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Home > Categories > Entertainment > Fixed Venues > Inflatable World review

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Score: 8.6/10  [10 reviews]
3 out of 5
ProdID: 4992 - Inflatable World
Location: Auckland, Hamilton, Palmerston North

Inflatable World
Price:
See website for details
Sample/s Supplied by:
Click to search for all products supplied by Inflatable World

Disclosure StatementFULL DISCLOSURE: A number of units of this product have, at some time, been provided to KIWIreviews by Inflatable World or their agents for the sole purposes of unbiased, independent reviews. No fee was requested, offered nor accepted by KIWIreviews or the reviewers themselves - these are genuine, unpaid consumer reviews.
Available:
See website for details

Inflatable World product reviews

Proud to promote NZ productsRemember the days when you pinballed around in the bouncy castle, zoomed down slides, and ran around like a maniac? Relive those days with your kids, at your nearest Inflatable World venue! Fun for the entire family, for kids of any age.

Facilities include:
    •  Inflatable slides, reverse bungy, castles, basketball, train, darts, wobbly table, assault course, sticky human fly wall.
    •  Restroom facilities, smoking area, ample parking and seating.
    •  Hot food, cold drinks and snacks.
    •  Licensed Rocket Bar onsite at some venues, selling beer and RTDs - for adults only. Proof of age will be required.

Inflatable World Glenfield
57 View Road
Glenfield
North Shore
Auckland
p: (09) 444-2377

Inflatable World Manukau
577 Great South Road
Manukau
Auckland
p: (09) 213-7746

Inflatable World Hamilton
Indoor Sports Centre
Cnr Duke St and Aztec Place
Hamilton
p: (07) 847-1653

Inflatable World Palmerson North
491 Tremain Ave
Cloverlea
Palmerston North
p: (06) 358-6095

NOTE: Attractions and activites will vary between locations, and not all activities will be available at all venues.

See website for full details of pricing and opening hours.

Check out Inflatable World onlineClick here to see all the listings for Inflatable World Visit their website They do not have a Twitter account Check them out on Facebook They do not have a YouTube Channel They do not have a Pinterest board They do not have an Instagram channel They do not have a TikTok channel



Tags:
auckland   bungy   family   fun   glenfield   hamilton   holiday   inflatable   inflatable world   manukau   nzmade   palmerston north   school holidays   slides
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Click here to read the profile of onyxcyrus

Review by: onyxcyrus (Cat)
Dated: 6th of December, 2017

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This Review: 7.8/10
Uniqueness:
Score 9 out of 10
Location:
Score 8 out of 10
Price:
Score 6 out of 10
Variety:
Score 8 out of 10

Location: Palmerston North

We had never been to Inflatable World before but were recently invited to a child at my daughter's daycares birthday party. My kids were excited as they had heard of it before. The reason we had never been being that I had heard stories about it being dangerous and kids breaking bones.

The car park was small but we found a spot right outside. When we went in, the staff were friendly and told us where to go to the party. There were 2 other parties on that morning both using the 2 party rooms, so we were set up on a table outside that. I noticed the spot the parents of different customers were sitting at was crammed into a small area. It didn't look comfortable so if I ever came again it's not the nicest place to be stuck with a 6-month-old.

My kids wanted to get playing pretty quickly, my 6yo gave everything a good go and didn't have any trouble climbing stairs or throwing herself down the slides. My 3yo was a lot more cautious and stuck to an inflatable pirate boat for smaller kids. There was a large inflatable cushion that caused a few kids to cry while I was there including my 3yo, but it was so much fun, the younger ones just need to be properly supervised.

At $14 for a kid over 5, I think its pricey but it's something different to do from the limited options in Palmerston North. It caters to a large range of ages being enjoyable for adults too.

Click here to read the profile of fiona

Review by: fiona (Fiona)
Dated: 11th of September, 2014

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This Review: 8.3/10
Uniqueness:
Score 9 out of 10
Location:
Score 8 out of 10
Price:
Score 8 out of 10
Variety:
Score 8 out of 10

Location: Hamilton

I have taken my family to Inflatable World in Hamilton for a treat. I sometimes find it tricky to get an activity that suits all of my children due to a large age gap so have teenagers down to under 5 at the time. Inflatable World was an excellent choice as the activities and equipment suited all of the age groups.

I found the signage to get in not all that clear but once inside it is was a fantastic venue, very spacious and the added bonus of being able to take in your own food makes a large difference and also helps to keep the cost down for the trip.

The equipment provided a couple of hours of entertainment for all 3 of my boys, the only problem being that the younger of my children found some of the equipment to large for him to use and was a little disappointed that he did not fit in the Velcro suit properly for it to work for him.

Would happily go back here again due to the fact it covers a large age range, awesome indoor activity for either wet or very hot bright sunny days a it is an indoor venue.

Would recommend and do plan on going back myself as well.

Click here to read the profile of sweetpea

Review by: sweetpea (Sarah)
Dated: 19th of June, 2014

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This Review: 9.5/10
Uniqueness:
Score 10 out of 10
Location:
Score 9 out of 10
Price:
Score 10 out of 10
Variety:
Score 9 out of 10

Venue: Hamilton

We had been wanting to check out Inflatable World for a while so the girls were very excited when I said we had passes and were going to go so we could write a review. Miss Seven and I had a look on the website to find out where to go and when it was open. It is only open in the weekends and Monday. We also noted that it was a three hour session from when you arrived so decided to go after lunch on a Sunday.

We found it easily thanks to a sign on the road however the place looked a bit untidy on the outside and the doorway is a bit narrow so it didn't look very inviting. There was some parking at the front and then plenty of parking along the side and at the rear of the building. Once we were in though I realised it was an indoor netball court and cricket practice venue and this was actually a pretty brilliant way to earn extra revenue.

Entrance fees are $12 per child and adult for a three hour session and $6 per under 5 year old (or if a adult is with a under 5 it is $12 for both). That seemed fairly reasonable for 3 hours of bouncing! We were told that one area would close in two hours time and the other area shortly after. That didn't bother us and we appreciated being warned that that would be happening.

My first thought was wow its actually fairly quiet (volume wise) for the number of people there and the building certainly seemed to hold the sound of so many excited children really well. I loved the layout with plenty of seating and tables between the two netted areas allowing pretty good visibility of all the play areas. Some snack food and drink is sold but you can bring your own (as we did) so it makes for an easy afternoon with the kids just having food and drink as they get hungry.

Miss Seven and Miss Six had an absolutely brilliant time and were able to play on all the play areas. Miss Three wasn't really able to play on the areas in one section very easily and after she had tired of playing there with me she was pretty happy after a while just going around and around on a climbing slide, bouncy thing for most of the time we were there. Miss Six's favourite activity was getting into the Velcro suit and sticking herself to a wall. This was definitely the favourite activity and she was able to do flips and land upside down and sideways to much merriment.

There were a couple of small suits and then a couple of adult ones so though there were no restrictions on how many could go on there it just naturally kept it to about two which felt safe. Unfortunately as we were getting Miss Six out of the suit to put Miss Three into it, to give her a chance to hang upside down, Miss Three attempted a flip without the suit on. She went straight up and over the side (probably a one and a half to two meter drop) straight down on her head onto the concrete floor.

It was pretty nasty so after receiving a bag of ice to put on her expanding head we left for A&E. That incident did draw my attention to the fact that there are no protective pads around many of the bouncy play areas and that one in particular is one that children are doing flips on. Aside from that many did have children climbing on the sides (there are signs asking children not to do so). I would like to see foam pads around all those areas.

Despite the nasty end to our visit we all had a fantastic time and the girls all want to go back (though very gravely telling Miss Three that she can't do flips on the Velcro bounce again!) I would probably be a bit more wary after our experience but would definitely recommend it as a brilliant and great value place to go for a very fun time.

Click here to read the profile of rekebum

Review by: rekebum (Shani)
Dated: 19th of June, 2014

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This Review: 8.3/10
Uniqueness:
Score 10 out of 10
Location:
Score 5 out of 10
Price:
Score 8 out of 10
Variety:
Score 10 out of 10

VENUE: Palmerston North

The one and only complaint I have is it was tricky to locate, It is located down a long drive way and in an industrial area, it was not easily spotted despite having a street sign out. The first time we went was for a Birthday Party and everyone that attended commented that they had almost missed it or had driven past and had to turn around.

The party rooms are great and located up stairs so you can watch from there large windows or go down stairs and be closer to the kids. There was enough room for everyone and they cleaned up afterwards. The kids all loved it and were asking to have their party there too.

The price is reasonable, you can spend as much time as you like there and when we went we asked if we could go for Lunch and come back which they said was fine so that was awesome! (This was on a different day from the Birthday Party) It is $6 for Under 5's and $12 for over 5's or and Adult and an under 5 for $12. Me and hubby even unleashed our inner children and had a good go at everything available.

With kids ageing from 2-16 there was something for everyone and they all enjoyed different parts. There is 3 separate areas, one having all the bouncy castles and stuff for younger kids, the second part has the zorb's and a pole fighting blow up thing and the last part has a huge obstacle course, the Velcro fly wall, a spinny around thing and one where you try and see how far you can run. So there is lots to do and keep the kids busy, entertained,, happy and tire them out!!

We all love it there, I think it is well worth the money and a great day out for all.

Click here to read the profile of haykay

Review by: haykay (Haley)
Dated: 13th of June, 2014

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This Review: 8.8/10
Uniqueness:
Score 9 out of 10
Location:
Score 8 out of 10
Price:
Score 9 out of 10
Variety:
Score 9 out of 10

Venue: Hamilton

Was keen to try the Inflatable World out in Hamilton with pre-schoolers. I quite often find youngsters get scared in these types of places because they are big structures but also move when more than one person is on at a time.

When first arriving I found that the signage was not very visible and it was quite confusing where to go. Once you choose the right door, you walk through a corridor to the gym. It would of been great to have a bit more signage leading you to the counter. Maybe some large arrows directing you as for those that didn't know it got used for a netball court would of been very confused?

I chose to go on a Monday when it was a little bit quieter. We were very lucky it was a quiet day with only ourselves and other family there at the same time. I had a 3 and 4 year old with me and they whipped off their shoes and were into running from one activity to the next. It took a bit longer for us the mums to get ourselves ready and join in with the fun.

Although a lot of the activities were aimed at the older kids eg the summon ring, sticky wall and bungy because our children had the place to themselves they were keen to give these things a go (with a little help from their mums). Be aware - when using the Velcro suit to stick to the sticky wall it can hurt a grown adult. I liked the way that activities were spread out so that if there were older kids around they would be spread throughout the area.

There were slides and climbing walls and topple table which were enjoyed by the kids. The train however did scare the younger ones as when you open the second door it blows out cold air and starts to deflate. One improvement I would have liked to see would be steps up for the younger ones. They were reliant on us lifting them up to each activity.

The building itself is a netball gym so is quite a cold building (toilets included). I found the noise of the pumps echoed and was quite hard to get the attention of the kids when needed. I loved how there was plenty of tables and chairs which meant you could take your own lunch and the kids could come back to their table for breaks. It was great that we could have extra spectators at no extra cost and this was great as they too could help lift the kids up and take photos (they were not restricted from viewing close up). Toilets had a change table available.

I feel that this place is definitely worth its money for an inside activity. Would definitely choose a Monday again for pre-schoolers.

Click here to read the profile of ktcat

Review by: ktcat (Kate)
Dated: 11th of February, 2014

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This Review: 8.8/10
Uniqueness:
Score 10 out of 10
Location:
Score 9 out of 10
Price:
Score 7 out of 10
Variety:
Score 9 out of 10

Venue: Hamilton

My husband, kids (23 month old girl and 4 year old boy) and I were very excited to get tickets to go to Inflatable world so I could write a review. Socks packed, lots of water and our vouchers from KIWIreviews on hand, our family was full of excitement as we headed off to Inflatable World this morning. We managed to get ourselves on the wrong part of Duke St and then took quite a bit of time to get ourselves on the right side of the road again. I would recommend knowing before setting out in the car where the corner of Duke St and Aztec Place is. Totally our own fault but it delayed the beginning of our experience.

There was a sign out on the road to show us where the venue was; we saw that before we worked out where Aztec Place was. It was a Saturday morning (around 10:30am) when we went and it had been raining as well so we thought we could be in for a very busy visit. We were pleasantly surprised when we drove into the carpark at the side of the building and had no problem getting a park. We walked into the narrow hallway, which then opened up into a big gymnasium-type venue.

When we first looked at the inflatables, I wondered how entertained we would be by what was there. I had watched the promotional movie clip online and I was expecting quite a bit more activity. My son and I were particularly excited about going inside one of the big inflatable balls and rolling around. I had no doubt that the kids would be happy but the question was if there was enough to entertain us adults! Five minutes into our play, we had no doubt that there would be more than enough to entertain all four of us. The kids were running around the place, climbing up the steps to get to the slide. My husband and I were trying to keep up with the kids and lots of laughter was to be had. The kids were able to get down the slide really easily, whereas my husband and I found it a bit hard to slide down. Perhaps different clothing might have helped us to slide a bit better.

We all had to wear a wristband to prove that we had paid. As we played in the heat, my wrist became a bit swollen (I often have problems with that wrist but I hadn't thought to it being an issue). I found that the wristband had been put on too tight for me. I went to the counter and the lady replaced it for me without a problem. My 23 month old daughter didn't like the wristband at all and she had a number of crying outbursts because she had to wear it. I don't think there is another option as they have to be able to identify who has paid but it did cause some issues for my daughter.

I have got to say that my husband and I were just as excited as the kids as we were allowed to play on all the activities just like the kids. At most of this type of venue, the adults have to supervise and watch, whereas at Inflatable World we were free to play with our kids and burn off some energy just like them. The kids thought it was great that we could play together.

It was interesting being an adult in a "child's" environment. Many of the kids assumed that we weren't waiting in line and were quite happy to push past us. Many of the children on the activities stayed on there for an indefinite amount of time and there was nothing apart from their own conscience to make them move on. As a result we waited for one boy to get off the horizontal bungy for at least 10 minutes.

The train inflatable involved participants climbing through the inside of the inflatable. While we were there it seemed like it kept losing the required air to stay up. My 23 month old started to go in and I thought I had better follow her. I put part of my body in and couldn't bear the thought of the inflatable collapsing around me. I got out quickly and I was very glad that my husband took on the job of following my daughter. His comment was that it was claustrophobic and dark and he ended up with a foot in his face a number of times. As a parent on the outside of that inflatable, I was a bit concerned as to whether it would remain collapsed around them. I am not sure if there was a hole in it or not but the guy came over and arranged for both ends to be held closed so that it could fill with air again. We stayed away from that one for the rest of our time there.

I noticed only two staff on duty when we were there. One of them was mainly at the counter to take money/vouchers, sell drinks and snacks and deal with first aid issues. The other one was moving around the gym. It would be interesting to see how things worked on a really busy day with regards to staffing to make sure that everything worked smoothly with all the kids and teens running around the place.

If anyone wants a great workout, then I would recommend taking the kids here and getting into it! It was like a really hard gym workout, sauna (rather hot when we got going) and awesome family fun all at the same time. I would highly recommend a very large bottle of water for each member of the family as you get very hot and thirsty. I have found some muscles in my body that I had forgotten about! Our family lasted a bit under two hours onsite and about 10 minutes of this time was spent having drinks and some food that we had packed to eat. Both children were totally exhausted at the end of our time there and in fact, our four year old son was very red faced and begged to go home for a rest.

We had complimentary passes so I could review the venue. If we had gone as a family and paid for it, it would have been $12 for each of adults and because we had two under 5 year olds, we would have the kids in as part of the Mum and Under 5 combo (assuming the "Mum" option can include a "Dad" as well). $24 would have allowed all four of us to play until we were totally exhausted. I think that isn't so bad. However, once our kids are over 5, they would be $12 each as well. This would make it a rather expensive experience at $48 for our family. This price would stop us from considering it as a family activity. I didn't notice any family pricing options - this sort of thing can encourage families to come along. I saw someone going in with a GrabOne voucher today, and presumably that would have made it much more affordable.

Click here to read the profile of kymmage

Review by: kymmage (Kym)
Dated: 27th of January, 2014

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This Review: 10/10
Uniqueness:
Score 10 out of 10
Location:
Score 10 out of 10
Price:
Score 10 out of 10
Variety:
Score 10 out of 10

Venue: Hamilton

It's Anniversary Day today, so I wasn't sure if Inflatable World would be open, however it was a normal working day for them. I called to be sure, and the service I received from the staff member who answered was great. She was clearly cheerful and very helpful. I had been given two tickets from KIWIreviews to use, one for each child. I wasn't sure if I was going to be allowed to go on the inflatables.

When we arrived, I decided to park on the road rather than in the car park. There was plenty of space for a more confident driver, but I wanted a stress-free park so on the road under a tree it was! I was a bit confused about where to enter, but as I walked in a lady was in the office for the sports centre and there were signs to follow. She confirmed I was in the right place. I got my kids to put on their socks and then I asked about whether I would be okay to go on. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I was indeed allowed and that there is no weight or age restrictions. This is amazing, and I was very happy to pay the bit extra to be allowed on.

We got straight to it, and tried the inflatable train. We pushed our way into the train through the two tight doors. But then my toddler freaked out about the noise and the sensation of the bouncy floor. So the eldest went on ahead and I took the toddler out. She was happiest outside. She jumped on a couple of low mats happily but mostly kept to the small ball pit and the cars to ride on.

I still managed to get on a few things and it was a lot of fun but very exhausting. I don't know how the kids keep going for so long. I know I'm not the fittest, but they are crazy with their playtime stamina! Our favourite game was the mushroom, where I would put my eldest on top and then I had to try and get her off by rocking it around. This was so fun. But after the 5th or 6th time I could hardly lift her. Then we played on the gladiator stand too. I couldn't quite get onto any of the obstacle courses, or the slide, but that really didn't matter to me.

My two kids were a bit of a mess by the time it was home time. My toddler was running around with her comforter (a towel), or occasionally having a tanty and then a micro sleep. My eldest had a few meltdowns towards the end as well, because she was falling down tired. But hey, they promise you the kids will be tired and they sure were! My toddler is having a big nap now and my eldest is relaxing on the couch playing x-box. So some nice me-time is being had by me.

They have plenty of space for you to park your gear. And a counter where you can buy cold drinks and chips and things. I did bring most of our own food, but it was good for something for me because I always forget myself! Thanks KIWIreviews and Inflatable World for the opportunity to try your Hamilton venue. We will be back!

Click here to read the profile of jopukeko

Review by: jopukeko (Jo)
Dated: 13th of January, 2014

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This Review: 8.8/10
Uniqueness:
Score 9 out of 10
Location:
Score 8 out of 10
Price:
Score 9 out of 10
Variety:
Score 9 out of 10

Venue: Hamilton

I was excited to hear that Inflatable World had come to Hamilton as we only have one other indoor playground and that is very overcrowded and noisy especially on a wet weekend. The day we visited Inflatable World was a fine summer's day but it was the school holidays. I took my two daughters, the eldest is five and the youngest a couple of weeks off turning four.

We arrived at a couple of minutes past ten and although the website says they open at nine there was no one other than staff there and all the inflatables were down. I found the building easy to find thanks to a large sign on the roadside and there was ample parking. Finding the entrance was another matter. I naturally went to the double doors which was another business. I decided to try a small entrance and followed a winding corridor until it opened out on a huge room of fun. Thankfully I had been told that it was also used for indoor sports as I wouldn't have found it.

The two staff greeted us warmly and one shot off to turn on the stereo and inflate the inflatables. I didn't think it was worth having a stereo as you couldn't hear it once the fans were all on. It was really magical watching the attractions inflate as we didn't know what they were and it was fun trying to predict what these pieces of fabric would become. There were nine different ones and the girls tried them all.

I decided since it was my New Years resolution to get fit and trim down I would join in the fun. I was exhausted after twenty minutes and my dodgy knee wasn't coping with the uneven surface put I did have fun with the kids. If you want to get your 30 minute a day of exercise this is certainly a fun way to do it. I am pleased we brought water bottles as we needed them. I was also pleased that we were able to supply our own snacks as this was a real saving as well as the fact I could give them healthier options than the chips, biscuits and lollies that were for sale at the counter.

The firm favourite with my girls was the caterpillar train. It was a huge tunnel that you could enter at either end (just be careful of people going the opposite way as I collided with my daughter since you have to use a bit of force to open the sealed doors). Inside the sealed tunnel is a slide and steps. I think what appealed most was the fact that they could hide away from everyone although there were window to look through.

Another popular one with my girls was what looked like a paddling pool with a mushroom in the middle. The kids climbed onto the mushroom which wobbled around. Sometimes my eldest and some of the other school aged kids stood on the mushroom but most of the time they chose just to lie on it. There were only three people at a time allowed on it and the staff monitored it. Miss 3 3/4 was most upset about having to wait her turn so I directed to another piece of equipment and the staff member came over to tell her when there was space for her which I thought was lovely. When my youngest was playing under the mushroom she was gently told to move her legs so they didn't get jammed. This staff member (who had only been working there a couple of days had such a great way with the kids.

Price wise it costs me $24 for the three of us to play as preschoolers and accompanying adults are only $6 each. Next year once my youngest is at school it will be $36 for us as adults and school kids are $12 each. This makes it a costly outing for a family. Having said that we were there for over two hours at which stage one kid wanted to leave but the other wanted to stay. It would be interesting to see how popular this is over the wet season when parents are searching for useful ways for their kids to burn off energy.

It also pays to keep your eyes open for special deals. I have seen on their Facebook page half price deals and also several people were coming in with what looked like vouchers from daily deal sites.

Click here to read the profile of raeofsunshine

Review by: raeofsunshine (Raewyn)
Dated: 12th of January, 2014

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This Review: 7.8/10
Uniqueness:
Score 9 out of 10
Location:
Score 6 out of 10
Price:
Score 8 out of 10
Variety:
Score 8 out of 10

Venue: Hamilton

Today the 3 of us set off to Inflatable World in Hamiton - myself and my husband plus our 3 year old. It was school holidays, a weekend, and there was a drizzle of rain about, so I was expecting the place to be busy. However we arrived about 10am and for most of our visit, we were one of only 3 families - so it was great being able to go on whatever we liked, whenever we liked.

The first thing I noticed as we pulled up, is that it wasn't super-clear where to go. In fact we drove around the back first, before realising the entrance is at the front. It seems it is still used as an indoor sports centre too, which we hadn't realised, so we are wandering through the hallway, not realising we were going to the right place until you emerge into a big room of inflatable attractions.

My 5 year old had heard about the velcro wall, so she was all excited to try that first. There were 2 adult and 2 child suits available. The child suit was miles too big for my 5 year old, but she didn't seem to mind, and the adult one was way too big on me too, but we just went with it. We had a blast for ages, throwing ourselves at the wall and peeling ourselves off again. I was exhausted, and we hadn't even tried all the other things! I don't think I've laughed that much in ages!

We tried everything, and being quiet there were no queues. We enjoyed bouncing on castles, sliding down slides, trying to shoot basketball hoops, and much more! We had fun trying to knock each other off little platforms with huge batons, and climbing on a giant inflatable mushroom type thing was something new and fun for us too. I counted 9 main attractions, not counting little things like moon hoppers, a little pool with (just a few) balls in it, etc. I did note that there wasn't really much for little children - not in their own area anyway.

I also noted that some of the things I'd seen on their website weren't actually available at the Hamilton branch. For example the Sumo Wrestling and the Zorb balls. I was looking forward to trying the sumo suits with my husband and had just assumed they would be available.

I also noted that their giant slide, wasn't nearly so big as the slides at a competing kids play venue in town - again I assumed they would have something pretty amazing along these lines.

I gather you are allowed to stay up to 3 hours, but we were exhausted after 2 hours. By the time we had left, there were were lots of other people turning up, including much older kids and a birthday party. I imagine it would have changed the whole experience with more queues, and much rougher play on some of the attractions. As our 5 year old is not the most confident kid around, I'm glad we were ready to leave by then.

I have to say we had an absolute awesome time though, and as adults, it is well worth paying the extra to be able to participate in everything yourself. My husband had sweat pouring off him though - it gets warm quickly! I hope they sterilise everything well!

They do have some food and drinks available, but I think you are allowed to take your own food too. That wasn't actually entirely clear, so although we'd packed a snack, we ended up just having it in the car on the way home - we were having way too much fun to eat anyway! I am glad we packed full water bottles each though - you do get thirsty! Don't forget socks either!

As we got back out to the car, my 5 year old says, "That was fun, can we go again sometime?" And you know what - we definitely will, as I think it's great to have these sorts of things in Hamilton, and I'd like to be able to support it.

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Review by: slashman (Aaron)
Dated: 7th of January, 2014

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This Review: 8.5/10
Uniqueness:
Score 9 out of 10
Location:
Score 10 out of 10
Price:
Score 8 out of 10
Variety:
Score 7 out of 10

Venue: Hamilton

There is ample parking and a big green inflatable archway to walk under which is cool. The large Inflatable World sign lets you know you are in the right place. It sounds funny but to be honest you might actually miss it without those two things.

Walking in, you follow a hallway that turns left at the end past the toilets and into the complex. This is an Action Sports Center with high netting to allow indoor cricket, netball and indoor soccer. The inflatable world is just that. Inflatable entertainment in a large sports center.

The first thing we noticed was there is only one 5 and under activity. This was the Dora castle. If you were there during busy hours and you had a 3 year old and a 5 year old like we did you would probably not have such a good time. The reason I say this is because having only one activity really limits what you get for your entry fee per participant. There is no charge for guardians or spectators, so if you are going with your kids there is no cost, unless yopu join in the play.

So back to the Dora castle. That is great but not worth the entry fee if that is all they can use. When we were there it was not busy it was a Saturday about 2 hours before close. There were full grown men smashing seven bells out each other in the boxing ring, and most boisterous kids around 8-12 age group going all in on all the other equipment. You don't really want to be a helicopter parent you want to sit back and relax to a certain degree. The long train was cool and is not a fast paced thing so the kids are pretty safe there until some older kids chasing each other barge through. So there is the Dora castle and the train.

I guess there was no clear division of a few activities for younger kids exclusively which was a pity but being as quiet as it was when we went it wasn't necessarily an issue either. I don't think there were any tears and no one was knocked over.

From the entrance going clockwise around the venue there is a long inflatable train which has a neat vertical up and down in the middle. It is a tunnel under pressure so can be a bit scary at first but our kids loved it going round and around. Next to that is a large inflatable basketball court with hoop and handholds for those hang time slam dunks. Not for kids that one the hoop is too high, but they can bounce on the court. Next to that is a large cool inflatable dartboard. It takes some skill because the sticky areas are not all over the board. Also the "darts" are quite light which is good for two reasons. One is that they can't be thrown at people and hurt like bean bags and two they require a little bit of skill to use. Next to that is a climb up one side and slide down the other big slide. Good fun for both our kids, they really enjoyed that one.

Next along is the long run. This was a great idea but our kids were too scared to try it, the 3 year old wouldn't have gone anywhere against the bungee and the 5 year old didn't like the look of the contraption but it does not detract from how cool this one is. No danger of collision injury here, with a sticky Velcro marker you have to get as far along the runway as you can and plonk the marker along the middle wall between runners. Really cool this one.

Also in this area is a small swimming pool filled with balls and a netball / basketball hoop and 3 ride on cars and a couple of scooters. This side feels like the younger side. Moving across to the right separate side of the venue, there is a large round wobbly table. This was great fun and had a limit of 3 people at once which was policed also, which was great to see the staff watching everything. You could take a run up and try and dive onto the platform which of course moves as you pull up onto it.

Next to that was the large almost full sized boxing ring. I don't think it is meant to be a boxing ring, it was set up like a jousting ring. There were two stumps sticking up and 2 two handled batons of different colours. It was just like you may have seen on American Gladiators. This is where the adults were going nuts. Next to that was a long large adventure course that was likely the largest attraction there. Two tracks if you like, two entrance holes and two slides would make for fun and repetitive play for groups of kids. The last attraction was the sticky wall. These have been made famous on shows such as Banzai where you wear a Velcro suit and biff yourself against the sticky wall.

Our 3 year old would not fit a suit at all which is fine, but the 5 year old was swimming in her suit also. Coupled with the heat and lack of airflow this was the worst attraction for keeping cool. She literally was red all over after 15 minutes in the suit and bouncing. She has long hair and we discovered that they have sewn the hooks onto the suit and the fluff onto the wall which meant that when she dipped her hair back to pull off the wall, it was super glued instantly to the Velcro and was nothing short of ripping her hair to get it all out. After this we tied her hair up high, but because the suit was too big again her hair got caught in the hooks and again was bird nested and literally ripped out to get it out of the Velcro hooks. The staff were very attentive and even from across the venue one person came over to help which was again a great sign of staff awareness.

I would like to think that the event staff cleaned down the inflatable attractions because it was very hot and sticky there. Coupled with the last users' hard core style of play in the boxing / jousting ring, that left behind more than sweat - signs of open wounds. There was blood on both of the batons and on the sides of the ring.

Straight up and down the middle of the venue is the seating, set at different heights you can watch your kids having fun. This is also where the tables and plastic chairs are, for having some lunch you may have brought to the venue or that you may have bought at the venue. There were old couches and picnic tables as well as an outdoor smoking area.

There is no aircon in this venue and only 2 open doors to allow air to circulate. No fans were set up at all. I would definitely agree that those large bladed standalone fans should be installed around the venue remember it was very quiet when we went and it was still hot as Hades in there. Imagine another 30 sweaty loud kids / adults tearing about.

The Rocket Bar is licensed and it had beer, rum and bourbon in the fridge and a pie warmer that suggested food also. Snacks and chips could also be bought here. You could also buy fizzy and Powerade but a lack of any free refreshment was noted. Both our kids were dehydrated and we had to get them water from the toilet sinks. A water cooler or drinking fountain would be nice. We did not buy anything this visit, but there were options there like vending machines if you didn't like what the bar had to offer.

We stayed for a good 2 hours but decided you really need to go at the very end or start of the day when it was empty. The price is pretty bang on for what you get here, $6 for under fives and $12 for over fives. There is also a combo deal, one under 5 and one adult for $12. This will guarantee you can have fun helicoptering your child or seek out that inner child in you.

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