Playdrome Toms River — Local services in Toms River

I just had the worst experience at Play Drone. I’ve been coming here for over 21 years, and I’ve never encountered such unprofessionalism. My family and I were there celebrating one of my younger brothers’ birthdays, and the entire experience was ruined by an employee named John. While we were in the middle of bowling, John interrupted our game without introducing himself or giving any explanation. He rudely turned off the bumpers we were using and, when I asked what was going on, he said, “You’re too old for this.”

At first, I thought he was joking, but he wasn’t. He continued to insist that only kids 6 years and younger could use bumpers, stating my younger brothers, who are 9 and 11, were “too big and too old.” His tone was condescending and completely out of line. I explained that my brothers are still learning to bowl and use the lightest ball available, just like I do, as I’m 7 months pregnant. John didn’t care and showed zero courtesy in how he handled the situation.

My husband asked to speak with a manager, and we were directed to Kyle, the night manager. While Kyle seemed annoyed with John’s behavior, he initially claimed there was nothing he could do. After some back and forth, the manager finally agreed to leave the bumpers on for my brothers, but only for the remainder of that game—despite the fact that there were only two rounds left at that point.

The damage had already been done. John’s rudeness, lack of professionalism, and the way he interrupted our game were completely unacceptable. If he had calmly and respectfully explained the rules, this could have been handled much differently. Instead, his approach was unnecessarily hostile and ruined what should have been a fun birthday outing.

After over two decades of being a loyal customer, I will not be returning. I also plan to follow up with the general...

I DON'T RECOMMEND THEM AT ALL!!! They were so rude and nasty. I called because I had more kids then planned for my son's birthday. When I called I was told about a 3rd birthday option and was told it included everything the expensive party did except for the party room and party organizer, but I would just have to set up behind the lanes and do it all myself. I arrived 30 minutes prior to the party to set everything up and was then told that the party option included only the lanes, shoes, one pizza and one pitcher per lane. I would have to provide all decorations and paper products and my son would not get the bowling pin for his friends to sign. So my options were to pay $40 extra per lane, run out to the store to buy everything within the 30 minutes or deal with it. They would not accommodate me nor discount anything for my inconvenience. After about an hour of back and forth arguing, I ended up setting everything up behind the lanes and had to fight for a plain white table cloth, paper plates and forks. They wouldn't even let us use the paper products that would be used in their party rooms. I will never go back...

This is a review of my most recent visit only, because this is one that should be learned from. I called to reserve a lane for Thursday and specified the day, because I was trying to coordinate a group of cub scouts, I was told (very rudely, mind you) "it's first come, first serve only." I let my group know, and we agreed to arrive earlier in an attempt to guarantee a spot. Well, it turns out Thursday night is league night, which was not mentioned when I asked for Thursday, and they only have a few lanes available. I say I don't mind waiting, and am then told that they are waiting on another party (which is a reserved lane, on a night they told me was first come first serve). Our whole night was wasted, and probably could have been avoided if the person answering the phone had any conversational competence and would have actually listened to what I was asking and thought ahead.

I want to say that usual small group experiences are 4* experiences, it's just what you'd expect from a bowling alley, and the new restaurant/snack puts...