DS is 12 tomorrow! Pizza Express & cinema?!

[cheekymonk]

Hello all! Have booked cinema and pizza Express. We have invited 8 mates. Pizza Hut was full. Am really nervous about how expensive this is going to be- they don't do big pizzas that the boys can share do they?! I want them to enjoy themselves but not sure what boundaries to put in place? Cinema is after so they could have popcorn 🍿 instead of dessert. Haven't booked the official
Party, just a table for us all. Am struggling a bit with what's ok for a 12 year old. Have bought a big 1 and 2 balloon 🎈 but I'm feeling DS will be

Pizza express have like a million different money saving deals. Sign up online and they email you vouchers. If there's no deal that suits you, sign up with the date tomorrow as your birthday and you may be sent a birthday voucher.
Also Check online for voucher codes

Do you have any Tesco vouchers, you can swap 2.50 worth of Tesco vouchers for 10 of pizza express vouchers. Mine are 3 and 4 so can't help with the rest I'm afraid!

And as for desert- just say you're worried about missing the start
Of the film so don't have time - "why don't we get popcorn there?" Or even better - get sharer bags of sweets from the supermarket (much cheaper) and hand them
Out at the cinema. If that then say "oh bother, no time
For pudding! Luckily I've brought sweets for the film with me- would that be okay?" (If they're good kids, they won't dare say no!)

Oh and at 12 - I think don't sit with them at the film! Sit a few rows back so you can keep an eye on them but not make them feel "parented" .

Honestly....yes it will be very expensive. PE has gone up massively in price and the pizzas are definitely not big enough to share at all. I would look for another option tonight like Nando's? Or a local Italian?
Definitely skip pudding for popcorn and smuggle in £1 bags of sweets.

For ds last year, same age I took 6 of them to pizza express. I redeemed all my Tesco vouchers. It STILL cost me a fortune. They had a pizza each, sides. The drinks were extortionate.

Check carefully.

Go to the pound shop before the cinema and buy bags of popcorn and drinks there.

Thanks all! Yes but the deals can't be used on a Saturday! Talk about paying the price for not thinking this through! Have invited 8 boys

I did think about Nando's... have got him a bday cake and wanted a fuss hence not choosing McDonald's

12 year olds are still young enough for the kids menu at pizza express.

£62.55 for nine children including drinks.

Can you use tastecArd on a Saturday? You could sign up for a free moths trial.

• 1 for tesco clubcard vouchers. Kids meal is 6.95, we went yesterday and 12 and 13 year old had kids meals.

*sorry not including drinks.

Not sure that 12 year old boys will be all right with the children's menu. Some 12 year old boys have very large appetites.

They will if they stuff their faces with popcorn and sweets from the pound shop.

I'm sorry but I don't think 12 year olds are going to be happy with the kids menu at Pizza Express :(

I think it could be very expensive. But looking on the bright side it's a really great treat for your son and his friends. I hope it goes brilliantly!

They are going to the cinema AFTER pizza express.
And no, kids menu is not going to cut it for 12 year olds.

12 year old boys will be still starving after a kiddie meal!

I'm sure you can share pizzas at Pizza Express?

The children's menu is too small though. Do you have a frankies and bennys nearby? I think they do 2 different types of children's menu and the larger one is quite a fair size

Have you looked online for voucher codes/deals

Could you by any chance go to the cinema first, and stuff them with popcorn?

you can order the kids meals with a larger pizza! they're in between size of the adult ones and the kids - my 12y old is fine with that. ask for jugs of tap water instead of fizzy drinks, they'll get an ice cream with the super size kids meal.

My sons at 12 would have eaten the adult size pizza. I wouldn't offer the kids pizza to 12 year old boys. Also, you might get some teasing from some kids if you make them.have the kids menu.

I would just suck it up if you can afford to. My sons love pizza express and would have loved to have had 8 mates for a meal there, but we couldn't have afforded that for birthdays for large numbers.

Meet at yours for takeaway pizza beforehand?
Or go with McDonalds? Fiver each for a meal, sorted. And 12yo boys love McDs