These FAQs are here to help answer some of the most common questions asked by our clients. For information on planning your party around our characters, visit our Party Tips page!
-What exactly do you do?
Fairytale Friends Character Parties will send a costumed character or characters to your child's party or charity event. Over the course of our time there, we will engage in games and activities with the guests. Our characters will tell their stories for the children and will remain in character for the duration of the event.
In most cases, a photographer accompanies our character(s) and digital copies of the photos are available online for you to save, free of charge, which is included with each of our packages. This is a service not offered by other character providers! We do not guarantee a photographer at every event but you can usually expect one.
We have many packages to choose from to customize your child's experience. We also do volunteer work throughout the year so feel free to contact us and request a visit to your clinic or charity event! We're sure you'll find what you're looking for here to give your child a unique and magical party...for a price you can actually afford! If you have any questions, comments or requests, please visit our contact page.
You have never seen a character party quite like ours. We don't offer balloon twisters in pretty dresses: we offer a unique and immersive character experience your child will not soon forget. Don't settle for less; insist on the best in character entertainment.
-Why should I hire Fairytale Friends over another company?
There are actually quite a few reasons. Number one: this is what we do. It's all we do. We didn't start off as party planners who just did decorations and then decided to pop costumes on our employees to make an extra buck. We started as character entertainers and will remain just that. Our actors and actresses are trained to perform for parties and that is their only job with us. Number two: we make our own costumes. Now this may seem insignificant, and it might be for children younger than 3, but when you get into the 4+ age range, kids start to question things. A cheaply-made, factory-produced costume will look fake and brittle and will not fool children. Our gowns are made with elegant crepe and casa satins, velvets and silks and have unique designs that make them one-of-a-kind. Our superhero costumes are made with strong, vibrant spandex and don't have fake, fluffy muscles sewn into them. You can rest assured that you and your child will not run into these costumes in Wal-Mart during Halloween season. Number three: despite our quality, we are cheaper than most other party companies. Why is this? Simple: we love what we do! We understand that the economy's current state has parents struggling to afford a nice party for their child, so we keep our prices low to accommodate that. Don't pay $300 for a facepainter when you can pay around half the price for a genuine character actor who will facepaint, play games, tell stories and even come with a photographer who will offer free digital copies of the photos!
-Why can't you offer Disney characters? I have seen other companies who do.
We don't offer Disney characters or characters from any copyrighted media because it is illegal. Any other company you have seen offering *Disney* characters or any other licensed characters is committing copyright infringement. If our characters look similar to media characters, look no further than the original tales they come from. Companies such as Disney often embellish on the original intended design of a character from a fable or fairytale. Therefore, when we create our costumes, we return to the original media for design inspiration. You will find that children often cannot tell the difference. If they see a blonde woman in a poofy blue dress, they will probably think of Cinderella, even if they dress was a store-bought prom dress. We understand that you want your child to have a realistic princess at your party and we will do our best to make sure that they believe they have been visited by a "real" princess. But we cannot offer copyrighted designs of any kind.
-Do you just do kids' parties?
Of course not! We will send a character to parties for those of all ages. You can also hire us for grand openings, weddings, honeymoons, random parties..anything you can think up! We also volunteer at clinics, hospitals, daycares and charity events. We DO NOT, however, perform for or attend any events of an "adult" nature.
-Where do these parties happen?
We are not a party facility. We send our characters to wherever you have planned to have your party, which is generally your own home or a venue you have rented out. Public parks and gardens also make lovely settings.
-What are "games and activities"?
Our games and activities are tailored to suit each party. Each character has a set of activities themed to themselves and what activities are performed will depend on how long the party has been scheduled for, how many children there are and the ages of the children. Games and activities include but are not limited to: coloring, craft-making, face-painting, "Character-says", puzzles, makeovers, birthday theater and lessons teaching etiquette, how to be a princess, how to be a hero, how to be a pirate, etc. Activities are generally chosen per-party and we do take requests! Please note: some activities (such as facepainting) which require use of supplies do incur a fee. Please see our Package Add-Ons page!
Each of our characters goes best with certain types of parties. Our hero characters go best with outdoor parties, especially in parks and playgrounds. It is especially ideal if there is a bounce-house or jungle gym for the heroes to interact with the children around. Outdoor parties make it easier to accomodate larger numbers of children. Our princesses and fairies, however, do best in smaller or indoor parties of less than fifteen children. This makes storytime possible, which is a wonderful activity but does not suit bigger, rambuncious outdoor parties. If you know what kind of party you're having, let us know and we can help you pick the perfect character. Or, if you know which character you want, we can help you plan the perfect party around them!
-Where should the parents be during the party?
Parents should be nearby. We do recommend that you stay along to take your own pictures and we do require that at least one parent remains in the same room at all times. We are not a daycare service, nor is it our job to discipline your child. We are merely visiting characters and are not responsible for unruly or uncooperative children.
-What should the children wear?
It's not required, but we love for the kids to be in costume! Closed-in shoes are a must, though, because safety is extremely important during a gathering of children. Otherwise clothing should be comfortable play-wear.
-What is your payment policy?
We require a 50% deposit paid by a check or money order at the time you book with us to be sent via mail with the signed contract. The rest may be paid in cash, money order or by check on the day of the party upon the party's completion. Please know that our prices do not include tips for our characters. If you feel that our actors did a good job, a tip is always appreciated, but not required. The amount is at your own discretion.
-Do I have to tip the performer?
You are not required to tip our actors, but it is appreciated. Please note that what you pay for your character visit goes toward gas, our new-costume fund and our photographer before our actors get their pay. Just like tipping the wait-staff at a restaurant for good service, it is customary to tip character performers.
-When/How early should I book?
For characters already on our character page, we can take as short a notice as a single day, so long as the date isn't already filled, but we like at least 2 weeks to prepare for your party. In rare cases we can accept very short-notice events, so please give us a call and we will try to work with you even if your party is being held within less than a week, though we can't guarantee that the date will be available. 3-4 weeks notice is ideal, especially if you are requesting a character not on our roster, but you are free to book with us as early as a whole year in advance.
-It's the middle of the summer in Florida...can you perform for an outdoor party?
Floridians know that it can get very, very hot outside in the summer. We will do our best to accommodate your outdoor party, however, please be courteous. Keep in mind that our characters are in heavy costumes, petticoats (in the cases of our princesses), wigs and sometimes even colored contact lenses. It can get very hot for them and direct sunlight is especially uncomfortable. Our characters don't have the luxury of being able to dress weather-appropriately or jump in the pool to cool down, so we ask that, when possible, you have at least an indoor-outdoor party where the character will have access to an air-conditioned space.
-Why are your parties so short?
Children are full of energy and don't like to focus for long periods of time. Keeping them occupied with certain activities will appease them for a while, but eventually children will lose interest in the character. We understand your child wants to open and play with their gifts and may get antsy after a time. We have found that 1-2 hours of character time is plenty to get everyone having fun and gives them enough stimulation to allow them to calm down later.
-Where will the pictures/video you take end up?
Your child's safety and well-being is incredibly important to us, therefore we do not share any personal information about you or your child. Pictures will be posted in our Gallery and possibly here on this site, but will not be placed on any outside sources without express written permission from the parents. Outside sources include social networking sites, image sharing sites and costuming sites. Your child's image WILL NOT be placed in any of these places without written permission and will only be used for promotional purposes on this site and in the Gallery. We do reserve the right to post the photos on any site without written permission, but in such a case we will blur your child's face or crop them from the picture. We do reserve the right to post videos on hosting sites such as YouTube, which will allow us to embed them on our site, but no personal information will be shared.
-What's your return policy?
We offer a refund of your 50% deposit if you cancel your party at least 2 weeks before the scheduled event. In all other cases we will only offer that you may reschedule and pay a $25 rescheduling fee or cancel and forfeit your deposit. If for any reason you are dissatisfied with our services, please explain to us exactly what we could have done to better serve you. We will not refund your deposit, but the second payment we will not require.
-Do you have availability on major holidays?
We do offer our parties on major holidays but they constitute an additional charge of $100. However, on many holidays, we have been booked event performances, are hosting our own events or are booked for charity purposes, so we may not be available.
-Disclaimer Details:
We do not under ANY circumstances offer any characters from copyrighted media. Our characters are only from uncopyrighted fables, legends or our imaginations. We can only serve customers who understand that we don't offer copyrighted characters. If you NEED a copyrighted character, you can try contacting the copyright holder, but we cannot offer characters we do not have the rights to. Any resemblance of our characters to copyrighted media is purely incidental and unintentional. We are not in any way, shape or form associated with any theme parks, publishing companies, studios, production companies, etc, nor do we claim to be. We do not work for any big-name companies and we will only serve customers who understand that these are uncopyrighted characters and that we are a private company NOT under the jurisdiction of any companies which may generally be associated with cartoons and beloved characters.
-What exactly do you do?
Fairytale Friends Character Parties will send a costumed character or characters to your child's party or charity event. Over the course of our time there, we will engage in games and activities with the guests. Our characters will tell their stories for the children and will remain in character for the duration of the event.
In most cases, a photographer accompanies our character(s) and digital copies of the photos are available online for you to save, free of charge, which is included with each of our packages. This is a service not offered by other character providers! We do not guarantee a photographer at every event but you can usually expect one.
We have many packages to choose from to customize your child's experience. We also do volunteer work throughout the year so feel free to contact us and request a visit to your clinic or charity event! We're sure you'll find what you're looking for here to give your child a unique and magical party...for a price you can actually afford! If you have any questions, comments or requests, please visit our contact page.
You have never seen a character party quite like ours. We don't offer balloon twisters in pretty dresses: we offer a unique and immersive character experience your child will not soon forget. Don't settle for less; insist on the best in character entertainment.
-Why should I hire Fairytale Friends over another company?
There are actually quite a few reasons. Number one: this is what we do. It's all we do. We didn't start off as party planners who just did decorations and then decided to pop costumes on our employees to make an extra buck. We started as character entertainers and will remain just that. Our actors and actresses are trained to perform for parties and that is their only job with us. Number two: we make our own costumes. Now this may seem insignificant, and it might be for children younger than 3, but when you get into the 4+ age range, kids start to question things. A cheaply-made, factory-produced costume will look fake and brittle and will not fool children. Our gowns are made with elegant crepe and casa satins, velvets and silks and have unique designs that make them one-of-a-kind. Our superhero costumes are made with strong, vibrant spandex and don't have fake, fluffy muscles sewn into them. You can rest assured that you and your child will not run into these costumes in Wal-Mart during Halloween season. Number three: despite our quality, we are cheaper than most other party companies. Why is this? Simple: we love what we do! We understand that the economy's current state has parents struggling to afford a nice party for their child, so we keep our prices low to accommodate that. Don't pay $300 for a facepainter when you can pay around half the price for a genuine character actor who will facepaint, play games, tell stories and even come with a photographer who will offer free digital copies of the photos!
-Why can't you offer Disney characters? I have seen other companies who do.
We don't offer Disney characters or characters from any copyrighted media because it is illegal. Any other company you have seen offering *Disney* characters or any other licensed characters is committing copyright infringement. If our characters look similar to media characters, look no further than the original tales they come from. Companies such as Disney often embellish on the original intended design of a character from a fable or fairytale. Therefore, when we create our costumes, we return to the original media for design inspiration. You will find that children often cannot tell the difference. If they see a blonde woman in a poofy blue dress, they will probably think of Cinderella, even if they dress was a store-bought prom dress. We understand that you want your child to have a realistic princess at your party and we will do our best to make sure that they believe they have been visited by a "real" princess. But we cannot offer copyrighted designs of any kind.
-Do you just do kids' parties?
Of course not! We will send a character to parties for those of all ages. You can also hire us for grand openings, weddings, honeymoons, random parties..anything you can think up! We also volunteer at clinics, hospitals, daycares and charity events. We DO NOT, however, perform for or attend any events of an "adult" nature.
-Where do these parties happen?
We are not a party facility. We send our characters to wherever you have planned to have your party, which is generally your own home or a venue you have rented out. Public parks and gardens also make lovely settings.
-What are "games and activities"?
Our games and activities are tailored to suit each party. Each character has a set of activities themed to themselves and what activities are performed will depend on how long the party has been scheduled for, how many children there are and the ages of the children. Games and activities include but are not limited to: coloring, craft-making, face-painting, "Character-says", puzzles, makeovers, birthday theater and lessons teaching etiquette, how to be a princess, how to be a hero, how to be a pirate, etc. Activities are generally chosen per-party and we do take requests! Please note: some activities (such as facepainting) which require use of supplies do incur a fee. Please see our Package Add-Ons page!
Each of our characters goes best with certain types of parties. Our hero characters go best with outdoor parties, especially in parks and playgrounds. It is especially ideal if there is a bounce-house or jungle gym for the heroes to interact with the children around. Outdoor parties make it easier to accomodate larger numbers of children. Our princesses and fairies, however, do best in smaller or indoor parties of less than fifteen children. This makes storytime possible, which is a wonderful activity but does not suit bigger, rambuncious outdoor parties. If you know what kind of party you're having, let us know and we can help you pick the perfect character. Or, if you know which character you want, we can help you plan the perfect party around them!
-Where should the parents be during the party?
Parents should be nearby. We do recommend that you stay along to take your own pictures and we do require that at least one parent remains in the same room at all times. We are not a daycare service, nor is it our job to discipline your child. We are merely visiting characters and are not responsible for unruly or uncooperative children.
-What should the children wear?
It's not required, but we love for the kids to be in costume! Closed-in shoes are a must, though, because safety is extremely important during a gathering of children. Otherwise clothing should be comfortable play-wear.
-What is your payment policy?
We require a 50% deposit paid by a check or money order at the time you book with us to be sent via mail with the signed contract. The rest may be paid in cash, money order or by check on the day of the party upon the party's completion. Please know that our prices do not include tips for our characters. If you feel that our actors did a good job, a tip is always appreciated, but not required. The amount is at your own discretion.
-Do I have to tip the performer?
You are not required to tip our actors, but it is appreciated. Please note that what you pay for your character visit goes toward gas, our new-costume fund and our photographer before our actors get their pay. Just like tipping the wait-staff at a restaurant for good service, it is customary to tip character performers.
-When/How early should I book?
For characters already on our character page, we can take as short a notice as a single day, so long as the date isn't already filled, but we like at least 2 weeks to prepare for your party. In rare cases we can accept very short-notice events, so please give us a call and we will try to work with you even if your party is being held within less than a week, though we can't guarantee that the date will be available. 3-4 weeks notice is ideal, especially if you are requesting a character not on our roster, but you are free to book with us as early as a whole year in advance.
-It's the middle of the summer in Florida...can you perform for an outdoor party?
Floridians know that it can get very, very hot outside in the summer. We will do our best to accommodate your outdoor party, however, please be courteous. Keep in mind that our characters are in heavy costumes, petticoats (in the cases of our princesses), wigs and sometimes even colored contact lenses. It can get very hot for them and direct sunlight is especially uncomfortable. Our characters don't have the luxury of being able to dress weather-appropriately or jump in the pool to cool down, so we ask that, when possible, you have at least an indoor-outdoor party where the character will have access to an air-conditioned space.
-Why are your parties so short?
Children are full of energy and don't like to focus for long periods of time. Keeping them occupied with certain activities will appease them for a while, but eventually children will lose interest in the character. We understand your child wants to open and play with their gifts and may get antsy after a time. We have found that 1-2 hours of character time is plenty to get everyone having fun and gives them enough stimulation to allow them to calm down later.
-Where will the pictures/video you take end up?
Your child's safety and well-being is incredibly important to us, therefore we do not share any personal information about you or your child. Pictures will be posted in our Gallery and possibly here on this site, but will not be placed on any outside sources without express written permission from the parents. Outside sources include social networking sites, image sharing sites and costuming sites. Your child's image WILL NOT be placed in any of these places without written permission and will only be used for promotional purposes on this site and in the Gallery. We do reserve the right to post the photos on any site without written permission, but in such a case we will blur your child's face or crop them from the picture. We do reserve the right to post videos on hosting sites such as YouTube, which will allow us to embed them on our site, but no personal information will be shared.
-What's your return policy?
We offer a refund of your 50% deposit if you cancel your party at least 2 weeks before the scheduled event. In all other cases we will only offer that you may reschedule and pay a $25 rescheduling fee or cancel and forfeit your deposit. If for any reason you are dissatisfied with our services, please explain to us exactly what we could have done to better serve you. We will not refund your deposit, but the second payment we will not require.
-Do you have availability on major holidays?
We do offer our parties on major holidays but they constitute an additional charge of $100. However, on many holidays, we have been booked event performances, are hosting our own events or are booked for charity purposes, so we may not be available.
-Disclaimer Details:
We do not under ANY circumstances offer any characters from copyrighted media. Our characters are only from uncopyrighted fables, legends or our imaginations. We can only serve customers who understand that we don't offer copyrighted characters. If you NEED a copyrighted character, you can try contacting the copyright holder, but we cannot offer characters we do not have the rights to. Any resemblance of our characters to copyrighted media is purely incidental and unintentional. We are not in any way, shape or form associated with any theme parks, publishing companies, studios, production companies, etc, nor do we claim to be. We do not work for any big-name companies and we will only serve customers who understand that these are uncopyrighted characters and that we are a private company NOT under the jurisdiction of any companies which may generally be associated with cartoons and beloved characters.
