Billy Beez

"We went to Billy Beez for the 1st time yesterday, my daughter was invited to her friend's 8th birthday party. When we arrived, there was a long line of people very eager to get in. We noticed a sign that read "Party Guests Here" or something of that sort, so we formed a separate line there, next to the general main entrance. Someone came over to assist us & informed us that adults (anyone 18+) must first fill out a waiver online before entrance, regardless of whether or not you planned to use the equipment/play areas. We were not informed of this prior & did find it to be a bit of an inconvenience, seeing as we had driven almost an hour to get to Billy's & were already running late to the party. Plus if you're not familiar with scanning things with your phone & completing online forms, this could take you longer. They asked for such information including name, address, phone number, email address, date of birth, etc...I understand rules are rules, but it would have been better for all guests to know this before arriving, to make the overall entry process much easier/faster! Anyhow, another thing that annoyed me was that once we had finished with the forms, the 3/4 staff behind the counter were busy assisting regular entrance guests & I had to wait before interrupting one to say "Excuse me!" in order to have assistance with our entry. We were then given wristbands & I did like that staff informed us how if my youngest child didn't want to wear one, one of us adults could wear hers instead. She has Autism & was hesitant to allow one on her wrist, but luckily she agreed to wear it. The overall feel of Billy's was super crowded & even when you're constantly watching your children, it looks as though it wouldn't be difficult to lose track of there whereabouts. Most of the play fixtures are connected & it can be tough at times to see what is going on up above when you're down below. It is defimitely not a good place for someone with anxiety! The birthday party room was on the smaller side & felt crammed. However, I do have positive points. Kids of all ages (big & little) love it! From slides, a ball pit, games, & trampolines to snacks (such as pizza, hot dogs, or ice cream), a photo booth, tunnels & more. They do have a restroom with baby changing stations. It is definitely a fun place to cure boredom in any weather, because it is all indoors. You cannot wear shoes, all playing must wear socks & they do have some available for purchase. Adults are allowed to play too if they wish & must be accompanied by a child. I thought $7 seemed a bit high for a plain white basic photo strip from the photo booth, but I suppose it was worth it. They have an area for shoes & belongings, but it is unsupervised at all times. I think staff could be more attentive upon entrance to help lines move more smoothly, especially for those preparing to attend a birthday party, but they were at least friendly. We would like to go back again, because our girls really had a blast! A good way for kids to enjoy themselves & get their energy out. I think it's also a nice thing to have at the Holyoke Mall. Lastly; only 1 person allowed at a time on the trampolines, so be prepared to wait awhile! They also don't have anyone (staff members) to give turns, so basically as soon as someone is in line behind you, you feel rushed & must wrap it up, so that everyone can have a chance to use it. Might not be a bad idea if staff could monitor this & time each guest so that they have a fair amount of play time on it, without taking up so much time that others miss out or have to wait too long."

"A brilliant, safe, indoor play space for kids. Lots of climbing structures and slides. Has a few small trampolines. Serves food. Great for birthday parties."

"I had my son’s birthday here. The room was set up nicely and the area is fun for the kids. However, the manager for the events came off a rude and condescending . I paid for my event in advance. Three days prior to event I told them I may have an extra 2 people. They said okay I’ll update the contract. When I got there I explained that I would not have extra people anymore. (It’s flu season). The manager stated there was nothing she could do I needed to pay for the extra people. I explained to her that it didn’t make sense because I hadn’t signed a new contract yet and I had already paid for the event so I didn’t see why I needed to pay for people who were not coming. She stated “it can’t be changed, you do, it’s ONLY $8” and emphasized the amount. Point is, I spoke to someone a total of 3xs before the event and went over everything with them and we had an understanding. So to me it didn’t matter that it’s ONLY $8 it matters the attitude you give me and the way you speak to me. I would not do anything in the future there if that same manager is in charge of events. She needs a customer service class or just an understanding of the common “golden rule”."