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[Kristof]

Seems like the days of old fashioned ice skating in front of Hotel New York are over.  A new synthetic ice skating surface has been installed in front of the hotel!

Perhaps this will result in all year long skating?  

[penfold12]

Kinda interesting, I presume the maintenance would be greatly reduced....

Any photos yet?

[Anthony]

Perhaps this will result in all year long skating?  

That never even crossed my mind. Yes please!

Although I'd still prefer to properly see the giant Manhattan map under there sometime in my lifetime...

[Disneyland Paris Treasures]

Wow, didn't even know something like this is possible. Can this be easily installed/removed at any time or is this a permanent installation?

I hate those stupid cart things that are offered for rent in front of the HNY during the summer and I would like to have them disappear for good by almost any means, but should this synthetic ice rink really become a permanent installation I fear we won't see the Manhattan map again for a very, very long time :/

[Aveen2008]

When I arrived on Monday 21st of Sep there were construction boards up around the rink area and men were working on it. Then around wed or so the boards came down and it looked as though there was a white bottom. I just thought it couldn't be ice or anything cus it would melt  but now I know what it was hehe! Its probably a cost thing I am guessing.

[jeakat24]

I have to say that I absolutely hate this idea/ development with a passion. Yes, by all means get rid the stupid cart things, but synthetic rinks are terrible. For anyone who hasn't tried it, it makes you feel as if you've tied cutlery knives to your shoes and are skating on what can only be described as an oversized chopping board!

The 'chopping boards' they use to make it get dirty really quicky too so after a half a season it's going to look tired, cheap and tacky. They also wear down really quicky and end up with grooves all over them. I'll try to post a link to a photo of another one later.

I don't want to be a moaner, and if they keep up really good maintenance then it will be nice for guests to be able to 'ice' skate all year round, but if it is a cost cutting measure then I highly doubt it.

Update: found one

//http://www.iceblades.net/wp-content/uploads/67c72d1663680ff.jpg

This quote is also from their website:
"There are some drawbacks though. First you can usually only rent skates with hockey-type ice blades, to prevent smashing the plastic surface with figure skates picks. Therefore if you want to practice jumps, spins or virtually any figure skating component you better forget about it.
Also the feeling is pretty different from real ice. You can't dig the "ice blades" edges into that surface to push yourself strongly. And if you try you get that slippery feeling of a dog trying to stand up on ice."

Not really great for kids, although I suppose it hurts less when you fall down!

[benjuth_lightyear]

that picture makes it look like she's skating on a patio...

is it all layed down in individual squares to look like that? or can they lay it down in one big piece to avoid the block paving effect?

[Kristof]

But in defence of the plastic thing, it's not like the DLP ice was any good for skating on... There were more cuts and water on that thing then on Lake Disney when it was frozen over.

[Anthony]

I'm sure synthetic ice rinks don't have to look like the one in the picture, there are better versions. Type it into Google: http://images.google.co.uk/images?q=synthetic+ice+rink Most of them you can't see the squares as much. But how do we know which one they're building?

The topless woman with an umbrella would probably be popular though.

[dagobert]

It looks a little bit weird, but I think we have to try it to judge. How much is it to rent some skates.

[jeakat24]

But in defence of the plastic thing, it's not like the DLP ice was any good for skating on... There were more cuts and water on that thing then on Lake Disney when it was frozen over.

That's quite true actually!

It's does indeed look like she's skating on a patio, but having had a look on google there are some that have been done much better, so hopefully I'll be proved entirely wrong and it will be fab!

[pussinboots]

To state the obvious, this could be great news in that it might vastly improve the aesthetic of the whole area. Those kart things are of course an absolute atrocity, to such a degree that it turns a respectable hotel into a Travelodge. Having the rink there year-round would fix all that. Now if only they'd find a worthier purpose for those two kiosks than twenty year-old arcade games and fix the lights in the trees, the courtyard may regain some of its long-lost grandeur.

But I am slightly worried that this synthetic ice stuff might be a bit of a downer for people expecting, well, ice. Jeakat appears to be the only person among us who's actually tried it... Which doesn't bode well.

[brenjo]

We always go ice skating when we visit in jan or Feb and that has always been a big part of our evenings - indeed this was one of the first things my 11 year old daughter mentioned when I told her we were going again in 2010.  As soon as someone tries it out can they post a review as it may not be too bad we went to an artificial one in dublin two years ago and it was great - no wet bum when you fell down (as I did very often!).

[benjuth_lightyear]

found this info on the magicalkingdoms.com forum...

The ice skating rink will open Saturday, 17 October 2009. It is an artificial ice skating rink. Only hockey skates can be used on this artificial ice skating rink.


2 sessions per day:
- from 2.30pm to 6.30pm
- from 7.30pm to 10pm
Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.


Fee to be paid directly at the ice skating rink:

Adults = €12 (hire of skates included); €10 (the clients bring their own skates)
Children* = €9 (hire of skates included); €7 (the clients bring their own skates)



GROUPS
Groups as from 12 people (hire of skates included):
All bookings by fax: 01 60 45 73 82
Adults = €8
Children* = €7


*child aged 3 - 11

http://www.magicalkingdoms.com/forums/s ... php?t=1307

[Anthony]

First photo, from chris44 on Disney Magic Interactive:

http://nsa09.casimages.com/img/2009/10/ ... 651040.jpg

Looks fine! You can see the joins but only just. Hopefully they'll maintain it well and keep it looking like that all the time.