My daughter, now 8, has attended Encore's summer camps in previous years when she was 6 and 7. She is autistic--funny, sweet, and energetic--but she can sometimes struggle with following directions. When she first attended at 6, we had a great experience, and even spoke with someone who said they specialized in supporting children with special needs. That gave us a lot of confidence in returning the following summer. When she was 7, we enrolled her for several weeks in the afternoons after her summer school program. We were assured that she was welcome and that there would be no issues. The first week went smoothly. During the second week, however, we were told she wasn't staying with the group the entire time and that it was a safety concern. Instead of working with us on strategies or accommodations, we were abruptly told it would be best if she not return for the rest of the summer. This left us without childcare for weeks during a time when both my spouse and I work full‑time. Despite that experience, we still hoped things could be different this year. Our daughter has grown a lot, and with ADHD medication, many of the behaviors they struggled with have improved significantly. We planned to sign her--and our son--up for just one week. But when I tried to register, I discovered there was a hold on our account. After calling and being told someone would get back to me, I was later informed that they were "too worried" about my daughter being a problem again. No one asked whether anything had changed since last year. Instead, I was told we could send her only if we provided an aide or a family member to supervise her the entire time. If we had a family member available to supervise, we wouldn't need a camp. And paying for an aide on top of an already expensive camp simply isn't feasible for most families. My advice to other parents: if your child is autistic, on the spectrum, or simply not a perfectly rule‑following child, think carefully before signing up. In our experience, Encore did not offer support, collaboration, or solutions--only exclusion. It's painful to see an 8‑year‑old who means no harm turned away instead of being met with understanding and partnership. Families deserve better, and so do our kids. I am giving this two stars because I imagine if you have neurotypical children the camp is fine. read more

Had the best time having our 4 year old birthday party here! They make it unbelievably easy for parents. All you have to do is order some pizza, drinks and cake. Everything else is taken care of. Decorations not necessary given the space. They even have tablecloths and serve the pizza for you. Staffing was excellent- great employee to kid ratios. I would say it's best for ages 4 and up, not younger toddlers. The only downsides are you do have to book at midnight the time it opens 2 months ahead if you want a guaranteed spot (even then may not get it!). Fairly pricey, and if over base amount of kids included gets even pricier. It was definitely worth it given everything they do. read more

I brought my daughter to Encore gymnastics class, and she was so excited to be there. I told them before hand that she had autism, but sadly, Mary-Anne Bellante, the director, discriminated against my high-functioning autistic daughter. She informed me that my daughter needed to be in a special class after the first day even though my daughter is in cheer and has been in other gymnastic classes without any issues. She told me the following: "Your daughter had to be in a different class for kids with autism" even though I requested that she be placed in a higher level class. She has never had to be placed in a special class, so this leads me to the conclusion that Mary-Anne is unwilling to give my daughter a chance. "Your daughter is not following directions" As teachers and coaches, Camilla, the coach, needs to have better control over expectations and management. Also, this was my daughter's second class. In addition, Camilla expressed that my daughter was really excited and that my daughter will be more calm once she attends more classes. I asked her when the class for autism is, and she stated 2:30 or 3:25. This does not work with my schedule because I am a teacher. Once again, my daughter has always been able to join other kids without being placed in a "special" class. I told her that I wanted to keep my daughter in her current class and asked what would happen if said no to the other class. She told me that my daughter "would not be part of this gym." I replied "So you are telling me that my daughter can't be part of the class because she has autism?" She replied, "it's not about being autistic, it's that she is different." Mary-Anne literally told me that she does not want her in her class because she is different. As stated previously, my daughter can and has been able to successfully be a part of normal classes without any issues. This is very upsetting, and I believe it is important for all parents to know about this situation. read more

Read the fine print. Once you sign up you're locked into a membership. They won't let you remove your payment information from their billing system and then they'll keep charging you. They make you jump through hoops to get out of their recurring membership. Had some bad experiences with their personnel too. We had gone there a half a dozen times (daughter, dad, mom, and sometimes grandma). All of the sudden they implemented a policy that only one parent could be with a child at once. They didn't give us any advance notice and this "policy" was not written anywhere on their website, agreements, or at the gym itself. Staff seemed completely aloof and claimed this was always the policy even though every time we had been there before no one had said anything before and lots of children had multiple adults. Don't trust their employees. They don't know policies or how memberships work and will give you bad information. read more

We have been attending classes at Encore for about a year and held my daughter's 6th birthday here. The teachers are all very kind and my daughter always has a blast in class. The birthdays here are next level, such a fun way to celebrate and they take care of everything. They also have fun events like Parents Night Out as well as Family Night on Fridays and Saturdays. read more

Their birthday party crew is out of control good. From landing to leaving, they helped or took care of everything. Cannot recommend this venue enough for a birthday party. read more

Everytime I post something critical I need to make sure I let the universe know about truly good people and spots. Encore has the most kind and thoughtful teachers. They are super flexible with the younger crew (class times, sick policies, starting and stopping memberships etc) Their facility is stunning and a reason there is a waitlist. Sign up, you won't regret it! Ms Angel is the best! read more

Wow. This place knows how to throw a birthday party. My 7 year old and her friends loved it. The staff was super energetic and helpful from the minute we parked. The staff take care of everything so the parents can enjoy themselves. The staff are super playful and entertaining with the kids. I really appreciate how well the whole party went from start to finish. I paid more for Pump It Up with no attention to details. read more

Parents night out was such an awesome event. The staff really have the system down pat. We were apprehensive about dropping off our two boys (6 & 3) since they'd never been before, but honestly after a perfunctory goodbye both boys eagerly ran off to join their groups and play. I'd highly recommend Encore if you're looking for a place to leave the kids for a nice date night. read more

We had my daughter's 2nd birthday party here and I have nothing but good things to say. From the moment we arrived, the staff were very sweet and welcoming. They also handled absolutely everything for us. Our only job was to enjoy our time and that we did. We had a total of 27 kids ages 2-17 (I know lol) but it's safe to say they ALL had the best time. There was something for kids of all ages to do. Coach Eric was full of energy and great with the kids as well as the rest of the coaches. We all had such a great time! Thank you, Encore Staff for giving us a birthday to remember! read more

We came here for two different birthday parties over the weekend and the staff was absolutely wonderful! My children took a while to warm up and Emma in particular was very kind and engaging (although they were all great)! The facility was clean and everything seemed to be well run. It was our first time here and we'll definitely be back! read more

Erik and his team did AMAZING with our kiddo crew! We had 18 children who were hyped up and ready to party and they kept them organized with ease! (God bless 'em ) lol it was so much fun and the ladies who were helping and organizing the room decor and pizza handing out and juice opening, you know, all the important stuff, did awesome and were so patient with the kids. 10/10 experience with no stress for us. Parent viewing area is a plus as well, feels like the VIP area of a club and we were able to bring coffee and donuts. Thanks again for making this awesome! read more

Encore - Best birthday - Gymnastics Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

Been there twice for birthday parties including hosting my son's 5th birthday this past weekend and these guys do an amazing job from arrival to departure! Coach Eric was the best, you can tell he really enjoys working with kids. The staff were all professional, helpful, and enthusiastic. It's not easy to wrangle 15 kids and they do an amazing job keeping the kids entertained and safe. Some details that really made the experience seemless for the hosting parents: - Upon arrival, they brought out kids wagons and helped us unload the car and move decorations, food and goody bags inside. Same goes for departure where they helped us load up our car. - A big birthday banner for my boy in the front office to welcome us and our guests. - Full service in the private party room (setup, serving the kids, cleanup). The gals even helped me with putting up decorations! - Gifts were put in giant bags for us for make loading easier; a list of attending guests was provided along with thank you cards for us to mail out. Wow, talk about running parties like clockwork! The only unpleasant experience was staying up until midnight 2x for the booking window to open (first booking and then an unsuccessful attempt at rescheduling). And yes, you do need to book at 12:01AM if you want first choice at your preferred time! But I guess I can overlook that one given how well our party was executed. Thank you Encore! read more

My daughter loves her class here! It can take a long time to get into the class you want. I recommend waitlisting 4-8 months before you want to start. Every coach we have had has been wonderful! Special shout out to coach Bonnie, Angel and Bjorn! You make it so much fun!! read more

We've been going to encore for 6 years now and love it. The kids have been learning a ton and look forward to their classes every week!!

I have been going to encore for five years, and have successfully reached blue class, even if you take a couple months off like i did you come back and its like you were there the whole time. coaches recognize you and think of you as a friend. as of 2024 i am in blue and i will NEVER quit encore. read more

This place is so cool, I mean, look at the pics. I have two boys, 3 & 5 and this is their favorite place to go!. 1- made for kids, colorful, bright, exciting, happy! It's cheerful and the kids can't wait to go inside. 2- great kid friendly instructors. They are skilled and amazing with kids. My boys have gotten so flexible, learning so many fun things. 3- the trampoline area is fantastic, 4 large trampolines and a foam pit! This is a young kids dream. 4- themes-each class is a different theme. Halloween was so much fun, they had a haunted house, my kids got to dress up as superheroes and do all kinds of ninja jumps and moves. 5- yeah, it's kind of expensive. If I weren't so desperate to wear my boys out I'd definitely take the cost into consideration. read more

Where do I start ?! We had a joint birthday for our 2 & 4 year old today !!! Everything was absolutely perfect from beginning to end. The guy working the desk was extremely helpful and friendly ! The coaches on the floor were energetic throughout the entire party and kept the kids entertained with the rotation of activities. We had 18 kids and there was no shortage of things to do for all age ranges. We did the party room at the end and the staff was so attentive and helpful !!! I wish I could give 10 stars ! Not to mention having the entire gym to ourselves was amazing !! Thank you thank you thank you !!! read more

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My kids took quite a few classes at the (relatively) new location. The staff were all very friendly and helpful. The establishment is ... amazing! My kids had a blast. I'll definitely bring them back. read more

We celebrated our 4 year old's birthday here and everyone had a *blast*!!! We had 21 kids and 20 adults and the whole place all to ourselves. The parents got to observe all of the fun from a spacious balcony above the gym floor. The facility is shiny new and quite spacious, which is a welcome upgrade from their previous location. Our 3 instructors were *awesome*! From helping us unload supplies, to setting up the party room, to engaging the kiddos in a variety of fun physical challenges, to cutting the cake, to cleaning up, to loading supplies in our car... and finally, corralling the kiddos at the end for a group photo. These guys truly went above and beyond and helped take a load off of the busy parents. We also got to bring in catered food of our choice. We appreciated not being forced to buy mediocre food that we didn't want, unlike other bday venues. Thumbs up all around! Thank you Encore Gym for doing such an awesome job! :D read more

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My family loves this place! My two girls 4 and 2 started taking weekly classes two months ago and they enjoy every class! The staff is very friendly and place is clean! The ratio is good so far! We were on the waitlist for a few months and we are so happy that we got into the classes! We will be long term clients for sure! read more

My kids started coming here for holiday camps. From what I can see the facilities are exceptionally clean, huge, and well maintained. Most of all I love the staff - the coaches seem kind, attentive, energetic, and really into their work. We have send our kids to many different classes across swim, tumbling, etc and Encore's staff really stands out as well vetted and trained. read more

My three kids have been taking lessons here for the past four years and we've had a wonderful experience. All of the teachers are wonderful and the classes are super fun for all ages. read more

Attended a birthday party at Encore. It was amazing. Several very enthusiastic teen employees kept the kids busy, rotating between different activities. There was music and one employee danced, which added to the fun. The facility was colorful and clean. At the end, parents were greeted with huge plastic bags loaded with the gifts so it would be much easier to take them home, along with a package of thank you cards and other niceties. My kids are grown, but I would certainly consider this party option. Highly recommend. read more

My wife and I brought our little one (who is two and a half) here to try a couple classes. We were excited because it is closer to our home and is a large new facility. The place looks great and they have a lot of different equipment from trampolines, slides, balance beams, parallel bars, and lots more. After two classes we cancelled our contract. They have so much potential but the classes just felt a little like a mill. They have a lot of sections set up for toddlers but not a good sense of interaction with the instructors. This place is marketed as a gymnastics program but very little of what they did during the classes we attended was focused on gymnastics. Yes, our little one is a toddler but we have her going to Liberty Gymnastics and couldn't be happier with her coach, Mark. There is actual instruction with exercises, stretches, and activities that are directly related to gymnastics. Encore has the facility and equipment but it needs to refocus on really good and engaged instruction. The instructors are young and do not appear to have much experience instructing. I would give this place some time to grow. Hopefully, they will. Read some of the other reviews as well. There are some others that have a similar criticism of the program. read more

What a great gym for gymnastics and kids parties! I have been here twice now for birthday parties, including one we threw. Both times were painless, well organized and requiring minimum work from parents. The price is also very fair when we compared to other similar venues. The instructors were friendly and energetic. They made sure kids were engaged, safe and having fun! The facility is a bit outdated but safe and fun. I think they are relocating to another location soon with newer equipment. We look forward to another activity or party there for sure! read more

We recently had my son's 5th birthday party here and had a wonderful experience. The staff take care of everything, which I wasn't expecting! And that included laying out table covers, having paper plates and napkins, checking guests in, receiving and bagging up gifts, distributing food, cleaning up. They were great with the kids and were so efficient in getting them from one place to the next! I received so many praises from the kids and from parents, many of whom said they didn't realize how amazing the relocated gym was. I highly recommend having a kids party here! read more

We went to a birthday party over the weekend and absolutely love this place! The staff was awesome, kept the kids entertained, so the parents could enjoy themselves in the birthday rooms. The place is clean and organized. Well run! Only thing is they book up fast, so if you are set on a date, I would book at least 2 months in advance. Wonderful addition to Walnut Creek! read more

My daughter Leia has been going here for several months and she LOVES it. Leia is in the evening 3's class with Coach Eric. Coach Eric not only does a great job at keeping the kids engaged but he also keeps things exciting and fun. The facility is air conditioned and very clean. We're so happy we chose this facility for her to take classes at. read more

If I could give this place 10 stars I would! First shout out to Tam, the owner who seriously thought of everything with kids, family, and parents in mind. It is so hard to come to the realization that we are moving and I'm not finding ANYTHING remotely close to what you offer! I love Parent's night out, even though the Halloween party didn't go so well for my daughter Charlotte it's a great idea and appreciate it being offered. LOL Shout out to Elke-who recognized my girl at Heather Farms, at In and Out and now is that friendly face we get to see everywhere! Shout out to Coach Casey and Coach Eric-my daughter raves about you two! You have drop-ins during the day for parents to come in and let little PLAY!?! Wish I'd known about this sooner! Thinking this would be a fun event for Mount Diablos Mom club! Hint: both should work together to set something up. Your fees are well priced. You have lots of class times available. I love how you rotate the kids around. Your facility is amazing and well kept. Plus so much fun things to do including the foam pit! (Seriously FOMO here! Can I play too?) You handled the pandemic with grace and I appreciate it! My energizer bunny needed a place to let out steam and I will always be grateful for Encore and your team for giving us a great introduction to Gymnastics. Focusing on the FUN but also the fundementals. read more

Love that my Granddaughter is enjoying gymnastics! I had been a gymnast and took tap, and ballet when I was 5 years old. After being on the gymnastics team in high school, I kept up with being limber. read more

My daughter is now 3 years old and has been doing gymnastics here for almost 2 years now. She also just started doing their ballet/tap combo about a month ago. She LOVES it and looks forward to coming every week. The staff here is super friendly! Her teachers are always helpful in accommodating my daughters needs and are always cheerful. The front desk is also great too- I often find myself wandering over to talk to them while my daughter is in class. They have awesome things here other than dance & gymnastic classes. On the first Friday of each month they have an "open gym" for toddler for an hour. It is only $3 (or $5 if you're not a member), and the children get to run around and play with all the equipment under parent supervision. I reccomend getting here early for parking purposes. It can get a bit crowded, but that's to be expected. My boyfriend and I also like taking advantage of their "parent's night out." They usually run this once of twice a month on a saturday from 6-10pm. I was a bit skeptical at first, but it is very well organized! They have the kids split up in groups based on age, and are heavily staffed. My daughter always has so much fun playing and engaging in all the activities they plan, while her dad and I get some much needed alone time! There are two things that could be seen as downsides. 1. It is a bit pricey! I pay a little over $100/month for one dance class & 1 gymnastics class per week. But the facility and staff are so nice, I personally think it's worth it. 2. The parking in the afternoons can be a bit crazy! I take my daughter to gymnastics on friday mornings and it isn't an issue. But for her dance class on monday afternoons, its a whole different story! The parking lot is crazy, and the gym does get a bit crowded! Overall, I would, and have, reccomend this place to friends! read more

Encore - The gym from behind the glass. - Gymnastics Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

I enrolled my son into the little kids gymnastics class for about three months. Strange location, parking lot can be a little bit tricky as it is on a busy road. They layout of the "public" area is terrible. It is incredibly narrow and awkward. It is also a bit run down/dirty. Beware going in the summer time. There is no A/C and it gets crazy hot in there. The gal (maybe 20) running the class was a bit snippy with the little kids sometimes, but overall she did a great job. They hire very young people to assist with the class and they always seemed a little unsure of themselves and/or uncomfortable. My son never really got into it and we stopped taking classes. Would look at other places if I decided to enroll my younger son into gymnastics. read more

Encore - Gymnastics Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

I'll try to keep this short: The gym is a great space (spacious, clean w/ all the equipment your athlete would need) and conveniently located right next the fieldhouse (if your kid's a hooper as well). However, if you're looking for a more serious program, try another place. My kid started out with a couple of solid instructors; they bailed elsewhere; and now we're stuck (for the next month) with someone who largely watches the kids dick around, throwing out a tip every now and again. SUPER irritating to observe...insofar as that I'd really love to slap the living s**t out of the person. Just worthless imho smh. Anyway, if you have an athlete who's serious, I'd recommend California Strong Athletics that just down the road. Zach is good peoples over there. read more

Such an awesome place when it comes to scheduling classes. They understand parents are busy and try their best to accommodate changes. My daughter enjoys her classes a lot and it has been a great experience so far. A special shout-out to Amber for her knowledge, courteous behavior, and overall professionalism. Thank you Encore!! read more

Love variety of classes , great stuff , great location amazing stuff , my kids love this gym , recommend

My daughter loves it here and about to start bringing her 1 year old sister. The new location couldn't be more perfect.

We just had my son's 6th birthday here. It was awesome. The new facility is spacious and clean. They have 2 teachers for the party. The party room was set up and all plates and utensils are provided. They also helped with serving cake and clean up. When we are done, all our gifts are bagged up and ready to go. They even gave us a list of our guests and the "thank you" cards for them. The price is also very reasonable. I definitely recommend this place for kids parties. read more

I cannot believe I have not reviewed Encore and my daughter went here for about 3 years, my son about 6 months. It's always ridiculously busy and parking is a challenge. In the 3 years we wondered why she never got any better with her skills. She leveled up to white I believe. The coaches were nice enough but they never did much stretching or warming up. I discovered there were other gyms, real gyms that were affiliated with USA gymnastics and competitive teams a bit late. My kids never got better because this place is recreation only. Sure your kids will have fun in class. Will they become athletes? Nope. Luckily through a friend we learned of another school in Concord that are a real gymnastics school and has a competitive team. We switched right away and sure enough it was night and day. They focused on stretching, techniques, and she got better fast. Fast forward 2 years later she is on team and my son has been on team for the past 2 years as well and they are athletes! So beware. If you want your kids to be gymnastic athletes this place isn't it. If you want them to just have fun and get some exercise this place will work. Otherwise, find another place that trains athletes, we wasted too much time before we found out so want to warn others so they don't make the same mistake. read more

It seems my last review struck a nerve over at Encore. I received a nice note from the director there, inviting me to come back. On the other hand, there also seems to be a sudden flood of 5 star reviews from people who have no other reviews. Hmm. I stand by my review 100%. As I told the director in my email, my girls have made more progress in a month at Diablo Gym than in 6-9 months at Encore. I have no desire to switch back, sorry. I do hope that my review will be seen as a positive force, and that they will pay a bit more attention to what goes on out on the gym floor. read more