Whether you’re a parent, an older sibling, a grandparent, or simply someone who deals with children on a semi-regular basis, you must be familiar with Bluey. The Aussie show leaves no kid indifferent and, trust me, one simply does not mess with a child’s favorite cartoon.
Unfortunately, this is a lesson that some have yet to learn. And although they certainly didn’t expect to, the owners of one Dirt Dog restaurant in Las Vegas learned it the hard way when their Bluey-themed event went sideways. What was supposed to be a day filled with joy for children turned into a nightmare for them and their parents, who made sure to express their frustration and displeasure with the event on social media. But what exactly happened, and how could a kids’ event go so wrong? Well, to understand that, we must go back to the very beginning.
What happened at the Dirt Dog “Bluey Day!” event?
On May 11, parents showed up with their kids at the Las Vegas location of a Dirt Dog restaurant for a four-hour event, hoping to provide the little ones with some Bluey fun. The event had been advertised on Facebook, with the restaurant promising things like face painting, games, a Bluey watch party, treats, and the opportunity for kids to meet the Blue Heeler puppy and other characters from the animated show. Unfortunately, whoever had this brilliant idea greatly underestimated the crowds that Bluey‘s name alone can pull.
Granted, getting new clients to the restaurant was the event’s entire purpose, but when folks started showing up, it became apparent that Dirt Dog was not adequately prepared for such a big turnout. The restaurant was packed, there was no security, and the promised activities failed to meet expectations. The face painting station was closed early, the watch party was nothing more than Bluey episodes playing on mute, and perhaps worst of all, the iconic character turned out to be a bearded man dressed in a flimsy Bluey onesie. Needless to say, it was not a great look.
Naturally, the kids who attended were left disappointed, and after carrying their crying children back home, the parents wrote down their thoughts on social media platforms. The event’s Facebook page was quickly filled with complaints, as adults claimed that the experience completely ruined their children’s day:
“This was horrible and a waste of time. You pissed off a community of parents. I’ll never be back to your establishment. My daughter was super disappointed.”
“Temu Bluey costume and decorations from Dollar Tree featured at Dirt Dog Las Vegas Rainbow! Thanks for ruining my 3-year-old’s day!”
In the midst of all the outrage, some people have come forward to defend the restaurant, claiming that parents should’ve predicted that it would be a lackluster experience: “All the disappointed parents need to learn to do their research and temper their expectations a bit. A little chain fast food restaurant on the outskirts of Vegas holding a major character event without Disney’s participation? For free? Unlikely to be amazing.”
How has Dirt Dog responded to the Bluey event backlash?
The restaurant didn’t let the negative reviews of the event fester for too long. On May 12, the owners took to Instagram to offer their apologies to all the families let down by the occurrence, and explained that they were overwhelmed by the amount of people that showed up. Per FOX5, the folks behind the event are determined to make up for the disappointing experience and have invited families to go back to Dirt Dog Las Vegas on June 9, when another Bluey event will be held from 11am to 3pm. Hopefully, this one won’t be as terrible.
While the cartoon is great for children and parents alike, it’s not the first time we’ve heard about Bluey-related horror stories. And it’s also not the first time that a character-themed family event ends in disaster — I’m sure some netizens still have nightmares about the “Willy’s Chocolate Experience.” As for Dirt Dog, let’s all just hope that the restaurant has learned from its mistakes and is able to provide kids with a positive experience this time around. A lot is at stake here, and parents will not forgive another poorly executed event.