Stanley Ferry Wacky Warehouse

People with children under 5 - avoid!!! This is the only section under 2’s are allowed in - nothing like the images it portrays online. The over 5’s area is much better, but not sure what ages 2-5 are supposed to use? There are also over 5’s who come into the baby area which isn’t safe, we were told on the door they aren’t allowed in the under 2’s area but were throwing balls out of the “ball pit” as we were told this. The place itself is unclean in general. It felt like we were being watched to ensure our children didn’t go in the bigger area. Every other soft play I have been to allows smaller children in the bigger areas with parental supervision. You’re only allowed 1 hour 30 with your booking, not sure how you’d spend 30 minutes let alone 90 in this “ball pit” with about 10 balls. Food isn’t great but to be expected at a soft play. The whole place needs a good clean and a clear upgrade!! **photoshopped my child out for obvious reasons**

Caitlin (tall lady with long brown hair) was absolutely amazing with all the kids during the tots session. She remembered most of the kids names and kept checking on them during the play session. She even went inside the soft play at one point and played hide and seek which my daughter loved. My daughter also sat with Caitlin and did colouring with her. She really is a credit to your company and deserves all the recognition for her professionalism and friendliness. It’s not often you get people who interact with the customers the way she did.

Echoing what a previous post said about children under 5... I would recommend anyone with children under 5 find any other soft play area, as this is by far the worst soft play for young children I've been to. There are two areas, one for under 5's which is essentially a tiny soft play area which should be for children under 2. Children over 5 still go into this area and throw stuff about and don't seem to care about young children being kicked out of their own play zone. Staff also seemed to not care for this either. The area for over 5 year olds is also quite small, and also adults aren't allowed to accompany children in there. So anyone with children under 5 are restricted to that tiny area. Staff seemed much more interested in telling adults off for accompanying children in the larger area than children over 5 running riot. Basically a child under 5 has two options: go to the designated area and be kicked out by older children. Or go to the Over 5's and no parents are allowed to help. If adults would like a suitable soft play area I would recommend the Walnut Tree one. Both areas are far more suitable for all ages of children.

I want to start by saying that this review is not about the soft play area itself, which is nice and enjoyable — my comments are specifically regarding the behaviour of one staff member. I was quite disappointed with how my son’s party went this year, especially compared to my other son’s party at the same venue last year, which was a much more positive experience. We booked the maximum number of children (20) and from the start there seemed to be a lot of pressure regarding how many adults would be attending. We were repeatedly questioned about this, and it felt as though there were not enough tables available for parents. We were also told that certain parents were not allowed to sit at non-reserved tables, which left us feeling uncomfortable having to explain this to other school parents. This is not always an easy conversation to have, particularly with people you don’t know well. The overall party felt very rushed. When we wanted to take a family photo with the cake, we were made to feel hurried and the cake was taken away quickly to be packed up. When I ordered additional food for adults, instead of a friendly response, I was told it would take an extra half an hour, which again made us feel uncomfortable. Ordering anything seemed to be met with reluctance rather than willingness to help. Unfortunately, this has not been an isolated experience. On several occasions when I have visited the soft play with other school mums, we have all felt unwelcome. While we fully understand that there are time slots and table bookings, the way this is communicated often feels abrupt and rushed. We were repeatedly reminded about leaving times, even when the venue was not particularly busy and many tables were still empty. On one occasion, our children really wanted to enjoy the disco lights when we were asked to leave, which was very disappointing for them. Most of these experiences have involved the same staff member, a lady with reddis hair, bob haircut and glasses, whose manner we have consistently found unwelcoming. Sadly, because of this, we have decided not to return. This is particularly disappointing as in previous years, when other staff members were working, the atmosphere was much more friendly and relaxed. A soft play area should feel enjoyable and inviting for families, and unfortunately that has not been our recent experience. I hope this feedback can be taken constructively, as the venue itself has great potential, but customer service makes a big difference.

A lovely young man served me and helped me to use the AA app. Then he showed me how to use it next time. Wasn't keen on the apple crumble - made with oats not pastry mix. Venue and service good though.