Even Chuck E. Cheese Is Getting A Subscription

You can subscribe to services for music, food, and underwear. Why not a subscription for kids party venues as well? Chuck E. Cheese, once the home of beautiful and haunting animatronics, is launching a new membership for free games and discounted food that can’t wait to get added to the list of automatic payments you forget about every month.

“Amid rising costs, our goal was to offer great value, and develop an easy, and fun solution for everyone,” Chuck E. Cheese VP Mark Kupferman said in a press release. “We understand families are struggling to find affordable entertainment options outside the home right now.”

This new monthly subscription for the only place where a kid can be a kid and dance with a giant stuffed mouse is called a Fun Pass. The three tiers (bronze through gold) start at $US8 a month. That gets you 40 free arcade games and 20 percent off pizza, drinks, and extra games. At the top end is the Gold Pass for $US30 a month. It includes 250 free games and 50 percent off additional purchases.

My understanding is that most of the classic arcade games at the notorious birthday Thunderdome were replaced by casino-style ticket dispensers long ago, but maybe there are still some fighting games lurking around. Who’s ready to marathon some skee ball?

If you have kids and don’t mind taking them to Chuck E. Cheese a few times a month, something that was pretty normal back 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. Though it seems like Chuck E. Cheese is trying to capitalize on those services all jacking up their prices and converting a few of the subscribers who quit in disgust and are also tired of sitting around inside all the time.

One not so small wrinkle in the otherwise appealingly-priced Fun Pass is that fact that you can’t quit until after the first 12 months. A big caveat, I know! “Chuck E. Cheese monthly memberships may be cancelled anytime after the first 12 months,” reads a disclaimer buried in the fine print. “When it’s time to cancel we make it fast and easy with just a few clicks.”