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  1. #1
    AnnieW625's Avatar
    AnnieW625 is offline Black Diamond level (25,000+ posts)
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    Question Updated #25: Would you be disapointed with just cake at a party place b-day party?

    Be honest with me.

    We are debating about having DD1's birthday at our local Pump It Up! as DD1 has been requesting a party there since January (the last time she went to a party there), and truthfully at the two parties she's been to there she has had an amazing time. However to have the party there on a weekend is $315 (so $343 with tax) and that doesn't include an add on of food. Two slices of pizza per child and a drink is $2.95 per child, and if I just wanted pizza a whole pizza would be $15, so I figure we'd need 3 pizzas, total cost including pizzas and tax is almost $400. We can't bring in our own pizzas (would save at least $20 by buying just two large pizzas from Costco, and having them cut in squares vs. large slices), but can bring in cold salads, and dry snacks (what 5 yr. old is going to eat a cold salad?). I know you can have water bottles on the play floor, but I was thinking of just having snack packs of various cracker snacks like Goldfish, pretzels or fruit snacks available for them to have during a break, and then just do cupcakes in the birthday room. Maybe I could do grapes, strawberries, or orange slices in the middle of the table too. Does that sound reasonable? (I still need to call PIU and see if they will the dry snacks on the play floor)

    We could save almost $100 by doing it there on a Monday through Thursday immediately following school, but since we have daycare friends too (and have to be out of town the one day the previous week that daycare is closed (district furloughs) for DN's christening we can't use that day) I would feel really bad if we couldn't have them at the party too, and don't want to inconvenience those parents. We could an all food included party for parents and adults on Friday afternoons for $375 and the party could be from 5 to 7 pm, but that is such a hard time esp. with WOTH parents IMHO.
    Last edited by AnnieW625; 03-07-2011 at 02:09 PM.
    Annie
    WOHM to two wonderful little girls born in April
    DD E, 17
    DD L, 13,
    baby 2, 4-2009 (our Tri-18 baby)

  2. #2
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    I would be absolutely fine with that as long as it was not during a mealtime. If the party is 11-1, then I would think people would expect more food. But as long as you time it right, snacks and cake are plenty, IMO. Who wants to spend all their time at a jump place eating anyway?

  3. #3
    hillview's Avatar
    hillview is offline Blue Diamond level (20,000+ posts)
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    I think cake and snacks (goldfish) would be great as long as it wasn't over the noon hour.
    /hillary
    DS #1 Summer 05
    DS #2 Summer 07

  4. #4
    AnnieW625's Avatar
    AnnieW625 is offline Black Diamond level (25,000+ posts)
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    I am thinking we would do either 1 to 3 or 3 to 5, which is what we have done with her parties at our house in the past and just had snack foods, and Costco sandwich rolls, and a large bag of salad for the adults and it worked out fine.
    Annie
    WOHM to two wonderful little girls born in April
    DD E, 17
    DD L, 13,
    baby 2, 4-2009 (our Tri-18 baby)

  5. #5
    MMMommy is offline Diamond level (5000+ posts)
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    What time will the party be? I think food expectations depend a lot on the time slot. If the party is from 2 to 4pm, I would expect light snacks and birthday cake. If the party is from 10am to noon or 11am to 1pm, I would probably expect something more substantial for the kids.

    We've thrown a couple of parties at Pump It Up. Perhaps some locations are more lenient than others. But I do not think they will allow snack time or passing out of snacks to all the kids in the play area. I am guessing that they will limit food distribution to the food room. I remember our Pump It Up wouldn't allow us to bring fresh fruit because they offered fruit platters on their party food menu. But it doesn't hurt to ask.

    Good luck!

    Update: I think the 1 to 3pm time slot you mention above would be great for a "just snacks" party. Better than the 3 to 5pm time slot, where some parents might expect an early dinner for the kids.
    Mommy to Two DDs
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  6. #6
    JustMe is offline Diamond level (5000+ posts)
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    I have done this several years in a row, and it has worked out fine (as far as I know anyway!). Out of your time choices above I would pick the 3-5 time (and I have always done 2-4 or 3-5, depending upon the place), just because I think there its very clear that its not during a mealtime, while some people do still eat a late lunch at 1pm. You are still pretty safe with that, but I might make some kind of a comment about not serving lunch or bringing kids fed and ready to play if you get the earlier time.
    lucky single mom to 20 yr old dd and 17 yr old ds through 2 very different adoption routes

  7. #7
    AnnieW625's Avatar
    AnnieW625 is offline Black Diamond level (25,000+ posts)
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    Quote Originally Posted by MMMommy View Post
    I remember our Pump It Up wouldn't allow us to bring fresh fruit because they offered fruit platters on their party food menu. But it doesn't hurt to ask.

    Good luck!
    Ours just offers pizza and soda so fruit, veggies, snacks, and other drinks are a okay.
    Annie
    WOHM to two wonderful little girls born in April
    DD E, 17
    DD L, 13,
    baby 2, 4-2009 (our Tri-18 baby)

  8. #8
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    Afternoon party? Just snacks and cake is great.

    Catherine

  9. #9
    brittone2 is offline Blue Diamond level (20,000+ posts)
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    Quote Originally Posted by crl View Post
    Afternoon party? Just snacks and cake is great.

    Catherine
    Mama to DS-2004
    DD-2006
    and a new addition-ds born march 2010

  10. #10
    SnuggleBuggles is offline Black Diamond level (25,000+ posts)
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    There's usually a limited time to eat anyway- just go with cake.

    Beth

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