Build-a-Bear Workshop coming to CP

https://sanduskyregister.com/news/391609/build-a-bear-coming-to-cedar-point/

Was the Jitney Arcade the last traditional shooting gallery in the park or am I misremembering?

I do think Build-A-Bear is a good choice, especially if they can get tie-ins for Peanuts characters or for any original mascots they might have lying around (thinking the Gatekeeper gryphon and the Valravn... raven, but obviously you've got Rougarou and Iron Dragon too). Still mixed feelings from seeing another arcade space go away, even though it's been well discussed here how they just don't do much for the park anymore.

I thought I noticed that Jitney is the location for Frontiertown first aid now.
Kings Island has Build a Bear in one of the stores on International Street, it takes up a corner and a long wall. It seems like nothing special. There were some exclusive figures, maybe 50th anniversary bears or something. I just glanced over.
I wouldn’t hold out hope for Peanuts to appear at Build a Bear.

I don’t know how to say this, Mac - except..

https://www.buildabear.com/collections/shop-by-character/peanuts

I wonder why those are an on-line exclusive. Seems like the parks would be able to sell those in their store.

I guess they know what they're doing, although when I was a kid and went to Cedar Point I wanted to go on rides and see stuff. Are kids really going to want to spend valuable Cedar Point time inside a shop making a stuffed animal? And then what do you do with it? Those boxes are I think too big to fit in a locker.

I hope the store beefs up its staff in the last 2 hours the park is open, because I predict all the families with kids who want one will tell them "We'll do it last thing so we don't have to carry it around all day." Unless the store offers to hold onto the stuffed animal until you leave, maybe.

I forget what the official name of the shop was, but CP had it's own version of BAB on Frontier Trail several years back. My kids got a few of them over the years -- set up was the same, pick an animal, stuff it, buy tees, accessories, etc. We would just shuffle stuff to the car.

In my neck of the woods, BAB is HUGE among kids, and even some adults, and they are not located nearby in my area, so I think this will be a plus for CP.

RCMAC said:

I thought I noticed that Jitney is the location for Frontiertown first aid now.

First Aid is actually behind the old Jitney Arcade; I think they may have taken over the back room of the arcade after ‘17, as only the front room of JA was open during ‘18. Pretty sure JA closed altogether after ‘18; for HalloWeekends in ‘19, there was a Fright Lane-exclusive haunted house in there that used a really, really cool green flat-beam laser field and fog layer at about 3-feet high to create a swamp-themed house. The actors would sneak underneath the laser field so you could not see them, then they leapt up through the layer to scare you. The front room of JA is still there, but is currently storage space, as I saw stagehands putting equipment in there after a show earlier this season.

SarahB1863 said:

Are kids really going to want to spend valuable Cedar Point time inside a shop making a stuffed animal? And then what do you do with it?

In a word, yes. Kids love Build-a-Bear. What do people do with all the other oversized stuff they win at games at 2:00 in the afternoon? Not to mention you have lots of little kids staying at the resorts for days and days, so a lot of kids will just take it back to their room, then go back in the park.Pretty smart move. Take a piece of property that is making no $$ and turn it into a solid $$-maker.

And if you keep reading, the article gets even more interesting for older Cedar Point guests...

...and for a limited time park guests will be able to "build their own" Dick Kinzel. Celebrating the legendary career of the former CEO of Cedar Fair, you will be able to stuff-and-fluff your own Mr. Kinzel. Press his heart, and your Build-a-Dick will shout out such memorable phrases such as, "People gotta eat!", and "Top Thrill Dragster was the worst business decision I ever made". Guests will notice that Build-a-Dick comes with no clothing or theme of any kind because, in the spirit of Mr. Kinzel, "the bear is the theme".

Shades said:

I wonder why those are an on-line exclusive. Seems like the parks would be able to sell those in their store.

Allegedly, they do sell them at KI. I saw someone mention that their kids got them there.

^^ Kevin, that was wonderfully exectued. Thanks for the laugh!

Halfpint said:

I forget what the official name of the shop was, but CP had it's own version of BAB on Frontier Trail several years back. My kids got a few of them over the years -- set up was the same, pick an animal, stuff it, buy tees, accessories, etc. We would just shuffle stuff to the car.

In my neck of the woods, BAB is HUGE among kids, and even some adults, and they are not located nearby in my area, so I think this will be a plus for CP.

IIRC - It was called Build-a-Friend. I used to joke about it saying, "I don't like my friends, so I'm going to build me some new ones".

The marquee on the Jitney Arcade has been painted over.