Kids Empire Fort Wayne — Attraction in Fort Wayne

ZERO STARS. I had the most horrific experience with the supervisor/manager. I’m still in shock. My grandson is still shaken up. I have NEVER written a bad review for any business until today. This had to have been illegal.

I took my grandson there with a babysitter and told the employees that he was staying with the sitter. Three employees allowed this and buzzed them into the gated/locked area while I stood in the lobby watching and saying goodbye. The employees saw that I did not enter and watched me leave.

Moments later I was called by the supervisor who informed me that because the sitter is not 18 I could not leave her and my grandson there. I was thoroughly confused, as I had just left there and they buzzed them in while I watched! She yelled "JUST GET HERE. Stop talking. This is abandonment." Then she hung up on me.

When I arrived, she would not let me get the kids and snickered "The police have been called." I was in TOTAL SHOCK.

I have raised five children, I have never had more than a speeding ticket in my life, and this woman called the police simply because she wanted to exert her authority and show me who was boss. It was like a horrible nightmare. I could not believe what was happening.

Recap: I watched the sitter and my grandson enter the locked and gated play area around 345pm and arrived home at 4:04 PM. I was called by the manager at 410pm, got in my car immediately and arrived at Kids Empire in 17 minutes (she was well aware that I was on my way and I even told her that I had a 20 minute drive.) So this means she had to have called the police within 10 to 15 minutes of hanging up on me, while knowing that I was coming right back to pick them up.

Probably the most disturbing part is that when I pointed out the two young employees who checked us in and buzzed the kids into the gated area, and I begged them to tell the truth, the supervisor instructed them not to speak "Do not say anything!" Then she spoke to the officer by herself so that no one could counter her fabricated bizarre story. This whole time the kids were being held AGAINST THEIR WILL. They would not allow me to access my child (4)!!! This has to be illegal.

She said I should have known that the sitter had to be 18 because it was written on the front door but not only did I not see that, if she had to be 18 then why did they say it was OK and why did they let her in with him and watch me leave? I’m not arguing with the rule… I just didn’t know it was a rule! As soon as I was told that they could not stay without me, I drove right back to Kids Empire to get them. .

Just imagine the fear the kids were experiencing. They were kept behind the gate for over 45 minutes!!!

My grandson was so disturbed that even many hours later at bedtime he was crying saying “why did they do that to us today? That was so scary, Mimi.”

I admit that I absolutely lost my cool yelling at them and I wish I hadn’t but my mother bear instincts kicked in...I was terrified. My fear was that somehow the police would believe all of them (most of the employees didn’t even know what happened, but she was feeding them her narrative), arrest me and take my grandson until my husband or daughter could get there. I was so scared. It was surreal. SURREAL.

When I did scream at the manager/supervisor she actually physically flinched at me and said "OOh if we weren’t here"…and then stopped talking, implying that she would have gotten physical with me. It was the most unprofessional, egregious, disgusting, dishonest and bizarre behavior I have ever witnessed in my entire 53 years on this earth.

When the police officer arrived, he gave my grandson and our sitter to me after hearing my story and hers. He told me that her story was that they tried to get me to come back but after waiting for 45 minutes, they decided to call the police--as I "never showed." As if she was being a concerned citizen. It's insane. It’s a completely fabricated story.

Now that it's over, I realize they had no right to keep me from my grandson. They waaaaay...

No stars if I could rate it that way ! Went to kids empire today to take my two boys to play. Spent 50 for them and there socks for my oldest and myself, even tho I wasn’t going to be playing. Fine what ever. Waiver said nothing about it and I clearly have a dress on.

Fast forward about 10-15 minutes and my oldest has type one diabetes and I told him he needed a juice. He came over had a juice. Went back to play. About 5-7 minutes later he’s 63 and dropping. Which isn’t good. So I YELLED for my kid and YELLED juice. So he knew what was going on. Both of my kids come to the table that we are sitting at and my oldest gets out two juices bc that’s what I told him he needed to do. While I’m on the phone with my mom, and trying to get my card out so I can get my youngest a drink from this place. The manager BEHIND the counter YELLED hey you can’t have those juices in here. There wasn’t a question if hey did you know that you can’t have outside food and drinks in here? Or him walking over to have a private conversation. It’s loud and we are in a kids facility. The kids are screaming and having a good time. So I YELLED back letting him know that I can have the juice in the facility because my son has TYPE ONE DIABETES and JUICE is a MEDICAL NECESSITY. He asked me to lower my voice. We are in a kids facility we’re at, it’s loud and full of kids most of the time. Mind you he never said he was sorry and he never stated that he understood. The next words out of his mouth was that WE needed to leave. Mind you we have been there for 20 minutes and I just paid $40 for my kids to play endlessly. So I pack our things to leave and my kids sugar is 53 and dropping and it’s almost 90° outside and we have to leave an air conditioned facility because my oldest needed juice and he didn’t wanna accommodate him. So as we walked back to the car I have my youngest kid crying, my oldest is weak and ready to get sick. I should have told him that we weren’t leaving until my oldest kids medical condition was where it needed to be. But I didn’t fight him and I didn’t want me and my children in a place that they aren’t welcomed with their disabilities. We WILL NOT be back, EVER. &I WILL get to the...

I DO NOT RECOMMEND. I paid for a “snack party” for my sons 2nd birthday party at $350 for 10 kids ($35/kid) I walked in, you only get two small tables for 20 people (10 kids/10 adults). The “supervisor” APRIL was so unprofessional and rude, she got mad when I thought the party included three tables and took the balloons that they provided off my reserved tables. When I asked for them back because she was being petty, she said “I’m busy right now”. She was on the phone the entire time (2 hours) while on the floor, I have video of her snapping her neck and waving her hand like she was talking to a girl friend but says she was speaking to he GM Amber. She stared at me and my party the entire time she was talking on the phone, I even waved a couple times. Because she was too busy on the phone she did not accommodate our party whatsoever. I was stuck dealing with the high schoolers that worked there that knew nothing about the party events or what was included. She expected me to do her job and write down all the people in my party that was there because she was too busy on the phone she didn’t keep track as they came in. I had to walk up to the desk and ask for everything my party included (drinks, cups, tokens, No snacks were provided by the way- it’s false advertising). The snacks they provided we two plates full of gummy bears (see picture I’m not kidding you). When I called ahead they told me my guests would get chips & PB&J, that was false information. They brought out the goodie bags for the kids by the time most of them left. The party was supposed to be from 5:30-8:30p but they start playing good bye music and closing up at 7:55pm. I do not recommend doing their party package -it’s a waste of extra money for no good reason. The party across the way had the “meal” party that was $450+ because it included the food. Their pizza that was included literally didn’t arrive for 2.5 hours after their party started. If you go here w your kids/party I recommend just paying the $20 admission because their party package is a scam and isn’t worth the extra $150+. We called the GM Amber to complain & she says “text me”. Their management is a ghetto mess. 1/10 I DO...