The most unempathetic manager ever, Mario. We went here to do the birthday Build-A-Bear tradition for our son and had no idea you're supposed to go during the birthday month. His first birthday was just two weeks ago, and he wouldn't make any exception to the rule. We went a couple of months to inquire on the birthday bear and we were told that we pay the age of the child and don't need to come on the exact birthday. He was intimidating, dismissive, and honestly just rude. As first-time parents, we were so excited to start this sweet birthday tradition with our son, and instead, the experience was completely ruined because of how we were treated. I completely understand having policies, but there's a way to enforce them with kindness and empathy--especially when it involves a child celebrating their first birthday. Really disappointing and heartbreaking experience. read more

I brought my niece here and she had a blast. She enjoyed picking a bear and the clothes. Stuff was somewhat helpful. The concept of the store is fun and exciting for the kids, I wish staff was better trained and more into it. read more

Do not go here!!!!! Mario is the worst Manager Ive ever encountered! Incredibly disrespectful to me and my wife. I don't understand how you guys hire people who do not even care about kids! Ruined the whole experience, and day for my son! Please go to a different location if you want a staff who actually cares about the experience for your child! Will never step foot in this place again. read more

The worst unempathic staff in the world. Wouldn't recommend buying from here as the staff is rude and slow.

The aspects that are about the experience itself are fine. It's fun, kids love seeing all the clothes (even if they didn't build the animals themselves) and the stuffies are good quality and well built. However, this place is kind of a ripoff because everything id a little more than buying it online and then picking it up here. You would need to wait until the next day too so you can't even order in store and they won't honor the website price, strangely. Additionally, the clothes don't fit all animals the same so I'd try them / bring your animal - we got a onesie that is way smaller on one animal and fits well on another. Lastly the staff was grumpy and when we had a problem with our gift card they had no idea how to deal with it or override it. Overall, not dying to be back but unfortunately my kids want more doll clothes read more

Build-A-Bear Workshop - Classic bear and pinky pig having movie night in their new jammies - Toy Stores Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Never really done the Build-A-Bear thing, but my daughter want to try it and said, sure. Good news is that's it's a very positive experience. Bad news like everything else these days, is that it's expensive. They are going to get your money for sure. Still, my daughter was really happy at the end, so it was worth it. It's not just bears you can build here, but dogs, cats, and other creatures. It has a wide selection of creatures, so that was also pretty good. read more

Can't ever go wrong making memories here at BAB. My son just had to get the Grinch. He is soooo adorable. The staff here are super friendly and has great customer service. P.S. Don't forget the certificate:) read more

Build-A-Bear Workshop - Grinch 10/10 super adorable!!!! - Toy Stores Near Me - San Mateo, California

This place is so much fun for kids and adults alike! They take COVID seriously and don't deserve the lower ratings due to complaints about masks and waiting times; they are taking precautions to keep customers safe and I really appreciate that! Wait Time: - can be long during peak times because the store is small and they take proper COVID precautions but the wait is shorter than other locations Staff: - really friendly, observed they tried hard to help and make every customer feel special - knowledgeable and patient with the kids (and parents!) - they do upsell (as I imagine they're trained and expected to do) but it wasn't obnoxious and they were respectful Price: - there's a range of pricing but it's definitely not cheap and see it being a special reward and experience Parking: -tons of easy/open parking at this mall location; it's a perk to hit up Hillsdale instead of Valley Fair read more

Build-A-Bear Workshop - Staff stuffing my bear and putting its heart inside! Awwwww - Toy Stores Near Me - San Mateo, California

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A fan favorite for kids, I used to come myself when I was younger and now that I have kids of my own, I wanted them to experience the joy of building their own stuffed friend at a Build-A-Bear workshop. I had heard that in a child's birthday month, you can get a bear for a price equivalent to how old the child is turning. So since my son was turning 2, I expected to be able to get a bear for $2. While this promotion is in fact a thing, what the fine print did not show was that this was only for a specific birthday bear and it just so happened that this bear was out of stock when we came by. Since we had already made the trip, I didn't want to leave empty handed so we ended up paying full price for another option instead. The experience itself from start to finish is still as I remember it - getting to watch the staff member stuff the toy, adding in a heart, and then choosing out clothes to dress your friend after. They even have a "beating" heart now, which is so cool! When you hug the toy, it will activate a toy that thumps, so it's like your toy is really alive. Kids will get a kick out of it. One thing that I noticed while shopping here are that all the sales associates are really good at their jobs. Not just in creating a fun place for kids to be at, but also in how they sneakily upsell the adults. There's no language like "would you like to purchase this upgrade today?" Instead, it's "which color of (upgrade) would you like today?" You don't even realize that what your choosing is adding on to your total price until you get to the register. So just something to be mindful of! read more

As a super protective mom and promoting double masking to protect our children. This shop really takes the pandemic seriously and does what they can to keep us safe. I greatly appreciate it. My toddler (3) and I are more than happy to wait in line outside so that we can prevent the spread. It was our first time and all of the staff are more than happy to walk us through every step. Thank you so much, my daughter had a blast! read more

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Writing this review solely for the associate named Mario. He was a 10/10 all around. He was polite, engaging, helpful and had a very pleasant personality. I appreciated how efficient he was in getting my family into the store. Especially, seeing as he was the only associate on the entire floor. And even under the immense pressure of working the store alone, his service was still top tier. My kids thoroughly enjoyed themselves and he was great at making them feel right at home. Thanks Mario! read more

If your child is even slightly over the age of 2 and can't/won't wear their mask, you will be denied access. My family and I tried to go to the store but was denied because my newly 2 year old won't wear a mask. I informed the employee the local mask ordinance states that "any child 2 years old or less must not wear a Face Covering because of risk of suffocation." And also that "the Order does not require that any child aged twelve years or less wear a Face Covering." The employee said that it is there store policy. Rather than arguing, my family and I left and my child super disappointed. I went on the Build-A-Bear website and it states in their FAQ page "guest are expected to follow local government and mall requirements." It also states that "Bear builders will be wearing a Build-A-Bear mask and ENCOURAGE our guest to do the same." Upon gaining that information from their website, I called the store to obtain the store managers name and store number since I will be contacting corporate. Fortunately the store manager picked up and I was able to tell her my experience. She was super nice about the whole thing and apologized and told me that she will talk to her general/area manager about their mask rule and call me back. She called me back and said that they are still enforcing the "2+ mask rule" because they are following State order although the company website clearly says LOCAL. I let her know that the verbiage needs to be changed on their website because it contradicts what they are enforcing in their store. The only reason why I'm leaving a 2 star opposed to 1 is because the manager was actually pleasant to talk to. (Side note: we've actually been practicing with our 2 year old to wear and keep it on but if you can only imagine the struggle....) read more

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The woman who works mornings there followed my partner and I the entire time, to the point where she was standing almost touching my back and looking over my shoulder while I was picking out a skin. She was even ignoring people in line for the stuffing part to come stand right behind me, invading my personal space. She rudely demanded to know what I was doing (I was literally just finding the skin I liked and she saw that) and glared at me the entire time. I'm not a child-- I'm an neurodivergent adult who happens to love plushies but she treated us like we were about to rob the place. I used to associate BAB with happy memories when I was a kid so I was surprised to be treated like a criminal as an adult. read more

As an adult purchasing a bear for myself, the staff were extremely friendly and answered all the questions I had! They were also understanding when I had changed my mind about a bear they were putting an online order for me. My only complaint is a miscommunication issue that I wanted them to ordered a pre-stuffed bear for me, not an unstuffed one. Otherwise I had a pleasant time at the store itself! read more

Build-A-Bear Workshop - Unstuffed $15 online special bear - Toy Stores Near Me - San Mateo, California

Let me start with the good: I'm happy with the basic Batman bear that I bought for my daughter. It's certainly a positive outcome and the bear is wonderful, complete with a "birth certificate" with the bear's name and other details. That is not why I'm writing this review. I'm writing this review because this is overall a negative experience where you spend literally every moment in the store being up-sold by employees, who verbally rush you through a pre-planned sequence of options that are, at best, only partially or marginally disclosed by small pricing placards in the corresponding area. Most importantly, the bear on display that was listed at $32.95 on the shelf with a complete costume is not the actual bear, nor the final cost. The actual bear is an empty skin that costs $32.95 that is then filled at the filling station, which is fine. But first they take you to the "voice" station where, for an extra $8.95, you can select a voice for your bear. I was unclear whether this is a chip/speaker that goes into the bear or is just a novelty that you get to experience. Either way, after the voice station, you get to choose a "beating heart" for your bear for another $6.95. Don't worry-- the "basic" heart is included if you are too cheap to give your child's bear the beating heart. Oh, and the costume that is actually needed to make the bear look like Batman is another $12.95. Same for the boots that the bear on display was wearing-- those are extra, as are all the other accessories. Basically, if you want anything beyond the filled skin with the Batman logo, you're looking at doubling (or more) the price of what was marked under the completed bear. I felt manipulated into spending as much as possible, and also ashamed that I didn't spend the $6.95 on the beating heart for my daughter's bear. In other words, this was a negative experience when it should have been a positive one. It's also clear the employees are in a huge hurry, which makes sense because a custom bear for $32.95 that takes 10 minutes to complete is not a super efficient use of their time. I get it-- but maybe they should charge more and include more. Don't get me wrong-- there are a number of positives to building your own bear here. But I'm glad that my daughter is not old enough to understand capitalism; sadly, this workshop has a monopoly on building custom bears and there is nothing I can do beyond complaining on Yelp. read more

My baby just turned 2 today and has never worn a mask before because he was too young. We thought we would celebrate his birthday with a build a bear and the two ladies ruined his time. He obviously wasn't comfortable with his mask covering his nose and was crying every time they made me put it back on "properly" We were the only ones in the whole store and they could've been a little more considerate giving the circumstances that they were fully aware of. He didn't get to do anything other than choose out his bear and to top it off they didn't have birthday bears so we basically wasted our time. I would avoid coming to this build a bear read more

#NationalTeddyBearDay We dropped into (BABW) & didn't expect to get a bear. However #NationalTeddyBearDay at $6.50, sure! Why not! I'm not sure who the MGR is & I hope this review gets escalated to Corporate. The help w/ EVERY single staff member was pure amazing! I know having to deal w/ retail, customer service and especially children is no easy task. Manager...you know who was scheduled for work yesterday. Please show them this review & please continue treating them well. "When you take care of your workers, they will take care of your clients" - Richard Bronson (Sunday, September 8, 2019) read more

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My experience here at the store was absolutely amazing because of Alexis! Where do i even start... Alexis greeted me and my sister in a very genuine and friendly manner. Alexis suggested a few things and gave me enough time and space for me to decide and finally got the bear i wanted, and Alexis stuffed the bear real good. Alexis went above and beyond with the bear really thankful to you Alexis! I'll be back to the store and hope to see you again! read more

I had a great time there today building bears with my friends to exchange with each other before college! Shaleen was the name of the worker who helped us and she really brought the magic. The only reason why I didn't give a 5/5 is they were missing Alf of the bears on display and the outfit options available were really limited compared to the ones they had advertised and displayed. Really fun experience though! read more

I've never had the opportunity to actually "Build A Bear" but I did get the chance to do a side-a-long with my 10 year old niece. The process was easy, you pick a deflated bear, take it to the employee so she can fluff it up, stick a heart in it dress it up (that took forever to decide), create the birth certificate and your off. That's it. You are done. The end.. read more

Build-A-Bear Workshop - Making her birth certificate. Welcome Lulu! - Toy Stores Near Me - San Mateo, California

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It was fun and worth the money and the staffs were nice. Kinda expensive but it's build a bear

I often take my children to build a bear and they have had amazing experiences in the past at other locations. Today I wanted to take my two nieces as they have never been before. Unfortunately our experience was extremely poor with the young lady Thea handling our bears. She looked as if she did not want to be there and lacked enthusiasm. Her sass while explaining instructions to our children and inability to show joy during what should have been a magical time needs to be addressed. With the Covid times it is these events that mean the most to children and parents . And after spending over $150 you would think there would be more care from the employees. I would appreciate a response on this from management. Thank you. Date/time if visit- 8/12 1:00-2:00p read more

Build-A-Bear Workshop - Bear employee - Toy Stores Near Me - San Mateo, California

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The employees here are so sweet and patient. They woman managing the flow of people in and out and running the cashier was so helpful and informative. There was another woman at the stuffing station that was just so pleasant and kind. It seemed like there were only 2 people working that evening - we went on the Monday evening right after new year and they provided such a great experience. My 2yo loved it. read more

If you want your "2 yr old" child to be heartbroken because they simply cannot wear a mask, this is the place to visit. I had to wait at least a week to write this review after taking a deep breath and trying to be reasonable. Before reviewing, I found previous yelpers had the same complaint, so that made me feel the complaint here is common and reasonable. My daughter just turned 2 the day before we came this location. They had a rope to stop anyone from entering like a bar. Then a girl came out to greet us and immediately asked how old is my daughter. We were honest. And she responded like a scripted robot that 2 yr and older must wear a mask. I said "she just turned two yesterday, can you give her a break?" Then she repeated it again like a mono-toned robot. So my husband and I picked up our daughter and left. There was literally NOBODY inside their store. After we left, the girls in there laughing and joking because they don't give a damn if they make their goal. Luckily my 2 yr old doesn't understand this. This is mental abuse and discrimination. Remember: whatever health agency they are following, they are rather guidance and recommendation, not a LAW. Congress make the law! There are places and classes where they understand that a 2 yr old cannot comprehend the purpose of wearing mask. So don't tell me they can't be flexible. read more

My son and I recently tried to visit your San Mateo Hillsdale Mall location. Unfortunately he was turned away due to your staff having a lack of knowledge regarding medically exempt face coverings and special needs discriminatory laws. It's unfortunate that his first experience at your store was one of incompetence and plain disrespect from your staff. My autistic three year old simply wanted to experience build-a-bear for the first time but unfortunately your store's policy had a "blanket, one size fits all" mask approach. read more

My daughter had a bear whose stitching came out. The associates were very kind and patched our bear right up. Even added more stuffing and did a light brushing. read more

Expensive. The idea of choosing your own stuffed animal friend, filling them up with cotton, and then giving them a special heart before closing them up is a genius idea. Especially since they sell all sorts of clothes and accessories for the furry friends. However, it does get expensive so watch your kids. Build-A-Bear is located right in the middle of Hillsdale mall. Just park your car and walk along the downstairs. You should be able to find it! And since it is in a mall, parking is all around so don't worry about not finding parking. I came here on Saturday specifically for a Toothless stuffed animal. When I came in here, I immediately looked over all they had to offer and was bummed by the lack of Toothless I saw in the bins. I asked the cashier and she informed me that they just didn't have time to take them out and that they did indeed have them. I got my Toothless, guys. At $27 (including tax)! That's a price I'll happily pay to get what I've been wanting since the doll came out around the time of the movie. Service is insanely friendly! All the workers I've talked to were into having a conversation with you instead of just brushing you off with disinterest. It's definitely an awesome feeling! Overall, expensive. But I don't always splurge on stuffed animals so I'll let it go. I'm just happy I got my Toothless. :)! read more

Cousin wanted to come here AGAIN for the second time this week. Earlier this week, she bought a dog from here and today she wanted 2 bears (one for herself & one for her mom). First you pick which animal you want. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/1JDSdxnkA6c3OpjjB6PFyA?select=9zWAFF9753rBCj7gN_pK2Q Stuff it. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/1JDSdxnkA6c3OpjjB6PFyA?select=t4VeyU0JZtsuFC9G0Cx2CQ Hug it. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/1JDSdxnkA6c3OpjjB6PFyA?select=VCvbCQTM5L0pJRSQ-D5pcg Make a wish & stuff that heart inside it's fluffy stuffing. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/1JDSdxnkA6c3OpjjB6PFyA?select=yvRAUv2O6Y-giRRAj7O75g Wash it. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/1JDSdxnkA6c3OpjjB6PFyA?select=eaP3exhPCd3_m2sDlaJlxA Dress it. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/1JDSdxnkA6c3OpjjB6PFyA?select=WFt_5gyZELrFOKeRYFcBzg Name it, print birth certificate. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/1JDSdxnkA6c3OpjjB6PFyA?select=9hk0I3cxWRfG42sGUeegGQ Pay an enormous amount for all the things you just picked out. Animals don't cost much, but the accessories sure add up. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/1JDSdxnkA6c3OpjjB6PFyA?select=gB2KSayN9SNoE6bYtnB3-w Take your new friend home. read more

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I took my 6 year old son because it was raining and we had a gift card. it was a perfect indoor activity that was a fun and engaging visit overall. the staff are super informative and they make the whole experience very enjoyable. But I will say it's a fairly expensive 'experience'. if you start adding in all the various options and accessories, the total is a bit eye opening (as well as wallet draining) lucky for my son- he had a nice gift card. the end result was he's super thrilled with his stuffed animal and that's what counts. read more

BEST THING THAT WAS EVER MADE FOR KIDS! and not only :) Wasn't thinking that teddy bears can be appreciated even if you are 40 or above. You are entering the store and you are feeling like you are at the North Pole with Santa Clause - incredible feeling :) You are deciding whom you want to present, lots of choices: kittens, dogs, rabbits, bears, Hello Kitties, snakes, colored, full of hearts bears, sometimes even turkeys (it depends on the upcoming holiday :) ) Second step is you are going to fill your toy will love and joy (simply, cotton :) ) Then, you are deciding which clothes should your baby wear.. and variety.. it's SHOCKING! Everything from fire clothes till princess clothings and crowns. Fourth, you are putting your present in a special house where it will wait to be loved and appreciated :) Any time you'll step in the store whatever the case is, you'll feel like a child.. and it's incredible! :) read more

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Honestly I had read the reviews before I went in and they were all bad. I thought I'd still give it a chance. It was my first time at Build-A-Bear and I was pretty excited. As soon as I walk in there's this girl who immediately rolls her eyes at me. I didn't give it much attention and decided to disregard it. While walking around looking for clothes I had a question and she was the only one who was around so I called to her. She pretended not to hear me. I got closer to her and I spoke to her again and she just stared at me. Didn't say anything for a few seconds and then with attitude responded. I asked my question band she just said they didn't have what I was looking for. I looked for the clothes before I went to the stuffing station. There was no one there and when I was looking around I made eye contact with her and she took her time to come over. I purchased two bears and when she started stuffing the first one she just got up, didn't say anything, and walked away. A guy came over and finished doing the stuffing. When I went to the counter to pay she was just standing there giving me the nastiest looks. I didn't even want to get my bears' certificates. I just wanted to get out of there. read more

I brought my two nieces here; they were so excited!!! After they finally chose a stuffed animal/pony, it was time to get them stuffed. This is where the staff took over. She brought them over to the filling machine and did this really cute ceremony with their ponies. Then the girls picked out some clothes and shoes and the staff helped them put on the pieces, paying special attention to make sure after the shoes were on the animal would still stand up right. Now it was time to make the birth certificates and the staff was incredibly patient, especially with my youngest niece. I was really impressed with the level of customer service, super friendly and patient!!! read more

Like many others that have complained about the face covering rule, I was also denied from entering an empty store bc my child who is newly 2 did not have a face covering on. The policy is not reasonable as it can be very difficult to have a young toddler keep a mask on. Didn't feel like arguing so I just left but the store and management should be a bit more understanding. read more

I was going to give them one star but thanks to Alicia saving the day I decided to give them two stars. My family and I went in today to make my daughters first build a bear. She was so excited and was in the process of picking out what sound she wanted when the employee by the name of "Teha" I believe, came over and took the bear sound recorder out of her hand and told her to stop playing with it because it was going to ware out the batteries. My daughters face was so sad after that and I was extremely mad. She had no right to take something out of my daughters hands. Horrible customer service and manners!!!! If you come here DONT go to TEHA!!! I would suggest you go to Alicia. I explained the situation to Alicia and asked her for help and she gave my daughter a great build a bear experience! Thank you so much Alicia for saving the day and putting a smile back on my daughters face! read more

I love coming to Build-A-Bear. It's my go-to place for baby gifts -- but I've been known to buy their little critters for adults, too. Each gift has been warmly received and appropriately oohed and ahhed over. All in all, I think this is a good location. The folks who work here are friendly and very helpful -- I've never seen an employee here who looks disengaged or disinterested in their job. All the merchandise is super cute, and I've always been able to find just the right thing to "make" a gift perfect for someone -- whether it's an animal I can dress as a Star Wars character (complete with sound-effect-enhanced plush light saber) or a Giants World Series Champions teddy bear tee. Furthermore, they keep things neat (no small feat for a kids' store!). If I had a gripe, it's that they encourage kids to SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEE during their parties. I'm all for fun, and know kids will be kids, but my gosh, you can hear those SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEs all over the dang mall. Heaven help you if you're walking by at just the wrong moment -- no need to walk up to Claire's to get your ears pierced at that point! read more

Build-A-Bear Workshop - Bronies, take note - Toy Stores Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Worst customer service ever. Homegirl working did not know what the f she was doing. We got there right when it opened and was first in line. There was already a family of 4 inside who took about 30 mins to finish. While we were waiting the worker let in a lady who was by herself While the family of 4 was still inside. When the family of 4 left, the worker let in the husband of the lady who was by herself. Like what?! They both should have waited like every one else. That couple ended up taking another 20 mins. At this point I'm pissed because we were suppose to be next to go in. When it was finally our turn, the lady told my family of 4 that only 3 of us could go inside! Um what?! You let that white family of 4 in plus another lady!!!!! And she told us because of the limit! Makes no damn sense. So my husband had to wait out side while I took my 4 year old and 1 year old in myself. While we were picking out outfits, I see the worker let a guy in to pay. How the hell you gonna let that guy come in but not my husband?! When it was time to pay I told the lady my husband needed to come in because he was going to pay and she said "ok but you would have to step out" WHY?!?!? You literally let another guy come in to pay and my husband can't?? All I have to say is, don't come here. Build a bear needs to get it together. We were not treated right like everyone else. Horrible experience today. ZERO STARS!!!!!!!!! read more

this guy was super nice made me and my sister laugh a lot he was very Helpful I believe his name was Mario he is awesome we ended up going back and asking for a picture because he was that cool ! read more

We love the selections and process.It was fun and a nice experience.My children are 3 and 1.My 1 year old liked doing the stuffed process, but my 3 year old was shy. Both liked putting the heart into their stuffed toy, and enjoyed picking items for their stuffed toy after. I would recommend this for a child maybe 4 or even 5 years old.My children pretty much just wanted their stuff and pay for it, and didn't care or have the patience to wait in line, stuff the animal, etc. The staff was friendly read more

My two year old and I were kicked out of the store today because he did not want to wear his mask! My heart broke into million pieces as we talked about going to the store all morning to buy him a bear. This is the ONLY store that I came across that requires two year olds to wear a mask. So disappointing and such a shame! read more

I love Build A Bear! I have great memories of making my own bear when I was little, so when I thought my daughter was old enough to make her own I couldn't wait to go! I have been to this location before and remember liking it since it never gets too crowded. I invited my brother and niece who is also 2 years old because I thought she would enjoy it. When we stepped inside the store there were only one other parent/kid there. We took the time to pick out what bear our kids wanted and then it was time to stuff! This was very fun for the kids because they liked to be able to press the button with their feet to make the fluff go inside the bear. However, after this it was all very mediocre. I remember when I was little having an employee walk you through the steps of being able to fluff the bear, dress it and pick out a name on one of the computers. The employees seemed to have cares less about us being there or making our experience special. There were 3 employees and at that point we were the only people in the store. They cared more about not having to work rather than help us through the process. I guess this is what we get for going to a location in the mall? Either way, our daughters had a blast and love their bears so that's all that matters! I will try not to go back to this location in the future though. read more