BEWARE of BILLY BOB'S WONDERLAND!

Billy Bob's Wonderland in Barboursville, WV is a popular hot spot for kids in the tristate area. Many parents choose their venue as a place to have their children's birthday parties as it offers pizza and a show-type of atmosphere. They have an arcade, games, and small amusement rides that are coin operated. Billy Bob's Wonderland also has a ball pit that younger patrons can have fun in, since their ages are restrictive when it comes to the amusements offered.

On Saturday night, February 23, 2008, my family went to Billy Bob's Wonderland for a fun evening out with some friends. They had brought their little four-year-old girl along to play with our two youngest children. Billy Bob's Wonderland is not cheap, either, when you bring your family there for a night out, you better be prepared to shell out at least $50-$60 for food and amusements. Their food is average, at best, and the service leaves much to be desired.

After spending $70 for our family to eat and play, we were winding down to the last ten minutes of our outing. The four-year-olds and our daughter, who is in kindergarten, were playing in the ball pit. I had left the children under the supervision of our friends for thirty seconds and walked to a game beside the ball pit. When I looked back, my kindergarten-aged daughter was weeping hysterically and frightened. It seems that as soon as I turned my head, an employee (a teenage boy) approached the ball pit and told my daughter to exit. She complied and he grabbed her hand and measured her by the height restriction chart. He, then, informed her she was too tall to be in the ball pit and would not let her go back to playing with her friend and little brother.