Frequently Asked Questions

HOW IS YOUR SERVICE DIFFERENT FROM OTHER TRACKLESS TRAINS?

The main difference is quality and service. Our trains are the finest made on the planet. They are meticulously maintained, highly detailed and are absolutely beautiful. Some of the amazing features include, four air-filled tires per car for better ride and stability and tighter turning radius, bell, sound effects, music and PA system in every car, LED lighting for nighttime operation, and rear view mirrors to monitor passengers. For birthdays, we provide more than just the trains, and offer additional fun activities for the guests (See the Birthdays page for details). Beware, many of our competitors have homemade trains that aren’t attractive or well maintained and are little more than a garden tractor towing some wagons made from old oil drums.

WHAT AGE GROUPS ARE APPROPRIATE?

All ages! Our trains can accommodate children and adults of any age group.

WHERE CAN WE HOLD OUR EVENT?

We can go almost anywhere! Our goal is to provide an easy, hassle-free party experience wherever you wish to hold your event. The majority of our events are held at private homes, parks, or in parking lots. We can visit any home on a paved street/road without problems, no matter what the configuration of your neighborhood, street, or yard. We are very flexible! At most homes, we simply park down the street to unload and set up our “station” in front of your house. We designate a safety zone around the loading area with traffic cones and signage.

We can also accommodate parties in venues such as parks, schools, parking lots, and other areas away from busy traffic. In particular, the small subdivision parks in many neighborhoods across the Valley are really great spaces for our parties. We do suggest you speak to us before reserving space in a city park so we can walk you through the details before you speak to the park reservation office. Some parks may require a permit which is the responsibility of the client. If requested, we can provide a Certificate of Insurance should it be required by your party venue. For a small additional charge, we can fulfill any special insurance needs such as Additional Named Insureds if your venue requires it.

If your party is being held in a busy public park, planning ahead is essential. The arrival of a train at a busy public park can cause the size of your party to immediately grow by dozens of uninvited kids. We suggest that you choose a less popular park for your party to make sure that there is adequate space for the train and activities, less traffic, and less of an issue with party-crashers. We also suggest that you provide your party guests with name tags so that they can easily be identified by our staff. We are not able to accommodate events on dirt roads or unimproved (dirt) lots in order to preserve the condition and cleanliness of our trains. We also require a relatively flat area for operation, and if operating on grass it must be dry and flat.

Overall, we want customers to understand that we are party professionals and will do whatever is necessary to make your party a huge success no matter where it's held.

HOW MUCH SPACE IS NEEDED AND WHERE SHOULD WE SET UP?

Our trains are highly maneuverable and are remarkably agile and maneuverable in nearly any neighborhood, parking lot, or cul-de-sac. Ramps or other transitions (such as into a driveway or a sidewalk ramp) need to be shallow enough to accommodate the train's approach and departure angles. In some cases, we can operate on dry grass depending on the surface.

ARE YOU INSURED?

Yes, we are fully insured, and can provide a Certificate of Insurance if Requested. Additional Insured Requests or special insurance requirements may be an additional charge.

WHAT IS THE BACKGROUND OF YOUR STAFF?

All of our engineers are trained professionals who have background in working with children. It's immediately clear to observers that our staff really love their jobs and love working with kids. All our staff have been through extensive training on how to successfully communicate with children of all ages and bring the experience alive for our young guests.

WHAT IF IT RAINS?

If rain is in the forecast, we will work with you several days in advance to determine the best plan for your event.

WHAT IS THE CAPACITY OF THE TRAIN?

Our trains are made up of a locomotive and four cars. Each car can accommodate 4-6 children, or two adults, for an approximate total of 15-20 passengers depending on the age and size of the passengers. We are also able to adjust the ride length to accommodate more passenger throughput for large events.

CAN YOU CUSTOMIZE THE PARTY PACKAGES?

Yes! If you don't see exactly what suits your needs here, just let us know and we can customize a program to fit your wishes. We can modify nearly any aspect of our programs to customize them for the needs of our clients.

WHAT ELSE IS INCLUDED?

For birthdays, we include some additional train-themed games and activities for the children to make it more than “just a train ride.”

HOW MUCH DO YOU CHARGE?

Our pricing is competitive with other professionally-presented entertainment options like pizza arcades, petting zoos, magicians, etc. See the Birthdays page for pricing for birthday parties. Pricing varies for other occasions and we’d be happy to provide you a quote based on the number of hours and location. We are fully licensed, insured, highly experienced and professional, and will put your mind at ease from the moment you make your reservation. For certain events, we may be able to provide our services for free or a reduced rate, and charge attendees for rides, or even do a revenue share with your group.

HOW IS PAYMENT HANDLED? IS IT OKAY TO PAY BY CHECK? IS A DEPOSIT REQUIRED?

For birthday parties and other private events, a reservation fee of $100 is typically charged to your Visa, Mastercard, American Express, or Discover card at the time of booking. This is a non-refundable reservation fee and is applied to the total party fee. The balance is charged to your credit or debit card the business day prior to your event. If you wish to pay by cash or check instead, we can accommodate this option as well. For schools and businesses, we will invoice you and you may process payment through your normal Accounts Payable channels.

WHEN ARE YOU AVAILABLE? WHAT AREAS DO YOU SERVE?

We are available for events 365 days a year, including holidays. We serve the greater Phoenix Metro area, and all large and small cities and planned communities in the Valley including Phoenix, Scottsdale, Cave Creek, Tempe, Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, Glendale, Peoria, Paradise Valley, Anthem, Buckeye, Verrado, Ahwatukee, Ocotillo, Estrella Mountain Ranch, Carefree, Apache Junction, Avondale, Laveen, Fountain Hills, Surprise, Maricopa, Litchfield Park, Tolleson, Goodyear, Youngtown, the Sun Cities, and more.

ARE YOU LOCAL COMPANY OR A FRANCHISE OF SOME SORT?

We are proud to be locally owned. Our owner’s lifelong dream was to purchase these trains, and he’s excited to share them with his family and your family, too.

WHAT NEEDS TO BE PROVIDED BY THE CLIENT?

We arrive completely self-contained. Your only obligation is to have a space ready for the train and parking nearby for our truck and trailer to unload.

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO SET UP ONCE YOU ARRIVE?

We will typically arrive 30-minutes before your start time to unload and set up the train.

HOW FAST IS THE TRAIN?

The train is governed to a top speed of approximately 4 MPH.

ARE THERE ANY PARTY FAVORS INCLUDED?

We have train-themed party favor options available for purchase.  This information will be included with your confirmation email.

IS TIPPING NECESSARY?

You will be very impressed by the quality and professionalism of our party team. They work very hard to deliver a once-in-a-lifetime experience for your child and guests. Tipping is at your discretion if you feel that you received value above and beyond your expectations. Our team guarantees the same level of quality and professionalism regardless.

MAY WE VIDEOTAPE AND/OR TAKE PHOTOS?

Yes, of course! There are plenty of great photo and video opportunities. Many priceless memories can be captured. We have intentionally designed our party experiences so that they have many staged moments for adorable photos of your kids.

WHAT IS THE CANCELLATION POLICY?

You may cancel your performance up to eight days before the event date. The deposit charged at the time of booking is not refundable, although we are happy to apply this amount to a future party. If the booking is cancelled with less than eight days notice, you will be responsible for payment of the fee in full, although this may also be applied to a future party. In the event of rain, your deposit will be refunded or applied to a future date.