McDonald's PlayPlace
 An indoor PlayPlace at a McDonald's inBloomfield, Connecticut | |
| Location | Various McDonald's restaurants |
|---|---|
| Status | Operating |
| Operated by | McDonald's |
| Theme | McDonaldland |
| Operating season | Year-round (indoor and outdoor) |
TheMcDonald's PlayPlaceis anamusementcommercialplaygroundattached to aMcDonald'srestaurant. It features play areas such astubemazes,slides,ball pits,andvideo games,as well astablesfor eating. First established in 1971 at theChula Vista, Californialocation, they are usuallyrainbowcolored and themed afterMcDonaldland.[1]
History[edit]
The McDonald's PlayPlace first appeared inCaliforniain 1971,[2]and debuted for McDonald's franchisees at the 1972Illinois State Fair.[3][4]
In 1991, McDonald's created a chain of family entertainment centers based on PlayPlaces calledLeaps and Bounds,that eventually merged intoDiscovery ZoneandChuck E. Cheese.[5][6]
In 1999, theU.S. Consumer Product Safety Commissionfined McDonald's $4 million, after failing to report over 400 injuries that children sustained after using the Big Mac Climber jungle gyms.[7]
In March 2020, all PlayPlaces in restaurants located in the United States were closed due to health concerns related to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[8]
In the 2010s and 2020s, PlayPlaces have appeared less frequently in new and renovated restaurants, reportedly due to factors such as health and safety concerns, decreased usage, families eating out less, a shift in marketing from kids and families to young adults, and McDonald's wanting to present a more "sleek and modern" image of the chain.[9][10][11][12]However, PlayPlaces are still found in most new restaurants in Australia.
The world's largest McDonald's PlayPlace at theWorld's Largest Entertainment McDonald'sinOrlando, Florida,featuresfamily entertainment center-like attractions, includingarcade gamesandpizza.It was opened in 1976.[13]
References[edit]
- ^Behr, Felix (March 24, 2021)."This Was The World's First McDonald's PlayPlace".Mashed.com.Archivedfrom the original on June 29, 2022.RetrievedMarch 21,2022.
- ^"McDonald's Design Heritage".Fast Company.October 1, 2010.Archivedfrom the original on March 21, 2022.RetrievedMarch 21,2022.
- ^"McDonald's Playground".Illinois Periodicals Online at Northern Illinois University - (Main Page).Archivedfrom the original on March 18, 2022.RetrievedMarch 21,2022.
- ^"This Could Be Why You Don't See PlayPlaces in McDonald's Anymore".Reader's Digest.July 2, 2020.Archivedfrom the original on May 12, 2022.RetrievedMarch 21,2022.
- ^"Leaps and Bounds Merges With Discovery Zone; McDonald's".Bloomberg.Jul 18, 1994.Archivedfrom the original on April 18, 2022.RetrievedApr 18,2022.
- ^Young, David (Jul 19, 1994)."McDonald's to Unite Play Unit With Discovery Zone".Chicago Tribune.Archivedfrom the original on April 18, 2022.RetrievedApr 18,2022.
- ^Fields, Robin (1999-06-29)."McDonald's Fined Over Child Injuries".Los Angeles Times.Archivedfrom the original on 2023-01-02.Retrieved2023-01-02.
- ^Jones, Charisse."McDonald's to shut seating, play areas amid COVID-19 pandemic".USA TODAY.Archivedfrom the original on 2023-01-02.Retrieved2023-01-02.
- ^"This Could Be Why You Don't See PlayPlaces in McDonald's Anymore".Reader's Digest.2020-07-02.Archivedfrom the original on 2023-04-10.Retrieved2023-01-02.
- ^Shustack, Chase (2022-08-07)."Whatever Happened To McDonald's PlayPlaces?".Mashed.Archivedfrom the original on 2023-01-02.Retrieved2023-01-02.
- ^"Will the McDonald's PlayPlace Go Away for Good?".The Takeout.2022-08-11.Archivedfrom the original on 2023-01-02.Retrieved2023-01-02.
- ^Lawrence, Kelsey (2017-04-17)."Where Have All the Fast-Food Playgrounds Gone?".Eater.Archivedfrom the original on 2023-01-02.Retrieved2023-01-02.
- ^Harrington, Rebecca (May 12, 2017)."We visited the largest McDonald's in the US and ate pizza, pasta, and a Belgian waffle - here's what it's like".Business Insider.Archivedfrom the original on March 21, 2022.RetrievedMarch 21,2022.
External links[edit]
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