You can subscribe to services for music, food, and underwear. Why not also subscribe to venues for children’s parties? Chuck E. Cheese, once home to beautiful and immersive animatronicsis introducing a new membership for free games and discounted food that can’t wait to be added to the list of automatic payments you forget about every month.
“With rising costs, our goal was to provide great value and create a simple and fun solution for everyone,” said Mark Kupferman, vice president of Chuck E. Cheese, in a press release. “We know families are struggling to find affordable entertainment options outside of the home right now.”
This new monthly subscription for the only place where a kid can be a kid and dance with a giant plush mouse is called the Fun Pass. The three tiers (Bronze through Gold) start at $8 per month, which gets you 40 free arcade games and 20 percent off pizza, drinks and additional games. At the high end is the Gold Pass for $30 per month, which includes 250 free games and 50 percent off additional purchases.
As far as I know, most classic arcade games at the infamous Thunderdome birthday were long ago replaced by casino-style ticket machines, but there may still be some fighting games. Who’s ready for a Skee-Ball marathon?
If you have kids and don’t mind taking them to Chuck E. Cheese a few times a month, which was pretty standard in the ’90s, it’s actually not a bad deal. Is it cheaper than making popcorn and streaming movies on Netflix or loading up the latest release on Game Pass? Not really. Although it seems like Chuck E. Cheese is trying to capitalize on these services by jacking up their prices and to convert some of the subscribers who canceled in disgust and are also tired of sitting indoors all the time.
A not insignificant downside to the otherwise attractively priced Fun Pass is the fact that you can’t cancel until after the first 12 months. A big caveat, I know! “Chuck E. Cheese monthly memberships can be canceled at any time after the first 12 months,” says a disclaimer hidden in the fine print. “When it’s time to cancel, we make it quick and easy with just a few clicks.”
