Meadowbrook Mall’s newest store will likely be a popular hangout next week for elementary school students on spring break. They might just find Doc McStuffins, Dora, SpongeBob and their favorite superheroes hanging around too.

 

For the first time, Cartoon Headquarters - owned by James Vanscoy - is occupying a storefront featuring the popular inflatables, games and characters for which it has been known for the past several years.

 

Cartoon Headquarters Fun Zone officially opened 10 a.m. Friday at the former West Virginia Fan Zone store located besides the now vacant Sears store.

 

“We’re excited about it and we think the location is perfect with the Connect-Bridgeport.com Kids Zone Play area right next door,” said Meadowbrook Mall Marketing Director Robin Urquhart.

 

With people looking for more entertainment options, Urquhart said Fun Zone is a great fit for the mall. On various occasions, owner Vanscoy has set up his signature inflatables at the mall and they have always drawn children and their families, she said.

 

Fun Zone will be open regular mall hours throughout spring break and on weekends. When school is in session, hours are 3-9 p.m.

weekdays with one exception. In connection with the mall’s Tuesday is for Toddlers event, Fun Zone will open at noon Tuesdays and also offer half-price wrist bands. Other mid-week specials include a free snow cone with wrist band purchase on Wednesday and free popcorn with wrist band purchase on Thursday.

 

Wristbands provide unlimited access to inflatables for one entire day.

 

“You can leave, go watch a movie, do some shopping and come back,” Vanscoy said.

 

For the time being, inflatable attractions will include an obstacle course and two bounce houses, one with built-in obstacles, a slide and climbing wall.

 

The young patrons can also play carnival-style/arcade games, such as Little Pig Race and Inflatable Skee-Ball. Kids can win prizes by playing games or purchase from a line of licensed merchandise from “Paw Patrol,” “Bubble Guppies,” “Shimmer n Shine” and “Scooby-Doo,” among several other popular cartoons. Also for sale will be candies and carnival-style treats like cotton candy, popcorn and snow cones.

 

Cartoon Headquarters Fun Zone is geared toward kids age 10 and under.

 

In addition to daily offerings, Fun Zone features a party room which can be rented for birthday parties and other occasions.

 

“We have two-hour packages with different prices, depending on what is included,” Vanscoy said. “You can add on a cartoon character who will bring balloons and a gift for the guest of honor, play board games and pose for pictures or you can add a magic show or professional puppet show featuring Elmo and friends.”

 

If the new business does well and a bigger mall space becomes available, there’s a good possibility that Vanscoy will relocate within the mall.

 

“Hopefully the community will embrace it and if they do, we’ll try to do more,” he said. “We’re pondering other ideas like perhaps laser light show dances for older kids.”

 

But for now, Vanscoy and his Cartoon Headquarters team has met their initial goal – and that was to open shop for spring break 2017. 

 

Contact Cartoon Headquarters Fun Zone by callin 304-623-9184.