weeks of this job, I got the flu, momo, and a server staph infection. The workers comp lady came to see me in the hospital and ask me very personal questions, like what I did I do in the military and was I sexual active, and how old was my son?
I did some checking and these restaurants have been sighted for many, many health violations. I do not have ax to grind with the Chuck but when the GM came in and said to a cast member how had acne bad, “you need to shave!†I went off! The GM told me that nice guys finish last, and this is a place to take the kids?
Go ahead violate the I-9 forms, while the real Americans stand in line at the employment office.
I use to take my son to the chuck and cut him loose, now, Oh no; we will go to the park, fly a kit before I take him the cesspool of bacteria/virus at the Chuckieâ₦.
Chuckie E. Cheeses does not use equipment to keep their establishment clean, if you will notice many places like DQ or some BK use Ultraviolet lights. It seems the managers at Chuckie don’t know what these lights do, they kill bacteria and some virus, furthermore, it is dark in most of these stage shows, with dim lighting. Also if you will notice that some establishments have a blower when you come in the door not the chuckie…now if you had your choice to go to a restaurant that had a robotics mouse or UV lights which would you go to?
Just take a look at the DPH web site in Richmond Va. the workers are not even alowed to ware Gloves or other personal protective equipment. Even if they have to handle body fluids. And you want these people to handle your food, wipe your table, and work on the ice maker several months back there was mold in the ice maker(DHP), this could have been stoped by UV lights, or seals in the ice maker.
Another lady told me this:I would never take my daughter here again. This place is not clean and the people that work here are young kids trying to make a couple of dollars and they do not care. I think that this place can be better if they did a re organization. My friend took her kid here as well and got sick from another kid because that kid had pink eye.
Do not take your kids here!
Check the DPH web site before you go to any chuckie cheeses, and I feel you will make another choice.
Rebecca said,
February 10, 2008 at 11:15 am:
I have a hard time believe you were a tech manager as Chuck E. - considering you can’t even spell it.
I work at store #118, yes it is hell, yes I hate it and yes some stuff that goes on there is sick. However we do have the black lights and we DO wear gloves when we serves kids pizzas. Our kitchen ladys do no because they do not touch the food after it’s been cooked. Yeah most of the workers at my store are illegal, or teenage brats wanting to make money but we’re not 100% careless.
Clare said,
February 10, 2008 at 7:16 pm:
i actually work at a chuck e. cheese and i know that when i have children they will never step food in a chuck e. cheese. I find that most parents that bring their children to CEC only really want to get away from they kids and not really have to deal with them. I am pestered by little kids who want prizes but don’t have enough tickets. I have been sworn at by children as well as adults, i hate my job, and i can’t wait to quit.
Hugh G stfnmn said,
February 26, 2008 at 12:38 am:
I actually saw a mother really smack someone once when there was no one looking.
Hugh G stfnmn said,
February 26, 2008 at 12:40 am:
Why cant I find my blue buttons? I lost my blue buttons and I cant find them.. You will see. Just wait until you loose your blue buttons. It wont be quite so funny then.