The PlayPlace is an amusement commercial playground attached to a McDonald's restaurant. It features play areas such as tube mazes, slides, ball pits, and video games, as well as tables for eating. First established in 1971 at the Chula Vista, California location, they are usually rainbow colored and themed after McDonaldland.[1]
.jpg) An indoor PlayPlace at a McDonald's in Bloomfield, Connecticut | |
| Location | Various McDonald's restaurants |
|---|---|
| Status | Operating |
| Operated by | McDonald's |
| Theme | McDonaldland |
| Operating season | Year-round (indoor and outdoor) |
History
editThe McDonald's PlayPlace first appeared in California in 1971,[2] and debuted for McDonald's franchisees at the 1972 Illinois State Fair.[3][4]
In 1991, McDonald's created a chain of family entertainment centers based on PlayPlaces called Leaps and Bounds, that eventually merged into Discovery Zone and Chuck E. Cheese.[5][6]
In 1999, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission fined 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 the COVID-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 the World's Largest Entertainment McDonald's in Orlando, Florida, features family entertainment center-like attractions, including arcade games and pizza. It was opened in 1976.[13]
References
edit- ^ Behr, Felix (March 24, 2021). "This Was The World's First McDonald's PlayPlace". Mashed.com. Archived from the original on June 29, 2022. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
- ^ "McDonald's Design Heritage". Fast Company. October 1, 2010. Archived from the original on March 21, 2022. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
- ^ "McDonald's Playground". Illinois Periodicals Online at Northern Illinois University - (Main Page). Archived from the original on March 18, 2022. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
- ^ "This Could Be Why You Don't See PlayPlaces in McDonald's Anymore". Reader's Digest. July 2, 2020. Archived from the original on May 12, 2022. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
- ^ "Leaps and Bounds Merges With Discovery Zone; McDonald's". Bloomberg. Jul 18, 1994. Archived from the original on April 18, 2022. Retrieved Apr 18, 2022.
- ^ Young, David (Jul 19, 1994). "McDonald's to Unite Play Unit With Discovery Zone". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on April 18, 2022. Retrieved Apr 18, 2022.
- ^ Fields, Robin (1999-06-29). "McDonald's Fined Over Child Injuries". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2023-01-02. Retrieved 2023-01-02.
- ^ Jones, Charisse. "McDonald's to shut seating, play areas amid COVID-19 pandemic". USA TODAY. Archived from the original on 2023-01-02. Retrieved 2023-01-02.
- ^ "This Could Be Why You Don't See PlayPlaces in McDonald's Anymore". Reader's Digest. 2020-07-02. Archived from the original on 2023-04-10. Retrieved 2023-01-02.
- ^ Shustack, Chase (2022-08-07). "Whatever Happened To McDonald's PlayPlaces?". Mashed. Archived from the original on 2023-01-02. Retrieved 2023-01-02.
- ^ "Will the McDonald's PlayPlace Go Away for Good?". The Takeout. 2022-08-11. Archived from the original on 2023-01-02. Retrieved 2023-01-02.
- ^ Lawrence, Kelsey (2017-04-17). "Where Have All the Fast-Food Playgrounds Gone?". Eater. Archived from the original on 2023-01-02. Retrieved 2023-01-02.
- ^ 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. Archived from the original on March 21, 2022. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
External links
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