By Travis Armbruster
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
Imagine reverting to your childhood when you felt indestructible and unstoppable. Well, a Cockeysville company has found a way to reproduce those feelings through such unconventional games as bubble soccer, arrow tag, and life-size hamster balls.
Through the power of play, Wonderfly Games has attracted players from across Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia, earning five-star reviews from 98 percent of their customers since the company was launched in June 2014.
“Our company vision is to bring fun, exciting events for adults as well as kids,” said Mark Diglio, the company’s human resource manager. “In a world that is addicted to cell phones, our company offers a service that brings people together through unique, hard-to-find games that most people have never even thought of.”
Wonderfly Games also has learned to beat the odds. Today, only 50 percent of small businesses survive after five years, statistics from the U.S. Small Business Administration show. Wonderfly Games opened five years ago and now has plans to move into a new facility in Arbutus.
“It’s been a company dream to be able to host events in our own facility,” Diglio said. “Since the majority of our customers live in D.C. and Northern Virginia, we decided to move down South to bring the fun closer to them.”
Customers enchanted by the soccer game wear inflated bubble balls that enable them to hit other players, as well as the soccer ball. Typically, there are two teams of players with each fighting to score a ball into their opponent’s goal. The first team to score three goals win, quite a difficult feat when you are bouncing around encased in inflated plastic. To wear the bubbles, players use shoulder straps that work like a backpack. They hold on to the handle bars for dear life.
The company also offers arrow tag, which is just like dodgeball with bows and soft-tipped arrows, and life-size hamster balls, which are giant spheres that you can roll around in.
Safety is a crucial component to Wonderfly’s business, officials insist. The bubble balls are filled with a soft cushion of air to keep players safe, even when hitting other players at full force. The company also provides referees who are trained to inflate the bubbles and tighten shoulder straps during gameplay to ensure safety throughout the event.
“I started Wonderfly to bring people together through the power of play with people I enjoy working with,” said Owner Jon Millhausen. “I used to work at another entertainment company for years where I was unhappy with the management styles and company culture. I felt like there could be a better way to run a company, so I started my own business.”
The company supplies all sorts of social gatherings, including birthday, corporate, school, and camp events. The most popular rental packages are 10 bubble balls for an hour, which costs $350. Packages include delivery, setup, referees, all the equipment necessary for 10 people, and the ability to reschedule without penalty.
“Prices for events vary depending on what is rented out and how long it is rented out for,” said Diglio. “We strive to deliver the best events money can buy. Our customer reviews reflect that, and our price justifies our standard of service.”
Depending on the size of the event, at least two Wonderfly workers travel to each event where they oversee blowing up the bubbles, setting up the soccer field, offering safety instruction, and refereeing the games. Most of the workers are young millennials who either attend local universities or have recently graduated.
“Bubble soccer was one of the funniest experiences of my life!” said customer Charles Woodward. “Staff even took pictures for us during and after games. Prices are a little high, but definitely worth it. Not too bad if you split the costs with others.”
Millhausen said plans are in the works to “add more unconventional forms of fun to our arsenal, with games like virtual reality and nerf gun wars.”
“We also are planning on hosting business networking opportunities, podcast studios, and photo workshops once the facility is up and running,” said Millhausen.
Now with the capability of hosting events, Diglio stressed, “We will still deliver our services around the Mid-Atlantic region. Winter has typically been a slow season for us because it’s difficult to book indoor soccer arenas. Good thing that won’t be an issue anymore!”
Wonderfly has been transferring its equipment from the old Cockeysville garage to the new Arbutus warehouse since January. The company has been working on the new facility’s interior design while maintaining delivery operation throughout the winter months, Diglio said.
While there is no official grand opening date, Millhausen predicts the new facility should be open for all business by late March.