Big Bounce Canada Review

The last weekend before school let out, the kids and I checked out Big Bounce Canada 2025.

The London event was a flop (though not entirely their fault), but to their credit, organizers acknowledged that the experience hadn’t met expectations and offered free tickets to the Hamilton location the following weekend. I decided to give them a second chance—and I’m glad I did.

When I bought tickets, I hadn’t read all the Big Bounce Canada reviews, which turned out to be a good thing. If I had, I might have skipped it altogether. But we had the tickets, so we went. And now that I’ve experienced two of their events—first in London, then in Hamilton—I wanted to write an honest, detailed review that goes beyond the typical complaints.

If you’re considering attending the Big Bounce with a Child with Autism, check out my autism specific review on my sister site AutismOnVacation.com too.

You can see a few Big Bounce Canada photos from our day in this post, but for better visuals, check out my full YouTube tour or watch the TikTok’s I posted.

If you’re searching for real info on what the Big Bounce is, how it works, what to wear, and what to expect when you go, this post breaks it down. I’ll also share whether it’s worth the money and if you should bother with the VIP upgrade.

Big Bounce Canada Overview

What is the Big Bounce?

Big Bounce Canada is a touring inflatable event owned by XL Event Lab. The event features a variety of inflatables, including their feature inflatable, marketed as the biggest bounce house in Canada.

How old do you have to be to go to the Big Bounce Canada?

Big Bounce Canada offers sessions based on age, so everyone can enjoy the inflatables safely. Here’s how the age groups are split:

Toddler Session: Ages 3 and under (accompanied by an adult)
Junior Session: Ages 7 and under
Youth Session: Ages 15 and under
Adult Session: Ages 16+

Children older than the session limit are not allowed in younger sessions, so if you have kids in different age groups, you’ll need to register for the older group’s time slot. The exception is that teens aged 16 and up can attend the 15 and under session with younger siblings (as the 16+ does not allow anyone under 16).

Note: While they offer a session for toddlers under 3, bounce houses in general are not recommended for very young children. Kids under three are still developing balance and coordination and may not understand how to stay safe in a bouncy environment. If you go, supervise closely or consider waiting until they’re a bit older.

What is included in each Big Bounce Canada session?

Each ticketed session lasts three hours and includes:

A 45-minute jump slot in the largest bounce house in the world
Unlimited access to the other inflatable zones for the rest of your session

Can parents bounce too?

Parents can bounce only if they purchase their own ticket. Otherwise, adults can attend free as spectators, but they’ll need to remain outside the bounce areas.

What is the weight limit for the Big Bounce Canada?

The weight limit is 245 pounds.

What does Big Bounce Canada cost?

At the time we went, tickets were $49 each, with an optional $25 VIP upgrade.

Big Bounce Canada Locations

Looking for a Big Bounce near you? The best way to see if the Biggest bounce house in Canada is coming to your area is to check their official tour dates page.

Here are the confirmed Big Bounce Canada locations for the rest of summer 2025:

July 19–27: Quebec City, Quebec
July 26–August 6: Edmonton, Alberta
August 1–3: Ottawa, Ontario
August 9–17: Calgary, Alberta

More cities may be added, so if you don’t see your location yet, keep checking the site. Events tend to sell out quickly, especially on weekends.

What’s at the Big Bounce Canada?

The inflatable attractions at Big Bounce Canada vary by location and are not guaranteed, even if they appear on the event’s promotional page. According to their website, they “reserve the right to alter, substitute or withdraw individual elements of the event”—so it’s best to go in expecting variety, not specifics.

That said, here are some of the most common attractions you might see:

The Giant: A 300-meter inflatable obstacle course—great for older kids and adults looking for a challenge.
AirSpace: Consists of three inflatables. Two of them are large climbing structures with giant ball pits, the third is a massive slide.
Sport Slam: A large inflatable with activities similar to what’s in The World’s Biggest Bouncy Castle—beach balls with basketball nets, a climbing tower, balance jousting, and a wrecking ball.
City Xcape: An alien taking over the city themed inflatable, featuring small slides and climbing zones.
OctoBlast: A foam-filled zone with blasters and bubbles.

The World’s Biggest Bouncy Castle

The main attraction is their largest bounce house, The World’s Biggest Bouncy Castle—a 16,000 sq. ft inflatable.

At the center is a DJ stand, where music plays throughout the session. In this main area, you’ll find:

Beach balls and oversized basketball nets
Climbing towers
Huge inflatable chairs and sofas
Small slides and rest areas

Off to the side of the main arena are four separate zones:

One with a ball pit
One for balance jousting
One with a wrecking ball challenge
One featuring a giant inflatable slide

While all the other inflatables offer unlimited access, The World’s Biggest Bouncy Castle limits entry to keep it from getting too crowded. It’s split into three time slots, each one lasting 45 minutes. Your ticket or email will tell you which time slot you’re in.

VIP Upgrade

For an additional $25, you can upgrade your ticket to VIP. This includes:

Priority check-in at a separate line on arrival
VIP entrance to The World’s Biggest Bouncy Castle before the rest of the group in your time slot
Access to the VIP lounge, an outdoor seating area under three inflatable canopies
(There’s another seating area for general admission).
Discounts on face painting, merchandise, and food, including 2-for-1 shaved ice

Tips for Attending Big Bounce Canada

Phones and cameras are allowed inside the inflatables, so feel free to grab photos or video.

Lockers are available to rent for $10, or there’s an unlocked “sneaker” storage area where you can stash small bags.

What to wear in the Bouncy Castles?

Activewear is best—think yoga pants, leggings, or jogging pants. Avoid jeans (Speaking from experience: I once split mine at a trampoline park and would not recommend it).

Do you wear socks in a bounce house?

Yes—socks are mandatory on all inflatables. We wore our trampoline park grip socks, though they’re not required.

Wear flip-flops or easy slip-on shoes since you’ll be taking your shoes off for every inflatable.

What else to bring:

Water (lots of it, especially if it’s hot)
Snacks or a cooler—food is available to purchase, but I saw plenty of families with coolers in wagons
Sun umbrella or sun protection (there’s limited shade)
Lawn chair or a blanket if you want guaranteed seating
Drawstring bag—skip the locker if you pack light; we brought water, extra socks, and snacks, and left the bag with our shoes

Big Bounce Canada Reviews

Two days before the event, a friend sent me a screenshot of a post stating the Big Bounce Canada London event was canceled. I checked online and found it was only the Friday session that got canceled. Since we were going on Sunday, we weren’t affected but it made me curious about the company, so I looked up Big Bounce Canada reviews.

Most reviews I found were negative.

The main complaint across reviews was about last-minute cancellations and rescheduling. While most received an email about changes, some did not and showed up disappointed with their kids. Several reviewers said the company refused refunds when they couldn’t attend rescheduled sessions. Many other customers had trouble contacting the company.

One reviewer claimed Big Bounce Canada deleted negative comments on their Facebook page, which might explain why there isn’t a review option there. Another said that their original Google profile was taken down and replaced with a new one, likely because of many poor reviews during their first year.

A check on the Better Business Bureau shows 75 complaints about Big Bounce America.

My Big Bounce Canada Review — London Event

The day we went was sunny and hot. It was 32 degrees Celsius but felt like 46, and a heat warning started that day. Our timed tickets were for 12:00–3:00 pm (originally 12:30–3:30, but I received an email a week beforehand notifying me of the half-hour change). We attended the bigger kids’ session for ages 15 and under.

There wasn’t much of a line for VIP entry—only one family ahead of us—so we didn’t wait long. We were given two wristbands: one for our timed entrance to The World’s Biggest Bouncy Castle and one for VIP access.

We entered right at 12:00 pm, and there were already two lines formed for The World’s Biggest Bouncy Castle, but they weren’t too long. We stored our belongings first, then walked around to see everything. When it was time for VIP access, we got right on. The rest of the crowd followed about five minutes later.

The heat that day was unbearable, and the inflatables seemed to attract the sun, making it feel even hotter inside the bounce houses. In The World’s Biggest Bouncy Castle, there were some shaded spots. However, there was no breeze inside, so the shade only offered relief from the sun, not the heat.

The heat made the experience much more exhausting. I usually have no problem keeping up with the kids at a trampoline park, but here, just walking across the inflatable in the sunny areas was tiring. Brie and Zen both got tired quickly too. Many people sat in the shaded areas throughout the castle, so when we bounced between breaks, it wasn’t too crowded after the first 20 minutes.

We only lasted about 15 minutes before needing a quick water break. After 30 minutes, we needed a real break and went to the VIP lounge, grabbing some shaved ice on the way.

By the time we were cooled down enough to play again, our timed slot for The World’s Biggest Bouncy Castle was over, so we checked out the other attractions.

We were greatly disappointed.

Two of the inflatables listed on the website were missing—the Air Space slide (which may have been the deflated one I saw on the ground) and The Giant, which I didn’t see a spot for anywhere. Another inflatable, City Xcape, was closed for “repair” and did not reopen while we were there.

Not having The Giant was a big disappointment since it was the most appealing after The World’s Biggest Bouncy Castle. The slide was another feature the kids looked forward to. The three remaining inflatables were not very impressive.

The first, Sport Slam, had similar features to The World’s Biggest Bouncy Castle, so we weren’t very interested. The other two were Air Space and a pink alien-themed inflatable, both with climbing areas and ball pits. Climbing into the ball pits was hard (the ladders sank), and the balls were burning hot, so we were done within two minutes.

By this point, the surfaces of the inflatables were burning our feet, even with thick grippy socks on.

After another break in the general shaded seating area, the kids had no interest in trying the other inflatables again. We decided to return to The World’s Biggest Bouncy Castle and see if we could get in even though our time slot was over. The crowd had thinned due to the heat, and staff at the entrances weren’t monitoring closely, so we got back on with no problem. We lasted about 15 more minutes, enjoying the shaded areas where our feet didn’t burn and we got a break from the heat.

We left after 2.5 hours because we needed air conditioning and couldn’t risk staying in the heat any longer.

The day after the event, I received an email from Big Bounce Canada acknowledging that “not every attraction was open” during our session and offering free tickets to the Hamilton event the following weekend. Unfortunately, Zen was not interested in going back, but Brielle was, so I invited my sister to join us at the next event.

My Big Bounce Canada Review — Hamilton Event

Since the heat was a big factor in our less-than-great experience at the London event, I wanted to give Big Bounce Canada a second chance on a cooler day—and I’m glad I did. This event was much better for us.

We attended the 3:00–6:00 pm time slot. The weather was much nicer—around 24 degrees with a breeze and some clouds. The cooler temperature made a huge difference. With the wind and shade from clouds, we didn’t need to take breaks as often, and I didn’t find it nearly as exhausting.

We skipped the VIP upgrade this time, and it didn’t make much difference. When we arrived shortly before 3:00, the regular line was short—only two families ahead—so we got in within about two minutes.

We took a walk around to see everything. In addition to The World’s Biggest Bouncy Castle, there were seven other inflatables. The only advertised attraction missing was City Xcape again—it was partially deflated behind a fence. However, two smaller inflatables not listed on the website were available to make up for that.

Luckily, the Giant was open and running, which I was most excited to try. We started there. Brie was a bit slow, so it took about nine minutes to complete the course (I went through it later alone and did it in four minutes).

After that, Brie needed a break, so we sat in the regular seating area, which wasn’t crowded. She wasn’t interested in the other inflatables and preferred to wait for The World’s Biggest Bouncy Castle session. I checked out the other two Air Space inflatables again on my own. While they didn’t burn my feet this time, they were overcrowded and hard to navigate without bumping into people. Staff were present but didn’t supervise much (you can read more about the attentiveness of staff in my Is the Big Bounce Autism-Friendly post.

When our time for The World’s Biggest Bouncy Castle came, we waited a few minutes until the VIP group went in. Our time was 4:05 pm, and by 4:10 VIP had entered and the regular line started moving. By the time we arrived and took our shoes off, we walked right in.

This experience was much better. Without the extreme heat, we stayed for the full 45-minute session. The inflatable surfaces didn’t burn our feet, so we didn’t need shade breaks. The castle was busier this time, with lines for the slide and the wrecking ball area. The DJ stage was hosting a big dance party throughout, which was far more engaging than our London visit.

After our session ended, we grabbed dinner from one of the food trucks and left by 5:30.

Is VIP Pass Worth It at Big Bounce Canada?

No.

After experiencing the event both with and without the VIP pass, I would not pay for it again.

I hadn’t originally bought it for the London event, but decided to upgrade after receiving an email offer because I knew the weather was going to be very warm. I wanted to ensure we had access to a shaded area for breaks.

The VIP lounge did have plenty of seating, but at the London event, it was already crowded due to the heat, making it harder to find available spots. There were no fans—just shade and lawn chairs.

The non-VIP seating area was very crowded at the beginning of the London event, but cleared out by halfway through as many people left early because of the heat. That area actually had a better location—it was away from wooded areas and had more of a breeze, which helped cool down. It was also more centrally located.

At the Hamilton event, the VIP seating wasn’t crowded, but neither was the regular seating. We had no problem finding three seats whenever we needed a break.

If you’re worried about seating, I recommend skipping the VIP upgrade and instead bringing a utility wagon with lawn chairs and a sun umbrella. That way, you’re guaranteed shaded seating.

The priority check-in saved us less than five minutes, and the VIP lane for The World’s Biggest Bouncy Castle saved about five minutes as well. It’s better to simply arrive 5–10 minutes before your time slot and wait a few minutes for The World’s Biggest Bouncy Castle line to die down.

Overall, the VIP pass is not worth it. The perks were minimal, and we were fine without it our second time.

Is the Big Bounce Canada Worth the Price?

After the London event, my initial thought was that it wasn’t worth what they charged. But after giving it a second chance at the Hamilton event, I’ve changed my mind. If the weather is decent and all the inflatables are available, it is worth it.

The London event was a flop due to the extreme heat and issues with the inflatables. While the weather is beyond their control, running an outdoor event during summer means hot days should be expected. In fact, outdoor sports and school field trips were canceled that week due to the heat warning. The event itself should have been canceled or postponed for safety reasons.

There was very little in place for guests to cope with the heat. A couple of shaded areas aren’t enough, and they could have benefited from more shade and possibly large fans to provide relief. When inflatables get so hot that people are burning their feet—and when 3 out of 7 inflatables were broken—the event should be canceled.

The Hamilton event was much better, thanks to cooler weather and more inflatables available. While City Xcapes was still unavailable, they added two other inflatables to compensate. We spent much more time playing, and if it had been our first event, I’m sure Brie would have stayed the full 3 hours.

The total price for three of us, including tax, was about $200. While this may seem high, compared to similar events, it feels reasonable for a 3-hour session with 7 inflatables.

If you’re thinking of going with an autistic child or someone with sensory needs, check out my post on AutismOnVacation.com breaking down how autism-friendly Big Bounce Canada really is—what worked for us, what didn’t, and tips to help you prepare.

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