WBT Holiday On Ice

Tis the season! I love skating. Isn’t it like the thing you (have to) do with your family and friends during this time of year? I went to elementary school in Toronto, Canada so I am used to the whole skating thing. There are rinks pretty much everywhere, and everybody’s there. And not many people besides kids not know how to skate. I also played ice hockey, but I hadn’t been skating for a long time. The last time I skated was almost three years ago, and before that was probably three years before that. So, I got very excited.
The tickets were on Groupon so I had already bought my tickets. The NASCAR Hall of Fame was a great backdrop for the ice rink. Parking was easy with plenty of space. As I approached the outdoor ice rink, I noticed one thing — that there was only one line. Single file. A long, single file. I still assumed people with already purchased tickets can get access a bit quicker than those who didn’t bother to get them. No dice. You will have to wait in line for about or over one half hour to get to the admissions desk. The skate rental is in the same booth as the ticketing desk so no luck going straight to get your skates either.
After probably a good 35 to 40 minutes of just standing in the cold, our turn came to get our skates and jump right in! Or so we thought… For this and that reasons, we had to stand in another line and finally got onto the ice rink. Yes!
Now, it gets a little brighter after this point. It was a lot of fun! It took me a bit to warm up and get loose but I still had some of the old moves. But most importantly skating with my wife by my side and laughing at people falling down around us was a lot of fun. Just kidding. (But some are really funny.) Naturally, you might wonder if it’s safe if everybody’s just sliding around here and there. Yes, they have a small circle in the middle with cones around it to stop and rest, and there is a lifeguard (?), or whatever you want to call it, all the time. Lastly, it is a very small ice rink so I don’t think there’s that much room for anyone to go crazy and cause serious injury. I saw a couple of people who obviously had played hockey before skate around and show off. But they also seem to understand that the majority are there to have fun whether they’re good or not. So after a few circles they stop doing stunts too.
Hey, I almost forgot. Getting in is $ 10. skate rental is $ 3, and hot chocolate is $ 4!

Always so much fun. I’ve been here two years in a row, since I’ve lived down here, and look forward to going again this year. Always friendly people and the rink is a great size, well maintained, and always full of people having a great time. There’s nothing like an ice skating date to get you ready for the holidays! With the great location uptown, there are plenty of places to go for dinner after. Grateful for this little spot that makes my holiday to do list every year.

I attended on Dec. 19, 2013 the last night of the LivingSocial deal. I have never been on ice skates in my life. It is different from roller skating. I must say I did not fall once and I managed to go around the rink without assistance more than once. :) I will definitely attend next year.

Took the family out for our first ice skating venture and had a good time. Watch out for Saturday nights and «date» nights. Super slammed, long wait lines, and the date night group will take over the rink a couple of times for couple skates. Cash only, hockey skates only (unless you bring your own), and get there as soon as they open to avoid long lines.

This annual tradition definitely helps put you in the holiday spirit, considering CLT hardly ever gets any snow around this time of year. This rink is a little small and can get crowded at night, especially on the weekends, but it’s still lots of fun. $ 12 gets you admission and skate rental but don’t forget cash!!! This place does not accept cards, which is kind of inconvenient. Maybe next year they’ll invest in Square :)

I really love this uptown ice skating rink! I’ve already been this year and the rink is bigger and it’s in a new location. The music was a little weird this time — last time I was there it was a more cozy atmosphere and the music was a little more exciting, but overall, I still had a great time under the stars ice skating in the middle of uptown!

What an awesome way to add a little romance to a cold wintry night out in the QC! It was beautiful last night too, with a full moon out and not a cloud in sight. It’s not crowded usually, so you can skate around without slamming into everyone, and there was a nice mix of kids and adults, so you don’t feel mobbed by the elves. Not sure how much it was since we got some Livingsocial deal for passes and a free snack and hot chocolate. I think we paid $ 10, but not sure. Anyway, the music was holiday classic, and everyone working there was really nice, so get out here before the ice melts…

What a great way for the kids to to exert physical exercise. I don’t do cold, so I had to let them go at it alone. Not a problem. The little one someone enticed two girls to assist her with skating (thanks T). The others made there way around the ice, then were confident enough to let loose. As the crowd grows, staff had to use the Zamboni on the ice (prep) towards the top of each hour. This lasts approx. 10 minutes. The flickering light from the billboard added ambiance to the evening. At 9 pm, the crowd was really thick and there were more groups of young folks out having a good time. Some of the behavior and the language got to be a bit much so I had to end the girls’ visit. I was not sad though, because I was cold, and I wasn’t on the ice! This is really great for the kids but I recommend taking them earlier in the day/​evening. Cost is $ 9 + $ 3 for skate rental.

So Fun! Thanks again for organizing!!! I am glad no one woke up in the hospital today :-D

As soon as the weather turns cold-​ish in Charlotte and I see Christmas lights a plenty, I’m always seeking some fun holiday activities. And ice skating Uptown?! Yes, please!
While it’s not as big as I thought it would be, WBT’s Holiday On Ice is a really sweet way to get a few rounds of ice under your belt during the holiday season. They’re open from Thanksgiving ish — New Years ish each year at The Green in Uptown. A big olé ice rink is accompanied by a small zamboni house, the skate house (where you rent skates & buy your admission ticket), a small concession stand and a bit of seating to rest your icy legs.
It’s super easy to park at The Green’s underground garage and walk on up. Make sure you ask the skate house for a parking validation slip that will keep all of your parking costs to $ 5 max. This doesn’t seem to be much of a deal during the evening, but it is during the day! Cost wise, I paid $ 3 to rent skates and $ 7 for admission, making my whole trip $ 15 (including parking). Not too bad, but a bit more than I expected considering the size of the rink. But whatever, it’s the holidays and I skated to Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer playing in the background.
Couple of key points… the rental skates do not have toe picks. I’m not saying you’ll need them to do triple salchows or anything, but it would come in handy if you’re trying to *not* run over a falling sliding child in front of you. That being said — lots of falling, sliding children. Most of them cute, some of them were not being cute.
Since I had an overall positive experience and I did indeed stay vertical the entire time, I think I’ll come back next year! But in 2011 I’ll probably choose a day and time other than Friday night when the rink is packed.