virtual parties
Book a Private Virtual Party or Event!
Due to the high demand of our in-person events, we are now only able to offer virtual events Mon-Fri, and have discontinued pre-recorded videos. We appreciate your understanding.
Virtual Princess Visit
Meet a Princess on Zoom! 15 minutes includes personalized chat time, a sing-a-long, and singing "Happy Birthday" (if applicable). 30 min: Add story time, games, or dancing (or more time to talk to guests). 1 hr: Add a craft activity
$30
$50
$100
/1 hr
Prices are per character. These rates also apply to other female "face characters" like fairies, Descendants, trolls, superheroes, etc.
Sample Princess Video Call:
Virtual Mascot Visit
Talk to one of your favorite characters, and dance along to some sun songs! 15 minutes includes personalized chat time, dancing, and singing "Happy Birthday" (if applicable). 15 min is the max recommended for a small group or individual video call, but you can add on a full dance party for the 30 min price if you are throwing a virtual event for your group, company, or audience.
$45
$90
Two entertainers are included in these rates - the mascot and a host performer who will lead the video call/event
Sample Mascot Video Call:
Virtual Superhero Visit
Meet your favorite Superhero right from your own home! 15 minutes includes personalized chat time, brief "Superhero Training," and singing "Happy Birthday" (if applicable). 30 min: Add games, dancing, or a story upon request (or more time to talk to guests). 1 hr: Add a craft activity. Due attention span, 15 minutes is recommended for most small events or video calls.
$30
$100
/1 hr
$50
Prices are per character. These rates also apply to other male and female "face characters" like pokemon trainers, star wars, etc.
Sample Superhero Video:
/15 minutes
/30 minutes
/15 minutes
/30 minutes
/15 minutes
/30 minutes
Virtual Puppet Visit
Our puppet characters are super unique because they are able to talk to the children, and all puppeteers are voice actors who can voice match the character. 15 minutes includes personalized chat time, singing a themed song, and singing "Happy Birthday" (if applicable). 30 min: Add a Dance Party (or more time to talk to guests - usually recommended for virtual events and large groups but not birthdays or small groups due to attention span)
$30+
/15 min
$50+
/30 min**
Puppet characters can be found here
**For some puppet events, a host may be required depending on the content, activities, and performers. If this is the case, refer to mascot rates above.
Sample Puppet Video:
Virtual Holiday Visit
Meet Santa on Zoom this year - no mall required! Other holiday characters include Elves, Mrs Claus, Ballerinas, and more. 10-15 minutes includes personalized chat time with the children in the call. We also offer 30 min+ for virtual events, and full virtual Christmas parties with multiple characters and activities. Check out our 'Virtual Christmas' page for all the options.
$30+
/15 min
/30 min
$50+
$100+
/1 hr
Above are starting rates per holiday character. Rates for Santa are higher than other holiday characters and start at $39 for 10 min.
Sample Christmas Video Call:
How can I use my Video Call?
-
Group Virtual Parties - Invite as many guests as you'd like to a zoom birthday party and the character can help host! Extra attention will be placed on the birthday child, but the character can help entertain your group and give other children a chance to interact with the character as well. Group activities, one-on-one interaction, and singing happy birthday are all included.
-
Family Birthday Celebrations - At-home birthdays are extra special with a virtual visit from the birthday child's favorite character! There will be lots of one-on-one interaction and the visit will always end by singing Happy Birthday to the birthday celebrant.
-
Virtual Events - Companies and Groups can book a virtual event for their customers or members. The possibilities are endless and examples include character pop-ins for company parties, library storytelling events, a character to host any kind of special event for your group like games, a raffle, storytelling and singing, a craft project, a dance class, and much more! We are always open to custom requests
-
Birthday Gift or Surprise - Know a child celebrating a birthday? Gift a video call or a Pre-Recorded video to the birthday celebrant!
-
Pick me up and Special Rewards - If your kids are sick, bored, or just bummed out, a virtual call might be just what they need to keep them entertained, increase motivation, or make them feel inspired. Has your child reached a new milestone? (Graduation, doing their chores, potty training, learning a new skill, etc) Reward them with a special visit from their favorite character!
-
Hospital Visits - It's always tough to get a character into a hospital due to the (understandable) restrictions that hospitals impose. A virtual visit is the perfect way to spread cheer to kids who are hospitalized. Our video calls have even helped kids heal faster and accept treatment more readily due to increased motivation. You can even apply to receive a free virtual visit from a character if your child is hospitalized or has unique circumstances.
CHOOSE YOUR CHILD'S FAVORITE CHARACTER!
-
What areas do you service?We currently serve Los Angeles County, Orange County, and parts of the Inland Empire and Ventura County (but not all). We service San Diego, but only for certain characters. Please contact us to find out if the character you're looking for is available in your area! If you are outside of SoCal, please check out our Elite Events to find out if that is right for you.
-
Will there be a travel fee?We always try and keep client’s travel fees to a minimum, or waive them altogether whenever we can. Occasionally, we may be fully booked for a certain character within one branch and have to borrow a performer/costume from another branch of the company (ie. you are located in Laguna Beach, but we only have Los Angeles performers available on your date and time. This happens most often with last minute inquiries). In this case, there may be a minimal travel fee, which will be quoted at time of inquiry. Travel fees are subject to change if the availability of our performers changes before you confirm that you are interested in booking. Once booking emails have been sent, your rate will be locked in as long as you put down the deposit within 48 hours of receiving the invoice. Please fill out a contact form for the most accurate quote and to check availability.
-
How far in advance do I have to book?We do not have a maximum or minimum time in advance required to secure a booking. We always recommend that if you know you are interested in booking--don’t wait! We receive new bookings every day, often months in advance, and we wouldn’t want your requested time/date/character to get booked before you get the chance to secure the time slot. That being said, most people book 3-4 weeks in advance.
-
Should I bring in the character at the same time my party starts?We generally recommend booking the character 30-90 minutes after the start time of your party, with 60 minutes tending to be the sweet spot. You want to give your guests a chance to arrive and settle in before the character arrives to ensure that the majority of your guests get to enjoy the character’s visit. We also recommend having the character leave at least 30 minutes before your party is scheduled to end so that you have a chance to wrap up after the character leaves (eating cake, passing out goodie bags, opening gifts, etc.). If you know that your guests tend to arrive very late, you may want to take this into consideration when planning the start time of your character. The character will not be able to adjust their start time on the day of the party because your guests are running late.
-
How long do you recommend I book for?This really depends on the activities you hope for the performer to complete and the number of children you are expecting. If you fill out a contact form detailing exactly what you’d like the performer to do and how many kids you have, we can absolutely give you a personalized recommendation!
-
I don’t know the exact time that I want the character to come. Can I still book? Can I change the time later?In order to book a party, we do need to have a time slot to put into our calendar so that we can reserve the time for you and make sure the character/costume doesn’t get booked elsewhere. You can move the time post booking per our availability. If the performer scheduled on your party is available at your new time and/or the costume isn’t needed elsewhere at your newly requested time, we’re happy to move the time for you!
-
How many activities can the character do?Our policy is that any activities are included within your time frame, as time allows. The number of activities that the performer can complete depends on how many children you are expecting, and how many are actually present and participating on the day of the party. When you book with us, we ask you to fill out an info sheet about your party, and one question on that info sheet is about your requested activities. Please be as clear as possible on your info sheet about the activities you are requesting, and when you speak to your performer before the party, let them know what your top priority activities are. If your performer knows which activities are most important to you, they will always start with those activities and do as much as they can within the time frame!
-
Will the performer bring materials for all of the activities listed on your website?Your performer will bring any and all materials for the activities that are requested specifically on your info sheet. Please make any changes to activity requests at least 7 days prior to your party so that we can make sure your performer is packed correctly.
-
Do I need to provide anything for the performer?We will bring all materials for the activities that we provide. We only ask that you provide an adult sized chair for each of the performers at your party, and a table and two adult sized chairs per performer whenever your performers will be face painting. For our Mascot parties, we ask for a private room for the performer(s) to change in before the party.
-
Do I have to pay extra for any activities?Nope! We charge only for the time that the entertainer is present at your party. All standard activities are included, as time allows. We do have one $40 Princess Party Upgrade, which is for “Princess Dress Up.”
-
Does it matter how many kids I invite to my party? I see on your website that you list what activities can be completed “with an estimation of 10-15 children.” I’m expecting more than 15 kids. Do you charge for extra children?Nope! We don’t charge by the number of children present, only by the time that the character/performer is present. The average number of children we see at a party is 10-15 so we have used this as a starting point for you to gauge about how many activities might fit in a given time frame. That being said, these are still estimations, and every performer is a little different. If you are expecting more than 15 kids--no problem, and no extra charge! The performer may just be able to do a little bit less in terms of the number of activities they can complete, or you might want to book for a little bit longer. Please fill out a contact form so we can discuss your individual party!
-
Do you do 30 minute visits? Do you do private visits?Per availability, we do 30 minute visits on weekdays and Sundays. If it is not a busy day, we will see if we can accommodate your request on a case by case basis!
-
Is the costume I see in the picture really the costume I’m going to get?For most of our face characters, we have several costumes for each character. Each costume varies slightly, but all are very similar and very high quality. If there is a particular costume you are requesting, please email us a screenshot from our website and we can tell you whether or not this request can be accommodated!
-
Can I pick which performer I get?We will always try our best to accommodate your requests whenever possible! If there is a particular performer you would like to request, please send us a screenshot from the website and we can tell you if this performer might be available for your party. Please keep in mind that we only get our performer’s availability 1-2 months in advance, so if your party is further in the future, we may not be able let you know who is available and who is not. There may be an additional travel fee for your requested performer, since we have actresses and actors from all three counties pictured on our website. In addition, even when we can grant your request for a specific performer, we never guarantee a specific performer will be at your party. Emergencies can come up for individual performers, so we reserve the right to change your performer in the event that the performer has a personal or professional emergency that requires them to be removed from your party. If this is the case we will always notify you right away and offer you a replacement performer. Please make sure you understand and are comfortable with this policy before putting down a deposit, as the deposit will be non-refundable.
-
I’m having a princess at my party, but a lot of the children will be boys. Are you able to include the boys in the activities?"Absolutely! All of our activities are for everyone, and the Princess will always invite and encourage the boys to participate as much as they are interested in doing so. Lots of boys absolutely love interacting with the Princesses just as much as the girls do, and we find that when the parents and other adults make the boys feel like it’s okay to participate, they are excited to do so! Some of the activities that the boys tend to particularly enjoy are the games and the balloon twisting, so if you are concerned about the boys being engaged, you might want to include one or both of these activities at your party. For the face painting and balloon twisting, the Princess will always offer some traditional “boy” options such as spiders, snakes, skulls, snowmen (for face painting), or swords, dogs, dinosaurs (for balloon twisting), but of course they are welcome to choose any of the options presented to them. If you are interested in including the Princess Makeover activity, we will also pack the performer with face painting and/or temporary tattoos so that the boys can participate. Often times some of the girls will also prefer face painting or tattoos so we will have this there as an option for them so that everyone feels comfortable and included!
-
Can your character come to a party venue/play place/school?Yes! As long as the venue allows outside characters, we are happy to go there.
-
Can the performers stay longer on the day of the party if I decide I want them to?If you decide on the day of your party that you would like the performer(s) to stay longer, you may extend them for $50/half hour per performer. However, it is always possible that the performer(s) will no longer be able to stay because of prior commitments or other parties they have booked. We can only guarantee availability for the time that you have booked in advance. But, if the performers are able to extend on the day of, you can certainly do so!
-
Do you do events other than children’s birthday parties?Absolutely! We’ve performed at corporate events, charity events, fundraisers, block parties, festivals and faires, graduation parties, bachelorette parties, adult’s birthday parties, grand openings, and much more!
-
I’m ready to book! What’s next?Wonderful! We require a 30% deposit for Party Characters and 50% deposit for Photo booth Rental and Santa Claus. We also require an electronic signed contract, and a brief info sheet about your party in order to secure a booking. We will email all three of these to you, and all of the booking can be done through email. If you're interested in booking, here's what we need to get started: party date, time of character’s arrival, character/entertainment choice, zip code of the party, first and last name for your contract, and your email address.
-
How much of a deposit do you require?30% of your total balance for party characters, and 50% for Photo Booth Rental and Santa Claus.
-
How long do I have to put down my deposit?Once we send you a deposit invoice and other booking materials (contract and info sheet), you will have 48 hours to send these back to us if your party date is more than 7 days away, and 24 hours if your party date is within 7 days. If you have not submitted within 48 hours, we reserve the right to open up your time slot to other potential customers. If you are having any issues with paying on time or submitting materials, please just communicate with us and we will do what we can to work with you and assist you!
-
How do I pay my remaining balance?Your remaining balance will be due in cash to your performer(s) at the end of their time at your party. Please have the cash prepared and ready to go upon their completion, or you can pay on venmo. If you are booking a character performer, please settle the balance discretely and away from children so as not to spoil the magic. If cash or venmo will not be possible for your event or your organization, please contact us to arrange to pay via check or invoice.
-
Can I bring a check to your office or come in to sign my contract?Unfortunately no, as we do not have a storefront or physical office at which to meet clients. We try to make everything as simple as possible by making the contract, deposit, and info sheet digital so that you don’t have to make a trip! However, if your party is more than 2 weeks away we can accept a check/contract mailed to our location if this is necessary for you.
-
What is your cancellation policy?If you wish to completely cancel your party, you will forfeit your deposit. However, we always encourage you to reschedule your party instead of cancelling! See below.
-
What if I need to reschedule my party for a different date?If you wish to reschedule your party, we will work with you to reschedule your party per the availability of our characters and performers! When rescheduling there also may be additional travel fees if your performer must change due to availability. The newly rescheduled party date must be within 60 days of the original party date, unless the party is being rescheduled due to Covid, in which case we can be more flexible and extend the time period as needed.
-
What if it rains on the day of my party?In the case of inclement weather (rain, very heavy winds, hail, etc.), we need you to provide the character/entertainer and guests with a covered/sheltered area. This covered area must completely protect the performer and all costume pieces and materials. If a sufficient covered or indoor area is not provided, the performer will need to leave the party or event. Please always be prepared with a back-up venue or covered area in the case of inclement weather or other unforeseen circumstances (especially during fall through spring months). If the character needs to leave a party or event because a sheltered area is not provided, you will still be responsible for paying the company the full balance of your party. If you choose to reschedule your party due to inclement weather, we will work with you to reschedule your party per the availability of our characters and performers! If you cancel your party due to inclement weather, you will forfeit your deposit.
-
Do your performers accept gratuities?Yes! If you would like to show your performer(s) that you enjoyed their performance, a gratuity is a wonderful way of expressing this and is always most appreciated. Your present balance does not include gratuity. We always recommend including a gratuity to your performer(s) in the amount of 15-20% of your total balance. However, this is a recommendation, and never required.
-
I’d rather pay the full balance up front instead of paying cash on the day of the party. Can I do this?Sure! Please submit this request to us by email and we can send you a separate invoice for your remaining balance. The remaining balance must be received no later than 48 hours prior to your party. If you opt to pay in advance, we’d just like to remind you that we do recommend a 15-20% gratuity to your performer. If you choose to tip your performer, you could do this in cash on the day of the party, or we can add it to your invoice, per request. Gratuities are recommended and not required.
-
I just want to book the mascot by themself. Why do I have to have a Party Host?There are a few reasons we require a party host and do not send out our mascot performers alone. Safety: As you can imagine, vision is limited for our mascot performers and it is very hot inside the costumes. The Party Host helps the mascot to navigate around the party and makes sure that the performer is safe moving around the area, going up and down stairs, squeezing through tight spaces, and makes sure that no children/guests are in the mascot performer’s blindspots. This helps keep the mascot performer safe as well as the guests at your party. If the mascot performer is overheating or something is wrong, they are able to give a quick and seamless signal to the Party Host so that they can prevent or fix the problem promptly. In addition, sometimes children behave differently towards a mascot performer than they would to another person, and occasionally pull on the costume, hit, punch, kick, etc. We have the Party Host there to help protect the mascot performer and remind children to be gentle. This also causes our costumes to be in MUCH better condition than other companies because we have someone there to help prevent damage. Quality of Service: Without a Party Host present, the mascot performer will be VERY limited in what they can do at your party. Since vision and mobility is limited, they don’t have the functionality of their hands to run music, and they can’t speak, leading activities would pretty much be out of the question. With the addition of the Party Host, we are able to offer you a full hour of interactive activities and keep the kids fully engaged. The Party Host explains activities, runs the music, passes out dancing props, leads games, assists guests by taking pictures and making sure that your pictures look good, leads happy birthday, and helps kids warm up to and interact with the character in the event that they are feeling shy. They also help the Mascot in and out of costume, which they can’t do by themselves, so that you can sit back and relax or play host to your other guests. Overall, the party host makes your job easy and the party run seamlessly!
-
The mascot activities you have listed sound really fun, but I really just wanted the mascots to do meet and greet and take pictures. Is this possible? Will this be priced differently?"If meet and greet and photos is more appropriate to your event or venue then we can absolutely do that! We charge by the amount of time the performers are present at your party, not the activities that are being performed, so the price would be the same.
-
I only want the mascot to come and do 30 minutes of meet and greet. Do you have a 30 minute rate?We do have a one hour minimum for our mascot parties, however, you could split up the hour by doing 30 minutes with the mascot and host for meet and greet and photos (and happy birthday, if you’d like), and then have the host stay for 30 minutes to do face painting or balloon twisting. The rate would be the same for this option as our standard one hour mascot party. **Please keep our recommendations for the amount of time required to complete these activities in mind (for more than 10 children, you may need more than 30 minutes with the host).
-
Can the Mascot stay longer than 1 hour?Generally we recommend 1 hour maximum for our mascot characters, but we have a few very experienced performers who feel comfortable doing longer events. Our one hour maximum is generally for two reasons: the safety of the performer and the attention span of the kids. For the safety of the performer, whenever your mascot performer is at the party for longer than 60 minutes, they will need a 15 minute break per hour. We find that for standard parties, 60 minutes is plenty of time for the activities that we provide. The kids tend to lose their attention span after one hour so we usually don’t recommend more time, and if you are concerned about the hour because you have a lot of party guests and want a lot of pictures, the Party Host can have the mascot performer start photos about 15 minutes into the party to make sure everyone who is interested can get a photo with the mascot, and then go back to more interactive activities if there is time. If you are having a longer publicity event or special circumstance where you strongly feel that more than one hour will be required, please fill out a contact form so that we can discuss your individual event and customize a timeline!
-
Will the characters arrive in full costume or do they need somewhere to change?For our mascot characters and the "Dark Lord," we ask for a private room for the performer(s) to change in before the party. They will arrive 10-15 minutes prior to their scheduled start time so that you may show them to this room and they can start on time. If the only room you can provide is a public restroom, we ask that you stand outside the restroom door to make sure no one enters while the performer(s) are changing. This is so that we do not ruin the magic for any party guests, and also because occasionally the party host and mascot performer(s) are different genders. Our face characters will arrive in full character and costume and do not need a place to change.
-
Does the mascot need a break midway through the party?Generally if you are booking the mascot for our standard 1 hour party, they do not need a break midway through. However, the mascot and Party Host have a way of signalling each other if they do need a break midway through. This is particularly common on days that are very hot. If it is over 90 degrees on the day of your party, the Party Host may build a 5 minute break into the one hour party. We ask that you keep the private room/restroom open to the Mascot performer throughout the time they’re at the party so that this break can be as quick and seamless as possible. If the mascot is ever at your party for longer than one hour, they will need a break every hour.
-
What can we do to help the mascot performer from overheating?We ask that the mascot is provided with shade or an indoor options whenever possible. With temperatures over 90 degrees, one of these two will be required. We ask that you keep the private room/restroom open to the Mascot performer throughout the time they’re at the party so that if they need a quick water break, this can be done as quickly and seamlessly as possible.
-
Will the mascot performers talk?No, the mascot performers will never talk so as to preserve character integrity, but they are very proficient performers who can interact silently and animate what they are trying to communicate to party guests. In addition, the party host is there to answer any questions that the children have of the mascot character, and handle all logistics with the client. Some of our mascot performers also have a puppet option who talk, so if you want the character to talk, inquire if we have a puppet version instead!
-
Can the mascot hold my child in the photo?For safety reasons, we cannot have the mascot performers hold any children.
-
What kinds of balloon twisting do your performers do?The types of balloon creations our performers will make depends on what kind of performer you are booking, and the individual performer. Generally our mascot hosts and face character performers will make single-balloon creations only. These are very simple balloon creations that allow the performer to give more children/guests a turn in a shorter amount of time. Examples include: single-balloon dog, cat, flower, butterfly, dinosaur, sword. If you are booking a performer to do balloon twisting-only, your performer will be able to make single and double balloon creations. Examples include: magic wand, heart, monkey, butterfly, sword, lightsaber, dinosaur, pony, hat, giraffe, elephant, reindeer, snake, etc. We do not currently represent any performers who can make elaborate balloon creations involving three or more balloons per creation, so please keep this in mind when deciding of our services are right for you.
-
Is there any way to keep the balloons from popping?While there really is no way to keep balloons from popping, we take the preventative measures that we can. We buy the absolute highest quality of balloons on the market that are the industry standard, and we replace our balloons regularly. Performers do not leave their balloons in hot areas for extended amounts of time (ie. their car), which can weaken balloons. We recommend putting your entertainer in a cool, indoor area to prevent as many balloons from popping as possible. Any time balloons are outside, they are much more likely to pop due to the heat and to touching surfaces like grass, concrete, slide, bounce house, etc. If you are planning a party at a park in the middle of the afternoon on a hot day, we would recommend picking an alternative activity, unless you understand and accept that many of the balloons will be popping after they are made.
-
What kind of face painting do your performers do?The kind of face painting our performers can do depends on what kind of performer you are booking, and the individual performer. Generally our mascot hosts and face character performers will do simple cheek and hand painting. Examples include: butterflies, flowers, snowflakes, spiders, snakes, hearts, snowmen. If you are booking a face painter-only, some of our face painters do cheek and hand painting and some do full faces. The more detailed you can be with what you are looking for, the theme of your party, etc. the more we will be able to match you with an appropriate performer.
-
Is the paint and glitter you use for face painting safe for skin?100%. All of our face painters use face paints that are designed for and safe for skin, and cosmetic glitter. While a few other brands of face paint are used, we generally use Wolfe face paint. You can find more information about the safety of Wolfe face paints here.
-
Do I need to supervise the children while the character is there?Yes. Please understand that you are hiring a performer for your child’s party, not a babysitter, and the performer and is not responsible for the children’s safety. It is your responsibility to watch all children present for the entire duration of your character’s visit. The Pure Imagination Party Company shall not be held responsible for any injuries or property damage incurred by children or party guests at your event.
-
Can the Princess paint the children’s nails as one of her activities?Unfortunately, no. Because of previous negative experiences and the need to protect our costumes, our Princess cannot offer manicures or nail painting for children. We also ask that this activity not be provided by our clients either, for up to 30 minutes prior to the character’s arrival. We do, however, offer Princess Makeovers as an alternative activity!