Foam Party!

Slides Vs Combos - Making the right choice for your party

Slides vs Combo Units – Which one is right for your party?

This is a question we are asked almost daily here at Palm Beach Party and Bounce. Should I get the slide or the combo? Hopefully this article will help you make an informed decision.

If you don’t have the space or the budget to get a slide and a bounce house for your party, a Combo Bouncer is a great solution. The bounce area is usually every bit as spacious as a regular bounce house but the slide is where you’ll see the compromise. Yes, Combos have much smaller slides than true slides, and therein lies the rub for many customers. They’re usually around eight feet high and come in dry or wet configurations.

There’s no masking the shortcoming of a combo slide but if you’re making an age-appropriate selection then it really won’t matter.

Combo units are always intended for a younger crowd. If you are ordering one for big kids you will not be happy. The slides are accessed by climbing up stairs that are awkward for just about anyone over 10 years old, and only little ones will find an eight foot slide exhilarating.

For pre-teens and up your only choice is to get a large bounce house or a true, large (tall) slide. There are no combos on the market that will reasonably satisfy this age group.

In fact, an easier way to look at this is to just think of combos as ‘deluxe’ bouncers for younger kids.

So if you have decided that a combo will be the right type of unit for your party, the next step is to pick what kind of combo. They typically come with a name or, more often, a numerical designation ranging from 2-1 (read: Two in One) to as many as 6-1.

When customers land on a combo they almost always ask what the 2-1, 3-1, 4-1, etc. means. It is simply the number of activities in the unit. A 2-1 is a bounce house and a slide (2 things in 1 unit). A 3-1 usually counts the bounce house, slide and a climbing wall to get to the top of the slide. From here on, every single feature is counted; basketball hoops, obstacles, a pool, etc. A combo unit with a climbing wall, slide, pool and a basketball hoop could be called a 5-1. But so could a dry version of that unit when you nix the pool at the bottom of the side but add a couple of obstacles inside the bounce area. This makes it a little tougher on the consumer because a 4-1 from 2 different companies may be vastly different types of inflatables. There is no single group of agreed upon definitions for the various combo units in the market. Manufacturers have differing definitions from each other and sometimes within their own product lines. Then rental companies also apply their own monikers to these combos making it even more chaotic.

If you, the consumer, are confident that your rental company is displaying accurate photos on their website and if you know which features you want in a combo then you will have an easy enough time discussing your needs with your favorite party rental business and ensuring the right type of inflatable is delivered to you event.

If you would like to see the various Combo Bouncers we have for rent in the South Florida market, please visit our website at:  www.palmbeachpartyandbounce.com

Generators And Bounce Houses – The Right Way To Pair Them

If you are having a Bounce House party in your backyard you can easily just plug the unit into the closest outlet and be done with it. But what if you have a really large property and the closest outlet is practically in another zip code? Or what if you decide to have your Bounce House party in a public park where no electricity is available? The answer, of course, is to use a generator to provide power to the blower motor.

A simple enough solution for sure, and if you keep these few pointers in mind you will be guaranteed a hassle free party.

First of all, you will need to make sure the generator you choose has sufficient watts and enough circuits for all the items you will be plugging in. A typical Bounce House blower motor can run anywhere from 7 to 14 amps at 115 volts (which is typical household current – which is what portable generators push.) Also take into account that Bounce Houses often run 1 motor but there are plenty that run 2 or even 3 motors. If your generator has 2 outlets and a single 20 amp capacity (which is common) then you can plug in 2 of the 7 amp motors or 1 of the 14 amp motors. If you try to plug in a 14 amp motor along with anything else you will likely pop the breaker and have a bad day. Many generators offer 4 outlets on 2 20 amp circuits which is a much better choice for most parties. Here at Palm Beach Party And Bounce we often use a single generator to power one of our massive inflatables that uses one of the 14 amp motors and 2 of the 7 amp motors – and we never have a problem. In fact, there have been many times where we even used the last of the 4 receptacles to plug in a food machine (cotton candy, popcorn, sno cone, etc.)

Once you have a reasonable paring of generator and equipment you will want to make sure your generator is ready for the task at hand. Generators eat oil so you always want to check the level before your event to make sure it is topped off. Generators usually have a built in safety mechanism that shuts off the generator if the oil is below a certain level. Also make sure you have fresh, high octane gas in the tank. Generators run at a high compression and will perform better on premium gas.

Now that you have your generator smartly paired and mechanically ready to go, the last thing to consider is placement. You will want to place the generator as far as possible from the Bounce House and if possible try to block access to it in order to protect the kids. Having a responsible adult keep an eye on it is the best way to keep the children from it.

To see the Bounce Houses and Generators we offer for rent in South Florida, please visit our website at: www.palmbeachpartyandbounce.com

The New Way To Bilk You Out Of A Few More Bucks

It seems lately that a whole bunch of Bounce House companies have gotten together and created a new commodity out of thin air: time. Right here in our very own backyard of sunny South Florida there are more and more party rental companies jumping on this bandwagon and up-charging parties that go beyond 4 hours. You have to stop and ask yourself ‘why?’ Why is time suddenly one of the ingredients used to figure out how much to charge you?

Here are some thoughts on the matter.. It used to be that everyone charged their advertised rate for the whole day – meaning it would be delivered and picked up the same day but the amount of hours it stayed was up to the customer. But now that time has suddenly become a commodity factored into your bottom line, if you want to keep your bounce house more than 4 hours you now have to pay more money. Considering the fact that most people schedule the delivery at least an hour before the party begins and the pick up after the party is scheduled to end it means you’re really only getting 2 or 3 hours use of your Bounce House.

There are 2 reasons why this trend has gained so much traction. First and foremost is the obvious reason – this is a money-grab. Business owners have figured out a short cut to boosting profit by creating a sense of insecurity about your party. ‘Is 4 hours *really* enough time?’ ‘Shouldn’t I book a few extra hours just in case?’ – This is what they want you to say to yourself during the booking process but here’s a better question to ask: ‘What are you going to do with the Bounce House after you pick it up from my party?’ Think about it. You know we need to clean, disinfect and deodorize every Bounce House between uses. This is done during the week when no parties are scheduled. So it goes to follow that it is only possible to rent a bounce house to 1 customer per day. So if they don’t need it back after 4 hours to rent it to someone else, why do they need it back so soon? Again the answer is simply that they have come up with an easy way to get a few more dollars from you by letting you assume the equipment is booked to another event after your rental period is up.

There is one other, less influential reason for the new time-limiting style of booking and that is logistics. It’s simply more convenient to schedule their pick up route if times are tiered instead of having all pick ups ‘when the sun goes down.’ As a Bounce House company struggling with schedules this reason is much less offensive than the money-grab reason but this in itself is not sufficient to bully the customers into a much shorter rental or a much higher fee.

This is a poor trend in this industry and one that we here at Palm Beach Party And Bounce pledge to never participate in.

If you have an upcoming event and are interested in renting an inflatable – all day for one low charge – then please visit our website at www.palmbeachpartyandbounce.com

Bounce House Party at Okeeheelee Park

Having your Bounce House Party at Okeeheelee Park is a fantastic idea. It eliminates the stress of organizing the event at your home and gives you access to many features and activities you will not find in your backyard.

Okeeheelee Park is located on Forest Hill Blvd in West Palm Beach between Jog Road and the Florida Turnpike. It encompasses more than 900 acres, offering lakes, hiking, boating, a golf course and even an equestrian center – all in addition to countless ball fields and nature trails.

Nestled within the lush landscape are four large pavilions which are available on a rental basis. They are the Alligator, Tuskeegee, Osceola and Micanopy Pavilions. They offer guest capacities ranging from 100-200 people and include electric service, bathroom facilities and plenty of parking. There are also plenty of ‘first-come first-serve’ picnic areas in the park but only parties at a rented pavilion are permitted to have a Bounce House at their event.

When planning an event at Okeeheelee it is a good idea to book the pavilion far in advance. The Palm Beach County Parks Department that administrates Okeeheelee Park can be reached at (561) 966-6600. They take reservations as far as 90 days in advance and for weekends that are ‘in season’ they often get booked the moment they are available – so if you want to have a party there my advice is to call them the moment they open the office exactly 90 days before your party.

Most types of inflatables are allowed in Okeeheelee Park along with fun food machines (like cotton candy, popcorn and sno kone machines), clowns and other entertainment.  Keep in mind you can only use a vendor if they are on the approved vendor list for the Palm Beach County Parks Department. When you rent a pavilion that Parks Dept can provide you with this list.

It is always a good idea to go and see the pavilions in person before reserving to make sure you are getting one that includes, or is close to, any park amenities you may want to take advantage of during your party.

The Alligator Pavilion can accommodate 100 people.

The Tuskeegee Pavilion can accommodate 120 people.

The Osceola Pavilion can accommodate 150 people.

The Micanopy Pavilion can accommodate 200 people.

The pavilions vary not only in size but also in proximity to restrooms, topography, etc.

There are a few items that can not be at your party if you choose Okeeheelee Park, or really just about any park for that matter. You can not have water slides at the park, but you can have a dunk tank. Animals are also prohibited so unfortunately no pony rides or petting zoos are allowed. There is also a ban on any kind of mechanical rides so the popular ‘trackless’ train rides can not be set up at the park either.

Palm Beach Party And Bounce is an approved park vendor and all of our items and party packages can be seen online at www.palmbeachpartyandbounce.com

FOOD MACHINE INSTRUCTIONS – POPCORN, COTTON CANDY AND SNO-KONES

Food machines are inherently dangerous: Heat, Sharp Blades and Electric Components!
NEVER ALLOW ANYONE UNDER 18 TO OPERATE ANY OF THESE FOOD MACHINES.

POPCORN

1.    The first step is to pre-heat the kettle. Turn on the agitator (kettle motor) and the heat switch (if separate) and allow it to heat up for 5 minutes. This is only for the first batch. For the following batches skip this step.
2.    Turn off the agitator for a moment to pour in the oil and then immediately turn the agitator back on. Allow the oil to heat up for 1-2 minutes.
3.    Turn off the agitator again to pour in the kernels and then immediately turn the agitator back on. After the popping begins listen for it to slow down. When the popping slows to the point where there is 3-4 seconds between pops it is time to turn the agitator off and dump the popcorn from the kettle.
4.    Repeat steps 2 and 3 until finished. When you are done popping turn off the agitator and the heat switch (if separate.) If you wait more than 10 minutes between batches you will have to start with step 1 again.

 

COTTON CANDY

1.    Turn on the motor and heat switches. Allow the machine to heat up for 5 minutes. From this point you will leave the heat switch on until you are done making cotton candy.
2.    Turn off the motor and when the head stops spinning pour in the floss sugar to the top of the fill line inside the head (about ¼ cup.)
3.    Turn the motor back on and the cotton will immediately start flowing. Use one of the paper sticks provided to collect the cotton by holding it upside down in the bowl about an inch from the bottom and close to the outer wall. Run the stick around the bowl counter clockwise until it has enough cotton stuck to it. Repeat with another stick until done.
4.    When the cotton stops flowing you simply repeat steps 2 and 3.
5.    When you are done shut off the motor and heat switches. If more than 5 minutes goes by between batches you will need to start with step 1 again.

 

SNO-CONES     *You will need approx 30lbs of ice cubes to make 50 sno-cones

1.    Turn on the power switch.
2.    Fill the hopper with ice cubes and close the hopper door.
3.    Place a bowl in the machine under the hopper and while applying gentle downward pressure to the hopper handle press the button to activate the grinder motor. Repeat until the desired amount of shaved ice is produced.
4.    Fill one of the paper cones provided with the shaved ice and then use one of the squeeze bottles of flavored syrup supplied to pour about ½ oz of syrup over the top of the sno-cone.

Thank you for reading this article. If you would like to check out the food machines we rent in South Florida, please visit our website at: www.palmbeachpartyandbounce.com

What Size Table Should I Rent?

When you go to rent tables for your party you will find squares, circles, rectangles, oblongs, ovals, half-moons, serpentines etc. Then you have to deal with diameters, widths and lengths. But you’re still not done because there’s also height to consider. Sometimes too many choices can be a bad thing!

However, there is a saving grace here. When it comes down to ordering tables for a sit down affair the choices narrow considerably. Round tables and rectangle tables are used nearly 100% of the time and there are basically two ‘most common’ sizes used for each shape.

For rounds you have the 60” diameter and the 72” diameter tables and for rectangles there is the 72”x30” and the 96”x30” varieties. Yes there are more choices you will see but these four sizes are definitely the most common and will be the easiest to find a wide selection of linens for. All of these tables are a standard height of 29” or 30” – it really doesn’t matter which you get as far as linen choices go.

And now the important stuff…

So after selecting the table shape and size you would like for your party, the next step is to figure out how many tables you will need to order. Just like with tents, tables also come with varied head count recommendations. You just need to break it down to inches per person. The least space per person would be around 22” and a very generous spacing could go as high as 32” per person. The rectangle tables are simple: a 72” table is suitable for 2 or 3 people on each side with 1 person at each head giving you reasonable seating for 6-8 and a 96” table can accommodate 3 or 4 people per side for an overall seating plan of 8-10 people. If you place the tables end to end you obviously lose 2 table head seats, but you make up for it by gaining an extra seating position at each ‘joint’ where the tables meet.

Rounds take just a little more effort because first you have to determine the circumference by dusting off the algebra your eighth grade teacher swore you would need in the real world one day (and you didn’t believe her!) – so here it is:   C=2(pi)r. Take the 60” round table first. It has a 60” diameter which of course is a 30” radius. So now we have C=2(pi)30. 2 times pi times 30 = 188.4955592153876….. but you have my permission to just go ahead and round that down to 188. So there you have it. The C (circumference) value of our 60” round table is 188”. Now just go ahead and divide it by 22 and then 32 to see it can reasonably accommodate 6-8 people. The 72” works out to 7-10 people.

Yay math!

Thank you for reading this article. If you would like to see the tables, chairs and tents we have available for rent in South Florida please visit our website at: www.palmbeachpartyandbounce.com