Ice bumper cars · First time
Ice bumper cars for the first time in Landis
A first visit has a shape to it, and knowing the shape takes most of the guesswork out.
The rink underneath is real ice, which is why the cars behave the way they do. On any other surface it is a different, duller ride.
Weekends bring more of Landis out at once. If the schedule allows a weekday, take it; the same visit is quieter and the machines wait for nobody in particular.
The first ten minutes
The cars turn on the spot, so the game is less about racing and more about aim - and about the spin you leave behind when you connect.
Feed them first. Every attraction in the world is improved by not being hungry in it.
What children do first
It suits families with mixed confidence. One child can be a natural on skates and the other can be nervous, and the cars put them on the same footing.
Bumper cars on ice do something bumper cars on a floor cannot: they keep spinning. A nudge that would stop dead on rubber sends the whole car turning, and everybody in it laughs.
What usually goes wrong
No skating is involved. Children who would not step onto the ice on blades will sit in a car and go straight out onto the same surface without thinking about it.
Go early if the choice is available. The first hour after opening is quieter than any hour that follows it, and quieter is easier for everybody.
Making the second visit better
The rink underneath is real ice, which is why the cars behave the way they do. On any other surface it is a different, duller ride.
The cars turn on the spot, so the game is less about racing and more about aim - and about the spin you leave behind when you connect.
Questions parents ask
Do you need to skate to ride?
No. The cars sit on the ice and the rider stays in the seat.
Is it rough?
It is a bump and a spin rather than a crash. The speed is low and the ice does most of the work.
What should a child wear?
Something warm. A rink is cold even when the ride is not.
How do I get in touch?
By phone on +1 (424) 387-6232 or +1 (615) 968-4925, or by e-mail at info@newlife-entertainment.com.
What are the opening hours?
10:00 AM to 8:00 PM Monday to Saturday, and 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Sunday.
Planning your visit in Landis
The drive back to Landis is where you find out what they actually thought. Children review an outing about twenty minutes after leaving it, never during.
Decide how long you are staying before you walk in. A visit with an end time attached to it finishes on a good note rather than a tired one.
The quietest hour of the week is the first one on a weekday morning in term time. The busiest is Saturday around midday.
Nothing about the visit assumes you know the area. The centre is inside Concord Mills, which is signposted from everywhere in Concord and impossible to miss once you are there.
The practical details
- XCAV ZONE — 433 Opry Mills Drive, Nashville TN 37214: four child-operated machines over a ball pit.
- ICE PARK — 8111 Concord Mills Blvd, Concord NC 28027: a real rink with bumper cars on the ice.
- Opening hours — 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM Monday to Saturday, 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Sunday.
- Phone — +1 (424) 387-6232 · +1 (615) 968-4925
- E-mail — info@newlife-entertainment.com
Anything time critical is worth a phone call first: hours are 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM Monday to Saturday and 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Sunday.