Any time an entertainment option opens in Wichita, the first thing people will complain about is price. I get it, times can be tough and not everybody has the money to take their family out. The issue I have is when people start to beat down on something that’s comparable in price to another option they will support. People will also fluctuate prices based on additional costs that don’t necessarily have to be a part of the excursion, such as food and drink.
Then I started wondering, just how much does it cost to take a family out. So, what I did was research the prices at 30 different family entertainment options around town and compare them against each other.
I tried to do my best to keep it all on a level playing field. When possible, I chose options for a family of four (two parents, one teenager and one child under 12 years old but older than five). If dates and times were available, I picked a Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. Some places weren’t open in the evenings, and I did my best to select the closest available option.
I covered the gamut of options in town including arcades, water parks, trampoline parks, movie theaters, zoos, museums, and more. Nearly all of these prices do not include tax. A few places like bowling alleys had a shoe rental that I did not include but put in the notes on the side. Topgolf was another separate $5 fee for first-time players. Then on All Star Sports, I went with a 3 pass option per person that gave people the ability to choose miniature golf, go-karts, whatever. For sporting events, I went with the cheapest general admission ticket listed.
Two notable places not on this chart were Chuck E. Cheese and Dave and Busters. It was hard to find a fair figure. Dave & Busters had prices for tokens/chips that ranged anywhere from $15 to $100. But let’s face it, who knows how many points parents are putting on their kids cards. Chuck E. Cheese does allow by the hour game cards for all you can play games at $17.99, so that’s something to keep in mind.
Anyway, here are the results for a family of four.
(Editor’s note: prices on here may not be exact and could fluctuate)
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