Build-A-Bear, is downstairs at the women's Macy's end of the mall. I hadn't been to Build-A-Bear in over a decade since my oldest was a toddler. I quickly remembered why I stopped shopping here. Their stuffed animals are cute, I guess. You can pick one out, stuff it with filling as soft or as firm as you want, dress them up, give them a heart and even record a voice to place inside. Before you leave, make sure to get a birth certificate where you can name them and even assign a date of birth. They no longer give them to you in those boxes shaped like a house, so you'll need to pay extra for one. It's not much more but I can't recall the price, and for the amount you pay for their items, it would be nice to get them for free. I like that they have seasonal and or limited edition options. Be prepared to spend at least $70 per stuffed animal with minimal accessories, which I personally don't think is worth that price tag. My kid wanted a stuffed animal that would remind their significant other of them, so ChocoCat was the pick. Their significant other likes to wear black and red checkered pajamas. Of course we had to put the cat in one too and add the basketball to the outfit since that's the sport they're in. My kid recorded a her voice for them which was an additional charge, but I couldn't say no to such a sweet message. The gift was very well received and everyone loved it.The stuffed animal really represented my kid as well as their boyfriend. It actually ended up being absolutely perfect. Even his mom squealed at how adorable and spot on the gift was. Would I go back anytime soon? Probably not, but I also wouldn't say I would never return. read more

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It was such a nice experience, visiting the build a bear workshop at the Mission Ville mall! Seeing family members personalizing their Bears with voice boxes, spinning stuffing, personal bear wardrobe, reflecting hobbies, and professions. It's just a great positive atmosphere. The prices are still good, The experience was sort of like taking a step back in time, to perhaps a more relaxing, restful period. - reminiscing and making this moment in time more loving/enjoyable with these stuffed toy bears! Also would like to mention that all the employees seemed eager, patient and happy to be there, (making a precious moment for each toy Bear, And new human friend) - did I mention that they also have a paperwork adoption center, to print out certificates too! read more

Build-A-Bear Workshop - Fun store! - Toy Stores Near Me - Mission Viejo, California

It's always a special time at this build a bear. Gifted my niece a card for Christmas and came back with my nephew for his 5th birthday! The staff is so nice and knowledgeable. They of course let him fill the bear and put his beating heart in. They decorate for every season but their selection of bears is never in short supply! Can't put a price on an experience and the joy they get. So glad we have this place in Mission Mall. read more

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We had the absolute best experience with our Build a Bear expert! I wish I got her name; however, we had a lot of fixings for my daughter's bear. Our Build a Bear expert was so patient, kind, personable, and explained thoroughly and did not rush us through the process which was absolutely amazing. The selection of bear options were so great that my daughter spent nearly 15 minutes just deciding which bear to build. In addition, we of course needed sound, smell, heart beat, and all of the cutest clothes. It was such an amazing experience and her patience brought such great value and made it truly the best experience. We will be back. read more

Build-A-Bear Workshop - Toy Stores Near Me - Mission Viejo, California

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Very disappointed. We signed up for their online club so we could take the little ones on their birthday for the special which is you pay their age. When we got there we told them it was her birthday and they have her a crown and stickers. Never once did they tell us that the birthday special was only for one specific bear and got my niece so excited for the one she picked. It was not until we were checking out that they told us and by then her heart was set on that item she picked and dressed up . We couldn't disappoint her. This felt like a bait and switch. Then they kept trying to sell add ons on top of it and said each one in front of the birthday girl so we had to do them. They also kept saying well it's up to your mom to try to make us look bad if we said no. They also had to restock her item bc they let a new person who didn't know what she was doing complete it. So disappointed. The staff is only there to upsell. read more

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I went in expecting to just get a little guy and go but the staff went above and beyond to make my experience at this location absolutely unforgettable. I'm soon moving away from the area I have lived in my whole life and wanted to grab a new friend to bring with me to experience this new journey in my life. Two staff members, Adriana and Kat were so, so helpful and fun to chat with throughout the entire process. I felt very comfortable with these two and got great recommendations to help customize my new friend exactly for me. I got a whole lot more than what I had paid for, because not only was the experience absolutely amazing, but also extremely memorable and I'm very grateful I will be able to bring these good memories with me to my new home very soon. I would like to thank these two again for helping me leave with a lighter heart and more confidence. read more

Build-A-Bear Workshop - Chocolate Chip Pochacco with his outfit on - Toy Stores Near Me - Mission Viejo, California

The employees here are very sweet and helpful. I took my little cousins here for one of their birthdays and they had an amazing time. The store is always organized and the employees are always happy to help. We all left with a smile on our faces! read more

Miss. Heather is the best! She is so kind and knowledgeable. All the staff at this location are so warm and welcoming which is so nice when it's your first time there! They truly made our son's first time so special! They have a great selection of outfits and animals to choose from! I love how they have the pay your age deal! Thanks again to all the staff members who helped us out!! We appreciate you!! read more

Lucy was so authentic and amazing. It was my first time at build a bear and my sons as well. I have only one four year old and I had no idea what age you do the bear/creature/bunny (they have lots of new friends other then bears) She said her son just turned four and he just got his first one, so it was perfect timing. We were kinda in a hurry, which I don't recommend. Definitely allow time and set a budget before going in there. Lucy was so helpful we will be back! read more

Build-A-Bear Workshop - Lucy helping Royce - Toy Stores Near Me - Mission Viejo, California

Ashley went above and beyond to make my daughter's 4 year birthday so special today for her and her friends! Wow I've never been more impressed with a birthday experience. Thank you Ashley!! read more

We did a gender reveal build a bear and the staff Kat and Kat were so helpful and professional. They really made it a special day for us. We will definitely be coming back! Thank you read more

My wife and I took our daughter to build a bear today for her first time. It's her second birthday and they offer a bear for the price of the child's age. So our be was 2 bucks. Alyssa helped us out and you could tell she has a real talent with children. She was so sweet and really made our girls birthday a special one. read more

I would not recommend going to this location. Our teddy bear's seam split open the day after purchasing bringing pools of sad tears rolling down my toddler's cheeks. The bear hadn't been played with and tags were still attached. We also brought an old Build-a-bear to add a song. Employee couldn't find the seam to open it so she randomly cut a hole near the neck which she left open. We took everything back to the store at the Orange Outlets where the service was great! They repaired everything and were far more knowledgeable, caring and had more selection for more purchases. read more

Build-A-Bear Mission Viejo is a yearly holiday tradition for my kids. My son brought his Jack Skellington bear from last year because the sound was not working anymore. Finch and Lucy were so sweet and helpful with my kids! They re-stuffed the old bear and replaced his sound button. They also spent time picking out the perfect songs for my kids' new bears without making them feel rushed. They really went above and beyond making my kids feel valued and special. Thank you, Finch and Lucy! read more

Wow! We sure had an awesome experience at this build a bear! The employees ( Oliver being one of them) were amazing! I think it's important that the store managers/their superiors know this! They could not have been lovelier people. Engaging my children and conversation, professional and made our experience fun and memorable. In all honesty, I was pretty blown away. I was not expecting this at all! I was more or less expecting a highschooler just going through the motions. I used gift certificates I got from Costco and still had a remainder so I will use the leftover in the form of a gift card when needed. I cannot recommend this particular location enough! read more

Build-A-Bear Workshop - Great experience here! - Toy Stores Near Me - Mission Viejo, California

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always go to this location because they have the best service and the sweetest employees

I am very disappointed with our experience today at Build-A-Bear. First, the employee helped the person behind us instead of taking us to fill our 2 stuffed animals. Then, after waiting to use the "bath" because a birthday party was using it as a dressing station, we had to wait until two staff helped the birthday party get bags for their bears while we waited to check out. Finally at check out I learned it wasn't buy one get one 50% off because of the stuffed animals we chose. Of course it was too late to put them back as my son was already in love with his and we had already recorded a message for Mother's Day on the other. This is the last time we will be going to Build-A-Bear. For the price I would expect a much better experience. read more

I always love the staff at this location. They always seem to have the most wonderful personalities. I met my name twin today! Thank you Morgan you and your coworker were amazing (I'm so sorry I cannot remember their name!) you were both Super sweet and very helpful! Thank you for taking the time to make sure everything was just right when stuffing my Ooogie Boogie. Most importantly I walked in today looking for Lock, Shock and Barrel I was so lucky to grab the lasts one on the shelf. Very happy I stepped in today! read more

Build-A-Bear Workshop - Oogie Boogie and his little henchmen - Toy Stores Near Me - Mission Viejo, California

Apparently this store can't seem to get their act together, or hire anybody that wants to show up for work. They closed the store, supposedly because of 3 call outs, for a large party so my niece was unable to make her birthday bear, leaving her, understandably, upset. Not to mention her great grandma is with her to try and make it special. Spoke with the manager who "attempted" to call other staff in, but this should be the job of the district manager, Darilyss, when the manager tried all of her current staff. Better yet, as a district manager, she should have shown up to help out, but heaven forbid she do anything "below her pay grade" I'm sure.... Don't waste your time or money here. Drive a little extra to go to the Buena Park or Cerritos locations. Super nice staff and they have pulled from other stores for staffing with no issues like this location seems to have. Corporate may want to revisit their training strategies for all of their management, not just lower levels, because clearly there are some major issues. Picture below. Just fyi, there is now such thing as a "private" party that can close the whole store at build a bear locations. And that's a quite directly from corporate. read more

Build-A-Bear Workshop - Closed sign for a "private" party. There is now such thing as a "private" party at build a bear that can close the whole store. - Toy Stores Near Me - Mission Viejo, California

My son had a great time here. After a disaster visit on pay your age day, we took him here for his pay your age bear on your birthday month and it was a breeze. Service is wonderful, very in tune with the kids and make it a fun experience for them. Store is clean and well stocked, they have a great selection and sales that offset the prices a bit. Not worth paying retail, but the kids really enjoy it and when there are sales or offers as wonderful as the birthday one, it is very well worth it. read more

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Our Girl Scout troop had a party here today and the happy memories will last a lifetime. Our troop is made up of nuerodiverse girls and I was so impressed how the staff met the girls where they were, helped them process when they were feeling stuck, and made sure everyone enjoyed their visit. There were a few bumps with confusion surrounding our order, but the team made sure to make any issues right and overall went above and beyond for us. I hope this gets passed on to the employees. You were rock stars today. read more

Decided to do a small gender reveal so picked 2 separate bears with 2 separate outfits (1 for boy and 1 for girl) and asked staff to package the right one for us. Ashley and the team went above and beyond to do it as discreet as possible, making sure to not accidentally show us which bear was picked. They modified the box to close all the gaps and even included a note congratulating us we were amazed by the attention to detail and wholeheartedly thank employees of this location for helping us to make this moment memorable read more

Build-A-Bear Workshop - Toy Stores Near Me - Mission Viejo, California

What happened here? The person who stuffed the bear was fine but the checkout employee was so rude. We didn't get a box or a birth certificate for our new bear? When did they stop doing those? What an unremarkable experience. Will not be back. read more

We went in for a build-a-bear birthday party today and had a blast!! The staff, N, B and H were all super friendly, helpful and great with the kids. You can really tell they enjoy what they do. Would definitely recommend hosting a birthday party here! So fun. P.S. no food or drink in the workshop so plan your pizza and cake elsewhere! read more

I walked in today with my little sister & her best friend. The shop was super duper busy and there was only one worker in. I noticed she was taking care of absolutely everybody as best she could. Her name was Morgan. She was the coolest, sweetest employee I've ever met. Especially in the busy environment. Big shout out to her! On a Friday Night, running a poppin' shop in the mall alone, and dealing with a ton of families...absolutely amazing! She handled that shop like a pro. I do feel bad because that's a lot of responsibility but I totally hope she gets recognized and appreciated for that! Btw, we love our bears!!!! Thanks Morgan! read more

We bring our nieces and nephews here for their birthdays every year. The employees are so kind and patient and Morgan has been helping us with our last few birthday bears. She gives the kids a great show, and she makes each little ceremony different for each kid, based on the conversation she had with them. What attention to detail! I highly reccomend this location if you're celebrating birthdays. read more

Build a bear. Build a pony. Build a Marvel bear. Build a Nemo. Build a Dory. Build a dragon! Even better. They have so much to offer boys and girls, and even the kid at heart adults. My favorite that I so wanted to buy is Toothless from How To Train A Dragon! Love him to bits! Next time I stop at a store, I may make that purchase. This store has a lot of good variety. It is a lot smaller than the ones that I have visited, but they definitely do have the more popular items. My friends little niece is into My Little Pony, and this ponies are representing in this store. And Marvel! Who wouldn't want Marvel on their bears?! Or even Star Wars character outfits for their bears?! Yup, they had it all here. The store did have some "bear" spots of no merchandise and made some spaces look a bit empty. They even only have one bear filling station. You know, that machine that stuffs the plush with fluff. ;) No one really greeted me when I walked into the store. The one gentleman that was assisting with filling up this young lady's bear with giving her his undivided attention. And I didn't see any other associates in the store. read more

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We had a few gift cards for here and decided to come on a rainy day. Overall, I was hoping this would have more interactivity for the kids, such as that they stuff their own bears, or do some sewing or tie ups themselves (my kids are 7 and 4 for reference so a little more independent than the average age we saw there). However, the employees are great and communicate really well with the kids. Beware of the the upsell on sounds, scents, heartbeats and clothing. Best to set expectations with your kiddo in advance - IE - "we're getting one doll and you can choose one add-on". Otherwise, a pleasant experience and I can't dock further stars as the employees were really great. read more

This place is in a prime location of the mall. First floor towards the end and easy to get to. My kids LOVE this place and I wish they didn't! It's overpriced in my opinion, but the reason I still give it four stars is because of how much my kids love it. Build-A-Bear isn't for adults. It's for the kids (and for the adults to fork out the green)... and the kids absolutely love it. The Build-A-Bear concept is great. They get to pick their bear and it gets filled with stuffing, then they get to name it and print out a "birth certificate" while in the store. Where they get you is that it doesn't end there. Once your bear is stuffed, your child will quickly realize that there are outfits for their new toy. Shoes, bow ties, sunglasses, hats, dresses, accessories, beds, cars, the list goes on and on. You could spend a lot of time and money here with your kid. If you need to get a smaller child a last minute birthday gift, bring them here and I'm sure you will make their day. read more

Super cute and fun experience but it will cost you a lot if you get the clothing like we did. Was like $85 for the trip which I probably wouldn't do but once. read more

Took my 2 lil ones this morning and the older employee who stuffed the kids bears rudely snatched the bunny off my hands and said "oh no that's my job". There was many more ways of asking for it back so she could tie it up. I used to be an employee in that exact location so I thought I'd speed things up by tightening up the strings as my 3 year old bday boy was freaking out over the sound of the machine. This woman SNATCHED IT right out of my hands! Rudely! I kept my cool cause my kids were there n I'm not about to argue w a grown woman but she needs to learn some manners. There are many ways of communicating n snatching items out of customers hands ain't right. N she works in a children store.... I was very upset. The young lady in the register was truly kind. But the stuffing older lady was rude. read more

It was my son and my first time to Build a Bear today, and we had the most amazing experience. He created a birthday bear to celebrate his upcoming 3rd birthday and loved the whole process, especially naming his new stuffed animal. A special thank you to Auggie and Jill for their kindness and patience. We will definitely be back again soon! read more

Jill you are amazing! I took my daughter to make her first bear on her third birthday and she was phenomenal with her. She was so sweet and kind! I've been having a difficult time since delivering my second baby, and she really uplifted my mood and me feel like I'm doing a great job at motherhood. It's people like Jill, that need to be working here! She really is great. Thank you! read more

The girls here went above and beyond for my littles 3rd birthday. We came in to pick out a bear and my little is obsessed with iron man, they didn't have any iron man bears on display and after a meltdown, which was super embarrassing, the kind ladies went to the back and searched and found us the last iron man bear to stuff. They were so patient and sweet to my kids dispute them giving us and the employees a hard time. About 2 mins in I was done with the experience but they turned it around and we all left happy and with new fluffy friends. This was great experience and I will be back. read more

VERY DISRESPECTFUL EMPLOYEES!!! i will make sure i tell everyone how disrespectful and rude the employees were and to NEVER SHOP AT THAT LOCATION EVER !!! there are so rude!! Me and my fiancé asked a question about locations and their response was yelling at us and giving us a sarcastic answer and as we were shopping they gave us dirty looks making us feel very uncomfortable that we didn't even by anything and left! WORST EXPERIENCE EVER i hope they fire them !!! and to top all that we both wore our mask but i have a medical condition therefore i cannot cover my nose and some old woman employe yelled with in 3 feet away from me (not practicing 6 feet apart) yelling "put the mask over your nose you woman" read more

The bear was pretty expensive and I only bought it a month ago haven't used it much because it's a gift to my newborn baby that isn't born yet, but I just realized that the Audios I paid extra for on both sides stopped working... really sad about it read more

This particular Build-A-Bear has about as much square footage as the others in the area aside from the one located in Disneyland. Fortunately for this one, the parking is free. They have plenty of stock, including My Little Ponies and accepted our coupons, gift cards, and pre-release Fluttershy flyer without any hassle. They made stuffing adjustments to our ponies without complaint (as we prefer to have them more rigid than squishy). Though not a fault of the specific location, all of the buildable plushies there (My Little Ponies included) are quite pricey, ranging from about $20+ (a large pony is $25, and a small pony or Spike is $15). These prices are standard throughout the chain, but it sounds very much like one is paying for the licensing (especially the small ponies) and it does make one think twice before buying the plushies there. If one can accumulate more rebates through their frequent flyer program or look around newspapers and online ads for coupons, the price becomes better and does not strain one's wallet as much, making each individual purchase more enjoyable. Still, expect to spend at least $25 before any discounts while there... even more if you have a plushie lover with you. read more

The Mission Viejo Build a Bear is such a fun place! The staff is awesome and make each experience great. Ness, Tori and Hetti are my favs. As is Tom, the manager. Great place! read more

I used to come to this location as a little girl and loved it. I'm now 28 with my own toddler and we come here after pictures with Santa clause inside the mall. We came last year and he got his $1 birthday build a bear for turning 1. This year we brought him back for his birthday bear for turning 2 and we also had a Christmas bear with Christmas pajamas we made. We got everything stuffed and ready and as we were done making our bear the line got long so we headed to the cashier where nobody was working. We sat there for 20 minutes or more with a cranky 2 year old while the older employee continued to stuff everyone's bears who were in line. We got no service to pay for our bears so we could leave. Finally it became too long of a wait and we just left the bears there on the cash register counter and left without them since nobody was around to let us pay. It's sad because my 2 year old wanted his bears but the lady was too busy helping the long line of costumers waiting to make bears. They really need to have more then 1 employee working especially during the holidays ( 1 week before Christmas)!!! read more

Had a great experience here at build-a-bear. We came in for a very emotional gift for a family member at the hospital next door. Oliver & Tom were great! They were so good with my son & very compassionate. We left extremely happy & we appreciated their kind words. Please give them a pat on the back for the good customer service. read more