I can honestly say Chuck E Cheese (the one from back in the day) creeps me the fuck out. But I survived this weekend’s trip to Chuck E Cheese with the kids! There are a lot of things that have changed since I was a kid. Here are some tips and super secret insight from my recent trip there.
1. Get the rechargeable wristband
Say goodbye to coins and hello to virtual points.
It’s bittersweet to part from the long ass rolls of tickets I used to carry to the counter, only to be shot down that I didn’t have enough to buy that top shelf reward. Now, kids earn points on their card or bracelet as they play. It’s cool to not have to worry about holding a cup or bag of tickets and lugging it around everywhere, I’ll admit.
You can get your kid a rechargeable card or rechargeable bracelet. We got the bracelet to be able to just hook up to their arms and send them on their merry way. An added bonus was us being able to wear them ourselves so the kids didn’t have to worry about it. We were free to game and play with a flash of the wrist. The card with the little scrunchy band on it works well too, I think.
2. Pay for time instead of points
You can choose to pay for points or time. Each game costs a certain number of points, so if you know your kids aren’t going to play very much, points work great. On the other hand, if you’re a competitive and gaming parent like myself, you’ll want the time option instead of points. For example, you can get 60 minutes of play or 60 points.
You can pause your card/wristband whenever you need to, so that made it perfect to take a break and eat without wasting time. With time instead of points, we were tapping away like beasts. It was unlimited play for an hour, basically! I tapped to start a game for my daughter then would tap and start a game for myself at the game right next to her.
It was perfect.
Another perk is that when you’re using time instead of points, all of the games that require coins are a no brainer for you to do! You have unlimited ‘money’ to throw into the game! We hit some jackpots with those.
3. Bring your ID for beer or wine
If you’re looking for some adult beverages, Chuck E Cheese has got you covered. I personally think the prices were too steep, but hey, if you want it, you want it.
We didn’t get any and I honestly didn’t really see any other adults drinking. But it’s totally there if you like! That’s a nice perk for the parents.
4. Play while bday parties are in session
We noticed while we were eating that it all of a sudden was like a ghost town in the games section. I looked over to my right and realized half the people there were part of birthday parties/gatherings. My husband and the kids finished scarfing down their food and took off.
They were able to play any and everything as many times as they wanted without a sad, eager little minion standing beside them waiting for a turn.
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5. Bring cash for extra points at the rewards counter
Did you know that one penny equals one point? Me either.
If you bring some cash, you can help ‘top off’ your kid’s point count so they can get that mediocre, cheap ass toy they’re really wanting. Of course, you can always hope you get a nice checkout person who will just float you the remaining few points.
Shout out to our lady who did that for us!
PS, if you download the Chuck E Cheese app, you’ll get a free 500 points.
Where a kid can be a kid
And a parent can feel like one, too. If you haven’t been to Chuck E Cheese in a while, I say go do it. You’ll probably have more fun than you think, and part of that is because your kid will be having a great time.
Have you been lately? How was it? Let’s gossip.
The Daily Mama 