FAQ’s: Ice Skating

Ice Skating FAQ’s

You can book for our entire festive season, NOW! You can book online with us HERE.
We strongly recommend all customers book online to guarantee their ice skating slots. You can book online with us HERE.
We strongly recommend all customers book online to guarantee their ice skating slots. You can book online with us HERE.
We have a selection of Push Along Skate Aids available to hire during your ice skating session. We strongly recommend that you book a skate aid at the time of booking to secure your skate aid for your desired session. These are available from £5 per skate aid per session and are available on a first come first served basis, subject to availability. We have Push Along Penguins, where children can push them or they can stand on the penguins skis to be pushed. We have Push Along Seals and Whales which can both be pushed by children or small children can sit on them. We also have Push Along Bananas which can be pushed by taller children and adults, and can allow two children to sit on them or one adult. Push Along Bananas are available to hire at £10 per banana per session. You can book Push Along Skate Aids online with us HERE.
We have specific SEN-sations Skating Sessions, where we have absolute minimal queuing, low music levels and a reduced capacity. You can book HERE. During our SEN-sation skating sessions, we offer one free carer accompanying someone with SEN.
Absolutely! We offer an events e-voucher which can be used to book ice skating or any other event that we offer on our website. E-vouchers can only be redeemed on our website. You can purchase one HERE.
Each ice skating session starts promptly on the hour and lasts approximately 45 minutes. We ask that you arrive 15 minutes before your ice skating session is due to start to get booted up and read through the Rink rules and good skating practise.
We ask that you arrive 15 minutes before your ice skating session is due to start to get checked in, booted up and read through the Rink rules and good skating practise.
You will swap your shoes for your ice skates; your shoes will then be stored within the boot rack within the boot change area. All belongings are left at your own risk.
Yes, for health and safety regulations the ice rink has a maximum capacity of skaters for each session. We advise that you book online HERE, to secure your ice skating session.
Any children that are under the age of 8 must be accompanied on the ice by a paid adult. Children over the age of 8 must have an adult within the spectator area at all times. Child tickets apply to children up to the age of 14. Adult tickets are classed from the age of 15. Please note that only skaters are permitted in the boot change area. All spectators can watch the ice skating in our rink side spectator area, new for this year.
We do not allow any food or drink on the ice rink itself. Any food and drink consumed in the spectator area must be purchased on site from our Rink Side Café. We also have our Canalside Restaurant onsite where you can enjoy a range of homemade meals, cakes and snacks.
we have the same rink side spectator area as last year, where you can watch the ice skaters glide. Please note admittance to the boot change area is not permitted without a valid ice skating ticket.
We have the same rink side spectator area as last year, where you can watch the ice skaters glide. Please note admittance to the boot change area is not permitted without a valid ice skating ticket.
Please bring your order confirmation with your order number and booking name on. You will find this on your order confirmation email. We strongly recommend that all skaters wear gloves whilst on the ice and in the boot change area. Socks are essential, we recommend bringing thick or fluffy socks with you too. The ice rink is open come rain or shine. Please dress according to the weather conditions on the day. (Our rink is fully undercover). Climatic conditions may cause a layer of water on the ice surface, this will not affect your skating and does not make it unsafe to skate. Although you may get wet if you fall over.
All skaters are advised to wear suitable clothing including gloves and socks. Our ice rink is undercover and is outside. We strongly recommend that all skaters wear gloves whilst on the ice and in the boot change area. Socks are essential, we recommend bringing thick or fluffy socks with you too. The ice rink is open come rain or shine. Please dress according to the weather conditions on the day. (Our rink is fully undercover). Climatic conditions may cause a layer of water on the ice surface, this will not affect your skating and does not make it unsafe to skate. Although you may get wet if you fall over. If you are skating with small children, it is advised to bring extra socks and a change of clothes.
Push chairs are only allowed on the ice during our specific Toddler Sessions. Before a push chair is permitted on the rink, you must ensure that the wheels are clean and free of any debris. We have the right to refuse entry if we feel it is unsafe to allow the specific pushchair on the ice.
Some children may need additional support from their grown ups. As a guide a maximum of 5 children per adult, this is dependent on the skating ability of the skaters. During our Toddler Sessions, we recommend a ratio of one toddler to one adult, with a maximum of two toddlers per adult. We have the right to refuse entry if we feel the ratio is not at a safe level. Please note all children under the age of 8 must be accompanied on to the ice by a responsible adult in skates (or grippers) with a valid skating ticket.
We offer a Youth Group discount, to discuss this further and to check availability please contact the Events Team by emailing christmas@wlgv.co.uk.
We welcome birthday parties at Whilton Locks Garden Village. Our Party Packages run on certain date and times. To discuss this further and to check availability please contact the Events Team by emailing christmas@wlgv.co.uk.
Please check your junk folder for the order confirmation. If the order confirmation does not appear in any spam folders, please supply the following information to our events team by emailing christmas@wlgv.co.uk. You must supply, the correct booking name as it appears on your booking, the email address linked to your booking, the telephone number used whilst booking, the date and time of your booking and the Invoice ID from the payment on PayPal. Providing all the information that has been supplied is correct to the booking, an email confirmation will be resent.
Skate Hire is included in your ice skating ticket price, however you can wear your own skates, providing they are deemed to be safe by our ice marshals. When not in use your ice skates must have skate guards on at all times.
Absolutely! Enjoy an unforgettable ice skating session packed full of festive fun. All skate aids (Penguins, Bananas, Seals and Whales) are included for the 45 minute ice skating session. The session includes music throughout for a fun festive atmosphere. With hot chocolates served for all skaters. For the most up to date availability and more information, please contact the Events team at christmas@wlgv.co.uk.
Yes, for ice skating, we have a rink side spectator area the same as last year. You do not require a ticket to enter this area. Please note, only skaters are allowed in the boot change area.
We have a few options with regards to Ice Skates. Our traditional ice skates are from children’s size 8 through to Adult size 14. We offer over the shoe bobskates from children’s size 6 to Adult Size 2. We also offer over the shoe grippers for adults.
We do not have a minimum age for Ice Skating as we offer varied sessions. We recommend that any children entering the ice rink should be stable on their feet if they would like to ice skate. We also have Push Along and Sit On skate aids that are available to hire which can aid the children in the skating experience. You can book a skate aid HERE. If you have very young children, we offer specific Toddler Skating sessions where Toddler’s are free with their adult. These specific Toddler Sessions are hosting on specific dates and times. You can book a Toddler session HERE. During our Toddler Sessions, push chairs are allowed on the ice providing they are deemed safe to be on the ice.
Each ice skating session starts promptly on the hour, we ask that skaters arrive 15 minutes before their session is due to start to get checked in, swap their skates and read through the Rink Rules and Safe Skating Practises. Each Ice Skating Session lasts 45 minutes. Once your session has finished and you come off of the ice rink, it can take up to 15 minutes to exchange your ice skates. We would recommend that if booking an additional event, you book the event at least 1 hour after your skating session is due to start. When booking Father Christmas’s Magical Grotto, we would strongly recommend booking this event after your Ice Skating Session.
There may be times during our events and our ice skating, where we film or take photographs for social media, website and marketing purposes. If there is a specific event that you are attending and would prefer not to appear in the filming / images, please email our team at chrstmas@wlgv.co.uk so we can make arrangements for you to not appear.
No, our Loyalty Card discounts do not apply to any events tickets or ice skating tickets.
Yes, we have toilets located in our Café and in the main Garden Centre Building. We have baby changing facilities and disabled toilets available.
Unfortunately, this is not possible. If two people/children wish to skate, two tickets need to be purchased. Only skaters are permitted in the boot change area, there is a rink side spectator area new for this year.
We strongly recommend prebooking your tickets in advance to avoid disappointment. Tickets are available to purchase on the day and in-store subject to availability.
Ice Skating can be enjoyed by all ages and abilities.
We offer specific Toddler Skating sessions where Toddler’s (age 4 and under) are free with their adult. These specific Toddler Sessions are hosted on specific dates and times. You can book a Toddler session HERE. If you cannot attend a Toddler Session and you wish for your toddler to skate, your toddler will require a valid child ticket to join you ice skating.
You do not have to have a PayPal account to place an order / book an event on our website. One you are viewing the basket, you must click PayPal Buy Now button. This will bring up a ‘Log into Paypal’ screen, at the bottom of the ‘pop-up’ please click ‘Pay by Debit or Credit Card’. This will bring up a secure screen where you can input your billing details as a PayPal Guest. If you do not wish to create a PayPal account at this stage, please click ‘No, I don’t want an account now. Then click Continue to process the payment and place the order.
All our event tickets are non-refundable. Please make sure that you select the correct date and time for your booking on your desired day. Please note that if you need to reschedule your booking, there will be a £5 administration fee to make any changes to the booking, subject to availability. To reschedule your booking, you can either send a written request via email to Christmas@wlgv.co.uk or phone one of the events team on 01327 843100 with the Booking Details no later than 72 hours before your event is due to start. We require the following; Booking Name, Order Number and Contact Details, please ensure you have these details available when making the phone call or when sending the email to ensure no delays occur.
One Carer with each SEN person is permitted to enter the ice rink during our Super Sen-sations Sessions. For more information please visit our Super Sen-sations Sessions Page HERE.
We offer one carer free with each SEN person during our Super Sen-sations Sessions. For more information please visit our Super Sen-sations Sessions Page HERE.
We have specific SEN-sations Skating Sessions, where we have absolute minimal queuing, low music levels and a reduced capacity. You can book HERE. If you cannot attend one of our SEN-sations Skating Sessions, we welcome all children to all our skating slots. Please note we can only offer a free carer during our SEN-sations Skating Sessions.
Yes we do, all lost property will remain in our lost property area for 7 days, if any items have not been claimed, the items will be disposed of.
All our event tickets are non-refundable. Please make sure that you select the correct date and time for your booking on your desired day. Please note that if you need to reschedule your booking, there will be a £5 administration fee to make any changes to the booking, subject to availability. To reschedule your booking, you can either send a written request via email to Christmas@wlgv.co.uk or phone one of the events team on 01327 843100 with the Booking Details no later than 72 hours before your event is due to start. We require the following; Booking Name, Order Number and Contact Details, please ensure you have these details available when making the phone call or when sending the email to ensure no delays occur.
Yes, we welcome groups of all sizes and varieties. We offer a Youth Group discount. For more information, please speak with an Event Co-ordinator to discuss your requirements further by emailing christmas@wlgv.co.uk.
Unfortunately we do not offer concession prices. We do offer specific SEN-sations Sessions. For more information please visit our Super Sen-sations Sessions Page HERE.
The ice rink is open come rain or shine. Please dress according to the weather conditions on the day. All Participants must wear gloves and all skaters must wear socks. (Our rink is fully undercover). Climatic conditions may cause a layer of water on the ice surface, this will not affect your skating and does not make it unsafe to skate. Although you may get wet if you fall over.
Absolutely, it is great to snap the thrills and sometimes ‘spills’ on the ice rink. Please keep in mind that you take your camera or phone onto the ice at your own risk and any damage to your personal belongings is not covered by Whilton Locks Garden Village. Please refrain from taking photographs of people that are not in your skating group.
We have a rink side Café to buy a selection of snacks and drinks, including our Specialty Hot Chocolates. We also have our Canalside Restaurant onsite where you can enjoy a range of homemade meals, cakes and snacks.
Unfortunately if you have missed your booking, the spaces were allocated for your group on the date and time of your booking. We cannot reallocate any ice skating spaces for those who missed their booking. If you find that you can no longer attend your booked slot, you may qualify to reschedule your booking. All our event tickets are non-refundable. Please make sure that you select the correct date and time for your booking on your desired day. Please note that if you need to reschedule your booking, there will be a £5 administration fee to make any changes to the booking, subject to availability. To reschedule your booking, you can either send a written request via email to Christmas@wlgv.co.uk or phone one of the events team on 01327 843100 with the Booking Details no later than 72 hours before your event is due to start. We require the following; Booking Name, Order Number and Contact Details, please ensure you have these details available when making the phone call or when sending the email to ensure no delays occur.
All our event tickets are non-refundable. Please make sure that you select the correct date and time for your booking on your desired day. Please note that if you need to reschedule your booking, there will be a £5 administration fee to make any changes to the booking, subject to availability. To reschedule your booking, you can either send a written request via email to Christmas@wlgv.co.uk or phone one of the events team on 01327 843100 with the Booking Details no later than 72 hours before your event is due to start. We require the following; Booking Name, Order Number and Contact Details, please ensure you have these details available when making the phone call or when sending the email to ensure no delays occur.
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