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

just order out of ear shot, 8 kids meals with the larger pizza, it will be fine for 12y olds. then they'll get dough balls and ice cream, ask waiter not to bring the crayons etc.

alternatively there were agroup of 13/14y olds in Or last time I was i their on their own and they had 3 pizzas and a couple of dough balls for the table of about 6.

KFC is very popular with my DS and his friends

Wow so many replies, thank you. I think that yes, we will just have to suck it up. I have got the tastecard, so will try that but I think it does say not on Saturdays 😔
DS loves food and loves his friends. He has ASD so apart from gaming has not asked for anything really for Bday!
I did talk to him about my seat in cinema and he says he doesn't want me too far away- bless him!
Thank you all for your wisdom x

No Tesco vouchers either. Spent them all at Christmas!

Nandos is generally considered cooler than PE among teenagers I know.

The restaurants nearby are gourmet burger kitchen, ask, giraffe, wagamamas, tgi Fridays, five guys, Nando's, chimichangas, all £££ and DS loves his pizza! Will stick with PE.

Hello OP just walked past pizza express 2 courses 10.95- this weekend, that's what I would go for, if you phone ahead they might put jugs of squash on the table for you. I would also not order a meal for myself, guaranteed they won't all finish all of it. If I was feeling mean I might order 1 of the meal deals between 2 and put it all in the middle of the table. I haven't found nandos more expensive tbh.

Hello all- well it was eventful! Boys got though adult pizzas with ease, and a few garlic breads and dough balls which went well. The jugs of squash kept costs down. It cost £108 which I didn't think was awful really. At the cinema they shared some bags of popcorn and sweets/choc. Had lots of requests for the tango slush thingies so cinema did cost a fair bit.
I was more shocked at some of the behaviour. One lad called a mate a greedy bastard at the table, squash filled with pepper and then dares to drink it. One kid kept messing with Ds's cake, blocking kitchen entrance for waitresses, phones on in cinema, popcorn throwing and one lad slipped down a couple of steps in cinema resulting in lump on back of head!
DS was upset at some of the behaviour, saying he wouldn't behave like that at their parties!!!
Thank you for all the advice.

Glad your DS had a good time, but that behaviour is terrible!! I'd have been fuming!!

Wow what shits!

So glad the party was a success! Food, treat and cinema sound fantastic!

Isn't it unnerving how feral boys that age can get in a group! (Not all boys, of course!) but some can get so unruly, the good news is they do eventually mature a bit hope your DS had a great time!

Oh dear, not great behaviour from some of them who sound more immature than your ds.
Glad PE wasn't too expensive. I knew the boys would eat the adult sized pizza - I've got two teenagers and the amount they can eat is staggering!

Well done for organising and surviving it.

Yes feral describes it exactly 😂
DS did enjoy it however and I'm glad I did it now (but wasn't last night! )
Thanks again.