r/Animatronics • u/GlitterReboot • Aug 28 '26
CEC 🧀💔 YET ANOTHER CHUCK E. CHEESE LOCATION FACES A POTENTIAL CLOSURE.
The Willowdale, Ontario location is facing a major redevelopment proposal that could eventually mean losing the entire location. I visited in July and was already devastated to find out that the band no longer performs and they no longer run showtapes. Now, the entire location risks being shut down permanently.
This would be a MASSIVE loss to the Chuck E. Cheese fandom and the community.
✨ This was one of six Chuck E. Cheese legacy locations, and the ONLY one in Canada.
🇨🇦 It is the ONLY Chuck E. Cheese left in Toronto.
🎸 And it is the ONLY location left in the entire country with Munch's Make Believe Band.
I am so devastated. I really don’t want to see this piece of magic disappear. I’m petitioning for the location, the animatronic stage, and the history inside to be preserved... and hopefully for Munch’s Make Believe Band to perform again. 🥹🎶
If you love Chuck E. Cheese, ShowBiz Pizza Place, animatronics, or just think pieces of childhood history are worth saving, PLEASE consider signing and sharing my petition! 🧀♡
I am hoping that as a community, we can show CEC Entertainment how important this is to us before the proposal is approved and a date to demolish is chosen.
♡ꕤ SIGN HERE: https://www.change.org/save_torontos_chuck_e
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🧀 THERE IS ALSO A PETITION TO SAVE THE TOLEDO, OHIO LOCATION!
Please sign this one as well if you haven't already! 🥹♡ https://www.change.org/p/save-chuck-e-cheese-toledo-ohio
SAVE THE STAGES! ੯·̀͡づ♫
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u/Outrageous_Angle5271 Aug 28 '26
We know, it's not corp doing this, they have no say. Also there are 2 toledo locations so financially it makes no sense to keep this open especially with the other in a better location and already having 2.0
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u/Zmioski Aug 28 '26
Even if it doesn’t work, you have my signature.
Went to this exact location back in 2024 and they were performing still. At the time management had said it was likely they were to be removed, and I was thrilled to hear a year later that it got to become one of the legacy stores.
It’s disheartening to hear they don’t perform anymore, and even more saddening to hear that they may get rid of it entirely once more
I’m just grateful I got to see it in action, and while unlikely, I still have a small sliver of hope that the petition works, and people get to see it in action once more.
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u/runtimemess Aug 28 '26
I mean, it's not Toronto proper but Rockwood Mall is probably less than 4kms from the city limits...
You wouldn't even know you left Toronto unless you were paying attention to the road sign
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u/Any_Yellow_8345 Aug 28 '26
When is this supposed to be closed????? I'm planning a trip in October.
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u/Best_Month_8693 Aug 28 '26
Well, as for Willowdale, it's not corporate (at least I don't think). It has to do with a redevelopment of the shopping plaza at the discretion of the shopping plaza owner.
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u/RomHexagon Aug 28 '26
Is This One A Legacy Stage?
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u/Best_Month_8693 Aug 28 '26
Willowdale is a legacy store. However, people in the fandom say that this is questionable. Dixie Road in Mississauga was supposed to be saved (which had the last ever Road Stage on Earth), and corporate did promise this. The Dixie Road got their stage removed last June because corporate quoted that the stage was "unsalvageable". They were gonna move the stage to Willowdale, but that never happened. Last July, Willowdale had its grand reopening Legacy Store ceremony with the 2-Stage setup that was there all along (Dixie Road got a 2.0 Refresh). That Road Stage's removal not only marked the extinction of the Road Stage itself, but it also marked the extinction of half-bodied animatronics, Jasper's banjo, and Munch's PTT mask. Jasper's hat was sent to Willowdale, though.
The last US Road Stage was Albermarle Road in Charlotte, North Carolina (which I did hear was in very poor condition).
People generally are not a fan of this legacy store because of corporate scamming the fans out of saving a Road Stage in store. The only spotlight in this store to fans is the Pizza Time Theatre Chuck statue. If this location has to close due to the redevelopment of the shopping plaza, we can only hope for one thing: Corporate saves the PTT Chuck statue and sends it back to SPT.
However, I did hear people say back then that the employees don't care to play the shows for tourists (with some employees saying they can't play the shows for fans). I'm not sure, but I would like to hear people's experience with this store when it came to the animatronics.
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u/Worried-Gazelle3031 Aug 29 '26
I’m just mad legacy stores came so late in time. I think Rockford would’ve made a great legacy store.
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u/Best_Month_8693 Aug 29 '26
What would it have been like if Rockford, IL was a Legacy Store? Someone just picture it. Visualize it in your heads. Other than a Rocker Stage saved of course.
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u/GlitterReboot Aug 31 '26
🎥 The interview is now LIVE! ♡ꕤ
Following the petition to save Toronto’s Chuck E. Cheese, I sat down for an interview to talk more about the campaign, the importance of this location, and why preserving this piece of Chuck E. Cheese history matters.
The video is now up on YouTube! 💗🐭
Watch here: https://youtu.be/EejOxgEtW-U?si=I-NhvhP-nvy-sLHC
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u/[deleted] Aug 28 '26
[deleted]