Here is a roundup of summer or general passes that can be maximized by early retirees or anyone with plenty of free time. Early retirees, those with a summer break, flexible schedules, or stay at home parents can all get maximum benefit from these deals.
White Water Center (Charlotte) – $159
An annual pass to partake in all of the activities at the White Water Center. Could be worth it for a regular spot to do some stand up paddle boarding or open water kayaking. Throw in a few rope courses and other things and you’ve got some solid outdoor activities to fill your days. It activates the first day you use your pass.
You will also need to purchase an annual parking pass when you arrive which may run around $40, but is not listed for sale on the website.
Inner Peaks Summer Pass – $289
Another Charlotte specific option, but this gives you 90 days of unlimited climbing at all of their locations with free gear rentals. I guess a selling point is there is no commitment and no initiation fee? But overall this doesn’t excite me much. Not that great of savings unless you were just here for the summer.
Top Golf Summer Fun Pass – $179
You should be able to use Top Golf gift cards bought with 20% discount at Costco to purchase or other cashback offers on credit cards or portals for additional savings. The nice thing about this pass is just one pass covers a friend group as long as the passholder is present.
-$179
-April 28-September 7
-Monday through Friday open to 5pm
-Saturday open to noon
-Surday open to noon and 5pm to close
-Can bring 5 friends per visit
-2 hour session- walk in or for $20 more to be able to reserve ahead of time
Bowlero or Lucky Strike – $54
(Discounted price until May 17, 2026)
Passes are good May 18 through September 1.
Premium Pass – $54
– 2 Free Games of Bowling Every Day
– Free Shoe Rental
– $5 Arcade Reload Every Visit
– 15% off food and non-alcoholic beverages
– Valid at all participating Lucky Strike, AMF, and Bowlero locations
– Pass Valid Sunday-Friday Open-Close; Saturday Open-4pm
Basic Pass – $40.49
-2 Free Games
-Free Shoe Rental
-Pass Valid Sunday-Friday Open-Close; Saturday Open-4pm
Two games is just enough to get you frustrated and want to bowl more games. If you can resist and stick to two games on most visits, it is a good deal. The $5 arcade credit is a fun bonus that I believe stays on your card and can build up.
Carowinds – $89
Current deal offers the Gold Pass for the $89 price of a Silver Pass. Gold Pass includes entry to ScaroWinds and WinterFest, although the haunted mazes are an additional purchase these days. These passes now include entry to some other Six Flags properties such as Six Flags Over Georgia.
This is a no-brainer if you live in Charlotte and enjoy amusement parks at all or plan to go more than one time. If you live close enough, you should look into the meal add on and just stop by to get your steps, ride a few rides, and grab lunch.
Dave and Busters
60 Day pass
Standard ($60)
-Unlimited Game Play
-No tickets earned
-Not valid on purple-swipe games
-Valid for 60 days from date of purchase
Deluxe ($100)
Standard plus:
-15% off food and non-alcoholic beverages
-up to 1,000 tickets per week
Premium ($120)
Standard plus:
-25% off food and non-alcoholic beverages
-up to 2,000 tickets per week
-free dessert every 30 days
AMC Theatres
They do have a nice movie pass to watch up to 4 movies every week for $28/month. However, if you prefer not to have the obligation of seeing so many movies, you can enjoy half off movie tickets on Tuesday and Wednesdays at AMC theatres.
Current offer is $1 for the first month with a 3-month minimum sign up to see up to 4 movies per week. Each month is $24 after the intro month.
They recently introduced an A-List Classic for $14.99/month that allows up to 1 movie per week. The website won’t actually let you purchase it yet, but it makes sense to sign up at least the month covering your birthday since it also includes a free large popcorn and fountain drink.
Chuck E. Cheese
Valid through Labor Day. They have 3 tiers of passes ranging from $60, $80, to $150, but it can vary by location. I don’t know how much each game costs in points, but the tiers range from 40 points per day to 250 and can be used by anyone in the family. It also gives discounts on food and other activities. Looks like a sneaky one time $10 enrollment fee. According to the World Wide Web, it says all games are only 1 point and they have games that appeal to adults such as Skee Ball, basketball, retro games, giant cranes, and racing games. That sounds pretty good if you live close enough.
Sky Zone
I don’t think it is worth the risk for anyone that has used a landline phone to be jumping at a trampoline park unless they have already met their deductible and want to play with their nieces or nephews. But for kids, it could be worth checking out.