Kids Empire Palatine — Attraction in Palatine Township

I booked my kids August double birthday here after having been here only once for a play date in January. I really liked the variety of activities for various ages and loved the idea of a full service party - at least that’s what I expected given the advertising and price point. For reference we booked triple the minimum of 10 kids so it was a big event.

The venue has a charming ambiance, but unfortunately, the service fell short of expectations. We were particularly disappointed with the host, a young woman, who seemed to only do the bare minimum when asked, rather than taking initiative to make the event enjoyable. Despite notifying the venue in advance about bringing snacks, no space was allocated for them, forcing us to use one of the tables reserved for the children. Additionally, when the pizza arrived, it was simply placed on another reserved table without any assistance in serving it to the kids, which was not what we had anticipated from a host.

At most birthday parties, once the kids are seated for pizza, the cake is typically served immediately afterward. Unfortunately, I had to seek out the host to request the cake, and by that time, many of the children had already returned to playing. When I inquired about the cake, the host informed me that they usually introduce their dragon character at 3:30 p.m. However, it was already 3:40 p.m., and we were never notified about the dragon parade. Instead, at 3:25 p.m., the host was more focused on reminding my adult guests to remove their shoes—something that should have been enforced upon entry, considering many had been wearing shoes for nearly an hour and a half by that point. When the dragon made its appearance, there was no announcement or attempt to engage our party. Guests from across the entire venue gathered around, resulting in many of our photos featuring individuals who were not part of our group.

Due to the need to use one of our reserved tables for snacks, the host collected the place settings from that table but, rather than setting them up elsewhere to accommodate all guests, she simply left a stack of cups and plates on an empty table. When it was time to serve food, there wasn't enough seating for the children to sit together at a decorated table. When I requested additional seating, the host appeared visibly frustrated, despite my being seven months pregnant and both unable and unwilling to be moving around furniture. Much of the time, she was either standing around chatting with a male coworker or was out of sight in the back office, making her difficult to locate. This level of inattention is not what one would expect from a host, let alone an assistant.

By 4:30 p.m., with half an hour still remaining in our reservation, staff began cleaning up, including sweeping the floors, which I found inappropriate. This sentiment was likely noticed, as one of the staff members remarked that we didn't need to move since we still had time left. If that was the case, why were they cleaning? Additionally, we had two full pizzas left, which I intended to take home, yet the host attempted to take them.

In short, the experience was a series of disappointments. Given the price point, I had much higher expectations, particularly as we have hosted and attended multiple birthday parties at similar venues. If this establishment wishes to continue charging $40 per child and advertise that they provide a host, they need to consider retraining, if not restaffing, their team.

We are typically generous tippers, but after this experience, I have never left a venue more quickly. I would not host an event here again, despite the fact that the kids had fun because the logistics were extremely frustrating and I don’t feel like we got what...

We recently hosted my sons’ birthday party at Kids Empire and wanted to share our experience. Overall, the venue has a great setup, but there were several issues that made the event less enjoyable. First, the "unlimited drinks" promised in our package were far from sufficient. We received only one 2-liter bottle of Coke and one bottle of Sprite to share between 30 guests. When I asked for more drinks at the front desk, I was handed just one additional bottle—completely inadequate for the number of people attending. It was frustrating that the "unlimited" drinks were so limited in practice. Additionally, I had informed the staff ahead of time that we would be bringing outside food, but when we arrived, there were only a few tiny plates available. I had to request additional cups and plates three times. The plates they provided were small, designed only for cake, so I would highly recommend bringing your own plates if you're planning to serve food. It was an inconvenience to have to ask for basic supplies multiple times. As for the water situation, there was only one gallon of water available for the entire party, and guests had to purchase additional water bottles. I found this particularly frustrating, considering the cost of the party package. Another issue we encountered was the lack of communication regarding the ball pit. Earlier in the day, there had been a nosebleed, so the ball pit was closed, but we were never informed of this. The staff should have notified us at the beginning of the party, as many small children entered the ball pit unaware, which was a safety concern. The lack of staff presence to assist or offer information was also a problem; we had to visit the front desk multiple times to request help. Speaking of staff, I was disappointed by the lack of engagement. There were plenty of staff members around, but none approached us to see if we needed anything. The few times we did need assistance, we had to go up to the front desk repeatedly. In terms of the party package itself, we paid $40 per child, with an additional $15 for each extra adult. For that price, I expected more than just two bottles of soda and a single jug of water. The pizza they provided also fell short—four boxes for 30 guests just wasn’t enough, and we were glad we brought our own food to supplement it. Lastly, the teenagers working there were polite but seemed to lack experience and professionalism, which sometimes led to a bit of attitude. In summary, while Kids Empire has great potential as a venue, the lack of attention to detail, poor communication, and insufficient provisions left me disappointed. I would recommend bringing your own food and drinks if you decide to host a party there, as the options provided were limited and not enough for the...

I went the Palatine location and was excited about taking my son to his favorite place. I arrive there about 8:15pm. One of the staffs there wasn’t able to find my account, waiting for 15mins for him to locate my account then I ask him can I sign another waiver. After that he walked to the back on the phone. He didn’t say give him a few minutes or nothing. Waiting 15mins until he came back he helped a customer then asked for my phone number. Once again he couldn’t find my account. I showed him several emails from the company saying my waiver agreement was confirmed. Then he disregarded my situation to help someone else. After that I asked him if he’s the only one here working he stated yes which he lied about. And I asked him what time the store close he stated they closed at 9pm which he lied about. So another customer showed him the time on google stating 10pm. He was able to find the customer that provided the time for him on Google account and was able to assist them. Still waiting, another customer asked him about the party packages, yet again he still didn’t assist me and my issue. So when I approached him regarding what is the next step because my children was waiting patiently to get in. He annoyed me, and was extremely rude. I decided to leave and my children were sad, confused, angry and crying. After all this he never apologized or even gave any type of service/help. I noticed outside a woman was in the store which had on a different color shirt then he did. Which means she was the manager. I voiced my concerns and she was able to solve the problem. Allow us to get in and apologize for one of her staff’s behaviors and attitude. Honestly I don’t think anyone of the staffs really cared. Would I go back again? No especially because of the experience that I experienced. And I’ve been there...