Top 5 Bounce with Slide (Combo) Rentals of 2023

In 2023 Carolina Fun Factory served more than 900 customers to help make their company picnic, business grand opening, holiday party, and employee celebration event, to name a few, even more unforgettable.

Carolina Fun Factory offers a vast array of inventory to serve all event needs including bounce houses that have slides built into them (Insider Tip: In the industry, these are called 'Combos').

Just for fun, we ran the numbers to see which ones you said were the most popular based on the total number of rentals in 2023 and here are the results!

#5 Firetruck Combo

#4 Unicorn Rainbow

#3 Funtastic

#2 Padgett's Palace

#1 Carolina Castle

Find all of these and more on our website at:

www.carolinafunfactory.com

What events are you planning in 2024?

Now is the time to plan! Most organizations know what their annual events are, yet they oftentimes wait til nearly the last minute to plan. Just like Christmas, we know it's coming every single year but what do we do? Wait until the last minute then have to encounter the crowds, and "sold out" items, or items that won't ship on time. Me... it's me... I'm guilty too.

But! This year CAN and WILL be different!

Grab that calendar and map out those events that you know are coming. Then give Carolina Fun Factory a call to talk with a professional event coordinator.

Pro Tip: Not all items that we have access to are on the website!

Carolina Fun Factory is proud to have an army of vendors that we partner with that offers services such as:

• Catering

• Photography

• DJ

• Balloon Art

• Staging

• Portable Restroom Trailers

#together is the best place to be. We would be honored, at Carolina Fun Factory, if you would consider us for your #2024events

info@carolinafunfactory.com

(910)722-2246

 Summer of Savings

There is no time more precious than time spent with your kids.  18 summers... That's all we get. In fact, by age 12 we will have already spent 75% of the time that we get with our child. By the time the teen years come around the honest truth is that time with friends replaces time with parents. Once that child starts driving and starts a job those remaining 6 summers fly by even more quickly.

How to Get Your Time & Money Back 

You can always make more money... but you can never make more time.  You can save both time and money by electing to 'staycation' in your own backyard.  With prices of fuel, food, hotels, and entertainment skyrocketing you may feel like taking a vacation is out of the question.  But choosing to stay home has so many benefits such as:

• Nothing beats sleeping in your own bed at night.
• Save wear and tear on your vehicle, not to mention fuel.
• Avoid long lines and crowded amenities.
• Family pets aren't excluded from their family.
• Instead of spending time riding in the car spend that time sliding on the waterslide.
• Cooking your own food at home not only tastes better but is less expensive.

Summer Staycation Solutions

An inflatable water slide rental is a great summer fun option to beat the heat in your own backyard.  Imagine the excitement of climbing up the slide and slipping down into a refreshing pool of water.  There is music in the area, a cool refreshing drink in your hand, and not a care in the world.  You get to smile knowing that you and your family are spending much-needed quality time together and not a small fortune to take a trip out of town.  In fact...the money you save by renting a water slide from Carolina Fun Factory instead of spending it on a trip out of town will allow you to start holiday shopping earlier this year!

Summer on a Budget

Carolina Fun Factory offers the area's largest selection of water slide rentals in central North Carolina.  With FREE delivery and setup, you can relax and enjoy the fun and the savings!  Also, for a limited time during Summer 2023, you can rent your water slide for any Wednesday from now until September 15 and have guaranteed delivery on Tuesday and pickup on Thursday.

How to Order Up Your Summer Fun

Visit the Water Slide Rental page HERE and preview the amazing selection.  Then click on the red Order By Date button.  If you are on a computer then you will find this button at the top right of the home page.  If you are on a mobile device then click the three lines in the circle next to the 'search inventory' bar and you will find the red Order By Date button there.

Select a Wednesday on the calendar and then select 12:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m.  Your order will automatically be scheduled for delivery on Tuesday and won't be picked up until Thursday... Extra fun at No Extra Charge!

Water Slide Rental Delivery Area

Carolina Fun Factory offers delivery of high-quality inflatable water slides that your entire family will enjoy.  The delivery area includes a large section of central North Carolina.  You may wish to view the Delivery Page to make sure that your area is included for delivery prior to shopping the waterslide selection.

Enjoy Summer Savings

Just like summer doesn't stick around forever, neither will this offer. Take advantage of easy online ordering today or call the office at 910-722-2246 or 919-292-0843 between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.  Make this a Summer of Memories... and Savings!

2023 Party Planning Guide | carolinafunfactory.com

2023 Party Planning Guide

How to Become a Confident Party Planner in 2023

If you have promised yourself that this is the year that you are going to be more organized and not let yourself get caught off guard when it comes to planning your events in 2023, then this Ultimate Guide to Party Planning is just for you.  Being more organized is an excellent goal and one that is easily accomplished with a little help from our party rental friends at Carolina Fun Factory based in the Fayetteville and Fort Bragg area of North Carolina.

Reasons To Plan A Party

A party is held for a variety of reasons however the most popular conventional reasons to host a party are:  

• birthday parties

• bridal showers

• baby showers

• bar mitzvahs

• bat mitzvahs

• quinceañeras

• anniversary parties

• gender reveal parties

• housewarming parties

• retirement parties

• summer block parties

• graduation parties, and 

• "going away" parties... just to name a few.

Many of today's party planners think outside the box and do not need a conventional reason to host a party.  These party planners are known to host cutting-edge and trendy parties such as these:

• color party

• Mardis Gras party

• carnival party

• luau party

• fiesta party

• Super Bowl party

• wild west party

• St Patricks Day party

• Octoberfest party

• glow party

• foam party

• golf party

• game night party

You can probably get very creative as you add to this list, but the truth is that you don't need a specific reason or a trendy theme to host an awesome party!  All that you need is friends, food, and fun so grab your calendar and get ready to circle some dates as you plan your 2023 party schedule.

What Are Some Common Mistakes in Party Planning?

• Not Planning Early Enough. 

Does party planning make you feel stressed?  This often happens when you do not begin planning your party early enough.  Take a minute now to grab your planner and make a list of dates that you know are coming up this year that you need to plan a party for.  For example, if you have kids then you know that their birthday is on the same day each year.  Now you may need to look at which weekend is closest to their birthday to plan a party with their friends on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday but now is the time to think about that.  Are there any other parties that you need to add to your calendar? Perhaps you have a student who is graduating or a parent who is retiring?  Is your best friend getting married or having a baby and you have been asked to plan the shower?  Don't let these dates "sneak up" on you!  Being organized now will save you so much stress later!  You should also consider locking in the date with the party rental company that you are getting items from.  For example, the party rental company Carolina Fun Factory offers an online booking calendar where you can select your date and reserve your items now so you can get the best selection of party rental items that you need early instead of waiting until the last minute and risk not getting the items that you want.

• Not Having a Budget

Let's face it...the cost of everything has gone up so it should come as no surprise that the cost of having a party has increased as well.  You can save yourself a lot of money...and a lot of stress...by knowing how much you want to budget for each party as you begin planning your party.  Last year in 2022 the average cost for a birthday party in the Fayetteville NC area was $620.00 and that was 40.94% over the average cost of a party in the year 2021.  It may be pretty safe to anticipate a budget of $860 per party to make sure that you can get everything that you need.  Once you have a budget in mind then it is much easier to plan how many guests you will invite so you know how many tables and chairs to plan for as well as your menu of what you will serve your guests.  There are many party packages and specials available from your local party rental store such as Carolina Fun Factory where you can get everything that you need at once.  Not only will ordering a party package save you money but also valuable time!

• Not Anticipating Expenses Beyond What You Have Budgeted For

Every plan should have a backup plan and planning a party takes no exception to this rule.  There are occasions when the unexpected occurs and perhaps you do need to expand upon what you had originally planned for.  If you will set aside a bit of your budget for the unexpected then you will be prepared instead of stressed if you do need more tables and chairs than you had originally planned for.  Leaving room in your budget for the unexpected will also help you to keep your budget under control and any money that you did not use for that particular party can be added to the budget for the next one perhaps.

• Not Having a Party Plan and Checklist

A party plan begins with knowing the 4 W's of party planning:  "Who" the party is for so you can plan the party around that person's needs, theme, or interests, "What" party supplies and entertainment are needed to meet the expectations of the honoree and guests, and "Where" the party will be held and the details such as space and reservation requirements.  When you plan a party you need a checklist so details are not overlooked and also so you can delegate some of the tasks.  At the end of this article is a FREE PARTY PLANNING CHECKLIST to help you get organized.

• Not Getting RSVPs

Life is very busy and with everything that people have going on in their lives it is easy to overlook making a commitment to a party, but you really need to know so you can plan.  Make your guest list and then keep track of who has not responded so you can reach back out to them.  There are many online formats for sending invitations and tracking RSVPs.  A few of our favorite online digital invitation creators and trackers are Paperless Post and Sign Up Genius.  

What Do You Need When Planning A Party?

To start with, you need a great theme to plan your party around.  Once you have the theme of your party then other details such as décor, menu, music, and entertainment will fall into place. Establishing a party theme first will help you create your vision for your party.  You will also feel more creative as you work out all of the fun details by keeping them in line with your theme.  Believe it or not, selecting a theme for your party will also help you to stay on budget because you will know what you need to create the look and feel that you are going for.

Now that you have a theme in mind you need to decide on who to invite.  Does your guest list include children?  If so, then plan on having some activities to keep them entertained as well.  Usually, a small bounce house in the backyard works great to keep the little kids happy.  If you do decide to add a bounce house to the party then be aware that there are many different sizes and styles to suit a variety of age groups.  The most popular jump castle rentals tend to be a bounce with a slide built in called a "combo".  These work great for larger groups and for a variety of ages as some kids can bounce while others are sliding.  Many inflatable jump house rentals also have a theme such as sports, barnyard, carnival, pirate, or even unicorn themes so you may be able to plan your entire party around the specific theme of the inflatable that you rent!

Don't forget entertainment for adults as well!  More and more adults are still choosing to stay within a small circle and socialize privately rather than going out in large crowds.  There are so many benefits to having a rotating party night within a small circle of friends as opposed to getting overwhelmed at a public bar or event.  You can choose your people and have a safe place to relax with each other without intimidation.  With this in mind, a lot of adult parties will feature games such as Human Hungry Hippo!  The hippo game has four different sections with each being its own color:  Yellow, Blue, Orange, and Red.  You can ask your guests to come dressed in one of those colors and to also bring any shareable snacks that also relate to that color.  For example, a person wearing an orange shirt would bring orange soda and cheese puffs.  Building a party around a theme like this is easy and fun for everyone as well as affordable.

What Not To Forget When Planning A Party?

• Don't Forget the Signage

If your party is being held at a venue then it is likely that your guests may not have been there before.  Always check with the local authority to make sure that it is ok to place signs along a roadway and then be sure to go back and remove the signage once your event is over.  Even if your party is at your home it is still a good idea to put some signage and/or balloons out front of your home so that the party rental delivery company can find your location easily.

• Don't Forget Others Might Have Food Allergies

Be aware of any food allergies that your guests may have.  If any food products that you are serving contain nuts or shellfish it is a good idea to have some sort of sign at that food to let guests know.

• Don't Forget to Enlist Help

Once you have your Party Planning Checklist complete you will be able to see those tasks that can be delegated to others that you trust. By sharing the party planning checklist with others you give your friends and family the opportunity to become a part of the party and not just a guest.  

• Don't Forget to Have Activity Options

Sure, the main focus is to come together for a relaxing fun time of great conversation and laughter but also have a variety of activity options so people don't feel like they have to make small talk or talk about the same thing over and over.  Fun party games that everyone can enjoy include cornhole, oversized Connect Four, giant Jenga, foosball, portable pool table rental, Catch the Light game as well as any favorite card games that friends like to play.

• Don't Forget to Relax and Go With the Flow

If you are having a good time then more than likely your guests are too.  Keep your party simple and remember the reason that you are hosting a party... to have FUN!

Party Planning Checklist

Simple is best when planning a party and our gift to you is this Birthday Party Planning Checklist that we have created just for you. Speaking of "simple"... nothing is more simple and easy than ordering your tent, tables, chairs, fun party foods, and entertainment from Carolina Fun Factory.  We are a name you can trust in the Fayetteville NC area and surrounding areas.