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Family entertainment center

December 15, 2023

"Indoor amusement park" redirects here. For the collective term for on-site leisure, see Out-of-home entertainment. For other uses, see Entertainment center.

A family entertainment center, often abbreviated FEC in the entertainment industry,[1] also known as an indoor amusement park, family amusement center, family fun center, soft play,[2] or simply fun center, is a small amusement park marketed towards families with small children to teenagers, often entirely indoors. They usually cater to "sub-regional markets of larger metropolitan areas."[1] FECs are generally small compared to full-scale amusement parks, with fewer attractions, a lower per-person per-hour cost to consumers than a traditional amusement park, and not usually major tourist attractions, but sustained by an area customer base. Many are locally owned and operated, although there are a number of chains and franchises in the field.[1] Some, operated by non-profit organizations as children's museums or science museums, tend to be geared toward edutainment experiences rather than simply amusement.

History edit

FECs are essentially a converged outgrowth of theme restaurants that increasingly developed their in-house amusement features, small-scale amusement parks needing more offerings than just a few rides and midway games, and diversifying formerly one-attraction venues (water parks, skate parks, billiard halls, bowling alleys, and so on).[3] All three categories have moved over several decades continually toward stock, popular entertainment solutions supplied by third-party vendors. Chuck E. Cheese, opened in 1977 as Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre in San Jose, California, was one of the earliest widely known examples of these in the United States.[1]

Attractions edit

 
Ball pits are a popular attraction at family fun centers.

Most FECs have at least five common major or "anchor" attractions, to provide diverse patrons (often in large parties) at least one to two hours of entertainment, to encourage repeat visits, and to reduce time spent waiting for any given attraction.[1] Some of the more usual attractions include (depending upon size, climate, etc.):

 
Multi-tiered climbing structures such as this one are common at family entertainment centers.

The most common anchor activities are miniature golf, kart racing, arcade and redemption games, and food & beverages, according to industry specialists StoneCreek Partners.[1] FECs rarely use custom-built attractions, because of the costs involved, and instead install off-the-shelf systems provided and maintained by industry equipment vendors.[1]

Any given FEC may lean more towards outdoor activities, arcade gaming, or passive entertainment and dining. Each may cater to different age ranges, all the time, or during certain hours, e.g., children and entire families in the daytime, and teens to young adults in the evening, with specific promotional programs to attract different market segments at different times.[1]

Business model edit

FECs tend to serve "sub-regional markets",[1] such as small cities, quadrants or boroughs of larger cities, and a large suburban area outside such a city. Their busiest times are weekend afternoons and Thursday through Saturday evenings.[1]

Because most of the attractions are essentially the same from FEC to FEC,[1] two of the most important factors in a particular center distinguishing itself to potential customers are a highly visible location[1] (hard to obtain because other uses for the land are often more competitive[1]), and a consistently developed and promoted theme that appeals to the target market segments, "the fun factor in the overall decor".[1]

Parental concerns are also important. While children themselves rarely think of it, a major factor in the attractiveness of an FEC to parents is on-site safety and security, as adults may drop off older children at such an establishment to entertain themselves.[1] An increasingly important factor for success is high-quality food and drink to attract parental spending as well as whole-family dining.[1]

Non-traditional FECs edit

Various major media and entertainment brands, including Disney, Lego, NASCAR, Sega, Sony, United Artists/Regal and Viacom, have been attached to family entertainment centers, often much less "traditional" than local and chain FECs, with custom-built, unique attractions, usually heavily branded, and most often located in major metropolitan areas. The first such urban entertainment center (UEC) was the Universal CityWalk in Los Angeles, California, which opened in 1993, linking several Universal properties.[4] Including various retail outlets, restaurants, and attractions, the CityWalk created a great deal of "sustained buzz" in the retail real estate industry, which began "embracing the notion that Universal Studios, Sony, Disney, and other entertainment companies could create new anchors and entertainment programs for shopping centers".[4] Another significant UEC was the Sony Metreon in San Francisco, California (1999–2006).[5]

Some nonprofit, educational installations, such as the Exploratorium in San Francisco, also have aspects of FECs in format and atmosphere, but with activities geared toward learning and experiencing rather than simple entertainment. Some for-profit enterprises also use this model, or mix edutainment with simpler amusement attractions.

In Canada edit

In Mexico edit

In the United Kingdom edit

In the United States edit

The main national industry group in the U.S. is the National Association of Family Entertainment Centers (NAFEC), which is a division of the International Laser Tag Association (ILTA).

Some U.S.-based companies also have venues in Canada (noted above), but this is rare due to the legal/political difficulties involved in cross-border corporations.

North American FECs vary wildly in themes, size and features. Some of the larger businesses in this category have included:[1]

In other countries edit

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q "About Family Entertainment Centers". StoneCreekLLC.com. Las Vegas, Nevada: StoneCreek Partners Advisory Services, Commercial Real Estate and Leisure-time Industries. 2011. Retrieved May 12, 2011.
  2. ^ O’Reilly, Séamas (2023-01-29). "There are hard lessons to be learned at the soft play zone". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-05-18.
  3. ^ McAuliffe, Howard (2023-06-16). "The Evolution And Potential Of Urban Entertainment Centers". Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  4. ^ a b "Urban Entertainment Centers". StoneCreekLLC.com. op. cit. 2011. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  5. ^ Lieberman, Al; Esgate, Patricia (2002). The Entertainment Marketing Revolution: Bringing the Moguls, the Media, and the Magic to the World. FT Press. p. 274. ISBN 9780130293503.

December 15, 2023
family, entertainment, center, indoor, amusement, park, redirects, here, collective, term, site, leisure, home, entertainment, other, uses, entertainment, center, this, article, multiple, issues, please, help, improve, discuss, these, issues, talk, page, learn. Indoor amusement park redirects here For the collective term for on site leisure see Out of home entertainment For other uses see Entertainment center This article has multiple issues Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page Learn how and when to remove these template messages This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Family entertainment center news newspapers books scholar JSTOR December 2009 Learn how and when to remove this template message This article possibly contains original research Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations Statements consisting only of original research should be removed February 2014 Learn how and when to remove this template message Learn how and when to remove this template message A family entertainment center often abbreviated FEC in the entertainment industry 1 also known as an indoor amusement park family amusement center family fun center soft play 2 or simply fun center is a small amusement park marketed towards families with small children to teenagers often entirely indoors They usually cater to sub regional markets of larger metropolitan areas 1 FECs are generally small compared to full scale amusement parks with fewer attractions a lower per person per hour cost to consumers than a traditional amusement park and not usually major tourist attractions but sustained by an area customer base Many are locally owned and operated although there are a number of chains and franchises in the field 1 Some operated by non profit organizations as children s museums or science museums tend to be geared toward edutainment experiences rather than simply amusement Contents 1 History 2 Attractions 3 Business model 4 Non traditional FECs 5 In Canada 6 In Mexico 7 In the United Kingdom 8 In the United States 9 In other countries 10 See also 11 ReferencesHistory editFECs are essentially a converged outgrowth of theme restaurants that increasingly developed their in house amusement features small scale amusement parks needing more offerings than just a few rides and midway games and diversifying formerly one attraction venues water parks skate parks billiard halls bowling alleys and so on 3 All three categories have moved over several decades continually toward stock popular entertainment solutions supplied by third party vendors Chuck E Cheese opened in 1977 as Chuck E Cheese s Pizza Time Theatre in San Jose California was one of the earliest widely known examples of these in the United States 1 Attractions edit nbsp Ball pits are a popular attraction at family fun centers Most FECs have at least five common major or anchor attractions to provide diverse patrons often in large parties at least one to two hours of entertainment to encourage repeat visits and to reduce time spent waiting for any given attraction 1 Some of the more usual attractions include depending upon size climate etc Amusement thrill rides elevated but generally small scale Animatronics displays Arcade games Ball pit Batting cages Bowling alley Bumper boats Restaurant Food Snack bar and fast food often pizza Food Quality family and group dining in theme restaurant Inflatables Kiddie rides ground level Kart racing Laser tag Miniature golf Movie theater Music and dancing Playground equipment and climbing structures Redemption games and merchandiser games Roller skating Specialty stores toys comics music etc Tube maze Virtual Reality Water slide nbsp Multi tiered climbing structures such as this one are common at family entertainment centers The most common anchor activities are miniature golf kart racing arcade and redemption games and food amp beverages according to industry specialists StoneCreek Partners 1 FECs rarely use custom built attractions because of the costs involved and instead install off the shelf systems provided and maintained by industry equipment vendors 1 Any given FEC may lean more towards outdoor activities arcade gaming or passive entertainment and dining Each may cater to different age ranges all the time or during certain hours e g children and entire families in the daytime and teens to young adults in the evening with specific promotional programs to attract different market segments at different times 1 Business model editFECs tend to serve sub regional markets 1 such as small cities quadrants or boroughs of larger cities and a large suburban area outside such a city Their busiest times are weekend afternoons and Thursday through Saturday evenings 1 Because most of the attractions are essentially the same from FEC to FEC 1 two of the most important factors in a particular center distinguishing itself to potential customers are a highly visible location 1 hard to obtain because other uses for the land are often more competitive 1 and a consistently developed and promoted theme that appeals to the target market segments the fun factor in the overall decor 1 Parental concerns are also important While children themselves rarely think of it a major factor in the attractiveness of an FEC to parents is on site safety and security as adults may drop off older children at such an establishment to entertain themselves 1 An increasingly important factor for success is high quality food and drink to attract parental spending as well as whole family dining 1 Non traditional FECs editVarious major media and entertainment brands including Disney Lego NASCAR Sega Sony United Artists Regal and Viacom have been attached to family entertainment centers often much less traditional than local and chain FECs with custom built unique attractions usually heavily branded and most often located in major metropolitan areas The first such urban entertainment center UEC was the Universal CityWalk in Los Angeles California which opened in 1993 linking several Universal properties 4 Including various retail outlets restaurants and attractions the CityWalk created a great deal of sustained buzz in the retail real estate industry which began embracing the notion that Universal Studios Sony Disney and other entertainment companies could create new anchors and entertainment programs for shopping centers 4 Another significant UEC was the Sony Metreon in San Francisco California 1999 2006 5 Some nonprofit educational installations such as the Exploratorium in San Francisco also have aspects of FECs in format and atmosphere but with activities geared toward learning and experiencing rather than simple entertainment Some for profit enterprises also use this model or mix edutainment with simpler amusement attractions In Canada editChuck E Cheese U S owned Playdium Galaxyland at West Edmonton Mall formerly named Fantasyland In Mexico editKidZania Mexico City 1999 America s Incredible Pizza Company Monterrey U S owned In the United Kingdom editThe Living Rainforest Water World Stoke on Trent Sea Life London Aquarium Madame TussaudsIn the United States editThe main national industry group in the U S is the National Association of Family Entertainment Centers NAFEC which is a division of the International Laser Tag Association ILTA Some U S based companies also have venues in Canada noted above but this is rare due to the legal political difficulties involved in cross border corporations North American FECs vary wildly in themes size and features Some of the larger businesses in this category have included 1 Adventure Landing Jacksonville Beach Florida 1995 America s Incredible Pizza Company chain based in Springfield Missouri 2002 Boomers Parks chain Brunswick Zone XL bowling pool video game chain Castle Park full amusement park with FEC section Texas Chuck E Cheese chain based in San Jose California 1977 Dave amp Buster s Dallas Texas 1982 Discovery Zone Lenexa Kansas 1990 GameWorks Seattle Washington 1997 Gatti s Pizza Golfland Sunsplash full waterpark and miniature golf course with FEC section California and Arizona John s Incredible Pizza Co 1997 Legoland Discovery Center Schaumburg Illinois 2008 Malibu Grand Prix NASCAR Speedpark NASCAR racing theme four U S locations Peter Piper Pizza chain Putt Putt Fun Center Regal FunScape chain movies minigolf video amp VR games food court etc depending on location Round1 chain Japan owned Scandia Amusement Park full amusement park with FEC section California Sky Zone chain indoor trampoline park locations in US and Canada Sony Metreon San Francisco California 1999 2006 Japan owned Tilt Studio chain an offshoot of the original Tilt arcade chain Universal CityWalk Universal Studios Hollywood Los Angeles California 1993 Universal Orlando Resort Orlando Florida 1999 uWink 2007 ZDT s Amusement Park full amusement park with FEC section Texas In other countries editEntertainment City Manila Bay Philippines Happy City Colombia Round1 Japan Sega Republic Dubai United Arab Emirates 2009 Japan owned but closed down Universal CityWalk part of Universal Studios Japan Osaka U S owned Ferrari World Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates Trans Studio Makassar Makassar Indonesia Joypolis Japan See also editEntertainment Performing arts Performing arts educationReferences edit a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q About Family Entertainment Centers StoneCreekLLC com Las Vegas Nevada StoneCreek Partners Advisory Services Commercial Real Estate and Leisure time Industries 2011 Retrieved May 12 2011 O Reilly Seamas 2023 01 29 There are hard lessons to be learned at the soft play zone The Guardian ISSN 0261 3077 Retrieved 2023 05 18 McAuliffe Howard 2023 06 16 The Evolution And Potential Of Urban Entertainment Centers Pinnacle Entertainment Group Retrieved 2023 07 31 a b Urban Entertainment Centers StoneCreekLLC com op cit 2011 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a Missing or empty url help Lieberman Al Esgate Patricia 2002 The Entertainment Marketing Revolution Bringing the Moguls the Media and the Magic to the World FT Press p 274 ISBN 9780130293503 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Family entertainment center amp oldid 1184590733, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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