Curtain Update

[munchjr]

Got a chance to speak to Mark Flores in person this week and told him about the fact people don't like the show having no curtain. He said "why" and I explained to him that people feel the magic is gone with 2 chuck's at once now. He said that people will "get use" to it and that there is no backtracking because new stores don't have a curtain...he explained all they will have is a curtain tied to the side, to give the apperance that it could work, but in fact is just there on side with no way to work ever.

Also look for a scratch a win game coming up (grand prize a trip to Jamicia for 4 everything paid for by cec)...look for CEC to be giving out barney grab bags (until supplies run out) and activity books (until supplies run out)

Sorry for the bad news guys

[CEC3066]

Got a chance to speak to Mark Flores in person this week and told him about the fact people don't like the show having no curtain. He said "why" and I explained to him that people feel the magic is gone with 2 chuck's at once now. He said that people will "get use" to it and that there is no backtrackin



BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO0!

this is THE worst news I have received today. How the heck can CEC take our curtains away claiming they're to costly to maintain & here they can afford to send someone to Jamaica ALL EXPENSES PAID BY CEC????

[pizzacam]

Cause man, it cost's NOTHING compared to all the CEC's curtain motor repair, drape cleaning bills etc... The Pasqually stage curtain motor burned out at the Ingram store here and my friend said it was gonna cost $300 to fix! Needless to say it's just gonna stay broke, since the new eprom is in the works. So, NOW I guess you guys see what I was talking about, The curtain days are over.

[ChuckEZone]

>: "get used to it" ?!?! That's very disappointing to hear. Well, at least we can now confirm that making magic is no longer a priority at CEC.

Thanks for the news, MunchJr.

[captslappy]

As disappointing as it is remember that back in the PTT days before the Showbiz merger there were no curtains. The characters eyes closed and they sat idle. Later random movements were added to some show. The store near headquarters had their curtains out of order for awhile and the characters just looked around when they were in intermission. It's kind of cool I think. As for the costume character being out when the robots are going I have always felt that spoiled things but most stores have long since abandoned trying. Even with working curtains I think the costume character is out in most stores and they make no effort to time it so that doesn't happen.

[TomD]

Stupid idiots...that is really unfortunate to hear.

[MatHat13]

Well I am appalled by what Mark had said about the curtains, but hey, even though the curtains being phased out is taking the magic element away from CEC, at least we still have the animatronic show characters, I'm enjoying what I can until the few or more years come to CEC's next big phase for the show.:o

[pizzacam]

Yeah guys...better enjoy them while they last. :rolleyes

[mix]

Even if people do get used to it, that doesn't change the fact that is less magical. It is just a cheapened version of the attention grabbing thing that it once used to be. But CEC's gotta make their money.

[pizzacam]

THANK YOU, now that they've heard it from someone that worked at corporate maybe it'll sink in... :rolleyes

[CEC3066]

Well, at least we can now confirm that making magic is no longer a priority at CEC.

AMEN!

[Jasper]

I know it has been mentioned here several times before, but the animatronic show is the only thing that separates CEC from other entertainment restaurants. That was the gimmick when it first opened in the 70's, and it's what distinguishes it from other places.
Take the show away, or keep downsizing it and there will be nothing at CEC to justify those ridiculous prices.

In all honesty, I wish the Blue Screen was the item that got the boot rather than the curtains. I never see a Studio C anymore without a broken camera or trashed blue screen stage.

[CEC3066]

In all honesty, I wish the Blue Screen was the item that got the boot rather than the curtains. I never see a Studio C anymore without a broken camera or trashed blue screen stage.

I TOTATALLY agree w/ you Jasper! Curtains =VERRY iimportant. Blue Screen= NOT IMPORTANT. GET RID OF THEM

[Shiney Happy Jenn]

Munchjr...

Any feedback from Flores after he read your fax featuring the huge post i made in the original "Curtains" thread?

I am curious to hear if you ever heard his response to my comments.

Thanks again for sending it directly to him.

[munchjr]

When I spoke to Mark I told him several people have told me that they don't like the curtain staying open and asked if he got the fax that I sent him (I fax him, i know he reads them not sure email) he told me he got the fax and that he read over it. That was it...we then went into the talk about the upcoming promos coming out. He talked about Winterwonderlland and Super Chuck and how they flopped. Talked to him about a hour off and on.

So yes he did get your letter

[Jasper]

Winterwonderlland and Super Chuck and how they floppedOuch! Makes sense though (I think I wrote this in another thread) but all these campaigns are a rip off of the More Fun first one with different theming. Nothing new.

It would be ironic if the money they lost for these promos is the reason why the curtains have been shuttered...

[munchjr]

Jasper,

Mark said the when they did all the failed promos they forgot what made the first More Fun one such a success...ALL GAMES 1 TOKEN...and now the company is going to have to figure out how to top that.

[pizzacam]

How about ALL SHOWS ACTUALLY WORKING!? geez you know that'll never happen. :lol :lol

[ChuckEZone]

How about ALL SHOWS ACTUALLY WORKING!?


:rollin

[Shiney Happy Jenn]

Thanks for the update Munchjr. I'm glad to hear Mark read my comments.

Interesting to hear that the Winter/Summer promos were flops. That's strange, as it seemed to me they were great successes....at least with us fans. I guess this was not the case with your average Guests.

I think the reason why these recent promos have not been successful is because folks are tired of the same old thing at CEC's. There is nothing really "new" there, and has'nt been for a while now at most locations. There is'nt much there to capture your interest really, particually if you are a adult or older child. I feel the limited pool of Guests have tired of CEC in general as you have to admit, it has become a bland wash-out in comparison to itself just a few years ago. Back then there were actually a few somewhat exciting concepts that were going on in the Store's. Perhaps these recent "flops" will wake the Company up and finally clue them in to what REALLY needs to be done to perk things up and get the Guests excited again.

I really feel that part of the problem is that CEC has far too narrow a target audience. Why do they just shoot for appealing to Toddlers and New Moms when they could be raking in the bucks by appealing to ALL AGES like Disney does?? This is the way CEC started, and kept targeting like this right up into the mid 90's. Having such a narrow focus seems like a crazy idea to me....open up the bounderies a little and watch the profit margin increase ten fold!

I suggest a new promo, but THIS time cover two areas---FREE stuff to attract the bargin consious moms and FREE SPECIAL ENTERTAINMENT/ or EVENT. I've touched on this many times in other posts, so won't labor the point further...but in a nutshell CEC could gain a lot more new business by promoting these areas. Also, i think it would be a good move to market this promo to appeal to all ages. The more the merrier they always say!

Here's an example: Let's say we have a new Promo.....say we'll call it "Chuck E.s Suntime Funtime". It will be a new promo, in this case for the Summertime, designed to lure new Guests in...not just the returning ones.

Start off by introducing a new menu item ...something fun and unique that relates to the season. Next add in a ALL NEW SHOWTAPE that specifically is created and themed to the Event. Make it really special, and incorporate sections that involve auidence participation ( more then just a live/road show).....something that will spark some life back into the Showroom. It's really not that hard to do...trust me.

Next, sweeten the deal by adding on some sort of fun freebie that Guests recieve when they place an order or buy tokens at the counter. This can be anything really, but the neater the item the more business it will bring in. It can be something simple like a special edition tumbler/promo cup or perhaps a free themed goodie bag made exspecially for this promo ( say..."Chuck E.s Suntime Funtime Loot"). The bags and 2 free tokens could be given to everyone who enters and orders something to cover the costs for the goodie bag production.

Another plus is that one weekend during the month(s) will be designated "Chuck E.s Suntime Funtime Festival" where each location will host a "Event" where there will be special activities and perhaps giveaways. This is where the idividual stores can have some creative imput. It would'nt take a lot to pull off really....you could easily put on such a thing with only 3 additional CMs onstaff during the Event hours to handle it. Chuck would of course be there, and the 2 CM's could present and run special games and contests with the kids with simple prizes. When we would have "Events" at our store and advertise it, it brought in a lot of folks...and that was just with handbills! Imagine how big the draw would be if this went nationally.....it's so easy to do!!! The Company should seriously look into doing something like this....trust me it would be a big hit with the Guests and more then likley bring many new faces into a CEC that may have never been.

Let's give them a reason to...

Finally, and most importantly, CEC will need to heavily promote this. This they already have covered as CEC regularly and quite heavily advertise on tv and in print medium so it would be reletively simple to get the word out to the general public. Stress in the ads that this is a FREE EVENT and cover all the FREE GIVEAWAYS and FREE ENTERTAINMENT aspects to really get folks to perk there ears up. Also, i think it would be wise to try another style of tv ad for CEC. The style currently being used has been overused and we would need to really grab folks. Make it UNIQUE and a stand out from the usual footage. Again, it would'nt really take that much to spark folks interests again in CEC.

[tinafan80]

OK!
I am confused... maybe it's because I don't read the board as much as I should.
So are the curtains NOT working at all on any of the stages??
Reason I asked is because at our store, we don't have curtains. They are up the whole time and it's random movements. And, the curtains were not programmed on the show tape.
Now, I went to the Fullerton store yesterday, and it is a 3 stage show. They had curtains working and no random movements. So I am now confused. I thought this showtape didn't have curtains programmed in at all and I thought all CEC's didn't have curtains anymore.
And I went to this store about 3 months ago, and they had the curtains open with no random movements at all. So I don't know what the hell is going on. Did I miss something??

[ChuckEZone]

So are the curtains NOT working at all on any of the stages??

The 3 Stage is the only version of the show that still uses their curtains. 3 stage curtains had to be programmed, because the new eprom isn't in place to allow random movements.

[pizzacam]

...yet. At the 3 stage store here the only curtains still working are Chuck's the other 2 are broke and are not going be replaced since the eprom's coming. :(

[CEC3066]

not sure email

YES he DOES read email & while I don't have it on my hard drive any more I can confirm that HE HIMSELF did reply to an email I sent when this curtain craze broke & he said he would fwd my comments to Gene Cramm.

[YoungCaliHottie]

when i was at the fullerton location last week only stage left and right were closing. center stage curtains stayed open the whole time with no random movements. ...maybe it was just broken that night? lol

[pizzacam]

yep if the motor broke, it may be staying that way until the eprom comes in...:(

[tinafan80]

when i was at the fullerton location last week only stage left and right were closing. center stage curtains stayed open the whole time with no random movements. ...maybe it was just broken that night? lol

Possibly. This time all curtains were working. Even though that show is in HORRIBLE condition. They should have just stayed closed. LOL

[YoungCaliHottie]

ya, it was really really bad. the neon chuck e cheese sign was dead. chucks mouth didnt open. almost none of their eyes worked right. and most of their mouths didnt work right either. pasqually didnt have drumsticks in his hands. pizzacam was missing, the area was being used to store stuff. a lot of lights werent working. the wink didnt work. the speakers sounded like crap. center stage curtains didn't work. but i was still excited to see the 3 stage design tho! lol. i had been looking everywhere for it!

[pizzacam]

Oooooh ok so pretty much up to par then huh? :lol It sucks but that's how most of them are these days.

[tinafan80]

Yeah. The show is pretty much DONE. I don't understand why they don't put studio C in. I mean, what is the point of having a show that looks like CRAP. Aaaaaaaaah. I hate it.
:rolleyes

[MMBBfan327]

what is the point of having a show that looks like CRAP

That's the point!!! CECE doens't give a monkey's @$$ about the shows. Until the location closes, I'm sure the show will stay as it remians.:(

[CEC Kid Check]

Yeah. The show is pretty much DONE. I don't understand why they don't put studio C in. I mean, what is the point of having a show that looks like CRAP. Aaaaaaaaah. I hate it.

:lol :lol :lol :lol Because that is the store where Jasper gets all his reviews for the 3 Stage!:lol :lol :lol I've been to that store once, when I went, Speakers did sound like crap...., Pizzacam was there, but his mask was off....so you could see his true naked self:o :rollin :rollin !!!! And the mouths weren't working on almost all the characters!!!


the wink didnt work
Man, if I could find one 3 Stage that has the Wink Sign working, that would be the day!:rollin >: :rollin :evil :rollin :| :x :rolleyes

[pizzacam]

:lol :lol :lol It works over here, but the show itself is...SAD :(

[CEC TechMan]

3 Stage eprom has been completed and will be shipping to stores shortly with instructions.

[Shiney Happy Jenn]

Oh Joy!!!

[pizzacam]

WOW the end of what once was...yay.. :(

[YoungCaliHottie]

ya, even tho only 2 curtains worked, it was still great to hear chuck say "see you guys later" and then actually be gone. hahahahah

[pizzacam]

I know :( It's gonna be so bland now.

[Shiney Happy Jenn]

Welcome to Chuck E. Cheese's of Today!

"Hey Kids!! Don't forget to come to my place and spend all your money!" 8o

[CEC TechMan]

Well, that's the name of the game... profits.

You all may not understand this, no matter what I say, but the decision to remove curtain functions was one made to better the Guest visit. We all know that kids get more excited when Chuck E. is on stage, and just the fact that he will be up there moving all the time is all that matters. It isn't a cost effective move to make as the wear and tear on the character(s) and compressor will outweigh the M&R costs to the curtains. An upper member of the corporate management said the following:

The decision to remove the curtains I have heard has to do with the cosmetic appearance of the showroom. With the curtains open and the character moving the appearance in the showroom has more guest appeal.
I agree with this. It does have its downside, as there will be 2 Chuck E's out from time to time, but this is the trend the company has been moving forward with so I just accept it and move on.

[pizzacam]

Yeah and besides, the stupid showroom attendants never do it right around here...I see both Chuck Es all the time anyway!! That's WITH curtains working, so might as well get rid of dead weight. :rolleyes

[CEC3066]

With the curtains open and the character moving the appearance in the showroom has more guest appeal.

HA!

[pizzacam]

There's no use in getting an ulcer over it guys. It's done, sit back and enjoy the character(s). I'm sure they'll be gone soon as well.

[MatHat13]

I agree, you know Techman's post, the character appeal does have a good point, I am going to enjoy the characters until they are gone which of coarse I'm sure won't be very long.

[RAERocks]

That logic seems to make some sense.

I always thought it was stupid logic of saving money, because the character(s) will just wear out faster. Of course it's not like the random movements are that motion intensive.

If that is the real reason though, it would have been nice to keep the curtains to use only when the CEC walkaround is out.

RR

[CEC Kid Check]

Man, they should throw a switch in the Chuck E. room so that CM's can close the curtains when they are going to bring out the walk-around. That would be much better, then they can flip the curtains back open when there done, but this might interfer with the show itself, like if the Live Show ends, and the segment starts right away (like some Studio C's does) the curtains would probably stay closed until the CM flips it open, because Dept. 18 doesn't program curtains anymore. Plus, it would look taky if the curtains would be close and the songs r going and no one can see Chuck singing to em'.:rollin

[Shiney Happy Jenn]

I have to say that in a way, what TechMan said in his previous post rings some truth.

At least with the curtains open, folks coming into the Showroom can plainly see that, hey, there IS a Show after all!

I find it nostalgic, as in my time back in the PTT era there were no curtains to begin with.

I still think in a way it's a shame to see them go...but Tecchies' quote from upper Management makes some sense to me. Glad to see i'm not the only one seeing this in a better light.

And to CEC Kid Check: We HAVE exactly what you are talking about: a switch to manually control the Chuck Stage curtain! It's awesome...and is regularly used now in...well, you know where already! :b

[CEC Kid Check]

HAAHA! SWEET! Now if they could only be in all the stores! >D

Well, all stores has a manual switch, ours is behind the stage, so know one has access to it except the managers and Techs, but I just wanted another one installed in the CEC Room so it would work out w/ no Double Chuck's.

[Shiney Happy Jenn]

Actually, i think it IS already in most locations.

Most Stages have always had control buttons located backstage that can be used to manually open the curtains or close them. We have used them a lot over the years...now more then ever of course.

They work regardless of if there is "curtain programming" or not. Studio C locations also have these...look behind your Stage area for a pair of black or colored push buttons. These enable you to control the curtains at will. I would recommend only using these for Live Shows however.

We have two sets behind our 2 Stage: one set for the Chuck Stage and another for the Band Stage. They work great, and solve the "Two Chuck E." syndrome just fine.

Yet another "Waffle House" exclusive!!! :b

[CEC Kid Check]

LOL! Look in my post above yours!!!!:rollin I think I Edited my post a second b4 you wrote yours!!! I already knew that we have a manual switch, we have to use it to open the curtains b4 we turn off all the breakers in the Showroom everynight but we dont do that anymore considering the curtains r now open 24/7!!!:x ....The two bottons is attached to the Side wall, there is a Black Botton(Closes the curtains) and a Red one (opens the curtains)

I would use this to solve the double chuck thing, but we have a locked door that leads to the back of the stage, and I/nor the managers want to keep opening it for all the live shows!!! So thats why I want one in the CEC ROOM!

[Shiney Happy Jenn]

Ah..ok then your Studio C location is not graced with having it in the Costume Room like Methuen's room!

Some locations have there costume room right behind the stage....the Methuen one is tiny and the Alpha Stage is right there literally in your face ( ..and hip, and back..lol). The curtain buttons are also right there...nice n' handy....so it's easy to use with every Live appearence.

Perhaps in the future we will see a switch being installed, or the exsiting ones moved where Cm's can do this more easily for the Live Shows. Somehow though, i doubt it.....but ya never know...

[MMBBfan327]

I'm just glad the "No 2 Chucks" policy is still surviving at some locations. Even WHEN Brookfield had the curtains for Studio C Alpha, they kept the curtians open during lives, and had Chuck singing.

[RodHouTx]

You could build a switch and tie in to the line coming from the grey-box computer for the Chuck E. curtain and put it somewhere that is easily accessible when Chuck E is about to come out. The cast could press the button to close Chuck E's curtain (easier and more elegant than having to go to Chuck E's stage and press the button). You would just need to wire the "Close" side to the button and allow the "open" to pass through, but don't connect the "Close" wire coming from the computer. IF they continue to program the curtain sequences, then the curtain would open and remain open when the next show starts. You could also build it with connectors so that if they decide to use curtains again you can just remove this connection and everything will work properly again.