We took our daughter and niece to Build-A-Bear yesterday while visiting the Westfield Valley Fair Mall. It was pretty empty when we arrived so the girls took their time picking out a Halloween stuffed animal - my daughter went with a Zombie Axolotl and my niece picked the Frankenstein Cinnamoroll. We did not pick clothes or accessories this trip, but they both did a $5 scent. They had lots of stuffed animal options from a frog to a dinosaur to a monkey and even a bull. They had Bluey, Paw Patrol, Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon, Hello Kitty and even Stitch! They have some many accessories - shoes, roller skates, purses and even Halloween costumes for your new friend. The pricing for Build-A-Bear has definitely gone up like most places - I bought 2 stuffed animals with scents for $90! I get that not only are paying to take home something you essentially "build" and make come alive, but also the experience, but $90 for 2 stuffed animals is wild. Staff were very nice though and made the experience for both of the girls memorable. We'll be back soon to grab some accessories! read more

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My nephew loves this place. Staff are friendly and attentive. They love the machines here. Ended up getting a Brown Teddy Bear. Good options and selections for smaller teddy bears, and value is fine. They have cool bag charms too that are super cute. read more

Noah was very kind and knowledgeable. Made the experience memorable and special. You can tell he loves his job and assisting customers. read more

Build-A-Bear Workshop - Pink Animal Cracker Giraffe - Toy Stores Near Me - Santa Clara, California

This Build-A-Bear Workshop is inside Westfield Valley Fair. This mall is extremely busy on weeknights and weekends, so parking may be hit or miss. There is parking in the attached garage or in the lots surrounding the mall - garage parking is free for the first 2 hours and then you have to pay. Probably since this is a busier store, the employees are not as helpful as the other locations I frequent. They did not have a lot of the items available or in stock. I was not able to find some of the items I was looking for here that I had seen at their other locations, as I was only able to find 1 out of the 5 items I was looking for. read more

Came for my daughter's first birthday and birthday bear. Didn't end up going until like 30 mins before closing. Upon walking in lady announced they will be closing at 8pm before greeting us and I immediately thought we were being rushed. The other lady working their approached us and asked if it was our first time. Once we explained we were there to celebrate a birthday, her energy and attitude was so welcoming and fun, it made for a great experience. She was super patient and very informative. My daughter enjoyed her time here and loves her custom made bear that she named VR lol. Definitely may make this a annual thing and recommend to other friends that have babies birthdays coming up. read more

Please be careful at checkout. The cashier told me she's going to give us a coupon for next time for $10. She failed to tell me we would be charged $5 for the gift card. Why would I purchase a gift card for $5 that's only worth $10? lol what? When I called today May 8 at 12:21 pm to inquire about a refund, the employee was very rude. Told me I misunderstood. Dismissed what I told her and hung up the phone. Not much to misunderstand there. I was omitted information at the time of the transaction. Note photo. I was told I was getting a $10 gift card to use next time. Nothing was said about a $5 charge for it! That is predatory. Be aware of what they tell you at checkout. read more

Build-A-Bear Workshop - Toy Stores Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Came here to get our cinnamoroll stuffed! The process was really quick and the staff were really nice! They even let us put in two hearts for our plushy. The staff also made the plushy perfectly to our liking. As we brought in the cinnamoroll (was shipped home unstuffed), the stuffing done was free. We were also able to print our own birth certificate. Compared to other build the bears in San Jose, the interior is probably the nicest as well. read more

The customer service was extremely disappointing. This place should be staffed by people who have a kind heart and a genuine love for children. After all, who comes to Build-A-Bear? Kids and families who want to create something special. However, one of the employees working around noon today had a terrible attitude. She didn't smile, seemed like she didn't want to help us, and had no patience at all. The process was confusing, and although we may have made a mistake, she didn't explain anything clearly or try to help. It felt like she didn't care at all. But I do appreciate the young lady who helped us with stuffing the bear. read more

We used their birthday special for our 5 year old so we got a $14 worth of a bear for $5. It was a cute exercise for my daughter. She got to press the pedal and be involved in the filling process. The staff is pretty friendly and helpful. Although there's nothing to choose from for the birthday special. They have only one kind of bear, but still worth it if your child is younger. read more

Build-A-Bear Workshop - Toy Stores Near Me - Santa Clara, California

So I finally did it!! I finally took my toddler out and of all places we ended up here at the mall. Lmao. Since Build-A-Bear Workshop has this amazing "count your candles" offer where the age of your child is how much you'll be paying for their infamous birthday bear, I couldn't pass up on the offer. What better way to commemorate my toddler's 1st year and make her first visit to B.A.B that much more special. This workshop was a lot smaller than I remembered it so do not be alarmed if you find yourself standing outside waiting for an employee to grant you access. The shop is keen on social distancing and keeping all of its visitors and employees safe. The easy part was picking out the bear but the hard part was deciding on what outfit and accessories to buy. Due to the shop being a lot smaller, I felt like B.A.B downsized a lot on it's selection of clothing. We took quite a bit of time but managed to come up with something not too flashy and soft enough for our baby to comfortably cuddle with. The downside: Ringing up the bear and naming it was like pulling teeth. Maybe it was the masks making things hard to understand but the employee named the bear incorrectly. Once that was fixed we left the store only to find out my daughter's name was misspelled. [[FML]] 3 stars because things weren't bad but I wished it had gone a lot more smoother. read more

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Absolutely horrible customer service from Alyah and Marjorie at the Valley Fair location. I was buying a first birthday bear for my recently turned 1 year old baby and another item for my nephew. I asked them to check my gift card balance as I had multiple gift cards which I was not sure had been used. After the first few turned out to be zero, they went through the motions of scanning the cards without actually looking at the balance. When I questioned the zero balance on all 11 gift cards and asked them to double check, they looked at me as if I was I was crazy. I had $60 dollars worth of good gift cards in their hands which they would have thrown away. If I had not insisted them to double check. These people show a complete lack for respect and patience to their job and customers. These people should be retrained in customer service. read more

We've been meaning to come to a BAB since our son was born; but due to COVID, that never happened until today. We walked in, and the store was quite empty on a Saturday afternoon. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining; however, I was expecting it to be chaotic and I was pleasantly surprised that it was pretty quiet. This is my first experience at ABA as well as my son's, so I learned something new today by visiting lol You pick your "animal shell", then you decide if you want to record something and have it inside the animal. Then the store staff would give you options to the hardness or the finished product - aka, soft or hard. After the filling was filled to your liking, you can then get a heart and put it inside the animal as well. I liked how the store staff was so good with children and had my son do a ritual before putting the heat inside the animal. That was so sweet! The only con of this BAB is that it's lacking a sound proof room inside the store to allow you to record whatever you wanna say without the background store noise. Overall, a good experience and will definitely come back at some point to get more stuffed animals. read more

I recently purchased a product online for my granddaughter for Christmas. It came in a crushed brown box. The birth certificate was crumpled and the only packaging was one piece of paper shoved in the box. When I called and asked why my purchase wasn't in a build a bear box I was told I had to check that option at checkout. Seriously? I was told I could order one for .95 with an almost $10 shipping charge or go to a store. There are no stores in close proximity to me that's why I ordered online to begin with. All in all their customer service sucks. I wouldn't recommend them to anyone. read more

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We came here for the build-a-bear birthday special, which is at a real good price itself. But you'll have to pay a lot more if you want to add any decoration to the bear. Honestly the bear and all the decorations are pretty roughly made and not as exquisite as a lot of other stuffed toys at the same price. The real valuable point is that kids enjoy the fun during the experience. The staff keep recommending customers to buy the decorations and even the bags for the bear. The bags are around 6 or 7 dollars, which is a little bit ridiculous. read more

For my 4th birthday I got a Build A Bear stuff animal and I just have to say this thing held up amazing!! I got the monkey bear and I remember them putting a scent on her belly of the stuff animal and to this day I can still smell it after loads of washing and drying in the washer and dryer. I am 13 now and no rips,tears,etc. It had collected lint in the past few years but that will always happen. if your looking for a bear to have for the rest of your life choose Build A Bear :). read more

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pay your age for your birthday bear!! Staff are so sweet!! They have a wide selection of stuff animals! It's a great place to bring your little ones to get a stuffy! They also have add ons such as : - clothing - scents - bathing section you can also get a free birth certificate for your creation!! How cute! ((they also have sales here and there!!) read more

I love build a bear. The staff is always so kind & friendly. They are non judgmental. I love the staff & they always have cute stuffed animals. read more

Build-A-Bear Workshop - Toy Stores Near Me - Santa Clara, California

It was the third birthday of my daughter and so we went to Build a Bear Workshop located at Westfield Valley Mall. She loved picking out her favorite bear to make. She also liked the outfits so much. It was fun for all. I will definitely be back soon and I highly recommend this place to people of all ages. read more

Build-A-Bear Workshop - Toy Stores Near Me - Santa Clara, California

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I had a great experience with the staff at build a bear. We created a "pay your age" birthday bear. All that you have to do is sign up online and show up during your child's birthday month. They gave my almost 2 year old a big sticker and helped him through the bear making process at an age appropriate level. They even did the heart with him, which he loved. I'll definitely be back! read more

Build-A-Bear Workshop - New best friend - Toy Stores Near Me - Santa Clara, California

"Mama, I miss you so much!" Oh crap. Guilty Working Mother Syndrome strikes again. During the summer I'm with my toddler 24/7, but once school starts our quality time is cut down to 3 hours. NO ONE is getting ANY sleep! So what do I do?! Take her to the most expensive place on earth! I always remind my daughter how fortunate she is to have family and friends to give her toys cuz mama ain't gonna do it! Okay, I did buy her a playdough set for $1.99, but I would never take her to Build-A-Bear since it's ridiculously expensive. My sister and bro-in-law gave her a gift card for her birthday so I thought, why not splurge a little??? DAYUMMM! The little outfits were more expensive than my dresses from Target! Shoes were like $9 each and then skates were something like $6 each. And she picked a doggie with freakin' 4 feet! Then there's a tennis ball $3? A leash $$? Hair accessories $$$$??? Ka-ching Ka-ching Kaching... Total $80. Actually, our first total was over $100 so I had the cashier take some stuff back, which she was not happy about. I was thinking about how much cheeseburgers I could buy with $100. The experience was extremely fun for my baby girl, though, and it was sure an adventure for me. But next time I'm feeling guilty, I'll just take my kid to the park! read more

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I placed an order on Saturday for a limited item that finally came back in stock. I have been watching for it to come back in stock as it sold out very quickly the first time just a few weeks ago. I never received a confirmation email confirming my order (FAQ on website said it would come through to my email within an hour) but I did receive a confirmation number on screen and money was taken from my account. I screenshotted the order number which I am thankful I did. I tried to contact someone over the weekend but they were closed. I spent hours online with their Customer Service Chat first thing this morning and called Customer Service only to be told that their website overloaded with orders over the weekend or something so it "glitched". So yes, they took my payment but the order "failed" and never went through. Their only solution was to cancel the failed order and refund me the money, which will take 7 - 10 business days to return to my bank account. But at that point, the limited edition item will be likely out of stock and gone as it has gone out of stock multiple times already. When I brought up this point several times, their solution was for me to place another order in the meantime and my refund will go back to my card in 7 to 10 business days. I had to save up for that item, I don't have enough money to just place a 2nd order in hopes it goes through this time on a whim. I implored for help from management but their solution was to wait 7 to 10 business days for the refund to come through and I can "hopefully" place my order for the item. That does not solve my issue. I placed my order, I provided my payment. It is not my issue that the website failed and didn't submit my order correctly. I wanted my limited edition item and can't just shell out another wad of money to pay for a 2nd order in hopes it'll complete this time. I am extremely upset with how they handled the situation and their refusal to try to solve the problem. I do not recommend this company and will no longer support them in any way. If I could give them zero stars I would. read more

Christina, Diana, Tyler (the math wiz ) and Kennedy your customer service and amazing attitudes could not have made my morning any better (aside from my coffee first ) I appreciate all of you and your willingness to help find the perfect gift !! You're greatly appreciate and hopefully when we revisit to spend the thought of math equation gift cards to all are there to welcome us !!!! A wowed customer!!! read more

This store is in desperate need of proper training and customer retention the only person in the store that I think actually likes their job was the young man who also works at lego store The girl with the blue dyed hair on the other hand could really use some training on custom care She should also not work in a store where extra patience is required because she has none also it's not my fault if you don't like your job and you're not happy that's your choice You don't have to work there Anyways will never return to this build a bear will go back to Pleasanton where we've always had great experiences Would have been one star if not for the young man filling bears read more

The service was absolutely horrendous the cashier was the rudest customer service worker I've ever encountered, eavesdropping, rude to customers, and just generally an off putting experience. I would never go to this build a bear after how I was treated. Whoever was working the cash register at around 8pm should not be working in customer service, just absolutely terrible and a horrible look for the store and company. Just terrible. I approached the cashier to ask a question and he fired off a rude response as if he was already listening to the conversation I was having with my girlfriend, didn't even look up and gave us a dirty look and a eye roll as we walked away. Then proceeded to pull out his phone and not look up for the rest of our time there. Absolutely ridiculous and that worker should be fired immediately if this store wants to continue having customers. read more

I have been a fan of this place ever since I first took my Daughter a few years ago; she will turn 7 in 2 weeks and I had to change my plans to celebrate here w/ just her friends because the weather was just awful yesterday - and it's freaking June. For a kids' store that is always busy, this store is well-kept, clean, and organized and much props to the staff for staying calm, friendly, and welcoming for both the parents and the children. What I found out that not all stores carry the same thing and not everything offered online is available at the store. I was so sad because I didn't get my alligator yesterday. I was telling Dharam that I was about to name my gator: Big Tooth. Oh well.. I guess I saved $25 which isn't a bad thing because for 5 kids (all their "pets" ranged from $10-$18), my Daughter picked an outfit, and I bought a small heart hanging thing as a token of appreciation for my Aunt it came out to over $110. All costs aside since I saved money for her birthday... The look on my Daughter's face.. The pure joy when she saw her 2 BFFs from her old school.. Simply priceless. The birth certificate and registry of the pet after it being stuffed, after the pretend bathing and brushing can be difficult for young kids so an adult or someone that is computer literate should be w/ the kid at all times during that process. You will get your certificate when you pay. At the register the friendly staff will put the pet into a box that looks like a small condo, its birth certificate, and will give you a bow or two if you want. For some reason my group of kids was anti-bow but nonetheless, I got a free blue mesh bag because I spent over a certain amount, I donated to something (American Heart Association, I believe), and I am a Build-A-Bear cardholder (not a credit card but a member's card). All in all- GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR THE KIDS. It would have been a good experience for me if they have the alligator. read more

Build-A-Bear Workshop - Toy Stores Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Thank you beary much! Christina was very kind and helpful with my first buying experience here! She instructed me through the bear ceremony which was delightful. Charmander was the one to make me say yes to purchase for my child's surprise gift! I saw it in the window display and knew my child loves that Pokémon so walked in the store. The entire process from beginning to end was easy breezy and so sweet. There is also a lifetime fix of the stuffed animals, if anything is ever popping from the seams. Restitching and such maintenance would be handled here fine I was informed. Thanks. read more

This is such a crappy build a bear . They stole the joy out of my baby's experience by following us around treating us as if we were shoplifting. Everything we touched the manager Gracielle came and touched right behind us even standing next to us while she was supposed to be hosting a birthday party. She rung a box up twice that I only had one of. Nothing works. We couldn't wash the bear or anything you can do at other workshops. The floors are filthy. The one seat in the store is ripped to pieces. The prices are alright , their selection is limited. I won't return to this location for the life of me. I had to speak for the person building my baby bear to ensure she had the excitement my son did 15yrs ago when he first got his. This mall was such a racist experience, but I'll comment every store individually. read more

Don't waist ur time and money. ALL the different activities are not working and they even know when it will be fixed. I would have been better off buying a nice bear online ‍‍‍ read more

This was the first time I took my daughter to build a bear. If you are a part of their club your child can get a birthday bear for the cost of their age. So I thought what a great deal. And I have no problem paying full price for another bear. The staff was super friendly and welcoming. It was really a great experience. read more

Extremely happy with the product and extremely unhappy with the managers response to employees request to send me my birth certificate by mail which they didn't put in my bag. I live over an hour from the store which is located at Lynnhavenn Mall in VA Beach, VA. The excuse was given that their printer wasn't working and they did not tell me at the time of purchase. I spent a lot of money on this bear and outfit, at the very least they could have spent the cost of a stamp and made this right. read more

We went with a group of children and had such a fun time. Each kid made their own bear. They named their bear and now proudly took it to their home. This is a good group activity to do. read more

Build-A-Bear Workshop - Build-a-Bear Workshop - Toy Stores Near Me - Santa Clara, California

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This workshop has been getting better . My experience here today was a pick up for the 25th anniversary hearts pup . I placed 2 orders of the unstuffed but I thought I wasn't going to have time to get them stuffed later so I called ahead of time to see if the employees can stuff them. I ended up making it around 7:30pm , & we were able to stuff them at the store and do the ceremony . My daughter and I love doing the ceremony together & I enjoy watching my daughter make her build a bear. I love the employees there . Always so sweet and give the best vibes. Thank you so much for making our night . Definitely recommend to come to this store . They really care and put effort in making it a good experience all the time . The employee with the frog on her lanyard and answered the phone, thank you & I'm sorry for not getting your name but you are amazing ! :) read more

Build-A-Bear Workshop - Toy Stores Near Me - Santa Clara, California

#5 What a cool store. A friend of mine told me about Build-A-Bear Workshop a long time ago, and as I was shopping I saw the store, "Let's go in and look," I told my shopping companion, Ilana. Her son was with us too, so it was not hard to convince her to enter the store and look around. We walked into the store front and saw what looked like a million small people running around, playing and having fun. The workers all looked like they were having fun as well. Wow--so much to do in this store--I had no idea. As I began looking around I noticed that it was not just "bears" but all kinds of popular children's characters. We quickly scouted out a big Hello Kitty and a My LIttle Pony. This is crazy, I can get my niece, Amane, her favorite toys! They have these huge bins in front of each stuffed toy, but the toys are just "shells" without any stuffing inside. The kids get to pick out their favorite toy, stuff them and buy them clothing and accessories. I might have had more fun than my GF's son...funny. When all was said and done, I really did not spend too much money, especially considering the experience. As soon as my little niece comes to visit I am bringing her here for a fun outing, and until then I will keep shopping at cool places for her ;) She will love it! Stephani Smiles for Build-A-Bear Workshop ;) read more

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I think this place is such a trap. Last year I took my sister here and we waited in line for about half an hour to even get to the front. There were toys, kids, and fluff everywhere and it was pretty unorganized at that. I explained to my sister that she can *only* get these things but once we walked up to the counter suddenly she wanted her toys to have sound and voice and music .... it basically ended up being like a $50 stuffed animal that isn't even as cute as some of the other places that you can find stuffed animals at. And now ... it's just annoying in our house because for some reason the battery won't run out and every time you touch it, it sings some absurdly annoying song for about 30 seconds. argh ... All in all, I guess it was an experience, I mean ... having someone else put the butt of your stuffed animal up to a tube and have it instantly filled from empty sock puppet to plump animal in a few seconds but ... really ... is it better than other places? better than toy stores and cute gund animals you can find at pottery barn? I think not. read more

When my wife had told me she had taken our (then) 4-1/2 year old to a B-a-B Workshop, I thought she was just being pulled in to a money-sucking scam. Fast forward six months later, our daughter now has a full wardrobe for her Hello Kitty (including underwear!) and our nine year old son started clamoring for an Alvin (Chipmunk) doll. I am now that much wiser and poorer. Who woulda thunk! The manager at the branch was one of the most helpful and considerate retail staffers we have ever dealt with. It turns out that Alvin was a limited edition and no stores in the region had any more in stock. The manager talked us through the options from the child's perspective as our son was nearly in tears. She then realized that she had a display Alvin tucked away in the back that had a rip in it. She explained the situation at my son's level and gave him the option of her trying to repair the hole. She went ahead and fixed up, "knocked the stuffing out of it" (I don't get to use that phrase very often) and let my son have the enjoyment of restuffing it himself, generating the birth certificate, etc. So yes its a money-sucking scam, but they really know how to milk the formula. It helps to have such considerate staff respectful of the children's perspective. read more

Build-A-Bear Workshop - Toy Stores Near Me - Santa Clara, California

this was my 2nd time going to BAB. the first time was when i was around...11 years old. yep. i basically lived my whole life again before stepping here again. it was really a spur of the moment idea. *walks out of red mango* build a bear?! man i haven't built a bear in so long! i wonder what happened to my last bear i promised to give so much love to...hmm.. i decided that the bunny was the cutest/affordable one they had. stuffed it up, put in a heart, kissed it, gave it love, washed her at the cleaning station. and a new bunny was born. if you're wondering, i named her PeaceLoveUnityRabbit, or PLUR for short. haha! outfits have gotten so ridiculous. when i was 11, there were only tons of shirts and pants to try on. now they're got sponsors from the NFL (a RUSSELL bear you want? you get!), hello kitty, and plenty of others. i walked out with my new bunny for about $24 including all the clothes and tax. maybe when i'm 30 i'll come back for another one. pray to god i won't have a kid that i have to take care of. i want all the fun to myself! read more

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I am the favorite aunt this christmas, I bought two bears for my sisters kids at build a bear. This was my first time doing this and I myst say that I really enjoyed building the bears, you go through several stations to get the bears built. Station 1: choose your animal, I went with the classic also because of the price but you can choose anything from bears to penguins. Station 2: get the heart, you get to write who made the bear and who will receive it. Its a bit misleading because I thought it will be placed on the outside with both names. Station 3: give your bear some sounds, you can choose simple sounds like laughter or even short songs. I got a child laughter. Station 4: stuff your bear, they let you step on the pedal and get it stuffed while the person working there is stitching it. Station 5: pick an outfit for your bear, great selection. I got superman and batman. Station 6: checkout, be prepared to say goodbye to $40.00 it turned out to be more expensive than I thought but since the kids loved it so much it was worth it read more

Build-A-Bear Workshop - Super bear - Toy Stores Near Me - Santa Clara, California

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The young lady was very accommodating...helped my friend and me with a "beary" important purchase *knee slapper* The employee admitted she didn't know the information BUT she right away left us to find the answer and totally ensured all questions etc were answered. I had not been in one since I went to the one in SF..... place is hard to miss with all of the bears, fluff and kids zipping around. I give you people who work there props. Cute stuffed toy options for the holidays.... You can split the cost on different cards which is nice (worked out well for my friend and me). read more

This is the 2nd time Ive been to a BAB Workshop. Its too cute to be able to pick the animal you want, get it stuffed, clean it and create a birth certif - then dressing it. My son and I went there last Sunday and the line was long (almost felt like a theme park line) There was only 1 person working the stuffing machine. ugh. We spent so much time in line and next door at the Lego store that it was almost time to go home. I was telling my son, ya know a cheaper way to dress you bear is to go to ToysRus and get some doll outfits. But I admit they do have some cute stuff. Another tip, for those who don't want to wait in line is to just snag one of the animals that's already stuffed and just make your way around to get a birth certif and find an outfit. Youll save a lot of time this way! read more

Stock is literally terrible right now, the displays looked like a liquidation sale happening and that's just not the vibe. Like come on you guys are valley fair let's be better than that. Also they never have any of the new releases whenever I go so that's a problem for me because it is a drive getting there and sure I could order online but that kind of defeats the whole purpose of the brand right? read more