This Minecraft McDonald's PlayPlace Hit Reddit In The Feels
Who doesn't have fond memories of the McDonald's PlayPlace as a kid? Getting to run around that towering, sprawling jungle gym of platforms, velcro-strap bridges, and rooms were pretty much a staple of any McDonalds visit. You took off your shoes, put them in the "Sneaker Keeper" and could spent what seemed like hours exploring and hiding until your folks had to practically scream up the slides for you to come down and eat. Sure, you might have taken a tumble or got a shiner here or there because you and your friends were roughhousing too much, but that was just part of the fun. And if your McDonald's had those Nintendo Gamecube kiosks, you probably would race your friends down the slide to be the first to play Mario while snacking on your McNuggets. It truly was a magical, more innocent time.
In the modern era, it seems that those palaces of plastic tubes and tunnels are fading away fast. According to Reader's Digest, those indoor playlands are starting to fall behind to more technological advancements. Kids could easily watch whatever they want on an iPad in a booth while eating, and parents don't have to run themselves ragged around the Playplace structure looking for their kids. PlayPlaces are being seen as dirty and dangerous, filled with germs and other unsightly waste, as shown by the work of Erin Carr-Jordan (per Food Safety News).
Even though these fast food playgrounds are seen with more trepidation today, many adults still treasure the memories from their youth. And now, one such nostalgic fan has recreated them in "Minecraft."
Being a kid again in Minecraft
The Reddit "Minecraft" community always has plenty of interesting builds to share, ranging from the opulent and elaborate to the ones made to get a quick laugh out of you. User klight101 had a different idea in mind. They created a towering, four-section PlayPlace, designed for the purposes of both nostalgia and player-vs-player (or PVP) events.
Other users were quick to share their recollections about their days in the real McDonald's PlayPlace, fondly recalling their own childhood fights in the maze of rooms and tubes. Others had criticisms about the "Minecraft" design. Everyone, though, had memories come back to them. "I love these things, and building them in Minecraft." said user ArbitraryChaos13, adding, "Just making tons of tubes that go everywhere. So fun to make and traverse."
"Oh god I have some good memories in the McDonald's play places with friends I have not seen for years," reminisced one user, recalling the good times of childhood and Happy Meals. Sounding a more (humorously) critical note, user TheRealStevo wrote, "Not accurate, it doesn't have a tube with a plastic part on the end where you can look out and see your mom."
Other users jokingly followed suit, with some asking if the slides still give you that electric shock when you go down it. Others seemed to have a bit more colorful experience in the PlayPlaces than most, with one user pointing out that "mcdonalds play places are pvp areas."
Today, PlayPlaces remain closed due to Covid-19 concerns (per the company website), but they'll always have a special place in our hearts.