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Ajax Amusements
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
3 reviews for Ajax Amusements
I rented out Ajax for a 2 hour party for my husband's 40th birthday. It was a hit - everyone enjoyed themselves, but I wish I had known a few things before I made my reservation. And they really need to post some photos on their website so you can see what you're getting.
So here's the skinny...
Pros: (lots!)
Location: It's right off of the Toll Road, Fairfax County Parkway exit. Easy to get to. Lots of parking right in front (it's in an office park, go figure.)
The size. It's a very large room (and very high ceilings!) We had about 20 guests but we could have easily had 50-60.
BYOB. We brought all our own food and beer which really cuts down on cost. You can also order pizza and cake through Ajax so you don't have to BYOB, but I prefer my own food. And booze.
Our party coordinator. I was skeptical (since they highly encouraged tipping when I made my reservation) but she was a lifesaver. She helped set everything up - not just the games, but she poured chips into bowls, laid out the tablecloths, cleaned up afterwards - she was worth every penny.
Sound system: you can bring your own music, iPod, or they can play Pandora (or similar).
Cost Per Person: this is a much better deal than Dave & Busters, Chuckie Cheese, or anything that requires tickets or tokens. Seriously, no tokens! Just go up and play whatever you want. This is great for kids that burn through tokens in 20 minutes.
Variety: Skeeball, shuffleboard, pool, hoops shoot, foosball, Wii, PS2, air hockey, poker, Dance Dance Revolution (or similar), deer hunt shooting game, plus arcade games and a pinball machine.
The fact that the mess was at someone else's place and not mine. (And I didn't have to clean my house before anyone came over!).
Cons: (and these aren't Cons as much as minor complaints to manage your expectations,)
Total Cost. I paid $350 for 2 hours for just the rental, plus $20 tip. This was a bit of sticker shock since Ajax's prices have gone up from when I first researched this a few years ago (it was at least $100 cheaper). I think with the rush of people having kids' birthdays at Pump It Up, Chuckie's, etc., the price is comparable. Just not cheap.
Two hours goes by a lot faster that you think it will. If you book the last party of the night (8-10 pm) you have the option to extend for another hour, I believe. We booked a 5:30 party and we were out the door by 7:35. Lights were off, stuff was cleaned up. They don't joke about getting people out on time because they have a party right after yours.
ONE pinball machine. Just one? And it was kind of a lame one. A lot of people were looking forward to pinball (go figure) so it was mobbed the whole time.
The Wii and PS2: great idea to project it on a big screen, but since we all have these at home, it wasn't such a big thrill. I also wasn't sure what the selection of games was (I didn't ask, either, since no one was playing EXCEPT Guitar Hero).
Karaoke would have been awesome. There's nothing that livens up a party like drunk people singing.
I was expecting more arcade games and less pool / air hockey / shuffleboard. THAT said, everything was very popular. The kids LOVED the skeeball and the guys loved foosball. One machine was broken (Space Invaders maybe?). The other arcade game that was popular was Galaga/Ms Pacman.
This could be a plus or minus: you are truly renting out just the space and the ability to play the games. There is no organized schedule or activities. If you're into planning, this won't be a problem for you, but I imagine with 20 kids, it has the potential to be complete chaos.
Overall: I'm glad we had my husband's party here. His friends thought it was awesome, everyone brought their kids and didn't have to worry about noise, parking, or taking their wallet out. Would I do it again? Yes. For my birthday? Uh, no. We're going to Bermuda.
We had our son's birthday party here! What a blast! All the games were on "freeplay" (meaning that you pay for the time, not by the game) for two hours and we had 20 kids running about playing Wii, Guitar Hero, skeeball, PacMan, etc! A great idea for kids parties.
You have to bring your own refreshments - ice, drinks, food, etc, but they will assist with setup and cleanup.
One bit of advice...don't bother ordering pizza or any "real food"...the kids will be so busy playing, they won't stop to eat. Just bring some chips and drinks and keep the party going!!
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Purchased a slot machine from Ajax, great service. Very helpful. Quick to offer solutions to problems I have run into with a pinball machine that I had purchased elsewhere. Very nice guys here.
Have not done a kids party here yet, but tons of machines and looks like fun.
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