Packages

Absolutely anything! Children’s parties, adult’s parties, birthday parties, Christmas parties, fun days, photoshoots, any other type of party or event, or even for no reason at all! We can do appearances at schools, kindergartens, shopping centres, dance studios, cinemas, play centres, anywhere! We have also done appearances at people’s homes for Easter or during school holidays, as well as for children who are not feeling well, so the child gets a one-on-one experience with the character. Just contact us with what you want and we can cater to you!

Our typical target audience is 3 to 5-year-olds. Children between the ages of 3 and 5 are typically the ones who enjoy character experiences more. Children younger than 3 often are scared of real-life characters or just don’t know who they are. Particularly for children’s parties, children under 3 are often not very interested in the activities included in the packages. Children older than 5 often realise that our performers are not the real characters – but this doesn’t mean they don’t still enjoy interacting with them!

The easiest way is just to send us an email or message on facebook with as much detail about your booking as you can provide at the time, ie. Date and time of booking, required character/s, which package you’re looking at, number of children that will be at the party, etc. From there, we discuss what we can do for you.

You can book as many characters as you like! We currently have 8 performers, so you could potentially have up to 8 characters at your event. However, some performers portray multiple characters, and some characters can only be portrayed by certain performers, which may impact the characters we can give you. For example, there’s only one performer at this time who can portray both Elsa and Ariel, so these characters cannot be booked to make an appearance together. Just let us know which characters you would like and we can see what we can do! The cost for an additional character is generally double the base price, however we can sometimes organise deals depending on the amount of bookings you make and on the type of work involved. Again, just let us know what you’re after and we can see what we can do!

Let us know what you’re after! Often if there is enough time before your booking, we may be able to get that character for you. Or we may be able to point you in the direction of another business that could potentially help you out.

Yes, here’s an overview of some common restrictions: All characters have a heat restriction – they cannot do any event if the temperature is over 35 degrees and the event is not held in an air-conditioned space. If the temperature is above this on the day of the booking and as a result the performer is unable to attend, you will receive a full refund. All characters are not allowed to sit on grass or dirt. For children’s parties this means that if you do not provide a chair/table/cement area for them to sit, some activities included in the package will not be able to be conducted. Performers will also not walk in mud. If there is rain prior to or during a booking held outside and the performer cannot attend, you will receive a full refund. If prior notice is not provided that an event is being held outside and there happens to be mud, the performer will simply stay where there is no mud. This may result in certain activities included in packages not being ale to be conducted. No refund will be given. At any event held outside, performers should have access to shade. For longer events (over 1 hour) performers should also have access to an area where they can sit and drink water at regular intervals. The costumes can weigh up to 8 kilograms and have up to 15 layers of fabric in them, it is very dangerous for them to not be provided with shade and water on a hot day. Characters who have full-face coverings (eg. spiderman) and who have gloves which cannot be removed (Lady Bug, etc.) must have an attendant accompany them to both the party packages, as well as any event at which they are required to walk around instead of standing in one relative area (this would be dangerous as they sometimes cannot see) or to do intricate things with their hands (eg. do temporary tattoos, read story books, hand out flyers, etc.). This attendant may incur a small additional fee. Swimming mermaid characters have a temperature restriction – they cannot perform if the temperature is below 16 degrees. There is a time restriction on certain characters and certain performers for charity events. See below for more details.

While our performers may only be at your event for 30 minutes, they can spend up to 3 hours doing their hair, makeup, getting into costume, and travelling to your event, generally with a second person to help them do all these things as well. So even for a 30minute appearance, they’re working for up to 4 hours.

The type of work we do does not fall under any of the 16 categories that work must fall under in order to require a blue card. Therefore, a blue card is not required for the work we do. Most of our performers do have blue cards because they engage in other work with children, but some do not. If you would like the performer attending your booking to have a blue card, please just let us know and we will only give you performers who have a blue card.

It is a possibility for us to travel to another town, however this would require extra costs for travel and accommodation. If the location is more than a one hour drive from Townsville, the actors will require somewhere to get ready at least 3 hours before the appearance is scheduled to start. If the appearance finishes any later than 5:00pm and the location is more than a one hour drive from Townsville, we will also need to organise overnight accommodation. If we will be driving to the location, you must pay for fuel, if you would like us to fly to the location, you would need to pay for the flights and either organise a driver to and from the airport/location/accommodation, or pay for a hire car. We do not charge extra for travel within the Townsville region, even for the outter suburbs.

If you have a serious problem with the conduct of Fantasy Character Appearances - Townsville such as the physical resources we provide performers to use or our online conduct, please speak with us! As our performers are generally subcontractors and are not employees of Fantasy Character Appearances - Townsville, if you have a serious problem arise due to the conduct of a performer, we can help mediate any conversations with the performer, but it is important that these issues are taken up with the performer. Subcontractors are responsible for their own actions.

Generally, it is $50 per character for an hour. Additional hours are generally charged at a higher rate. Sometimes we are able to make deals to make it cheaper, and sometimes we have to charge additional fees depending on the amount and type of work involved. Some characters with large, heavy and hot costumes (such as Batman, the Grinch or the Easter Bunny) are generally more expensive.

Anything you like! Hand out promotional materials, do performances, story time, temporary tattoos, just be there to take photos, walk around the store or be in just one area. Just tell us what you’d like and we’ll see what we can do! We can also bring along backdrops, furniture, photographers, etc.

Sadly, at this time we cannot attend events that face characters from other companies will be present at. Our performers are trained actors, singers and dancers with blue cards, police checks, and insurance. Our performers wear high quality lace front wigs and the most authentic handmade costumes, and they never break character. Character performers from other businesses are generally untrained and do not have the standard of quality we have in terms of qualifications, wigs, costumes, acting, voices, and appropriate ways to interact with children. We have had issues as a result of people thinking other characters who did inappropriate things were a part of our business, and it would not be in the best interest of our business, the business hiring us, or the children that will meet us to be associated with performers who have said and done these inappropriate things to children. We have around 40 characters to choose from, and if we don’t have something you need, tell us and we can see what we can do! And you can be guaranteed you will have the most accurate, most realistic, and highest quality character performers in North Queensland! Sadly, the inconsistencies between our performers and those of other companies available at this time results in very negative impacts on our performers and our business.

We do not charge for charity events, however we are limited to contributing to four charity events per month, and these spots fill up quick so make sure you contact us early! There are also some other restrictions in regard to charity events: Time restriction: Most performers and characters will have a 2-hour time limit for appearances done for charity. Some characters with bigger, heavier, and hotter costumes may have a reduced time limit of 1 hour. Individual performers may also choose to extend their time at your event to more than 2 hours if they feel they are able to do so. Choice of character/performer: As the performers do not receive payment for these appearances, you may have a reduced choice of characters as some performers cannot take a day off work for unpaid work. Contact us and we’ll let you know what we can do for you!

We partner with a few other small businesses in the Townsville region. If you would like more information on hiring party decorators, photographers, face painters, or jumping castles, just send us a message!

That’s fine. Once we have a time and location, we lock that in as a booking. Any other requests we receive will be worked around your booking. The number of children will need to be confirmed by 5 days prior to a party experience booking and 2 days prior to a party appearance booking in order to ensure that we have the correct number of materials for all children. We keep the default number of sets of materials ready for each party, so if your party has more than 10 children but this detail is not confirmed by these deadlines, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to order enough materials for extra children in time.

The party appearance package would suit you if: The main thing you’re after is photos with the character or just a quick surprise for the birthday boy/girl. Your child doesn’t have a very long attention span. Your child is not yet walking and talking and wouldn’t be able to fully enjoy craft activities or party games. You’re on a bit of a stricter budget. Your party is in a very public space or a hired venue that wouldn’t suit craft activities and party games (ie. Lots of wind that will blow away craft materials, no walls to hang Pin the Tail on the Donkey type games, places where music cannot be played, etc.) The party experience package would suit you if: Your child would like to interact with a character for an extended period of time. Your child loves craft activities. You need a couple more activities to fill up the time of the party. You have additional requests of our performers, eg. helping to run an extra party game you provide. Your party is held at a private location where craft activities and party games can easily take place.

Just contact us and we’ll see if we can help you out! For example, if you’re wanting to change the time of the appearance, just let us know what time you would like to change it to. If the performer can still do that time, then there will be no issue. If the performer or character has another commitment at that time, we can try to find another performer or character that will suit.

Bank transfer is the preferred method of payment. In some instances, we can allow you to pay in cash if you need to. Just discuss this with us! Payment must be received before the scheduled start time of the appearance. Therefore, if paying through bank transfer, this should be done a few days prior to the date of the booking to make sure the payment is received in time. If paying in cash, the performer must have the money before they begin their appearance.

If you cancel the booking at least 2 hours prior to the time the appearance is scheduled to start, you will receive a full refund. If you cancel the booking within 2 hours of the appearance, you will not be able to receive a refund. The performer is generally already getting ready for your booking 3-4 hours before their appearance, so they must still be paid for their time. In the case of an emergency that results in less than 2 hours notice of a cancellation being given (eg. car accident, etc.) you may be able to get a refund. If the performer needs to cancel a booking due to a similar emergency, or due to adverse weather (ie. Heavy rain, heat wave, etc.) you will receive a full refund. In the case that you’ve paid for extra children but these children did not end up attending the party, the extra amount you’ve paid will be held as a credit for the next time you’d like to book us! In the case that you do not feel you have received the experience that was agreed upon, please contact us and we can discuss the potential for a refund.

Not a lot! Your major job is to keep the fantasy alive! We’ve had a lot of parents tell children that it is not the real character. Our performers go through a lot of training to make sure they act just like the character and know every little detail about them in order to make sure children fully believe they are the real deal. It makes it very difficult on our performers when parents tell their children otherwise! Another major responsibility of the parents is to ensure the children can fully experience all that the performer has to offer. In other words, organising the children for the different activities the performer has planned. The children at any event are not under the care of our performers and must be supervised at all times by the adult who made the booking. The role of the performer is to provide a magical experience, they will focus on conducting their activities, not on behaviour management strategies. Further, for extra large parties (over 10 children) the performer will need a greater amount of support from the supervising parents

Generally, the performer requires a table and chair. If these are not available, they may not be able to conduct some of the activities. If you cannot provide a table and chair, just let us know and we can have the performer bring them along! They will need some help carrying these in and out though!

It’s always best to let the venue know that we will be there. For most venues, it is no issue. If the venue requires our insurance information, just let us know, or they can email us at fantasycharacterappearances@gmail.com. If the venue charges the performer an entry fee, you will need to pay for this.

Just ask us and we’ll see what we can do!

Of course! We may need to charge a small additional fee for this.

If a costume is compromised under your supervision, you may be charged extra fees. For example, if a child is eating chocolate cake and you are not supervising them closely enough and they put the cake or their dirty hands on the costume, you are liable for the cost of cleaning that costume. If a child is continuously jumping on a performer’s dress or cape and breaks it, you are liable for the cost of mending that costume. If the performer is unable to leave on time, you may be charged extra fees. For example, if you have booked a mermaid character and you have stated that someone will carry them out at the end of the appearance, and they are not carried out in time, you will be charged for the extra time you have the character.

Every party booking is unique and we try to include activities that cater to the chosen theme or character and to the age of the children. Here's just some examples of the types of activities involved: - All parties - temporary tattoos/glitter tattoos, generic party games, etc. - Princess party - Crown making, sing and dance-a-long performances, musical statues, story time, etc. - "Frozen" party - "Freeze" dancing game, pin the carrot on Olaf, etc. - Fairy party - Wand making, gymnastics ribbon ("wand") tutorial, etc. - Superhero party - Mask making, stunt tutorial, etc. - Mermaid/under the sea party - Sand art, etc. You can request what activities we do and you can also ask if we can help you run your activities!

If you’d like more information about our performers, just let us know! We can get them to contact you and tell you a bit more about themselves so you feel a bit more comfortable with them!

There are a lot of materials we bring along to parties (temporary tattoos, party favours, craft activities, things for games), if there are more children, we need to bring more materials, and thus this costs more money. The materials we bring for 10 or less children are basically provided for free, anything more than that, we must charge for. Even if you would like to “remove” an activity from our package, we cannot charge less for that, as the base price you are charged is only to pay the performer for their time, everything else has been provided to you for free. Furthermore, entertaining more than 10 children is more work on the performer’s behalf.

There's a few reasons why we don't do extremely long party appearances. Firstly, children generally have a short attention span. Children's parties usually only last 1-2 hours to begin with, so we wouldn't want the characters to be there from start to finish when there's still people arriving or after most people have left. Our character appearances work best when they are seen as a fun surprise that is part of a party rather than the entire substance of a party. Another factor is that we are not party hosts. We do bring along some activities to fill in the time, because even 20 minutes is a long time to fill for children, but our main job as a character performer is to perform as the character, not to run a whole party. Lastly, we would like to keep our prices as cheap as possible, and if we did longer party appearances we would need to bring along more supplies for more games and activities to fill the time which would cost more money.

Our costumes can cost up to $1000 to make, we cannot risk getting paint on them. This is why we offer temporary tattoos or glitter tattoos as another way the children can get to talk to the character as if they were getting their face painted, without the potential mess!

If you have more than 20 children at your party and you've chosen a Party Appearance package, we may need to charge our regular rate for an extra 15 minutes to ensure we have enough time to do everyone's glitter tattoo and still get through all the other inclusions of the package!

Your responsibilities All children at a booking are considered to be under the supervision of the person who made the booking, and they are under that person’s supervision for the entirety of the booking. You, as the person who made the booking, are responsible for the safety of all children at your booking and are expected to supervise these children for the entirety of the booking. The children at your booking are not under the care of our performers at any time. It is also your responsibility to ensure a safe working environment for our performers, free of potential physical dangers and free of harassment and abuse. Your rights You, as the person who makes the booking, have the right to cancel the booking at any time. Please see above for information regarding refunds in the case of a cancellation. You have the right to instruct a performer to leave your booking immediately and without explanation in the case of verbal, physical, or sexual abuse. Please contact us with your concerns and we can discuss the potential for a refund. You have the right to publish any photos of our characters taken at your booking. Our performers’ rights Our performers have the right to leave a booking immediately and without explanation in the case of verbal, physical, or sexual abuse. A refund will not be provided. Our performers have the right to leave a booking immediately if it is different than what had been agreed upon. ie. If there are many more children than had been paid for, if it is in a location that is unsafe, if it is being held on dirt/grass/mud when we were previously told it would not be, if they do not receive an agreed upon cash payment prior to the appearance. We have the right to reshare photos of our characters on our Facebook page that you have shared publicly on the internet. If you do not wish your photos to be shared, just let us know!