WOW. I seriously cannot even begin to say how epic this venue is and how absolutely magical they made my daughter's 5th birthday. I literally did not lift a finger at the venue. I showed up around 8:30/845 A.M. with my daughter's cake and food for the other parents who would be accompanying their kids. I was immediately greeted and the cake, adult refreshments, and gifts were immediately whisked from my hands and set up inside.
We had a mini co-ed mermaid-pirate party. I can't say enough wonderful things about the performers. The mermaid and pirate were absolutely fantastic--fully in character, full of energy, and completely captivating for the kids. My daughter was in awe the entire time, and they truly made her feel like the star of the show.
They were incredible with all the young guests--engaging them with games and jokes that had every child giggling and wide-eyed with excitement. The mermaid was graceful, sweet, and silly while the pirate had just the right mix of silliness and swashbuckling charm to keep the little ones entertained.
I HIGHLY recommend hiring the professional photographer they offer. He was there the entire time and VERY familiar with the venue. He was totally on top of capturing all the priceless moments and he was also amazing with the kids.
The decor inside makes you feel like you flew straight into Neverland. Also-everything inside was immaculate-from the parent lounge to the bathroom.
I can't wait to go back and I HIGHLY recommend Once Upon an Island for anyone looking to add some magic to their child's special day!
Our flagship Balboa Island destination
You remember wishing
for a place like this.
She won’t have to wish. Here, she’ll flip her fins in the mermaid lagoon, hunt for treasure with a pirate crew, sip tea with her favorite princess, and have the birthday she’ll measure all others against. All of it real. All of it here.
Choose her story. Step inside.
Our flagship world
Experience the magic, your way.
Once Upon an Island is our flagship venue, and one of our most immersive! You’ll find many ways to experience the magic here: birthday parties, private princess experiences, mermaid transformations, summer camps and more.
✦ Parties ✦ Daily Adventures ✦ Mermaid Academy ✦ Public Events ✦ Traveling MagicOur signature Mermaid & Pirate parties, magical Princess tea parties and more, this is not an ordinary party. Your child steps into the story and becomes the star. And the best part? We handle absolutely everything. You don't lift a finger, and you don't need to host or plan a thing, just show up and enjoy the magic as our guest. No mess to clean up, no food to serve, no stressful set-up.
✦ Our parties are like hiring a venue, event planner, décor, rentals, characters, caterer and more, all in one. ✦
Private celebrations
Luxury Birthday Parties
A private venue, a professional cast and a celebration led from beginning to end, while you relax in our parents lounge and enjoy the magic alongside your child.
1.5–2.5 hour grand celebrations · Up to 18 children · From classic themes for littles to trending themes for pre-teens
Explore Birthday Parties
“I literally did not lift a finger at the venue.”
Demi C., Huntington Beach · via YelpMermaid, Pirate & Princess experiences for one child, siblings or a small group. Perfect for vacations, spontaneous special days, small celebrations and more.
Become a real mermaid
Mermaid Adventures
A full transformation, shimmering tail, flowing colored hair, and the moment she sees herself as a mermaid for the very first time.
About 60 minutes · Ages 3–9, though all are welcome · Built for small groups of 1–3
Royalty for a day
Princess Adventures
Gowns, crowns and a royal welcome, a fairytale afternoon that becomes a core memory.
About 60 minutes · Ages 3–9, though all are welcome · Built for small groups of 1–3
Ahoy, captain
Pirate Adventures
Treasure hunts, sword fights and the captain’s own ship, an adventure for the bravest recruits. Pairs perfectly with a sibling’s mermaid or princess day.
About 60 minutes · Ages 3–9, though all are welcome · Built for small groups of 1–3
“I took a boat to a magical island and met mermaids!”
Sage, via Grandpa Rick · Yelp reviewSeasonal experiences, mermaid story times, mommy & me events, princess tea parties and more! A great way to dip your fins into the world of Once Upon an Island and introduce your little ones to our magical, flagship world.
This October: Once Upon a Nightmare Before Christmas, a never scary family Halloween adventure at Once Upon a Christmas on Balboa Island.
Can't come to the island? Our worlds travel. From complete hosted celebrations to a single character knock at your door, we bring Once Upon an Island magic to your home or venue.
A complete event brought to you
Full-Service Travel Parties
Cast, styling, entertainment and hosting at your home or private venue.
At your home or celebration
Invite a Character
Bring one of our performers to your child for a personal character visit.
Professional styling brought to your celebration
The Traveling Salon
Our illuminated styling stations, professional performers and transformation magic arrive at your home or event venue.
Parent reviews
The families say it best.
Five-star reviews from parents on Yelp, after parties and makeover days on Balboa Island.
I had my daughter's 4th birthday here. And as organized and picky as I am- this place exceeded my expectations.
The princesses are Immaculate! They looked like they are plucked right out of the cartoons. The gowns are not the cheap gowns you see - they exceed even Disneyland quality. Each princess stayed in character the ENTIRE time speaking even to each other in character.
Mermaid Chloe and Taylor helped run the show perfectly- surprise after surprise - and the best part is they are so considerate and nice. If you run a few minutes over- they don't kick you out. They help you carry your items to your car. I can go on and on - but believe me- this is the real deal.
I honestly can't believe I didn't know about this place! I did so much research for our trip to SoCal looking for fun places for kids and of ALL of the things we did (recommended by out hotel concierge!) This was far and above the absolute coolest, most magical and memorable day!!!!
The level of theming and execution of detail rival Disney and all but blow most other theme parks or venues out of the water.
My kids minds were totally blown- Our sons absolutely loved the pirate elements from the face paint, to climbing inside a treehouse hide out, playing on skull rock and more while our daughters dreams absolutely came true turning into a mermaid from head to toe! One of the main highlights was definetly making our own stuffed animals as well, SO cute!!!
As if everything wasn't already amazing enough for the kids, there is an entire parents room with couches, television, bar seating etc. for parents to relax in with free latte's and they even offered us champagne!!! I WANT TO INVEST IN THIS COMPANY! The perfection & thoughtfulness of not only the theming but the service and performances were truly just so impressive.
THANK YOU for the highlight of our trip.
We hosted our daughter's 5th and 6th Birthday at this location and to say we love this place is an understatement! It's truly magical in every possible way. Not one detail was overlooked, everything is prepared for you (based on the package you select) and the amazing staff takes care of all the logistics. We are raving fans and hope that OUAI continues to thrive. Thank you to the fabulous staff, and talented Princesses for making unforgettable moments for our girl and our guests! We'll be back and we'll send friends!
Whenever my neice is in town we love taking her to a "princess experience". We've done Bippity Boppity Boop at Disney. And Tea for Tots at Morning Lavender. They were all fun. But this was the best for both the parents and kids. Unlike Disney, the family members can all watch, and for an extra fee, Mommies can also participate by becoming a mermaid too. It was also more interactive than either of the other two experiences, because our niece got one on one time with her mermaid host, and got to have tea time and a Photoshoot. The adults also have a nice lounge area, where you can have lattes or some bubbly, if you choose. We appreciated that they considered the adults in the experience. Overall, we highly recommend this experience.
I cannot begin to express what a magical experience this was for our family. I was amazed at the care to detail that was put into the location, costumes, planning and experience. The mermaid and pirate who helped us were so good with kids. My son is shy and he was having an amazing time. They were so good with neurodiverse kids! My kids left feeling so special and they had the best time. It will live in their hearts for a long time.
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