Special times cafe and play — Local services in Garner

I appreciate the thought behind this place, but the implementation is not fully there, for the reasons below:

The moment you walk in (assuming you do with a child) all you see are shelves of unhealthy snacks/candy/drinks and bakery good. There’s no way your child will see that and not be tempted or throw a fit. That’s not a good way to start your play time with kids, so I’d really encourage the owners to place those snacks somewhere where only adults can see them and strategically purchase them for their kids. The place says it’s a “cafe” but the coffee is self-serve out of a Keurig so you’re better off saving that money and making one at home. They have a variety of sections that kids can get creative with, like a supermarket area, kitchen, little slide fixture, and others. However, all the toys look like they are heavily used and the place feels old, even though they recently opened. Each wall is a different color and the posters hung on the walls don’t give a unified sense of “decor”.. it’s outdated and just random everywhere. From the other reviews, I got the impression that everyone is being charged differently, not sure why. I paid $12 +tax for my 2 year old. The place was super quiet when we walked in which was super awkward, and there was only one other child playing in silence. I think some music playing in the background to get the kids in a good mood would be nice and add some soul to the place. Playing in extreme silence is weird to me.

Overall, there’s a lot of room for improvement, especially that Garner really needs more indoor play areas for kids. There’s potential, but sadly this place is lacking...

I was excited to try Special Times Play Cafe, especially since it appeared to have a Disney theme, but unfortunately, it didn’t quite live up to expectations. While the space is cute, the majority of the toys felt like standard items you’d buy from Target or Walmart rather than the durable, educational toys you expect at a play cafe. In a place meant for heavy-traffic play, toys need to be able to withstand constant use, and 95% of what’s offered here simply isn’t up to that standard. Paying for access to toys my daughter already owns felt disappointing, especially when part of the appeal of play cafes is introducing children to unique items and a change of scenery.

Another major letdown was the “Disney” aspect—it’s limited to just the sign outside, which was especially disappointing for a Disney-loving family like ours. I also noticed that some toys were listed for sale on Facebook Marketplace and then shortly after appeared at the play cafe, suggesting the owner is buying used items to put out for play. Some items even came from daycares that had shut down, so it’s hard to know how old they really are or their true condition. With so many other thoughtfully designed play cafes in the area offering durable toys, good snacks, and quality coffee for adults, this felt more like visiting a friend’s playroom than a professional play space. I hope the owners are able to regroup, research what makes other cafes successful, and improve the overall experience, because the concept...

This place is advertised as “Disney themed” but does not have any Disney items…..they have a few small posters on the wall that are Disney and that’s it. The toys are a bunch of “every day” imaginative toys and activities, nothing special. Staff was weird, told my 6 year old who was nicely playing with a toy with his 2 year old sister that he’s too big for it, then the same lady came running over a few minutes later telling me that my daughters diaper was sticking out of her shorts and acted like it needed to be fixed, (she was wearing shorts that were loose at her leg and her diaper sticks out some times), very weird place. Do not recommend. Waste of $23. Better off going to Piney Town in Fuquay or Over The Moon in Cary, relatively the same price with much better...