We all know that the beginning of the school year is an exciting time for the big kids, but it can be just as exciting for little kids...for different reasons, of course! Our family loves Chuck E. Cheese, but it's extra special when the older kids go back to school, since it's pretty much a guarantee the little ones will get to live it up with kids closer to their own age and speed. Picture a more peaceful, calmer version of the summer experience.
Our favorite location is the Orlando Chuck E. Cheese in Waterford Lakes. Today we were the first guests through the door and what a surprise awaited us. One of the staff members was testing the games, leaving the tickets hanging for the taking. I don't think I've ever seen this child's eyes so wide or legs run so fast as he made his way through the game area on what we now call 'Ticket Hunting'. Way to make a child's day before we've even begun!
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| 'Ticket Hunting' and our favorite game of the day! |
I really appreciate that the game floor is small enough that you can keep an eye on the kids, but still big enough to have a wide variety of rides and games at different difficulty levels. After a few rounds on the carousel, a couple of games of ski ball, and successfully tossing a bunch of balls into the hippos mouth, it was time for a pizza break. We went for your basic pepperoni pizza and soda, but I as surprised to see that they've taken the menu up a notch since I had eaten there last.
After lunch, Chuck E Cheese himself made an appearance. The kids came over to dance with him and then sat patiently, ready for the Ticket Splash. For those of you who don't know, the Ticket Splash is when Chuck E Cheese comes over and makes it rain tickets over the kids. Another benefit to this time of year...all the kids are under four years old so it was the most polite grab for tickets you'll ever see!
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| Ticket Splash! |
Prize Time! Thirty tokens, a character time and lunch gave us a solid two hours of fun before the kids were wiped and ready to wrap up the day. We fed our winning tickets into the ticket counting machine and headed over to the prize counter. Special shout out to the staff members with infinite patience who help the kids with their prize choices!
From the time we stepped in the door and got our arm stamps for safety to the time we were ready to leave, the staff made us feel welcome and periodically checked with each family to see if they needed anything. It's so nice to be able to take kids to a place that feels safe enough to let them explore and socialize with other kids their age. It seems like an easy win for birthday parties as well!
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Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. As always, our reviews are our own, honest opinions. We are appreciative to the people of Chuck E Cheese for allowing us to review their establishment and write about the experience.