Let me just preface this by saying that Navy Pier gets a solid 4/10 from me.
From turning the Build-A-Bear workshop from a store into a kiosk to changing the Winter WonderFest into Light Up the Lake (a glorified photo-op), it’s clear to me, a certified Navy Pier regular, that the owners simply do not want anyone to have fun there anymore.
From turning the Build-A-Bear workshop from a store into a kiosk to changing the Winter WonderFest into Light Up the Lake (a glorified photo-op), it’s clear to me, a certified Navy Pier regular, that the owners simply do not want anyone to have fun there anymore.
Here are some current problems with Navy Pier:
- They don't take cash. The only places that take cash are the small businesses that sometimes have vendor shows there.
- The Winter WonderFest is now Light Up the Lake, which is pretty, but has no rides (yet lots of places to spend your money).
- There are very few attractions there. It's like a shopping mall, but the stores aren't very fun.
- Speaking of the stores: all of the interesting, smaller shops are in the back of the Pier, scarcely visible to visitors. They have to sit there all day and get very few customers because no one ever makes it far enough to actually see them.
- They took out the movie theater for whatever reason. I don't know why, but I hate it.
- Build-A-Bear Workshop is a kiosk now. You don't really get the experience of going anymore.
- The Chinese food place is garbage. I mean, it is really bad.
Of course, there are plenty of positive things about the Pier, like the Shakespeare Theater and the Chicago Children's Museum, but they need more places for people to enjoy, especially in the winter time. Otherwise, you'll be bored in about 30 minutes and have to take a bus downtown just to find some other stuff to do.
Trinity Jones
