Destination birthday parties offer parents an appealing proposition: Easy entertainment for kiddos and zero cleanup, in exchange for cold, hard cash. Or credit.
Options on the northwest side include pizza/arcade bonanzas, an inflatable jungle gym and a day at the movies.
Each venue offers something the others don't, so it makes sense for moms and dads to do some comparison shopping before committing to a location.
To help decide, here's a rundown of a few popular birthday party places on the northwest side, along with my thoughts on the pluses and minuses of each venue, as a dad who has attended multiple parties at each place.
• Pump it Up
3248 N. Freeway Industrial Loop, 888-9198
Online: tinyurl.com/c86yhmy
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Packages: The Classic Party Weekend for 25 ($249) offers access to an inflatable playground for 80 minutes, followed by 40 minutes of time for not-included food, pizza and presents. There's also a 14-kid option available for $219.
Pros: Pump it Up's squad of attendants does a solid job of keeping an eye on kids, making sure they take turns and play safely. The playrooms are crammed with inflatable wonders such as slides, jumping castles, an obstacle course and a jungle gym. Kids never run out of stuff to do.
Cons: Pump it Up is pricey compared to other options, especially for smaller gatherings. Also, there's a reason you have to sign a waiver before entering. Play can get rough, and my kids have often finished Pump it Up romps with minor scrapes and bruises.
• Peter Piper Pizza
Northwest-side locations include 3780 W. Ina Road, 744-1111; 7621 N. Oracle Road, 575-0770; and 4120 N. Oracle Road, 888-5520.
Online: www.peterpiperpizza.com/parties
Packages: The deluxe party costs $8.99 per guest. The 105-minute affairs include decorated tables with place settings, balloons and a party host dedicated to corralling youngsters. The birthday child gets a T-shirt for friends to autograph and the opportunity to build his own mini-pizza.
Included in the price is a large one-topping pizza for every four kids, a 12-ounce refillable drink cup for each kid, 50 game tokens for the birthday kid and 20 each for the guest kids.
The standard package ($6.99 per guest) includes most of the same perks as the deluxe plan, but doesn't include the autograph shirt and doles out 20 tokens for the birthday kid and 10 for each guest.
Pros: The customizable party size makes it easier to budget. Kids have plenty to do during the party, but have a way of losing tokens or spending them in minutes on games that only last a few seconds, forcing parents to cough up more money. The unlimited drinks are nice.
Cons: The pizza is thin and not very filling. Also, there are no walls to separate one party from another, providing little sense of intimacy.
• Monkey Business Entertainment
8579 N. Silverbell Road, 744-7676
Online: funkymonkeybiz.com
Packages: The deluxe package ($8.99 per guest) provides a large one-topping pizza for every four guests, a drink for each child, 40 tokens for the birthday kid and 20 tokens for each guest. Also, the venue's mascot, Funky Monkey, stops by to toss out tickets redeemable for prizes to partygoers.
The birthday kid gets to build his own pizza and can choose between a birthday shirt or 500 tickets. The party comes with free invitations.
The $6.99-per-guest standard package comes with the same benefits, except with 20 tokens for the birthday kid, 10 tokens for each guest and 250 tickets for the birthday kid, with no shirt option.
Pros: A pizza party at Monkey Business comes with mostly the same benefits and prices of Peter Piper, only with the good feelings of supporting a local enterprise rather than a national corporation. Also, the food is phenomenal.
Cons: The restaurant seems understaffed, and management is lax about fixing oft-broken arcade machines.
• Tower Theatres
5755 W. Arizona Pavilions Drive, 579-7790
Packages: For $12 per person (minimum 10, maximum 30), you get an hour in the party room before you're ushered in to watch a movie of your choice - as long as it starts before 4 p.m. - with reserved seating, along with unlimited popcorn and drinks.
The $15-per-person package lets you watch a movie after 4 p.m. An $80 deposit is required to hold the party date. There's a $3-per-person surcharge if the movie is in 3D. Extras include $20 for 100 arcade tokens, $4 hot dogs and $3 ice cream. Partygoers are allowed to bring their own pizza, cake and ice cream.
Pros: It's a treat for partygoers to get to see a first-run movie in primo, roped-off seats - especially with the unlimited drinks and popcorn - and the staff is attentive and helpful.
Cons: The party room is spartan, offering little to do. Smaller kids tend to get unruly during movies.
Contact reporter Phil Villarreal at 573-4130 or pvillarreal@azstarnet.com
