CAMP, A Family Experience Store — Local services in New York

We had a terrible experience. It was very HOT inside. So hot that my child was crying and didn't want to run around, was asking to change into shorts..(it was 25 degrees outside so no, we didn't have shorts) It lierally felt like a sauna. Everyone was sweating. It was also very crowded. You advertise "15 people at a time" but it was packed. Between the heat and the amount of people, you couldn't enjoy anything. There were coats all over the floors and blocking things. Kids were trying to run up the wave thing and falling over coats. I took photos of it..what a safety hazard!  Why wasn't staff monitoring this or why isn't there a coat check? No one could sit in the spinny chair because there were coats and bags in it. Coats and bags blocking slides. Just everywhere. Poppy was present for about 5 minutes when we first arrived and the kids were so excited. But then we were called to the Mr dinkles spa so I told them they could see her after. By the time they were done there was no more Poppy. They got a glimpse of her but couldn't even take a picture or give her a hug. No Branch which was advertised in photos. Oh...and while my daughter was getting her "troll transformation", the girl doing her face paint was talking to the other girls about "WHO WAS DRESSED AS POPPY TODAY?" My kids thought that Poppy was real, so afterwards I needed to come up with some story as to what they were talking about. They didn't believe me, and keeps harping on the fact that "the poppy was FAKE, why was poopy fake?" Why try to ruin the magic for kids? Little kids belive in the magic, please don't ruin it! I couln't believe she was saying this RIGHT in front of all the kids in the spa. She completely ruined ANY magic there may have been. This girl also gave zero smiles the whole time and just talked to coworkers instead of the kids. My daughter was so uncomfortable. Afterwards the kids wouldn't even keep the trolls wigs on because it was so damn hot and their little heads were sweating.

There was also very little to do. 3 slides which were too crowded and too hot to even go on. So we just stood around. My kids were so bored!  Especially with it being 100 degrees. And they LOVE trolls. Like seriously love trolls. This completely ruined it for them. What a disappointment. We were also told that "someone would be walking around with a camera to take pictures". No one had a camera.

I can't believe I spent $265 just so my kids could cry and have...

Wonderful experience overall! Staff was welcoming and sweet through out the entirety of the store experience (not just the camp x trolls). My biggest gripe regarding the experience is that the transformation happens during the short time frame. When the children see Poppy (or other characters), they are not “transformed” yet. That took away from the experience. Also, the experience itself is an hour long and geared towards toddlers or young children (5 and under) so when the older kids finally get to start enjoying the different sections and cutting the time with the transformation (which is about the same price for the ticket) is unjust. Also, It would be nice to have both Poppy and Branch during the experience or at least for parents to know ahead of time if both, one, or none of the characters will show up. Poppy was only there for about a 10 min window during our time slot and we thought we’d be able to see Poppy again after the transformation but she didn’t come back out. Waiting in line (cutting into the time frame again) for Poppy is optional but also a prime event from the selling point of the ticket. Lastly, why overcharge parents for tickets? $52 for us to stand around? It’s not like we will be using the slides or any of the equipment. Prices for adults should be at the very least 50% off.

Pros -organized check in -coat check friendly staff -variety of themed toys in different price ranges

Cons: over priced adult tickets -hot -staff doesn’t guide you through sections. They yell out the color of the bracelet and if you don’t hear them you miss your turn for the grand finally transformation cuts an average 15 mins of the experience early to midway of time slot not enough time if you add experiences -not as entertaining...

Visited the Bluey x CAMP interactive experience in NYC. The highlight is definitely getting to explore a life-sized version of Bluey's house, which will delight any young fan of the show.

Pros: Excellent layout that recreates familiar spaces from the show Multiple interactive play areas that allow for free exploration Great photo opportunities throughout Special character meet-and-greet with Bluey and Bingo Interactive elements are well-designed for toddler engagement Convenient free coat and stroller check service

Areas for improvement: No structured path or guided flow through the experience Storytime segment needs better organization and clarity Some elements felt disconnected from each other

The open format is actually a blessing in disguise for parents with toddlers, as it allows children to move at their own pace and revisit favorite areas. While the lack of structure might seem chaotic to adults, it suits the natural play patterns of young children.

The storytime portion could use some refinement to make it more engaging and easier to follow, but it's a minor issue in an otherwise solid experience.

Perfect for: Families with toddlers and young children who are fans of the show. Plan for about 45 minutes to fully explore...