We booked my daughter's sixth birthday party for Labor Day weekend all the way back in January, and unfortunately, the entire experience felt disorganized and severely understaffed.
We received no communication from Elevate leading up to the party. I called multiple times the week before but either reached voicemail or couldn't get through. Since we were staying nearby, I finally went in Friday evening to confirm the details for her Saturday party. Our party started at 11:00 a.m., the same time the facility opened, so they agreed to let us arrive at 10:15 to decorate. When we arrived, one employee rather unpleasantly told us we couldn't enter until 10:30. Thankfully, another employee remembered the conversation from the night before and let us in.
There was no overview of how the party would run, no introduction from a party host, and no clear point person. At 11:00, the staff were opening the facility while simultaneously trying to check in our 50 guests. There were only two employees working, despite two parties being booked on a holiday weekend. When I mentioned that we had approximately 50 guests, including 20 jumpers, they seemed shocked--which could have been avoided if management had contacted us beforehand or properly reviewed our reservation.
Our guests weren't fully checked in until approximately 11:40, meaning many of the children did not receive the full two hours of jumping that we paid for. The snack bar and bar were not operating, and we constantly had to search for someone to help us because both employees were still handling check-in. When I asked whether there was a bartender, the employee told me she was the bartender but was too busy to serve anyone. With 50 guests, the facility lost out on a considerable amount of additional food and beverage sales. They eventually posted a sign saying there would be no new admissions until 12:30 because they couldn't manage the entrance.
The lack of employees supervising the jump areas was also concerning from a safety standpoint. Meanwhile, I had to repeatedly check on our pizzas, which arrived late and threw off the rest of the already-shortened party schedule.
What was especially frustrating was that about five minutes before our party was scheduled to end, an announcement was made saying the party was over. Suddenly, several additional employees appeared and immediately began cleaning and vacuuming around us while we were still trying to gather our belongings. After spending the entire party searching for help, it was surprising to see so many employees emerge the moment it was time to clear us out.
Even checkout was disorganized. No one approached us for payment, and I genuinely think we could have walked out without paying. I went to the counter myself and asked to settle the bill. The employees then had to call a supervisor for authorization to process the payment. It is difficult to understand why two young employees were considered responsible enough to run an entire facility during two large birthday parties, but not authorized to complete a party checkout independently.
The children had fun jumping, which is ultimately what mattered most to us, but the party itself was poorly planned and executed. I don't place all the blame on the two employees who were left trying to manage everything; management should never have staffed only two people for two parties and regular admissions during Labor Day weekend. The employees could have been friendlier and more attentive, but they were also put in an impossible position.
For the amount of advance planning and money involved in hosting a large birthday party, I expected basic communication, adequate staffing, a designated party host, timely food, appropriate supervision, and a clear schedule. Unfortunately, Elevate provided none of those things. This experience left a very poor impression on us and many of our guests who may otherwise have considered hosting future parties there. read more