Ice bumper cars · Story
Ice bumper cars in Indian Trail: a visit described
Not a review - a description. Here is roughly how an hour goes.
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.
Parents from Indian Trail 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.
Walking in
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.
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.
The middle of the visit
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.
If two children are visiting together, plan for them to split up. Doing different things in the same room is the point of a room with different things in it.
The last ten minutes
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 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.
What sticks
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.
Let the child choose what to do first even when it is the thing you would have chosen last. The order matters less than the choosing.
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.
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.
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.
Planning your visit in Indian Trail
If Indian Trail is home, this is the sort of place you end up returning to rather than ticking off. That changes what a first visit is worth planning around.
Let the child lead the order of things. Adults optimise; children choose the thing that looks best, and they are right more often than they are wrong.
The quietest hour of the week is the first one on a weekday morning in term time. The busiest is Saturday around midday.
If you are coming from Indian Trail, treat it as a cross-town outing rather than a day trip. Go with a return time in mind and the day stays easy.
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.