OT-Have you ever done a Chuck-E-Cheese Birthday Party?

[devotedchristian]

Can you advice me on the *Cheapest* way to do it? Should I go ahead and rent the table at $10 per child or should I grab a free booth and decorate it myself?

DS will be 4 in July. Do you think he is too young for a Chuck-E-Cheese Birthday party?

I will provide food and drinks for everyone. *However*, I want to know if CEC allows outside food into the place. I really want to serve these Kids (and Parents) something besides Pizza. Like a Publix Fruit Salad and some healthy snacks or something.

Cake and Ice Cream will be provided.

I could tell at recent Birthday Parties, these Kids are tired of pizza LOL! That's just the ones I've been to. The pizza was wasted.

I noticed at DS's last birthday party, the Kids gobbled up the Wings (which was mean't for the Parents but I had my back turned and didn't get a chance to stop them) so I let them be.

So please advice me on this! Thank you

 

[BlondeAlligator]

Hi! I have been to several BD parties at CEC & I have to say, I have not been impressed. I am pretty sure they won't let you just come in an decorate your own booth & have a party...parties are big money-makers for them. I also don't think they will let you bring in outside food because that is also where they make a lot of their money (except for cakes...I know you can bring in cakes). They have other items on the menus besides pizza, like salad bar, but I don't know how much that would run you; it probably wouldn't be cheap.

Four year-olds certainly love CEC & would have fun, but I'm not fond of the parties there because I think that the kids just run around & play on their own & don't interact very much with each other. The adults, especially for young kids, also spend too much time running after their own brood & don't get to mingle. They don't have private rooms, so you just get a table in the big party area & on a crowded day it can be chaotic. It's really loud, and depending on your "party teenager", it might be run well or it might not. I have been there & seen the CEC party person loading gifts from the wrong party into someone's car!

For us CEC is a place to take my DD when the weather is bad & there is nothing else to do. I always cringe wen I get a party invite for CEC. If it were me, I would do anything else...Build-A Bear, park districts, indoor swimming pools, bowling (even for four-year-olds...bumper bowling is so fun!), Pump-It-Up if you have one near you, even something at home would be better than CEC, in my opinion. If you decide to go ahead, I amsorry to say that the pizaa is probably your best & cheapset option. Good luck!!

 

[Mouse House Mama]

I agree CEC is not a fun party. It is more like you pay for everyone else and their family to have a day out. There is hardly any interaction with the birthday child. I also doubt they will let you bring outside food in. It is a restaurant (not fine dining obviously) but they serve food so I wouldn't count on that.

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

I agree with everything the above poster stated. DD (3) 's friend just had her 4th birthday party at CEC a couple weekends ago. And we had DS's birthday there also when he turned 5.

The party we just went to was on a Saturday afternoon. It was very crowded and loud. And there were only 4 other parties. I think it is also very rushed. You only get the table for 1 1/2 hours. After that you can move all your stuff to another place in the restaurant.

The kids love that place though. DD had a ball. DS(9) was also invited since the birthday girls's older brother is in DS's class at school, and he was loving it also. True, the adults don't get to interact alot since you need to keep an eye on your little ones. And the kids eat pizza, and cake, open gifts and then go off to play games, so there isn't much interaction there either.

I also agree that pizza is your best bet, the other items would probably cost you a bit more . CEC is about the cheapest party I've priced out over the years , so if you're looking to stay cheap, unless you plan on a house or park party, CEC might be the best way to go.

 

[1st_trip4us]

We've had a few parties at CEC. More because dh does not want a bunch of kids running around our house and we don't have too many other options nearby. I cannot imagine them letting you bring in any outside food other than a cake. Like the other poster said that's where they make their money. I agree that the kids do not interact, they all run their own seperate ways. Then there's an announcement for the kids to come back to the table for pizza, cake, and then they're off playing again. Dh just wanted to have our kindergarteners party there. When I thought about it I told him that it didn't seem like the least bit of fun trying to chase down 25 6 year olds and keep track of all those kids. He (thankfully) agreed.

 

[jmay127]

We did a few of older ds parties there and I thought they went well. We have done them both ways...paying the per child with the table and with just inviting a few friends and buying a cake and pizza off the menu. I don't know if they still do that as younger ds does not like cc - says its too loud.

 

[deedeetoo]

We did my 6yo's party at CEC in January. He doesn't ask for much and he really wanted this so we went along with it. I hated it for all the reasons that people have already mentioned. Its too loud, too hectic, and trying to keep track of the kids is very difficult.

But.... my son loved it. He said it was the best party he ever had and he wants to go back next year. I'm hoping he forgets by then or comes up with something else.

Bottom line - parents hate it, kids love it.

 

[Steph9072]

We did dd's Birthday @ CEC for her 5th Birthday. The only good thing they did the work and cleaned up. It was pretty pricey I thought for what we got. The pizza at CEC isn't that great and her cake was awful. I had asked about bringing in our own cake I was told that they would give us $10 in token in it's place. Well I should have done that.

Last I had a surprise tea party for dd at a little tea house here in town. She got to dress up and have make over so to speak then we had tea finger sandwiches and cake & ice cream. Then we had a Birthday dinner so men folk could join after the tea. This worked out great. The tea was about $20 cheaper then CEC and she had a far better time.

This year she wants a skating party. So that is what we are doing.

 

[TheDizMom]

I have only been to parties there and I have hated every minute of it . It is just to loud and crazy. My kids have never been fond of going there either. If you are going to do it I would try and do it on a week day around 2. I think that is the only time it won't be crawling with screaming running children who I guarantee will give you a headache. If moms don't stay it will be easier to keep track of everyone too.

 

[ShannonN]

We had DS 6th b-day party at CEC and I think I'm in the minority but it went very well . Yes it is crazy and the children do go off and do their own thing but my DS had the best time! The children had a great time as well. All the parents stayed which helped because they were responsible for their own children and I didn't have to worry about keeping track of everyone . I thought the cake was fine and DS was pleased with it. The kids really liked it when Chuck E came out and did the dances with them . It's still one of DS best birthday memories but now he can't wait to go back to WDW for his 8th b-day.
DH DS ME

 

[tarheel618]

We did one last year and it was great for us. They will not let you bring anything extra in except for the cake.

We did a 10 or 10:30 party--the first one of the day on a Saturday and practically had the place to ourselves. I would definetly do an early party because it isn't as crowded- pizza for lunch and then you still have the afternoon to do something else.

 

[LuvOrlando]

I must have had 5 birthday parties for each of my kids at Chuck E Cheese beginning in pre-school and ending when we switched to swimming last year and Laser tag for DS with Bouncing for DD this year. Although some parents disliked it (just like some parents dislike WDW ) I never met a kid that didn't have a blast. Since both of my kids are winter babies I had to find somewhere other than my house and CEC was it. I really liked it because the kids & parents had to be matched up with numbered ink on the hand. Every party was a hit, which is why I kept going back year after year.

Good luck

 

[blessedby3]

I have done countless parties at CEC and have always had a good experience. I think a lot of it has to do with when you plan it. We NEVER do weekends and try to do one at about 3:00 right after school lets out. I also limit the number of friends that my child can invite. Usually 5 besides the birthday child. Then I purchase a couple of extra pizzas for our other kids and some parents. They usually get their own food anyway. The extra pizzas are only about $8 with the party package. We do a party easily for under $100 and that is great for us. No kids tearing up my house and no clean up. I dont get any extras like goody bags either. Just junk and they can get the same stuff with their tickets from playing games with the tokens they are given at the party. You can also get extra tokens for bringing report cards and for booking the party online and during the week (unless things have changed). You can bring in your own cake or cupcakes, but that is all.

 

[disney_fan_fam]

We went to a bday party a few weeks ago and the mom brought in her own cupcakes

They just ordered pizza, drinks, bought the kids tokens, made them goodie bags to take home.

Sometimes they have coupons in the paper for bday parties. Maybe even check out the website for coupons.

 

[KirstenB]

We did our older daughter's there for 3 yrs. Like others said, the kids love it, and that's what counts for me. Dd asks for very little, and she's always had a blast there. Our house isn't equipped for all the kids to come here, and most other "destination" type parties cost at least the same.

I always just order a couple of extra pizzas, and extra cokes for the adults. I admire your effort in trying to find a healthy offering too.

 

[3princesses+aprince]

We just had dd3's birthday there. We had a great experience, I loved it, my dd5 wants to have her party there too in June. No outside food allowed besides a cake if you didn't want the cec one. My dd3 had an awesome time she still gets excited when she sees the cec commercials, she says"that's my chuck e cheese birthday" I would definately have another party there. I think it's pretty affordable compared to other parties out there too.

 

[The Disney Bunch]

We just had our youngest's birthday party at CEC on Sunday. We paid about $15 a kid & they set it all up. They will not allow you to bring in other food. They provide the pizza, drinks & cake. You can purchase other food for the adults or to supplement & you ar suppose to get a slight deal on it. Our kids had no problems downing the pizza. They each had seconds. It isn't really a place that is conducive to healthy eating! We got an extra plain pie & one with everything for the parents & drinks for all. They kids have a blast. My dd hasn't stopped talking about it.

Read the other posts- I agree that the kids do not interact with each other & it is resembles a free-for-all but I have to say the kids LOVE it & that is what does it for me. It is only an hour & a half so you can get in & out in little time. One little girl ran up to Chuck E & was dancing like she was a Girl Gone Wild - it was so funny to see how thrilled she was with him!

 

[ampooh]

we had DS's 3rd bday there alst Sept. It was fine. (table was cramped since they had just remodeld...luckily they have now fixed that)

I did see a couple others grab some booths and decorate for their own party but that was a first.

They will not let you bring any outside food except cake. My mom brought chips/salsa(I thought that was awful) and they confiscated them until she left.

I bought tokens up for months with the buy 50 get 50 free coupons so the kids could have plenty. What you get with the bday party is not enough at all.

Ours was a Sat is Sept and it was way way crowded. If you could do a week night it woudl be so much better. For us it is an hr each way and an hrs time change so the weekend was all we could do.

 

[WantToGoNow]

We had my son's 4th birthday and my daughter's 3rd birthday parties at CEC. My children love going there -- they don't really care if they are "with" their friends - just that their friends are there. I love the fact that I really don't have to do anything but enjoy my kids' parties. My kids are free to run and play there -- I don't try to stay with them -- they can't get out the door and it's all families there -- people without children generally would not go to that type of place.

When we started planning for my son's 6th birthday party which is this weekend, I really thought he might want to go back to CEC. He picked the YMCA instead. He had gone to a party there and had a blast. We reserved a party room and the kids will have use of the soft play room, climbing room and game room. I have to provide the set-up, food/drinks, and clean up and it's still costs almost as much as CEC.

 

[Crystal0608]

Check online or in your Sunday coupons for a CEC coupon for 100 tokens for $12.50. Also there are coupons for a large pizza & 4 drinks. I paid for a party for my little sister one year, and with the party plan I had to foot the bill for the adult pizza & drink too, so fun put pricey. If there aren't a lot of kids, I would have them meet you at the party, order a couple pizzas for the kids and water/drink for adults & kids and dispense the tokens (only 12 1/2 cents each w/ coupon). My Dollar Tree has some pizza gummies that are $1 that have a couple dollars worth of tokens free on the package. I would give those as party favors.