Ice bumper cars · Tips
Ice bumper cars in Gastonia: things worth doing differently
Small changes that make a visit go better, learned the ordinary way.
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.
The nearest of the two centres to Gastonia is the one to aim at - Concord Mills in Concord - and the drive is the ordinary sort rather than an expedition.
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.
Bring less than you think. Coats and bags are the part of the visit nobody enjoys managing.
When you arrive
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.
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.
While you are there
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.
Do not schedule anything immediately afterwards. An hour of concentrated play is tiring in a way that shows up in the car park, not in the room.
On the way home
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.
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 Gastonia
From Gastonia the practical question is timing rather than distance. Arriving in the first hour after opening is worth more than shaving minutes off the drive.
Count on the drive home being the conversation. Children tell you what they actually thought about twenty minutes after leaving.
A birthday group runs better with a rough plan of who goes where first, even if you abandon it in the first five minutes.
Parents from Gastonia tend to ask the same first question: how long will this hold their attention. Long enough to be worth the drive, and short enough to leave while they still want more.
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
The two centres are at 433 Opry Mills Drive in Nashville and 8111 Concord Mills Blvd in Concord, open 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM most days and 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Sunday.