Ice bumper cars · Tips
Ice bumper cars in Concord: what experienced parents do
None of this is complicated. All of it is the difference between a good hour and a difficult one.
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.
Families around Concord who have done it once tend to plan the second visit differently: shorter, earlier in the day, and with the machine the child liked in mind.
Before you leave the house
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.
Agree the leaving time before you walk in, out loud, to the child. Announcing it later sounds like a punishment; agreeing it first sounds like a plan.
When you arrive
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.
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.
While you are there
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.
Bring less than you think. Coats and bags are the part of the visit nobody enjoys managing.
On the way home
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.
Where is New Life Entertainment?
Two centres: 433 Opry Mills Drive, Nashville TN 37214, and 8111 Concord Mills Blvd, Concord NC 28027.
Planning your visit in Concord
If you are coming from Concord, treat it as a cross-town outing rather than a day trip. Go with a return time in mind and the day stays easy.
Take the photographs early. The best ones happen in the first fifteen minutes, before anybody is tired.
The quietest hour of the week is the first one on a weekday morning in term time. The busiest is Saturday around midday.
Weekends bring more of Concord 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 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
If a visit needs planning around a date, a group or a long drive, the centre is easiest to reach by phone: +1 (424) 387-6232 or +1 (615) 968-4925.