**Please note that it is the customer's responsibility to review all policies, terms & conditions
​ when booking with Once Upon A Time Parties, LLC

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Why book Once Upon A Time Parties?
    • The performers of our company can guarantee that your party or event will magical for all who attend. We can work with you on activities, songs, games and characters. We strive to make sure all clients are satisfied and all little princes and princesses are enthralled with our fairytale characters. 
    • Once Upon A Time Parties is in NO way affiliated with any theme parks or other entertainment corporations. All characters are based off of a variety of fairytale works and ideas that are public domain and have no rights with other companies.
  • Do I need a deposit?
    • Yes! All parties require a nonrefundable $100 retainer. This is to secure your party date, time and performer.  We will send you an invoice and booking contract through our online client portal reflecting all services scheduled and their appropriate fees.  The deposit is due at the time of booking and a reminder for your remaining balance will go out the week of your party.   If final payment is not made at least one week prior to the appearance date,  you forfeit your booking and deposit.  *The deposit is non-refundable unless through cancellation by our company from emergencies.
    • ​Should you need to cancel your booking all payments are 100% transferable to a date booked within one calendar year of the original booking date however there is a $20 rescheduling fee that must be satisfied before services are rendered along with any other package fees that were not satisfied.  *Availability may vary by date and character. 
  • When should I book?
    • The suggested time to book a party is 4-6 weeks in advance. You are always welcome to submit a last-minute request, but due to high demand, it is better if you contact us in advance to secure your party.  Late booking fees may apply if we receive a request within 14 days of the party/event date.
  • Do I need to tip?
    • Gratuity is NOT included in our packages. It is not mandatory to tip, but if you feel your character has exceeded expectations, please tip!
  • Should I hire a photographer?
    • Absolutely! If it is within your budget to add a photographer to your party, do so! The photos you receive will be magical memories you can look back on later! We recommend Kat Caraway Photography, Admoni Photography or Jamie Roberts Portraiture. Ask us how to include one with your party package!
  • What are your policies?
    • All bookings require 100% of the balance to be paid before services are rendered. All parties require a minimum deposit of $100. This is to confirm your booking and ensure your requested date and time is available for you. All payments are non-refundable unless our company has an emergency cancellation then you will be refunded 100% of the deposit money paid. In paying the invoice, you agree to the terms and conditions and understand that this is a non-refundable payment. The remainder of the balance must be paid no less than one week prior to your appearance date, or we will cancel your booking.
    • We may accept appearances on some national holidays, however, a holiday booking fee of $25 per character will apply. Holidays subject to our holiday fee are as follows: Easter, New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Holiday availability is not guaranteed. 
    •  All hosts are expected to keep the time as our performers will not perform with their phones, clocks or watches directly available to them. Any time the performer spends over their scheduled time will be billed for accordingly to the party host/original booker. 
    • Our cast members can guarantee that your party will be magical, fun and exciting for all that attend. We offer a variety of storybook characters who bring fantasies to life in a memorable and magical way.
    • Character performers may vary from those in promotional pictures. Should you want a specific performer to attend your event or party, please let us know at time of booking. While we can't promise the performer you request will be the same for your event, we can guarantee that all performers are professional and will give your child a magical experience.
    • It is not our intention to violate any copyright, trademark or licensing laws. Our characters are NOT name-brand copyrighted characters and are inspired by public domain stories. We only accept event bookings from those who are aware that we do not offer any licensed characters, nor do we work for or represent the Walt Disney Company or other entertainment corporations. **In the event that you require a licensed copyrighted character, you should contact the company and or copyright holder.**
    • We reserve the right to refuse any parties or events that do not have the best interests of our performers, such as and not limited to dangerous environments, inappropriate party requests, far travel location, etc. The performers reserve the right to leave a party in the event of an unsafe environment, the arrival of law enforcement, offensive guests or the presence of drugs, smoking or alcohol. 
    • If your event takes place outside, please take note of the weather beforehand, as our characters may need shade, water or other precautions due to Mobile's hot and humid climate.  If your event will be taking place outside it is suggested to have an alternative indoor location as a back up as we do not offer refunds for cancelled parties due to weather.  If in the event of severe inclement weather, our company will notify any scheduled visits directly affected for rescheduling with 100% balance transfer to a future date within a one calendar year period, no additional rescheduling fees will be applied.  Please reach out to us regarding a new date and time as soon as possible as our calendar books up fairly quickly.  If we do not have your character available for the rescheduled date or time you may inquire about an alternative character however we cannot guarantee character or rescheduled date availability.
    • Please note that our princesses are professional performers and are not responsible for taking care of or "babysitting" the children present at the party, and are simply entertainers.
    • Our performers work solely for Once Upon A Time Parties, LLC and will not perform with other costumed characters or hired companies at your event or party. If there are other costumed characters that may cause problems such as other princesses or superheroes, our performers have the right to leave the event. This is simply to keep the magic for the children and keep our actors in prepared situations.
    • From the moment of arrival until leaving the party, our performers will stay in character. Please do NOT ask questions about the costumes, company or performers' personal lives. 
    • Should you have any questions, comments or concerns, please feel free to contact us through our Facebook, website or email.
  • Bounce House Clause
    •  In our experience, characters cannot compete with the presence of a bouncy house.  While our characters will try their best to still be interactive with the guests, we cannot force gusts to ignore a bounce house.  Our characters are not allowed to enter a bounce house as it can damage their costumes and wigs.  During the time of the character visits, we recommend deflating your bounce house, or encouraging guests to interact with the character during the duration of their visit- in fact, reinflating the bounce house at the end of the character's visit is a great way to occupy children as the character slips out of the party.  
  • Mascot Policies
    • ​Mascot costumes can become increasingly hot and uncomfortable, and our performer's health and safety is our number one priority which is why we have these policies in place.   If your private party takes place outdoors, mascots can only be booked for a maximum of thirty minutes.  Mascots may be booked for longer periods of time for corporate events however a 5-10 minute water and cool-off break is required every 30 minutes- no exceptions.  A private space away from guests must be available for mascot breaks. While we take precautions such as having water, fans and having cooling vest on hand if a mascot performer falls ill due to excessive heat and has to exit the party sooner than expected, our mascot attendant will inform us and we will refund you a portion of their visit. 
    • A mascot performer has the right to leave an appearance at any time if they feel they are in an unsafe environment whether it be due to high temperature or children/guests hitting or inappropriately touching the mascot.  Please be vigilant and pay attention to your children and other guests at your party as an inappropriate interaction from your guests will result in the mascot leaving the appearance early.  We will not refund any monies paid in any of these instances. 
    • An attendant will accompany the mascot to all bookings not only to assist with activities and guest interactions, but to also escort the mascot and keep them safe during their appearance. 
    • Mascots can be frightening to small children.  We recommend talking to your little ones first about the mascot visit before they arrive to avoid any negative interactions.  Our mascots know to not approach a child that might seem scared. 
    • We are not responsible to children or guests who do not want to interact with the mascot as we try our best to provide age-appropriate activities for all guests.