About A Child's Joy
A Child's Joy is highly regarded for its accommodating nature, reliable service, and well-behaved animals, making them a strong choice for children's parties and school events. They offer a range of rentals including bounce houses, petting zoos (with donkeys and ponies), and party essentials. While the delivered service and product quality are consistently praised, one significant concern involves the owner's reported confrontational communication during an administrative issue.
What parents should know
Summarized from real visitor reviews.
Best for: Children's birthday parties needing animal interactions (petting zoo, pony rides) and bounce houses.School fall festivals or other large-scale school events.Parents looking for flexible and accommodating party rental services.Events where well-behaved animals are a key attraction.Ideal for young children (toddlers to early elementary) who enjoy petting zoos, pony rides, and bounce houses. Suitable for children's birthday parties and school festivals.
Why families love it
- Arrived early for setup, allowing parties to start ahead of schedule.
- Quick responses to customer questions (e.g., via Laurie).
- Accommodated last-minute changes, such as adding a donkey just 2 days before the party.
- Friendly and efficient setup staff.
- Animals (donkeys, ponies) are consistently described as very docile, calm, and well-behaved with children.
- Good selection of bounce houses and rides.
Insider tips
- If your event requires specific documentation (e.g., city permits, insurance certificates), initiate communication about these needs very early and be prepared for potential administrative friction based on one reported incident.
- Confirm generator availability or if you need to provide your own, as one reviewer mentioned competitors include them.
- Don't hesitate to ask for last-minute additions like an extra table or animal, as they have shown capacity to accommodate these requests.
- Expect friendly and knowledgeable staff for setup and animal handling.
- Their animals are noted for being gentle, making them suitable for interactions with young children.
Good to know before you go
- If you anticipate complex administrative requirements (like city permits/insurance) and prioritize consistently smooth, non-confrontational communication above all else, one review suggests exercising caution due to a severe negative interaction with the owner.
- If you have a very low tolerance for potential customer service issues related to owner communication, particularly concerning administrative details.
- Owner (Laurie) reportedly yelled at a customer over the phone during a discussion about city-required insurance documentation, described as 'absolutely appalling' and 'incredibly rude and unaccommodating'.
- Refused to refund a deposit despite the contract stating the customer was entitled to one, according to one review.
- The negative interaction included venting about being 'busy' and not offering an apology for the behavior.
- Value
- Generally perceived as providing excellent value, with terms like 'insanely reasonable' and 'great rate' mentioned for their services and animal quality. While one negative review suggested competitors might be cheaper and include generators, the overall sentiment points to competitive and fair pricing for the quality offered.
- Accessibility
- No specific accessibility accommodations mentioned in the reviews for their services (as they are mobile rentals).
- Safety
- Animals are consistently described as docile and calm, indicating good temperament and handling.
What parents say
"Amazing service . I rented the bounce house and petting zoo with donkey . They arrived early to set up and we were able to start a little earlier than scheduled. Laurie was quick to answer questions and was even able to make a last minute change 2 days before the party , we wanted to add the donkey . The gentleman that set up everything was also very friendly and did a great job . The animals were very docile and the kids had a blast . Impressed with everything."
a year ago
"Our school's PTA used A Child's Joy for our fall festival this year and it turned out great!! Not only did they have a great selection of rides and bounce houses, the kids also loved the petting zoo. Laurie and her staff were so great to work with, and even extra accommodating to get everything set up and taking down during our tight schedule with school hours. Would definitely use them again!! Thank you!!"
2 years ago
"This company should receive 0 stars. The interaction I had with Laurie was absolutely appalling. I have never once in my life been yelled by the owner of a company, until now. I worked with Laurie on renting a bounce house for my daughter’s birthday party. The City of Chandler required insurance documentation from A Child’s Joy, and there was a pretty tight deadline because of the holidays. When I tried to get Laurie’s cooperation she got extremely nasty with me and yelled at me over the phone. When I asked her why she was getting angry with me, she offered no explanation and continued to yel"
3 years ago
Reviews sourced from public Google data.
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