Saving a few quid in this way?

[Daddypigsgusset]

Dds birthday is coming up. She has a place in mind where she would like to go with a few friends. Parties here are £10 per child but general entry with a meal is about £7
WIBU or incredibly tight to pay general entry, pre warn them of a group attending, of course, rather than book am official party, all to save about £30? My husband thinks I am.

You might want to take into consideration that without an official party you can't (usually) take a cake etc in and won't get a party room so however many kids will be scattered around and it will might be like catching flies with chopsticks!

No, of course not, if you don't want the 'party extras' such as having a room for them to have their 'party tea' in (rather than the main dining bit), balloons, some do organised activities as well, party bags, general big fat fuss made of them and whatever else the place offers.

I don't think you're unreasonable, but they might not let you do it. I used to work in a soft play place many moons ago, and the tight bastard wouldn't let large groups pre book unless they paid for the party format.

Of course large groups could still turn up ad hoc, but we couldn't guarantee there'd be spaces to play all at the sane time, or enough tables together to eat, and they might have had to wait for food. Oh and they would have to have enough adults per child etc

Worth asking though

How about working out what 'extra' you get for the £3 difference? Different food? Cake? Party bags? If you get things like that it is probably worth it, if you don't and would have to do them all yourself then that's a different question. How old is your daughter, would she mind if the party didn't have the cake etc?

The only extra seems to be the use of the party room. I would still have to provide cake and party bags. I will ring when they open as I don't think we will make the minimum numbers for the party anyway. She's only 2 so it's mainly cousins etc that will be invited.
I don't think I've got the cheek to ask tbh it was just an idea last night and from dhs reaction, you'd think I was planning a bank robbery!

If you won't make the minimum numbers I'd just turn up

I did this when DD was 2 - there were only her and 4 friends.
You may find that cake has to be eaten off site - just put it in the party bags.

It's not at all cheeky to ask. Arguably they're cheeky charging extra for no reason.

She has a place in mind where she would like to go with a few friends- lol I thought she was 14, not 2!

At that age I would give the cousins cake and balloons at home for free, tbh, if you want to save cash.

I think, as she is only 2 and it is mostly cousins, this is sensible. I wouldn't risk it with 24 six year olds as that requires precision organisation. I know, I've done it! Once.

Our soft play was virtually empty on Saturday when we got there at 10am, didn't start to fill up until after 12:30pm.

If you have the party early, getting tables together might not be a problem if your place is like ours. You might just need to time it right and be prepared for an early start or, since they are two and not at school, a weekday before school ends if that works for the parents.

And if they are playing at soft play, even for parties, children tend to do their own thing until it's time to eat anyway, so it's not like all the guests are together for the majority of the time.

You could always give out party bags and cup cakes (rather than birthday cake) at the end and have them sing to her then. That way you won't have to sneak a cake in and argue the toss if the staff don't like it and you will be about to leave anyway if they take issue with you having an 'illegal' party without paying

Thinking about it, how long will they even be in that party room?

An hour at the most?

We booked a community room at the library for £16 per hour, with use of kitchen and stage with lights and sound system, so that extra £30 just to sit to one side of the soft play equipment is quite a lot.