Big Apple Fun Center

After reading some reviews, I was concerned about bringing my son and his friends here for my son’s 12^th birthday. I shouldn’t have worried, all the kids from age 8 – 12 had a blast.
First, we did not book our visit as a Birthday Party. The party package only included one round of laser tag, at nearly full price. Decorations, cupcakes, food, or other activities would all be additional costs. The Party price included an attendant, but I really didn’t need that. Instead, we brought a cake (which is allowed), and some festive plates and such (also just fine with management). I got the kids each an all-​day, all-​access wristband. The wristband includes everything except the arcade games and food and drinks, I think: laser tag (as many games as you wish), go-​karts, mini-​golf, bowling, ball city. To get our money’s worth, we arrived about 11:30am with plans to stay all day. It was around 9pm when we finally dragged out of there!
We visited on a Saturday in mid-​September, and I would say there was just about a perfect crowd there. Not so many people that we had to fight for a table or wait in lines, not so few people that there were no other kids to play with/​against.
The food was what I would expect from a fun center/​bowling alley-​type place. Pizza (a little doughy), hot dogs, hamburgers, etc. A 16″ cheese pizza was about $ 12, a grilled chicken sandwich was $ 5. I would never recommend this place just for the food, but it was fine, middle-​of-​the-​road-​type food. The sodas were $ 6.50/pitcher, which I thought was pretty expensive.
The service was similar, just kind of regular, mediocre service: no one was rude or unhelpful, no one really went out of their way to be super cheerful or over the top. I saw some reviews about rude service, but did not experience anyone being rude.
The laser tag was well-​run, and the kids had a good time. They did not, however, play as much as I thought they would, and the younger kids only played one 30-​minute session (each session is broken into 6-​minute segments). Mostly it is because the laser gun rigs are very heavy, and clearly sized for adults. The smaller kids got pretty tired, and had a hard time reaching all the buttons on the gun with their little hands. The older kids played three sessions throughout the day, and didn’t do more just because it was so exhausting. The arena is cool, with two levels and a lot of futuristic-​looking barriers to hide behind. The dim black light made it more challenging and fun. There is a tiny viewing room, but I couldn’t really see much from there, the window was kind of scratched up.
The go-​karts were out in the parking area, and the main thing I noticed is that it could really use some sort of shade over the waiting area. It was only about 80 degrees when we went, and it was hot standing out with no shade, I can only imagine it in August. Otherwise, the go-​karts were pretty much the same as every other go-​kart place. The older kids had four or five turns on this during the day; each turn is 5 minutes long. The smaller kids only went twice, they thought the seats were uncomfortable.
The bowling area was well-​kept and the scoring was automatic. It’s bowling.
The mini-​golf area is indoors, and all fluorescent with black lights. I couldn’t believe they fit 18 holes in there (some of the holes are only 10′ or so in length). It isn’t anything that one could spend a whole day doing, but I thought they did a very nice job with interesting features and a few little surprises. It was very cute, and all the kids played a couple of rounds.
Most of the activity for the day, however, was in the «Ballocity», a climbing, sliding, ball-​shooting structure. There are 2.5″ very soft foam balls everywhere, and different contraptions for shooting, rolling, and dropping the balls at people. There is a slow curvy slide, and three fast wavy slides. All the kids ran and slid and had battles for hours on end. For young kids, this place could be the only activity needed.
Some reviews said the place was filthy. I disagree. My daughter happened to be wearing brand new white socks (you must wear socks in Ballocity), and after running around in there all day, the socks were only slightly gray on the bottom. I watched employees disinfect tables, and nothing I touched was sticky or dirty. The bathrooms were oldish, but seemed and smelled clean. The one exception (and it is a major exception) is that the place does SMELL. The entire facility is carpeted. While we were there, I saw two kids spill their entire sodas onto the carpet. Paper towels aplenty were used to sop it up, but there is only so much to be done about that. The facility is so large it would be a huge expense to take up all that carpet and put hard floors in, but that is the only thing that will ever clear up the kind of funky smell that results from years of food and drinks and stocking feet on carpet.
I am out of space, but hope this review is helpful. We WILL go to Big Apple again.

As an out of town southerner, this place is GREAT! Make sure you see Garrett and Kimmie at the bar, southern hospitality in the north!

My child was with a friend for a birthday party and waited in line, with his wristband, to ride the go karts. Our child was in line for an hour and once he got to the front of the line was told that anyone «that paid cash for a ticket» would be going ahead of those with wristbands. He was twice made to stand and watch several adults and other kids with tickets instead of wristbands go in front of him. When I asked the operator of the go karts (a high school age boy) if this was common practice he simply blamed a text from the General manager for the ruling and told me «sorry, the tickets go first» as a line of others walked past my child to ride. When I tried to speak to management all they had to say was «we’re sorry, we don’t know who told him that». No resolution while my child stood there disappointed and upset. I will not return to this place with my children or friends. TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE AND RUDE EMPLOYEES.

This place would be fun if you were born on the floor of your unwed Mother’s double wide and the only love that you have ever known had been from your cousin. This is the quid essential redneck Chucky Cheese, a place that doubles as a daycare for your rug-​rats while your binge drink to forget about your failed marriage with your fat toothless wife. The place smells like a frat party mixed with a run down trailer park pre-​school.
The over priced bowling was actually kind of fun until my lane broke and we were not allowed to finish our game. The manager even had the gall to yell at my girlfriend like it was her fault that the pins stopped resetting.
The mini golf should be fun, except for the fact that it hasn’t been maintained since the early 80’s and all of the animatronic bits are broken. The black lights also reveal a number of putrid looking stains splashed wantonly around the course.
I will not go back.

For entertainment this is as good as it gets in K-​town. Liquor, check. Pool, bowling, and other ways to hurt and amuse yourself while drinking, check. Giant play pin of balls that I got to plan in when I was some guys date to prom, check. I kind of like this place.

last weekend i was on the phone with my stepdad, talking about my upcoming move home to san diego, when i remembered what i’d been meaning to ask him for a while: whether or not he & my mom are taking a trip to nebraska this summer.
you see, my stepdad grew up in the most podunk of nebraskan towns, moved to kearney, nebraska (a slightly less podunk town) when he was a bit older, and then left for harvard and then california. his family, ALL OF THEM, reside in nebraska, if not in kearney, then within a few hours drive from it.
when my mom married my stepdad, i was nine years old. that summer, and every summer and some winters following, our family would drive (or fly, in winter) from san diego to the middle of nebraska. this takes roughly 24 hours, or three days if you’ve got four, five, or six (as they had more) kids in the car to think about.
imagine that: three days of hot, stuffy car time. going AND coming. and then stuffed between that horrendous drive: TWO WEEKS ON A FARM IN THE MIDDLE OF NEBRASKA.
and yet, i loved it.
and now, i miss it.
i only asked my stepdad if he, my mom, and two youngest brothers were going to nebraska because i want to tag along. i want to see the farm. i want to eat bad, bad food. i want to ride the horses.
& i REALLY want to go to the big apple to play mini golf, go bowling & race go-​karts.
you know what? they’re not going this summer. i’m so bummed.