Huge Crowds Shut Down Build-A-Bear Promotion At Philly-Area Malls

If you haven’t already visited the Build-A-Bear to “pay your age,” it's too late.

Crowns inundated area malls Thursday with hours-long lines stretching out of the store. Stores are no longer accepting additional guests due to "crowd and safety concerns," the company announced.

The toy company was offering quite the deal for Thursday: Get any "Make-Your-Own" furry friend for the price of a kid's age, as long as the child was in the store.

But it was too good to be true, apparently.

Calls to area stores, including Oxford Valley Mall, King of Prussia Mall, and the Cherry Hill Mall, were met with busy signals. Management at the Oxford Valley Mall said the line, which photos on social media show snaking around the building's exterior, was being serviced but shoppers should "come at their own risk."

But the company issued a statement saying they were closing the lines.

"Urgent Alert: Lines Closed for Pay Your Age Day Event Per local authorities, we cannot accept additional Guests at our locations due to crowds and safety concerns," the alert on the Build-A-Bear Facebook page said. "We have closed lines in our U.S. and Canada stores. We understand some Guests are disappointed and we will reach out directly as soon as possible."

Meanwhile area residents took to Facebook to air their frustrations.

On social media, residents reported hours-long waits, telling others "don't even bother" coming.

The promotion was part of a nationwide celebration of the company's launch of the Build-A-Bear "Count Your Candles" birthday experience. But the promotion seemingly worked too well.

Photos posted on social media showed lines stretching out the door at stores across the country. Some said they had been waiting in lines for hours, prompting Build-A-Bear to take action.

One Twitter user tweeted there were "hundreds of kids lined up all through the second floor of the mall" at his Build-A-Bear location. "I've never seen so many kids," he tweeted.

Photo credit: Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images for Build-a-Bear