Kanga's Indoor Playcenter and Cafe, Katy — Restaurant in Katy

I took my two kids (ages 1 and 5) to Kanga’s Indoor Playcenter in Katy for the first time today. We will not be going back. Hours later and I’m still appalled. I also need to add that I’m not a “Karen” and never complain, ever.

It’s also important to note that today was “half price day” so we expected it to be busy and a little crazier than a typical day. As customers we realized this, and the owner/management absolutely realized that as well, and should have staffed appropriately. They did not. Kanga’s has two special “rides” that require an employee to assist and operate - the pirate ship and rock climbing wall. They also have a food counter and kitchen. Both female employees were very busy and constantly checking people in and serving people at the snack counter.

9:00 - We arrive. The two female employees said they run the pirate ship and rock climbing wall every 30 minutes and alternate - example: pirate ship 9:30, rock wall 10:00, and so on. Ok, sounds good. 10:15 - Pirate ship ride runs for the first time. They’ve been super busy so not a big deal. 11:00 - I ask both female employees about the rock climbing wall. Both tell me 15 min. I also explain that we’ve been there 2 hours and will need to leave soon, and my son just turned 5 and really wants to do the rock climbing before we leave. I was very nice - I totally understand being busy. 11:30 - Ask again, and I’m told 15 minutes, at which point I do ask if there is a manager I can speak with. In the meantime a line has formed in front of the rock climbing wall. The manager turns out to be the young man I’ve seen working in the back of the kitchen. As he walks out to bring someone food, I watch the female employee as she goes over to him, to let him know I’d like to talk with him. They both look right at me and walk into the back kitchen area. 11:40 - TEN MINUTES later my friend goes and looks into the kitchen, sees him, and reiterates that a customer is waiting to speak to him. He acts as if he didn’t know - but again I literally saw the employee tell him, and we all made eye contact. It was shocking to know the manager would wait so long to speak with a waiting customer. 11:40 - I explain the situation and ask for a refund. We’ve now been there nearly 3 hours and the rock climbing wall hasn’t opened once. He says he will give me a refund, but then has to call owner in order to do that. I make a point to stand at the counter while he calls the owner, but I can’t hear what he’s saying.

After he hangs up the phone he tells me that since I’ve been there 3 hours she says they can’t do a refund, but here’s one free entry play pass. Keep in mind we’ve been trying to leave since 11:00, but kept waiting for them to open the rock climbing wall like they said they would. It’s now 12:00.

I told him absolutely not, I will be happy to speak with the owner and explain the situation, but I’m not leaving this spot until I receive a full refund. So he tells me he will text her again. This time he sets his phone down to help a customer. I see when the owner texts him back - a larger paragraph which I didn’t read, and then a second follow up text that said “is that lady leaving?” I couldn’t believe it, and told him he could tell her I’m not leaving until a get a refund. He reads her text to me and ultimately says ok she says I can give you the refund.

*At this point a line has formed in front of the pirate ship. Instead of opening the rock climbing wall - which hasn’t been open once in 3 hours - he calls an employee out to run the pirate ship ride. Another parent had come to ask him about that ride while I was waiting at the front desk. Why in the world would he have them run that one instead of the one that hasn’t been open at all yet?

12:05 - Finally receive...

Today I visited the indoor playground with high hopes, but unfortunately, I was left appalled by the lack of hygiene and disregard for children’s safety. The most concerning issue was the blatant negligence of allowing adults to walk with shoes in the designated baby area where littles ones try to crawl and play.

To make matters worse, there was a dog inside the playground. Not all dogs are comfortable around kids, and some kids can have fear of them.

Besides the safety concerns, the hygienic aspect of the playground was deeply troubling. Dogs naturally shed fur, carry dirt, and may even have accidents indoors. This creates a breeding ground for germs and allergens that can pose serious health risks, especially for young children.

The cleanliness of the place was questionable. I noticed dirt, debris, hair and even spills that were left unattended, creating an uncomfortable and hazardous environment for the children.

The play structures seemed outdated and poorly maintained, with several broken parts that posed safety concerns for the children.

Additionally, the admission fee was quite steep for what was offered. The limited selection of activities and the overall lack of variety left my children feeling bored after a short time. It felt like we had paid a premium for something that could have easily been replicated in a backyard play set.

In summary, my visit to this indoor playground was far from enjoyable. I would not recommend it to other families looking for a fun and safe play space for their children. It requires significant improvements in terms of maintenance, staff engagement, and overall value for money. I will not...

7/22/23 - my family has been here multiple times over the past 3 years. It has always been pleasant, clean, and friendly staff.

Todays visit was shocking. The water slide had been inoperable for some time that the water had started turning brown and mold had started forming inside.

The pirate ship was not available - due to the amount of kids available to ride it - there was approximately 10-12 different families at the time of this excuse.

The blowers for the ball area were very “low flow” to the point the basket would not work properly and 3 of the 4 air guns did not work.

The overall cleanliness and condition of the entire facility was not what we had become a custom to. Examples: hand soap in the bathroom had been “watered down”, no paper towels in women’s bathroom, Multiple machines had “out of service” signs on them, and many of the balls were crushed and no longer serviceable but still in use.

When we spoke to the manager on site, Amber, we were surprised by her response and attitude. Claiming that “nobody says the water slide being broke is an issue” and other defensive responses about the deficiencies we were bringing to her attention.

We did eventually receive a “credit” but it’s safe to say we will not be returning ever again.

To add some context here: I never leave reviews and tend to go direct with people to resolve any issues. However, this was not what good customer service should be. It is my hope that someone from upper management sees this and has some “corrective action” take place such as training and fixes many of the issues we had to...