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Playland Skating Center
Rating Details »
Categories: Skating Rinks, Party & Event Planning [Edit]
8822 McCann DrAustin, TX 78757
(512) 452-1901
- Good for Kids:
- No
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- Category:
- Party Supplies
- Location:
- Austin, TX
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18 reviews for Playland Skating Center
Biggest skating rink in Texas! They just had a new floor put in.
Tuesday nights are 'Adult Skate'. It's a blast but the music they play gets extremely old if you go more than once a month. There are only so many disco and 80's pop tunes I want to hear repeated in the course of a year.
They're also one of the only places to buy skates and skate related goods retail. You can find better deals online but it's convenient to have the option in Austin.
Holy time warp batman!
We showed up for adult skate night in 70's basketball outfits, and the funniest part about it was that half the people didn't realize we were joking!
The Good- Some of the best people watching in Austin. From the creepy dudes hauling a$$ around the ring by themselves (who had been going to Playland since Jr high and never missed a week) to the dance teams to the roller skating rookies falling on their faces this place has it all.
The Bad- The sweet smell of feet and the gigantic jar of used gum at the front counter ($2.00 fine for chewing gum for all you lawbreakers.)
The Ugly- Vending machines only! No concession stand, and more importantly NO BAR. I guess some people can't booze and roll, so they wreck it for the rest of us!
Fun Tuesday night, worth checking out at least once.
Adult Night is a MUST. At least once. If you were a child of the 80s.
Keep your fingers crossed that you'll get a good pair of skates that work properly, that you won't bust yer butt in front of too many people, and that you skate better than you actually remember.
And stay away from the hotdoggers that think they rule the rink. They are trapped in a time warp! But you'll figure that out soon enough. :)
As others have mentioned adult night is great, and the people watching can't be beat. Every time I come I have so much fun! Other nights are good, too but if you're a novice skater the little kids zipping past you can be a bit of an obstacle. On Sundays Michael gives skate lessons for all skill levels if you want to beef up your skating skills. I've never had a bad time here, good music, good skating, good times!
Last night I went to Playland for the first time for a private party. A group of about 40 people rented the entire place for two hours. We were allowed to bring beer and snacks, and request our own music.
The best part was skating with just a handful of people instead of the hordes which swarm on Tuesday nights. They ran a series of special events, too, which they don't do on Tuesday nights, including the Hokey Pokey, Limbo, and other games. All on skates, of course.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/19/2008
I have just a few things to add to the other reviews. First, I would not recommend going any time… Read more »
Playland adult skate night, aka...
*****The Saga of Roller Viking*****
Dudes, skating is not really my thing, although, as far as I can tell, this is the most badass place in town for skating to catchy tunes such as Xanadu, Unbelievable, and the Mortal Kombat soundtrack.
But for me, eminent armchair psychologist and social observer, the best thing about Playland (he he, that sounds creepy) is the zany cast of characters, the most amazing of whom is a man I call "Roller Viking".
Roughly, Roller Viking is a gargantuan leviathan on wheels, his body sculpted from approximately 350 pounds of glistening Norwegian man-flesh, his calves the size of oak trees, his face gracefully framed by a flowing blonde under-skullet. (Under-skullet: A mullet that is shaved underneath. Shaving creates an air pressure differential--mathematically described by Bernoulli's Equation--that lifts the mullet dramatically upward when the bearer travels at high rate of speed. A flowing under-skullet is visually devastating to opponents and onlookers alike.)
Now for a dude that could plow through a bull elephant, a concrete wall, and every other Playland skater combined, Roller Viking is amazingly fast, precise, and GRACEFUL. If you can imagine a Scandinavian jet-powered bulldozer that can pirouette on a dime, then you are almost close to imaging the sheer primal force of Roller Viking.
At various intervals, Roller Viking would mysteriously disappear from the arena. This was to be explained, I imagine, by his need to periodically deadlift some cars, practice his swordsmanship, or eat a wild boar. His inevitable reappearance was always met with giddy excitement: "Oh shit, he's back..."
Altogether, I should say that while I have no desire to spend more than a few hours per year in the roller rena, a trip to Playland has given me an invaluable heuristic for approaching life.
When it's late and I'm tired, but I still need to hit the gym...
When my brain cannot detangle some abstruse philosophical paradox...
When I have to kill a Rhinoceros by punching it repeatedly...
...I take a deep breath, I clear my thoughts, and I imagine the austere image of Roller Viking...And in my heart, he gives me the strength to prevail.
Had a mostly fun deja vu night here on Tuesday for a friend's retro birthday bash.
All the other reviews have covered what's awesome about Playland for grownups (home of the Texas Rollergirls; cheaper-than-a-movie $7 entertainment combined with a bit of exercise; flashback to childhood for the Carter/Reagan-era set; exceptional people-watching; no rugrats on adult night; etc).
What's not so awesome: no concessions except vending machines (bottled Pepsi - blecch - for $1.75!!) and outside beverages are not allowed. My dreams of reliving my 5th grade soda fountain specialty, the Suicide, were cruelly dashed. No Frito-pie, giant dill pickles, or nachos!? Since it was adult night, we assumed there would be beer, but nooooooo, that's only during roller derby nights. Boo. They *did* at least let us bring in our own cake & have pizza delivered.
One pleasant surprise was free wi-fi and computer rentals (yeah, you heard me; who knows why anyone would do this at a skate rink, but I don't judge). Since I'm a total slave to my iPhone, anyplace with free wi-fi is on my good side.
We had a few wusses who refused to put on skates, something about "an expensive recent surgery" or some such whining. They still had a great time between watching our never-skated-before friends defy death and the "we're here every night" pros showing off. Other non-skating fun: a few old school arcade games, claw machines, and an air hockey table.
Tips: Cheapskates (heh) can go to the website to print out a $1 off coupon, but it's no good on Tuesday's adult night. Check their Myspace page http://www.myspace.com... or call to learn about special events (such as the free beer at the adult Halloween party on 10/28).
For the parents, Playland offers a pretty decently priced party package for kids' gatherings ($5.50-$7 per kid, depending on the day of the week). Available times are limited to after school (4-6p) on Tues & Fri, or a 2 hr block on the weekend (between 3 & 9 on Sat, or 2-4 Sun). Keep in mind, this place is OLD; the carpet is filthy and reeks from the smokers on bingo night, so you probably don't want toddlers crawling around on the floor. Ages 7 and up, or any little kid who knows how to skate, would probably have a blast here, though.
1980's flashback decor and equipment (dust included), it's time to scrape the place clean and update it. Meanwhile it's like every other small town skate rink.
For my farewell to ATX gathering - I opted for an 80's themed skate party since I'm quirky like that. Planned it for a Tuesday to coincide with Adult Night. Dood...talk about a time warp!
Pros:
- Old skool skates
- Fairly large rink
- Lots of industrial fans to cool you off
- Plenty of "exits" to escape onto carpet when you've had enough
- Lockers to keep your valuables in
- Allows you to bring in your own snacks (no drinks)
- Inexpensive fun - $7 admission
- Tuesdays after 7 until 1030 is Adult Night (no one under 18 allowed)
External Pro: Much props to my friend that busted out with his MC Hammer outfit. Can't Touch This!
Cons:
- Concrete floors - sort of had me skurred about crackin' my skull
- A medley of music, but could've been more rockin'
- No concessions aside from vending machines
Overall: My friends and I had a blast. Most of us haven't donned skates since we were in middle school. It does take time to get accustomed to, but just like they say about riding a bike...
Good times down memory lane. Definitely makes you feel like a kid again!
I grew up roller skating at my local roller rink 4 or 5 times a week listening to the Bee Gees. In the 70's I guess the roller rink was the local after school day care because my parents among others dropped their kids off for a couple hours while they did adult stuff...
Fast forward 30 years - I get flashbacks at Playland on Tuesday night Adult Night. I strap on my white skates with purple laces and pom pom balls and skate like it is 1979.
A bunch of friends and I decided to get our 70's groove on and head to the roller rink....it takes about 5 minutes on skates before it all starts coming back to you....how to hit the corners without looking like a dweeb, how to skate backwards (well, that one took me two visits) and how not to fall on your a**. All in all a good time was had by all with the promise to go back next Tuesday. I don't know how you can have a better time for $7!
My only complaint is the "hotdoggers" who have been skating nonstop since 1976 and do their damnedest to scare the living bejeezus out of everyone by zipping around and jumping between other skaters all while going 200 mph. I have never actually seen them hit anyone...but with my luck, it will end up being me, laid flat on my back with skate tracks across my face.
Slow Down you Roller Skating Madmen! Some of us haven't been to a roller rink since thier 10th birthday party at Great Skate in 1979 and we have to re-learn a few things!
Tuesday night adult night at Playland is the bomb-diggety.
It really IS a time warp. There are several regulars here that are SERIOUSLY good roller-skaters and are executing all kinds of crazy skating tricks as the rest of us mere mortals struggle our way around the rink. It's worth it to go just to check out these fine skaters in action - and to marvel at their straight-out-of-the-70's outfits. I guess roller skating has kept them fit enough that they still fit in their wardrobes of yore.
Warning: it is possible to seriously injure onesself while roller skating...and it's kind of embarassing when you're walking around in a sling and you have to admit to people that you fractured your elbow in a roller skating accident. Not that I would know that from personal experience or anything.
I cannot stress how right these other reviewers are. Tuesday nights are only skaters 18+. This is important, actually, because kids on a skate rink once you're an adult are like a crazy obstacle course where you can't finish without falling down. They will pull you down with them when they accidentally slam into you. Believe it.
So, we're adults only. We're pretending we're not adults, skatedancing (look, I made a verb!) to Salt N Pepa, Jackson 5, and Journey. Hold hands even when they dim the lights and call a COUPLESKATE ONLY (the phrase itself gets me psyched).
There are some people that are there every single Tuesday I've been. One is totally Richard Simmons but sturdier- he's got the hair, short red polyester shorts with white piping, white knee socks with 3 red stripes at the top, and massive massive calves. There's another guy with the wispiest mullet you've ever seen, and he likes to mold female skaters into his twisting, turning, flipping ballerina-skaters. He will point at you like you're next, so you have to avoid eye contact as he flips said mullet over his shoulder and arabesques. There's a white-haired guy in African garb who glides like his skates are little clouds and makes New Kids seem so FUNKY y'all. Most importantly, there is a guy with a David Hasselhoff haircut who likes to coupleskate with a different newbie female every song, so watch out- he will break your heart. I've seen girls get in tifs over him.
All these characters and more, every Tuesday night, 7:00-10:30, for only $7. Write your sociology thesis. Scrape together some money for a documentary on skateculture, because this place is teeming with it!
I broke my ass here. Literally. I was all for the flashback to disco roller rink childhood memories until my body remembered that 30 years had passed since then and my balance and elasticity were not what they once were. I wiped out. Nothing against Playland, but my skating days are o v e r .
I went here last night for the Camp Fire USA skating party. I have been to a few roller skating rinks around town (and other towns) and they usually seem to be dives; dark, dirty, and dreary.
Playland was not dreary at all. It has a GIANT rink, larger than any other in the area and it has all kinds of cool colored and neon lights! The piece de resistance is a giant disco ball-esque skate in the middle of the ceiling. See my barely adequate photo of it.
Anyway - the kids had a great time skating. Also, when they played games (limbo, hokey pokey and a few others) those skating around the rink edge were not made to stop and sit down. YEAH!
You can rent roller blades here for a small extra fee.
Home to the Texas Rollergirls.
Have never been during regular skate, but aside from the pitiful bathrooms and straight-out-of-1986 concession stand, it seems like a nice enough venue. Plus, they let/profit from Beer Land selling $3 Lone Stars to all the roller derby folks on game night.
Playland and I go way back. I've attended Adult Night semi-regularly since 1999, when admission was $5. (Inflation takes its toll on everything, from a gallon of milk to your rolling entertainment) Now it's $7, but I still think it's worth it, provided you're there long enough to skate yourself into exhaustion. You work up a sweat quicker than you'd think just rolling around in circles.
They've got everything you liked about skating when you were a kid**, without all the kids getting in your path. Such as:
A disco ball in the shape of a skate, with neon lightning bolts.
Rental skates, which have improved since the admission hike.
A huge rink that most folks don't take full advantage of, skating in tight circles.
Lots of the same music you heard back then, like Michael Jackson or 70's disco, mixed in with some more current tunes.
Couples Skate, Speed Skating rounds (one song for men, one for the ladies) and Opposite Direction Skate.
Dimmed lights that are much more fun / romantic to skate under.
Air Hockey! What would a roller rink be without one?
**They reserve the Hokey Pokey and Limbo competitions for other nights of the week, but you don't want to go then, trust me.
As you may have heard, there's a sub-culture of regulars here. That's a big part of the fun. So be as funky as you wanna be! (in style, not scent ) Nobody will judge you. It's a very accepting bunch. If you can't skate worth a damn, someone is always willing to help you learn. If you fall down, people help you up. It's good skate karma I guess.
The shorter gentleman with a ponytail? That's Mr. Skate. He's the pro to ask for assistance. Especially if you happen to be a cute female
My only gripes: The floor takes a beating from hosting the Rollergirls practice and events. Whenever it gets resurfaced, it goes right back to bumpy in some parts, which is disconcerting and unsafe at high speeds while cornering.
Also, the way they have the speakers set up causes an echo or delay that sounds like the song is playing a second behind from the far end of the rink. You only notice this on the end closest to the front, but if you're picky about sound like I am, it can be annoying.
Overall, a fun experience that I hope to enjoy for many more years.
Oh Yeah! Adult skate night.
Yes guys, its totally cool.
1. Show up in your slightly pimped out skate gear. Or if you are a real bad ass, a knee pad and a helmet.
2. Joke with the guy at the window about how..hey.... skates are cheap , I might just buy me a pair. See him get excited, then tell him your just kidding.
3. Put on your skates, which of course wont fit. Figure out your true skate size after like the third try.
4. Practice balancing on the carpet before you sloooooowly totter onto the skate floor.
5. Pray you don't fall.
6. Give thanks that since its adult night you wont throw down a three year old on wheels and they wont run into you.
7. Narrowly miss running into the big guy skating slowly in front of you. Scream.
8. Realize you are a bomb biggety skater!
9. Continue thinking it until you bite it. Hard.
10. Watch the big burly dudes in the middle of the floor do line dances on skates to MC Hammer. Realize you are in a time warp.
11. Go to the snack bar. It turns out to be only a vending machine.
12. After the Italian stallion on skates whizzes by you for the thirtieth time doing tricks and your ankle begins to give out , decide to end while your ahead.
13. But before you go, couple skate. Thats always pimp.
14. Leave. Proud. And feeling like your thirty minute workout on skates was equal to 3 hours at the gym.
Rinse and Repeat every Tuesday 7-10:30.
