The view from the rail · Story
The view from the rail in Mooresville: what an afternoon looks like
Not a review - a description. Here is roughly how an hour goes.
Everything happens in one room. There is no wandering off to another floor and no moment of not knowing where they are.
Weekends bring more of Mooresville out at once. If the schedule allows a weekday, take it; the same visit is quieter and the machines wait for nobody in particular.
Walking in
The measure of a family attraction is not what the children do, it is what the adults do while they do it. Standing where you can see and hear them counts for a lot.
The pace is slow enough to talk over. Parents end up chatting at the rail rather than shouting over a soundtrack.
The middle of the visit
Phones come out, and for once the photographs are worth keeping: a full bucket, a spin, a first lap without the wall.
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 last ten minutes
Everything happens in one room. There is no wandering off to another floor and no moment of not knowing where they are.
The measure of a family attraction is not what the children do, it is what the adults do while they do it. Standing where you can see and hear them counts for a lot.
What sticks
The pace is slow enough to talk over. Parents end up chatting at the rail rather than shouting over a soundtrack.
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.
Questions parents ask
Can I watch the whole time?
The activity is in one room and the viewing is from the rail or the boards.
Is it loud?
It is a children attraction rather than an arcade. The machines are slow and the noise is mostly the children.
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.
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 Mooresville
Plenty of the families in the room on a weekday morning have come from somewhere like Mooresville. Nobody is local to a mall attraction; everybody has driven.
Bring less than you think. Coats and bags are the part of the visit nobody enjoys managing.
Take the photographs early. The best ones happen in the first fifteen minutes, before anybody is tired.
If you are coming from Mooresville, 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
Questions about a specific day, a group or a party are best asked directly - info@newlife-entertainment.com, or either of the numbers on the contacts page.