Fun park?

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

Anybody know anything about this? Andy Alligator's Fun Park? It's going up on the NW corner of Indian Hills and I-35. The website shown on the sign is pretty much useless.



Since I'm really a 12 year old (that can drink beer), I'm all about pizza and go-carts!

[SuperScooper]

I searched The Norman Transcript - Homepage and found this article from early this month.



Published: June 10, 2007 12:00 am

Having a HeyDay

The Norman Transcript

By Tony Pennington

Transcript Staff Writer

It hardly seems possible that a 13,000-square-foot facility could house every idea and concept Brad Little has in store for HeyDay Entertainment Center.

The 42-year-old owner/operator’s hands flew as fast as his words when he described the finished product during a recent walk-through. The two-level, 7,000-square-foot laser tag area, the planned 50 video and redemption games, DoubleDave’s Pizzaworks restaurant and dining room featuring two large screen televisions, all but appeared among the dry wall and exposed metal frame and wiring of the more than 65 percent completed building.

He had yet to get to the 18-hole miniature golf course and large patio sitting beyond the unpainted gray walls. But it wasn’t difficult to understand the vision Little and business partner Trey Bates had in store when they began the development.

“We wanted to provide an upscale, classy entertainment option for the youth, young adults and adults of the Norman and Moore area to have fun,” Little explained among the stacked planks of dry wall in the middle of HeyDay Entertainment Center, 1-35 and Indian Hills Road. “We wanted to recreate a Dave and Busters kind of feel … capture a little bit of Dallas and bring it here to Norman and Moore.”

Little and Bates will discover if they have reached their goal when HeyDay Entertainment Center opens its doors this August. But the two are convinced they have the right mix of games and entertainment options to attract a strong customer base.

“This has been through about three years of development,” Little said. “Moore has never had a mini golf course. Norman has never had laser tag; and neither has had a DoubleDave’s pizza. There is a real level of excitement in the city about what we are doing as far as I can tell. We are a little bit of everything all under one roof.”

The concept of combining multiple strong elements also will extend to HeyDay’s hiring practices. Little said there would be three managers and about 30 part-timers. But the entertainment center is looking for more than just a warm body to regulate a laser tag game. Little wants people who care about their communities and will bring a sense of enthusiasm.

“I want people who are from the Norman and Moore area and are plugged into their community professional and socially,” he said.

That policy is represented in HeyDay’s first employees, Lynann Sterk, 31, entertainment center manager, and Keith Dinwiddie, 36, DoubleDave’s Restaurant manager. Sterk is a former Norman High School teacher and grew up in Norman. Dinwiddie attend school at the University of Oklahoma and has worked professionally in Norman for about a decade.

Both managers viewed HeyDay as a challenge and as a worthwhile project.

“Part of the attraction is getting in on something from the ground up,” Dinwiddie said, who left a post as the assistant manager of the University Club at OU. “I’ve never had this kind of opportunity before. I’m looking forward to working in a fun-filled environment. Who wouldn’t want to be around fun?”

In the classroom, Sterk’s primary function was to meet the needs of her students, but as a Norman’s newest facilitator of fun, she will reach a broader audience.

“It’s a great opportunity to work and serve not only my community but Moore in a larger and different capacity.”

Sterk won’t leave the idea of education behind. HeyDay’s laser tag area is more than a light wave battleground.

“There is an educational program for kids about lasers and lights, and there is the Jeff Janssen program for team building,” she said.

Little said Janssenes program is ideal for business and groups interested in a 2-hour team building exercise. “Championship Team Building” was specifically designed by Janssen to utilize laser tag.

Team building also seems to be a part of Little’s approach to other businesses in the area. Russell and Robbie Allison are constructing Andy Alligator’s Fun Park next door. The 11,000-square-foot park will offer go-carts, miniature golf, bumper boats, a climbing mountain and arcade games.

Little welcomes the idea of having Andy Alligator’s in the neighborhood. He said it will help cement the idea of a vibrant entertainment atmosphere within Norman and Moore.

“I’m all for it,” he said. “They are providing entertainment options we are not. We are interested in developing an entertainment district … similar to the mile of cars concept.”

Both establishments are months away from the first game of laser tag or lap around the race track. There are still a lot of little things to get done. Sterk was dispatched to Buffalo, N.Y., to master laser tag by the folks at LASERTRON, and Dinwiddie will attend DoubleDave’s school of pizza making in Texas. While they will be busy, the anticipation might get the best of Dinwiddie’s daughter Cheyenne, 10.

“She’s excited,” he said. “I think she will be even more excited when she walks in here.”

When she finally bursts through the doors, will it be dad she notices?

“Laser tag,” Dinwiddie said. “She will do anything of a competitive nature.”

Tony Pennington

366-3541

tpennington@normantranscript.com

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

Sounds like it's geared WAY too much towards children to even be mentioned in the same sentence as a Dave & Buster's.

We need a Dave & Buster's in Bricktown.

But I bet I go there anyway...For the pizza.

Thanks for posting that article.

[kevinpate]

Older established places, such as P-Swing out on E Hwy 9 and Celebration Station off I-40 will feel the impact of these new offerings. As folks often said back before it was lights out in the diner time, it is what it is. When you're round like me, go karts are more slow karts, but I wish them the best at both locations.

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

Older established places, such as P-Swing out on E Hwy 9 and Celebration Station off I-40 will feel the impact of these new offerings. As folks often said back before it was lights out in the diner time, it is what it is. When you're round like me, go karts are more slow karts, but I wish them the best at both locations.

That's when you switch to bumper-cars...Your "bumps" will be a lot meaner with more kinetic energy

[MrZ]

Been watching the construction of these two places (almost as much as my 2 kids) and can't wait to try them both out!

[CuatrodeMayo]

That's when you switch to bumper-cars...Your "bumps" will be a lot meaner with more kinetic energy

If sparks ain't flyin, you ain't tryin.

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

If kids ain't flyin, you ain't tryin.

Fixed that for you

[xpertinfun]

This is going to be great to have something like this so close to the house. My girls already want to have their birthday parties there and its not even open yet!

[Easy180]

The more stuff in Moore the merrier...I guess I will break down and take my nephews ONCE when it opens

Guess I can spend $40 or $50 on them on an annual basis

I'm just a tremendous freakin award winning uncle

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

The more stuff in Moore the merrier...I guess I will break down and take my nephews ONCE when it opens

Guess I can spend $40 or $50 on them on an annual basis

I'm just a tremendous freakin award winning uncle

I'm even better...I bought them bicycles and other expensive things a couple of times, and they weren't really all that impressed...But the last couple of years...I buy my sister's kids things like this: Clicky

And they go bonkers. They start digging in my bags the moment I arrive there now.

$10 gifts are 1,000 times better than a bicycle when they involve punny toys.

[Easy180]

Those things are cool

Hope you aren't right about the big gifts...Giving my oldest nephew my car in Jan instead of trading it in

Hoping he pays me back 45 years from now and will drop by and feed me some applesauce and bring a brand new package of diapers

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

Test it out.

Break your legs and ask your sibling for him to help you around the house this summer...See how he handles the chores.

[Karried]

LOL .... oh Gawd the Smell.... you crack me up


A car???

Uncle Easy180 .. I think we're long lost relatives!

[Easy180]

Not that impressive karried...Finally shedding my '99 Accord and my brother has 3 kids to support while my disposable income goes to vacations and happy hours

Just hope the nephew who is 14 understands this is a one time thing!

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

Got that Corvette you've been dreaming of?

[Easy180]

The replacement car in Jan all depends on what kind of job I land in August...Current job ends at the end of July

But lookin at an '06 TSX or something along those lines...Wife said next one needs to be a 4 dr in case we ever get around to adding to the family

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

I've got a 4 door Chevy that will wax a Mustang GT or tow 6800 pounds.

Probably because I don't have a wife

[metro]

There's another thread somewhere on this site that discusses it at length. Not sure if it was posted in the "Moore" thread or not. If you do a search, you might find it. I would but I don't have the time right now.

[linze]

This is wonderful news. I can't wait to see this place up and going. And I sure hope it puts Perfect Swing out of business! That place is soooo filthy and really starting to run down. Just my opinion....

[oudirtypop]

We Need A Driving Range Around Here! I Was Hoping For Andy's To Have It, But I Guess Not...its A Sad Day!

[Martin]

eh? while i'm not the golfing type, i thought there are driving ranges at brookside (i-35 & shields), earlywine (119th & portland), a place at 149th & i-44 and perhaps one at broadmoore (~34th & broadway).

as for perfect swing... is that the one on highway 9? wasn't there a place around 134th & western years ago? was that called 'pitch n putt'?

-M

[xd0nn4x]

I was wondering about this since i pass it all the time! i cant wait, i love laser tag and its pretty close to home, and who cares about celebration station? that place stopped sparking my interest when i turned 13 lol! As an arizona girl i grew up with gameworks, and that was a wonderful arcade plus it was connected to a mall! I cant wait till this opens!!

[rugbybrado]

i drive by it every morning, im sure i will check it out. i wonder if they will serve beer?

[Jesseda]

okay does any body know about heyday lazer tag it is right next to andy alligators, so is there two parks?