UPDATE: Mall of America says Build-a-Bear lines have been closed, linking to a statement about "crowd and safety concerns."
---
For the first time in its history, Build-a-Bear is offering a Pay Your Age Day on Thursday, July 12. Another first? The company has closed down the promo at all of its U.S stores due to safety concerns.
The promotion has stoked the fires of Bear fandom. In the U.K., nine hour waits were common. At Mall of America people started lining up at 6 a.m. today, said mall spokeswoman Sarah Grap. More than 500 people are lined up.
Here was the original promo, which has now been canceled due to safety concerns:
Anyone can pay their age for any of the store's collection of furry friends, including the popular licensed characters, which are regularly priced between $6 and $75 but most sell for in the $20 to $32 range. Kids choose a stuffed animal from scores of choices, customize it, and get to fill it with stuffing.
Adults aren't left out of this promo. No one pays more than $29 in the one-day, in-store offer.
Before planning your visit to a Build-A-Bear Thursday, the parent or guardian needs to enroll in the company's free rewards program (email address and name required). The adult can also sign up on Thursday in the store, but people in that line are likely to experience longer wait times.
