MAYA. Today's birthday visit for our one year old was made SO SO SPECIAL by Maya. We have been here for many building of bears for birthdays, but Maya said the sweetest most thoughtful things when putting the bear (or cow) together "filling" it with love, I started to tear up as the feelings of my baby turning one set it. (And I have multiple children haha) today was the most special experience at this build a bear location, I really hope every next experience was like todays. Thank you so, so much Maya. read more

Build-A-Bear Workshop - Summer 2024 birthday bear - Toy Stores Near Me - Gilbert, Arizona

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Came for my daughter's bday. Everything is sold separately. Fun experience but not worth the price to return.

Came here today with my husband and son to get my son's $1 birthday bear! It was super busy because there was a party right before us, but after they left things moved much faster. People working here were super nice and the store was well organized. My son loves his new bear and we had a great experience here! read more

Build-A-Bear Workshop - Bearold - Toy Stores Near Me - Gilbert, Arizona

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Great birthday bear experience. My daughter had the best time with her bday bear celebration! Service was good and it wasn't super busy for a Friday afternoon. read more

At the Tempe Build A Bear Workshop myself, my mother, my little sister, and her friend went to have fun during spring break and my college break and make bears! We came in and I was a bit nervous since of course I am an adult and I haven't done with before. When I went to get the cow I picked out stuffed, Sofia A was the person who helped. She was very high-energy and made me and my family feel very welcome from when we got our guys made to when we checked out. Such a fun experience, and great staff :) read more

We came for my daughters 2nd birthday! Both ladies working were incredibly nice! They made the experience special for my daughter! The lady also made my daughter a sticker for her birthday. I recommend! read more

We had such a fun experience today. Been going to build a bear many years, but this visit today stood out. My younger sons came in for their birthday bears. The staff was so sweet and patient. I wanted to say thank you for keeping the build a bear magic alive. Well done! read more

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Staff is very unfriendly and unwilling to help or explain. Came in without a receipt since my son grabbed it and put it who knows where . their website states they can at least do store credit . Girl and manager on duty just kept saying their policy just changed ?? And that I would need a receipt for store credit, why would I want store credit if I have a receipt. They also no longer accept return from online orders even with receipt 11.14 at 4:30 PM read more

This was such a fun experience. I've never in my life done this before and I always wondered what the process was. My son, husband, in-laws and I all showed up on a Friday afternoon around 2:30 PM. To our pleasant surprise, the place was completely empty and all attention was paid to us so this is a great time to show up. It's located in the Santan Village in "kids Row" everyone who worked there was so incredibly kind to our son and so accommodating to us. For such a fun experience the cost is pretty low, depending on how many upgrades you add. You start out by choosing a bear, or you can choose any animal really. For us, they were offering a two for $45 special so we got our teddy bear and also a monkey that my son chose. Then you go over to the stuffing machine and watch it getting built/coming to life. They ask you what consistency you want which is nice as well. You do have the option to put in a soundbite and you can record yourselves in the teddy bear we recorded us telling him that we love him, and on the monkey, we recorded his voice so he could always hear his voice as a baby even when he's older. You can also add a heartbeat which we did on the teddy bear. After the bear is stuffed, it gets all sewed up. You can go over to the bath station and "clean it" and then you decide the accessories. There's a lot to choose from, I would say more for girls than for boys. We ended up getting a few T-shirts. Then there is a whole station where you can take photos which of course we did. And before you pay and check out you sit down and enter the animal's information by scanning its barcode and creating a birth certificate. The whole experience takes about a half hour depending on how creative you get! I would definitely recommend this experience for any family. For the entire experience we paid under $85. read more

Build-A-Bear Workshop - My husband stepping on the paddle for the machine to start! - Toy Stores Near Me - Gilbert, Arizona

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On a Friday evening, we hosted our families for an event at this Build-A-Bear Workshop. From scheduling, coordinating and executing this event - these team members did not miss a beat! They were so kind and helpful for each and every family. Their help was incredible and vital to a successful event. They exceeded my expectations and I couldn't be more thankful for how they handled making 44 bears in 90 minutes! That has to be a record! Thank you ladies and gent SO much. Stop in at Little Sunshine's to get a private tour from me! :) read more

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Always was a good experience with my kids when they were little. We have been to this store many times, I recommend it

Our Daisy Girl Scouts chose BAB as one of their rewards for cookie sales. I was so intimated about bringing 13 excited girls to BAB--but we were SO impressed and blown away by our experience! Liz was ABSOLUTELY the most amazing hostess! Her energy actually matched the girls' and that's hard to do!! She made this the best experience for our girls. Thank you Build-A-Bear and Liz! read more

First time at BABW in a very long time! I bought Zero at the chandler location, but the stuffing machine was down because of electrical issues. So I waited until I was near a BABW location to get him stuffed finally. Elliott was the one who helped me get him stuffed and he was super sweet and didn't make me feel weird about being the only 21 year old in there getting their own plush. Went through the whole ritual and I even added a strawberry scent to him. It was a great experience! The lady at the checkout was very nice too but I forgot to get her name. Will come back for future times! read more

Build-A-Bear Workshop - Toy Stores Near Me - Gilbert, Arizona

I used to bring my daughter to Build A Bear over the years and always had a great experience! Today, my 5 year old grandson had his first visit to your Gilbert location. I was more than disappointed. We were greeted as we walked in, and as we approached the wall of choices, one of the employees started handing my grandson different stuffed animals asking him boldly, "Do you want this one?". I had to repeatedly tell her no. Anyway, she stuffed the bear and continuously tried to upsell a 5 year old each and everything she could. Is the staff working on commission? I was very put off. The lady who checked is out, tried to sell us 3 more items! The experience wasn't very fun, the staff seemed very bored, we were only there about 15 minutes. Stuffed the bear, left. If this is how these workshops operate today, I surely will not be returning. read more

So I've been going to this build a bear for years and it's been great, except for today. I came with my boyfriend today and I went to grab my wallet from my back pack which he was carrying and I was yelled at by an employee accusing me of "horsing around". I thought build a bear was somewhere to have fun and build memories. But apparently I'm wrong. read more

This was the most unfriendly place I've ever been too. The girl Chelsea was so rude, from the moment she opened the door for business. She basically yelled at a little boy to move back so she can put the sign up. Then she was rude to a customer and actually made the little girl she was with cry. After you can tell everyone was on edge there. I wanted to purchase an outfit for our bear and had to wait until Chelsea was done "talking" to another employee about the customer. Not a happy experience and won't be back read more

I spoke to Kelsey in the phone today about a very sensitive subject/request and I couldn't be more impressed with her customer service!!! Wow!! This is a business/location we should be supporting. She took the time to explain everything and was so kind and sensitive. I'm so grateful for her exceptional customer service and beautiful heart. Thanks Kelsey! read more

I HAD to write a review about our daughters birthday party this past weekend. I was a little skeptical about how well the party would go, after experiencing the booking process online and attempting to get clarification from the customer service number. BUT when we arrived, we were greeted by a super enthusiastic, sweet party host. I believe her name was Rosemary. She made the entire experience fun and easy and magical for our birthday girl and all of her guests! We've hosted many parties at venues all around the east valley for our 3 kids over the years, and I can honestly say, this is hands down, the BEST experience we have EVER had! The kids had so much fun and the host was phenomenal! read more

Not a friendly location. Customer service is horrible. I wrote the letter below to their HQ about my experience and received no reply. To whom it may concern, I visited your San Tan Village store this evening to attempt to make an exchange and purchase additional products, which resulted in a disappointing customer experience. When I visited this location last month a different representative greeted my husband, mother, and I at the door and we were treated with kindness and assisted with our purchase. I was shocked at the service that I received this evening. I attempted to share with your employee on duty, Julie, that we received three of the same doll for my daughters birthday and we simply wanted to exchange it for another of equal value. Your representative Julie was unprofessional, cut me off mid sentence of asking my request, and told me she could not help me in a condescending tone. She asked me, "Where's your receipt!" and I attempted to reiterate that it was a gift and that I did not have one. She then repeated that she could not help me. Based on her tone and word choice, it appeared that she had a personal problem with assisting me. I then asked Julie if I may have a number where I can contact someone and she replied, "Let me give you a card for corporate and the store! Maybe they can help you!". I thanked her and left with my family. It is important to know how your business operates when leadership is not present. I hope that this email provides you the opportunity for much needed coaching for Julie. I would appreciate a reply to know that someone received my feedback. read more

Had an amazing experience all thanks to Lindsay! She's such an amazing and sweet person! She made sure we found everything we needed turned the music down to make sure we had our recording sound perfect! She deserves a raise! I will forever come to this location from now on thanks to her! read more

Love this place! Went to grab a Pikachu stuffed bear and everyone was really sweet. The two girls that helped me was very friendly. Will come again because of the great customer service we had. :) read more

I took my four year old niece to Build-A-Bear over the weekend. It was as cute as I remembered... I went to Build-A-Bear in Los Angeles for a company event so it was much cuter to go with a child. As we were walking up to the store, a little girl was coming out and was so excited to introduce us to her new friend. Very cute! The people who work there were great with my niece and really made it special for her. She had a great time picking out the animal, filling it with stuffing and love, and picking out clothes. The prices were surprisingly reasonable. I took one star off because it seems like the quality of the stuffed animals has gone down over the last several years. Regardless, it's a great adventure for kids! read more

This is my daughter's happy place! Always great staff who seem to really help parents control the situation. What I mean is instead of up selling my child and putting me in the awkward position of having to say no, they asked right up front what we were looking for and let us guide the purchase. And they really make each child feel special. I have been to 7 other Build a Bear locations - including Disney - and the staff here is by far the best! read more

Build-A-Bear Workshop - Toy Stores Near Me - Gilbert, Arizona

For my son's birthday every year, we take him to build a bear! His birthday is the first week of january so I understand kids are out of school and it's a busy day but I've been in line over 30 minutes and there are still 8 kids ahead of us... The girl doing the stuffing is very fun and personable but has zero sense of urgency considering the line was almost to the door at one point... You guys need another stuffer person or something. We are already paying ridiculous prices for a stuffed animal, we shouldn't have to spend over an hour to get it.... *update* they added another stuffer! And we had Dirielle and she is amazing. She was very fun and so great with the kids. This is such a good fit for her personality. And thank you Kelsey for giving him a sticker and asking him about his birthday! Your fun personality is contagious! Thanks for making my son's birthday special. read more

First time at B.A.B.. We were greeted at the door, asked if we need help. Sales person help us in making our choices. The girl in the stuffing area was awesome. She took her time with my son and really let him be involved. A big group came in while we were there,so the staff got pretty busy. I never felt rushed. Best part is if you come in on you child's birthday month they get a bear price for their age. read more

Build-A-Bear Workshop - Toy Stores Near Me - Gilbert, Arizona

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So happy with my daughters' experience at the Santan Build-A-Bear today. 3 girls who all wanted different animals, outfits etc. and Julia and Rose took such great care of them. Super kind and good with my little one. Have you seen their heart ceremony? Sooo cute and fun for the kids. Helped them pick outfits and name their bears. Left with my littlest planning her birthday party for October. Nice to see young staff take an interest in the kids and help them dress their bears, not rush them through the experience. read more

We went to build a bear for my daughters birthday. I didn't feel like the small changes they made for Covid took away from the magic at all. The employees however acted more interested in their interactions with each other than with my kids. We also got home to find out all four of the bears we purchased had not been sewn up correctly so we had big holes in the back with stuffing falling out. read more

We went in for my daughter to get her Birthday Bear. Everyone was so friendly at this store and made my daughter's first Build a Bear experience awesome. Keep up the great work guys! read more

I hate this place. What a ripoff. By the time my daughter was done going through this place she was already over her stuffed animal. And that is almost $80 later. Seriously save your money. There has to be a million things you can do than waste money here. The staff was actually rude to me when I was asking questions about some of the animals. Don't recommend. read more

My five year old had his birthday party here, and we were very impressed! The staff was extremely friendly and professional, and they did a great job keeping the kids engaged and seemed just as excited about celebrating my son's birthday as my son and his friends! Also, they sent him a personalized, hand-written thank-you card in the mail after the event. The great customer service and the quality product (the bears) make this place well worth the price, which was pretty reasonable actually. read more

This was an amazing Build-A-Bear we've been to. I must say the employee who was stuffing the animals had a great personality & was very interactive with all those who she was helping. I didn't get her name but she wore glasses & had short hair. She totally made the experience an A+ in my books, she made the part where they get to put a heart in the stuffed animal different for each kid & I just loved it & so did my girls. I look forward to bringing my girls here more often & will also recommend this store to family & friends read more

Buyer beware when it comes to a birthday parties. My wife and I were debating about going between a 20 and a 25 per child party for a few weeks leading up to the party. We opted to go with the more expensive option because we wanted the my daughters friends to get a nicer, higher quality bear and have access to 2/3's of the wall and not 1/3. The day of the party, my wife was approached (while with other parents) asking her if someone wants a smaller bear would it be ok for them to get a clothing item , "for like five bucks and I'll steer them toward the clearance rack? My wife agreed and said that would be fine. When the party started the associate said to all of the kids, " ok, you have $25 dollars to spend so if you pick a cheaper bear you'll have money left over to spend on clothes." I came into the party late from work. When I got there I was surprised to see my son without a HULK bear which is what he wanted prior to showing up and learning he had been coached on how to spend his money meaning he put back the bear he wanted. I asked my wife what was going on because every kid had a cheap bear so my wife explained what happened. When it came time to dressing their bears kids picked out what they wanted and when they came up satisfied with their selections they were told to go get more clothes. Kid after kid after kid... not the $5 that was explained to my wife. Spend more and more, keep getting more. My frustration built with each upsell as it became apparent they were no longer focused on my daughter, it was about the $$$. I approached the manager (the lady shadowing) and expressed my frustration over how my money was being spent versus how it was portrayed when booking the party. She had a very corporate answer part of which was "well, if they would have just picked a $25 bear." She missed the point altogether. I was ok buying every child a more expensive bear but I wanted them to choose. The plan was we would do the bear thing and go on to dinner do cake, presents all that stuff so we needed to go. We were over time and I asked them to wrap it up, my request was ignored by the manager. My wife asked the associate to stop and she ignored the request. We had food waiting, cake and more to do for my daughter and all they cared about was getting to 25. 3 things. Explain the process up front. Listen to your customer. And, let the kids choose. read more

We have been going to this location for years and they always make my son feel like a super star. The staff, especially Lindsay and Kelsey, are so friendly and helpful. My son loves going to BABW...especially this location. He has many stuffed pals that he cherishes from this location in particular. read more

My daughter and I had a wonderful experience at Santan Village's Build a Bear. I read online that you could put your child's binky in their bear to try and say goodbye. Lindsay was amazing and made it very special for my daughter who was a little nervous to begin with. We had been before but never did the binky ceremony. My daughter loved her unicorn and a worker Julia made her a sticker that said, "Official Big Girl Award". Both Julia and Lindsay were phenomenal and we will be back again. Thanks! read more

Amazing staff and always a fun experience. We have over a dozen assorted bears and never grow tired of this experience. Even if we just browse we are treated extra special they are great at this store! read more

I love the staff here, even as an adult they make my experience fun - just as if I was still a child! I have slight OCD when it comes to my toy collecting and often will go through tons of plush (I of course clean up after myself and out everything back neatly) until I find the best faces and bodies. In some stores I get major stare downs, but I have NEVER met a person here who was rude.. many times they will come and chat while I browse through and even help me compare and find the perfect plush! They are active, joyful people who truly seem to like their job and will go out of their way to help you find things. Plus, during week nights the store is very slow to basically dead, so you get your own store! read more

About two days ago, I had a very unpleasant experience at the Santan Mall location in Gilbert, Arizona. I came in trying to get the custom sound I purchased inside of the bear fixed, which was meant to be a special gift. I ended up fully returning the bear and custom sound due to poor customer service. The two workers, Julia and Rufs, directed a rude attitude towards me. Throughout the process of trying to fix the sound within bear, they weren't helpful with my problem but unprofessional. I told her the problem and their response was, "It's not my fault that the custom sound had background noise because if you try redoing it in store right now, that it's still going to sound bad since there's people in the store. You should've replayed the sound when you originally came in and purchased it so you could make sure it sounded good." To keep in mind that I came into the store right before closing, I was trying to record the sound but we waited until the kids in the store were quiet but the workers did not respect when we tried to record when there was a quiet moment. Also I payed for my item in full cash and brought back the receipt, so there would be no complications. Julia told her coworker, Rufs, "If this kind of problem happens again, to never give them back cash but instead give them a gift card." She could've been more respectful by pulling her aside to say this to her coworker, but said it in a rude tone right in front of me. They ruined the "magical experience" that Build-A-Bear is supposed to have. I do not recommend coming into this location to buy your child a bear that will be special to them, but instead save your money and buy them a more special gift where you will be treated with that "magical experience" for you and your child. Or I would advice and recommend going to another location, besides the Santan Mall store, around the Valley to have more of an enjoyable and rememberable experience when it comes to buying a gift for a special someone. read more

I wish they had these when I was a kid!!! I didn't even really know what it was until my niece insisted this is what I take her to do for her birthday - and it was such a fun experience! She got to build an adorable little bear and we have this memory forever, It was way more fun than I expected actually building her little stuffed friend and it was so personalized I loved it!! The prices seemed high but I didn't really know the going cost of making a stuffed bear lol so it was alright by me. I definitely suggest taking yours (or someone elses) kids here, it's fun! read more

Have been waiting to take my grand daughter for years to get the best experience i went on a weekday so she didn't stand on a 20 ft line. I mean it should be an experience for bringing forth of a great product and idea. First we were the 2nd customer in the store. We were not greeted and getting an employee to help was like playing hide and go seek. Cause the minute we found one she disappeared that quickly. The process was never explained, i had never been there before. So every what should have been routine step for this employee was a chore to help us and ruined the experience. We left the store in a tizzy. 2nd the music was so loud i couldn't hear what my granddaughter nor the employees said. The said there was an on and off switch i asked them to turn it off till we were done because caring on a conversation was ridiculous. Nope, lastly i was in flight or fight mode lets get this fricken toy and leave. The team members were col and shitty, if i were there boss they would be fired, thanks for the shitty experience i assure i would never treat you that was at my place of business let alone your child. Management needs to know this. read more

We hosted our sons birthday party here and it was a great experience start to finish! I can't say enough good things about our party host Carrie! She was so great at making my son feel number one but still making each child feel special! She made sure the party budget was what we wanted so it wouldn't go over and was flexible when we changed things. The kids and adults had so much fun, she made us laugh the whole time. The other employee was great also, she prints all the certificates so no sitting around at the computers. I wish we had done a build a bear party sooner! I highly recommend this location! read more