Bubble Island Playground — Attraction in North Brunswick Township

So I was not going to leave a review but I felt compelled to document this based on Bubble Island responses. MANY RED FLAGS that should have stopped me from having my daughter's birthday here. I should have read the bad reviews bc there are multiple people who also had very similar negative experience.

Bubble Island itself was cute and seemed clean. Although expensive and over priced, that was not the issue. The kids did have fun, but as a parent, the experience was so bad that I won't recommend bubble island to anyone or bring my kids back. The manager being so unprofessional, pushy, rude, entitled and overall greedy really just negates anything that was positive. Overall NOT WORTH IT for how much you end up paying.

First red flag: I called over 1 month in advance to see if I could book my daughter party. I was told nothing was available the weekend I wanted, only the a private event on that Sunday. No wiggle room for a different package, just the private event, take it or leave it type of situation. I was told I need to give her an answer/deposit of $250 ASAP since many parents were looking into the same day. Even though we felt pressured, we decide to just do it since there are not many options for kids 1st birthdays. Second red flag: I had 30 people invited for the private event with only 2 pizzas, 1 tray of fries/nuggets and two 1 liter sodas-- Doesn't seem like enough food. Instead of soda, I asked for water. I was told that was not possible only soda was included. I told the girl we aren't soda drinkers and if there were juice options. I was also told no and that the best they could do was 10 standard water bottles where 2 people can share 1 bottle since they will provide cups and the pizza slices would be cut in 1/2 so it's enough. I then asked if I could bring a case of water and was told I would be charged $80 since that's considered outside food -- which I left forced to do. Third red flag: The email I was sent listed a specific pizzeria that would provide the 2 pies. We called to place an add on order, we were told they don't work with bubble island anymore which seemed super weird. We then called Bubble island and were questioned on who gave us that wrong information -- it was either the manger or owner who sent me that email. Forth red flag: When we arrived at 2:30, the manager was not there. There were maybe like 4 nice but very young adults present (between the ages 16 - early 20s). They had no idea what was going on since the manger did not document anything. Other than ballon arch/decor/cleaning up, the staff didn't really interact with us. There was no demo of what each area is or how things worked or any engagement with the kids. One 1 girl did majority of work (pizza/cake cutting/cleaning etc), another girl picked up a few balls and moved the ball pit around, and another person dressed up as the pink bear with the bubble wand for like 5-10 mins. Other than that, no one did anything special other than bare minimum. The last 2 flags: Manager insisted/demanded a tip. She insisted we give a minimum 10-15% tip bc "that's what other parents do", she has 8 staff members working, the ballon arch/decor setup and bc they tipped the pizza delivery driver. IF the service was amazing, we would have given more but it didn't seem appropriate or deserving for our 2 hour party that felt rushed. The manager wouldn't let it go, kept insisting we give more money. It got to the point that we felt so uncomfortable that we gave her a little less than what she demanded. We 100% got hustled and in hindsight shouldn't have given anything. She knew we were upset and even apologized as I awkwardly said "It's fine" and walked away since I didn't want to cause a scene (even though I should have). She also refused to give my 11 year old nephew a goody bag bc "he's too old" and it's meant for kids

The two-hour time frame offered for a private party is simply not sufficient. Our guests complained everything felt rushed. The structure—90 minutes of play plus only 30 minutes for food and cake—did not allow for a relaxed or enjoyable celebration. The final hour, in particular, felt extremely hurried. Staff began cleaning the party room with 30 minutes still remaining, while children were still actively playing.

A “cleanup song” was played 15 minutes before the party was scheduled to end, followed by a “goodbye song” during the entire final 10 minutes (my guests felt extremely uncomfortable and now it’s a running joke singing that particular song because they couldn’t believe the audacity of bubble island). These cues added to a feeling of being pushed out, despite the time we had reserved and paid for.

Additionally, we were surprised to find that water was NOT provided—only 2 one liter sodas and one juice box per child were available, which is not an appropriate option or amount for young children engaged in active play and asking for water and for all the adults.

Due to how rushed everything felt, I was unable to take meaningful photos of my daughter. I had hoped to do so after the playtime, but with decorations being taken down 30 minutes before the party officially ended, there was no opportunity. During what was supposed to be the final half hour of enjoyment, I was instead pulled away to direct staff on how to pack leftover cake and cupcakes, and where to place extra food while trying to enjoy the time we had left.

We even purchased a beautiful Birthday cake which was carefully delivered to us by family across state lines, but was horrible cut and served to our guests, our cake was not cheap. Honestly, we couldn’t believe the sloppy and unappetizing slices they presented to our guests to eat.

I was also surprised to hear that some guests were told they needed to purchase socks or that our deposit card on file could be charged for them. That information was unnecessary to share. Guests could have simply been informed that socks were required to step inside, as per the facility rules—without suggesting that we would be financially responsible if they didn’t comply.

While the space itself is beautiful and thoughtfully designed for children, the execution of the event felt rushed and transactional. It’s disappointing, especially since the children were having such a great time and clearly did not want to leave. Extending the allotted party time would make a significant difference in the overall experience.

This feedback is not just my own, many of our guests expressed similar concerns. It’s for that reason I felt compelled to share this review. One moment of appreciation was the owner providing a candle for the cake, which we had forgotten. However, that gesture was not enough to offset an experience that ultimately felt chaotic and incomplete.

Also, the owner wearing pajamas just cheapened the experience and lacked professionalism. Now I have photos and videos of my daughter’s birthday with the owner in pajamas surrounded by well dressed guests. Thank you for the photo bomb front and center.

In hindsight, it would have been more cost-effective to purchase two-hour open play passes for all of our guests and host a cake-cutting celebration at home with higher-quality decor and a more relaxed environment.

Additionally, we were disappointed to learn that there was an added charge to bring our own home-cooked food. As a result, we felt limited in our options and had to settle for cold, overpriced pizza.

Overall, there was a strong sense that everything revolved around time limits and maximizing profit, rather than providing a warm, celebratory experience. We have yet to return here and honestly I don’t feel comfortable spending my money here again after feeling cheated of an experience for the amount we paid. I am beyond disappointed because these are special moments for children and families that are being ruined with memories that are tainted by a...

We just had our daughter’s 3rd birthday party here. There were a few negative reviews that all seem to be related to one party but I can tell you we had an amazing experience.

We picked a theme that wasn’t included in one of their many options (they have a ton of character themes to choose from) but they worked with us. We were able to use some of their options and I brought things from home. Again, this was our choice and they still were very accommodating. So much so that at the end of the party anything I brought from home without even asking they had folded or neatly stacked for me to take back. They asked me if I wanted to keep anything before discarding it.

We got there 15 minutes before our start time and there was staff to help us unload all of our food and supplies. They do have a surcharge if you choose to not use their vendors and yes that does include any drinks etc but they’re transparent about that from the start. If I had one negative to mention it would be this.

Staff also unpacked and set up all of our cupcakes, cake, food without even being asked to. The team was also extremely sweet and would check in on things periodically. They asked if we liked the way the room was decorated (they did a phenomenal job) how we’d like cake sent out, how we wanted our food packaged up etc.

Most guests arrived exactly at our start time and again the front desk was super accommodating. We paid to extend the time by 30 minutes, but the two hours would have been plenty of time. They really do run the evening efficiently.

Initially, I was hesitant about hearing that they serve food 30ish minutes after your start time but their timeline worked perfectly. We didn’t feel rushed. The guests who came on time got 30 minutes of play, which felt like a good amount of time. Guests had plenty of time to eat before they even cut the cake. Kids who didn’t want to eat could still play.

Any of the food and drink that comes with your package, they will pack up for you to take back home. We didn’t even have too much left over and they still did.

They had a little bear character come out with bubbles while we sang happy birthday - it wasn’t overstimulating and the bubbles were not very intense.

Some reviews mentioned that they play songs to indicate the party is over but again we didn’t find that to be a problem. They play the song about 10 minutes before your end time. They also give your guest a 15 minute heads up. Honestly trying to get little kids out of a play area will take at least that much time to get everybody out. We even ran over a little bit and they didn’t say anything.

Whenever I had any questions, the manager Constance was reassuring and responded back ASAP. She answered any questions I had in a professional way.

Our package came with goodie bags but we had our own from home too. They kindly put their supplies in our goodie bags. We had two kids last minute not come because they were sick and they still gave us a one time voucher to return.

Yes, the top package is expensive but you’re essentially paying to rent the entire place out. The package gets you up to 20 kids and 30 adults which is a good amount. If you’re not going to make those numbers then you look at the price as being able to have your own space- which for us was well worth it.

Tip was mentioned and they could do a better job of letting people know that’s additional on top of the listing prices BUT the staff literally does everything. If you go with their theme, you can literally walk in and walk out without bringing a single thing. For us it was well worth it.

Everyone was very professional and kind. They made the evening go smoothly and it was a very pleasant experience. So many of our guests loved the place. It was perfect to throw a toddler birthday party although there’s stuff for older kids to do too! Adults even were able to get in on the slide and the ball pit.

I would highly recommend bubble Island...