Right in orbit: Planet Play offers many ways to eat, play and have fun
Patrons at Planet Play take a ride around the slick track. Jessica Eyre/Utah Adventurer
Grace and Caleb Eyre play the Let's Groove arcade game, a children's version of Dance Dance Revolution. Jessica Eyre/Utah Adventurer
Caleb and Grace Eyre play the Baby Air air hockey at Planet Play. Jessica Eyre/Utah Adventurer
Caleb Eyre watches his ball roll down the lane at the mini bowling alley at Planet Play. Jessica Eyre/Utah Adventurer
Caleb Eyre rides on a horse on the carousel in the Tiny Town section of Planet Play. Jessica Eyre/Utah Adventurer
Grace and Caleb Eyre play Baby Air air hockey at Planet Play. Jessica Eyre/Utah Adventurer
Caleb Eyre rides on a car ride, part of the Tiny Town area of Planet Play. Jessica Eyre/Utah Adventurer
Many of the area’s family-friendly establishments cater very well to kids — lots of attention-grabbing entertainment, one-topping pizzas or chicken nuggets, and plenty of benches for the parents. While this is all well and good, it would be nice to find a place that remembers that parents want to have a good time, too.
We recently visited Planet Play, a fun center that’s part of the new life being breathed into a once-forgotten section of Draper, adjacent to the VF Factory Outlet, that now includes a Gold’s Gym, a new Cinemark movie theater and a water park. Planet Play wants to be a destination spot for grown-ups as well as kids.
Craig Weston, the general manager of Planet Play, said the key is food service. “If our food quality isn’t good, people don’t come back,” Weston said. “We take a lot of pride in our food service.”
Dining at Planet Play is set up as a buffet. A variety of bars are set up offering salad, pasta, baked potatoes, soups and of course, pizza. But not just pepperoni. At our visit, we had our choice of veggie, combination, Hawaiian, or cheese, in addition to the classic kid-friendly pepperoni. And because it’s a buffet, feel free to grab a slice of dessert pizza or an ice cream cone first.
Dining areas are divided into rooms that range in size to accommodate different groups, from small families to corporate events. Rooms are themed and have their own audio systems.
So what, you ask? Typically what you find at fun centers is music being played over a sound system. If there are TVs, they are either on mute (and if it’s not a sporting event, what’s the point?) or the sound is competing with the overhead music.
The room where we ate — what Weston and his staff have dubbed “The Grandma Room” because of its cozy fireplace, a home-like entryway, and the pre-schools that come and do story-hour before heading out to the floor to play — had a TV tuned to my son’s favorite show, “Bubble Guppies,” and the sound was piped through the room so we could hear it and not the music going on elsewhere in the facility.
This made dining much more manageable. We could chat while we ate, and we were separated from all the games, so the kids actually sat there and ate their lunch. I liked the pizza with all the toppings, and the salad was great. The pasta is made-to-order so it was hot, plus we were able to sample a couple of different sauces and top it just as we like it.
Of course, the main attraction of Planet Play is the play. (Don’t worry though, the buffet is always there if you get a little hungry after Laser Tag). Planet Play offers both arcade games that earn players tickets that they can redeem for prizes, and what they call Attractions, games and activities that are unlimited but don’t offer tickets.
Arcade tokens and unlimited passes for Attractions are all loaded onto cards like hotel key cards. Swipe the card in an arcade game and the number of tickets you earn are stored on the card. Swipe it for an attraction, like mini bowling, to start the game. You also can purchase Attractions individually, such as a round of mini golf or game of Laser Tag.
The arcade games are what you typically see, from classics like Skee Ball to more modern ones like Guitar Hero and Deal or No Deal. The top arcade game — simply because its fairly easy to win a ton of tickets — is called Big Bass. It’s a big wheel similar to the one on “The Price Is Right” and you win the number of tickets as the number it lands on. It could be in the hundreds. Though one game that dangles iPods or iPads as prizes will have a line across the entire floor on a Saturday.
Attractions include miniature golf, go karts, mini-bowling and laser tag, among other games.
We tried our hand at mini-bowling, set up just like regular bowling only smaller. The bowling balls look more like shot puts, and the pins are controlled by string, almost like a marionette. It was definitely a novelty — fun and playful.
There is a toddler area with a jungle gym, a carousel and some smaller rides and games — some unlimited, some for tickets — that my kids loved. By far the favorite of the day was the miniature air hockey table, the perfect size for my 3- and 5-year-olds. They had never played before, and by about the 10th game, they were starting to get how to defend their goal.
Once you’re through eating and playing, then back for a snack, and back for more games, and after you’re thoroughly exhausted, check in at the prize store to redeem your tickets. Rather than eye your goodies in a glass case, Planet Play sets it up more like a candy store, with bins of erasers, Army men, whistles and other trinkets. Bigger ticket items include plush animals, purses and other stuff my kids drooled over, but were very happy with their Ninjas, mini-airplanes and bracelets.
Planet Play is clean, inviting and versatile enough to accommodate different groups. Groups have access to full AV services for presentations, karaoke, dances or movies; rooms can be sized to host birthday parties large and small. And the playing part? That’s not bad, either!
If you go
Planet Play
Where: 12101 S. State St., Draper
Hours: Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday,11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m.-10 p.m. (breakfast service 8-10a.m.); Sunday, Noon-7 p.m. Food service closes 1 hour beforeclosing.
Admission: Pricing varies for attractions andgames, but there are daily specials and combos for buffet and gamecards. Check the website for details on deals and specificprices
Info: (801) 572-1122,www.planetplayutah.com
Etc: Look for a Mom’s Club that is in theworks, and go online to find deals, join their texting club forspecials, and see a list of available arcade games.
