Mid Rivers Newsmagazine Planet Fun Review

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Planet Fun Fills The Bill For Kids And Parents

By Mary Ann O'Toole Holley

There is no underestimating the power of fun. Pass it along.

And there’s no better way to harness that power than at Planet Fun, a nifty new hotspot where kids can maneuver through miles of tunnels, play age-appropriate video games, party till they drop and do it all while the adults dine on food found in fine restaurants.

Planet Fun owners, Dino and Laura Polymeropoulos and George and Mary Polymeropoulos, have everything down to a science when it comes to creating excitement for kids age 2 to 14. Better yet, they’ve created a kids world with comfort and good eats for the entire family.

When the two brothers and their wives opened Planet Fun in June, taking over the former Tumble Drum, the 12,000-square-foot non-stop fun-o-rama began. The magnificent two-story tunnel system with 10 entrance and exits, slides and more was restored to new condition and placed under stringent safety inspections. A brand new 35-game arcade is now scattered throughout the facility offering action for kids as well as adults.

“Tumble Drum was a very popular place, but as the former owners grew tired of it, it fell in disrepair,” George Polymeropoulos said. “Since we took over, the response from customers has been amazing.”

The Polymeropoulos family definitely improved on a good thing.

“Every pizza is made fresh on site,” George Polymeropoulos said. “We don’t serve ‘kid food’ per se. It’s quality food, prepared with our own recipes. There’s no frozen pizza here.”

A medium pizza is a mere $9.99, while the large, 14-inch is $11.99. Add your choice of nine toppings, or choose a Supreme, Meat Lovers or Veggie pizza ($13.99-$17.99).

For the Polymeropoulos family, the sky is the limit for Planet Fun. As former owners of Tomatoes Pizza, they’ve succeeded in bringing family fun to a new level with fresh salads, hot wings, ice cream and a long list of snacks and kids meals in an environment that will keep everyone happy for hours on end.

Every day the Polymeropoulos family bakes their own homemade garlic bread and scrumptious cookies. Fountain drinks, chocolate milk, Gatorade and more will quench the thirst of active children, while adults sip coffee, cappuccino or a strawberry milk steamer ($1.49).

Moms can soothe their souls while the children maneuver into their own make-believe a world inside Plexiglas overlooks and tunnels 20-feet from the floor. For those who can’t take the screams of joy and the hollering of happiness from the children, there is also an enclosed “quiet area” for adults, with full view of the happenings of Planet Fun.

“We’ve become the best place in town for kids’ birthday parties,” Dino Polymeropoulos said, pointing out their failsafe security system that matches the parents with their kids through infrared hand stamps to make sure every child leaves safely. Licensed as a children’s entertainment facility, Planet Fun incorporates 24 security cameras that allow monitoring of children’s safety, and non-slip flooring keeps the kids upright as they rush from one point to another.

“When we came into the business, we went through it all — tunnels, slides, and did a rigorous safety check,” George Polymeropoulos said. “We’ve concentrated on everything.”

For a limited time, for birthday parties booked at Planet Fun, the birthday child is Planet Fun’s free guest.

The Planet Fun owners listened to parents who said the children were getting too much caffeine, and included delicacies like hot chocolate, chocolate milk and a nice range of healthy snacks.

Planet Fun also features free lockers to stash belongings safely, and sells socks to those who aren’t prepared for the “socks required” rule. Large private party rooms decorated in a planet motif accommodate 35 to 40 children, while small private party rooms make way for about 16 children.

“We have people doing magic tricks and other occasional entertainment,” Dino Polymeropoulos said. “The kids have a ball.”

Plans are to expand in the next few months to include an additional 12,000-square-foot “inflatables” section.

“We want to be a one-stop-shop for kids and parties, so to speak,” George Polymeropoulos said. “Our motto is, ‘It’s a kid’s world.’ And Planet Fun is designed to fill the bill.”

All adults must be accompanied by a child, and all children must be accompanied by an adult.

Planet Fun

5849 Suemandy Drive St. Peters, MO 63376 (636) 397-7700

Play fees:

$3.95 weekdays; $6.05 weekends – unlimited fun.

Hours:

Mon-Thurs 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Fri. 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Sat. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Sun. Noon to 6 p.m.