Jungle Island’s new outdoor ice skating rink melted. Take a guess why
Because we miss winter (sometimes) and the fun things surrounding the coldest season, we were happy to hear an ice rink was opening at Jungle Island.
But don’t bother dusting off the old skates, because the outdoor rink never really made it off the ground.
Because we live in a subtropical climate, for starters.
At the media preview Jan. 4, temperatures hovered around the 80-degree mark, and the ice was, well, melting.
The nearly one-acre long rink was decked out in festive, snowflake decorations, with a skate rental booth, pop music playing and whale shaped gliders for little skaters.
We had high hopes, especially since we could wear a T-shirt and shorts while gliding around.
The popular attraction released a statement on Monday.
“We had every intention at Jungle Island to deliver Miami’s only outdoor ice-skating experience, but unfortunately our chiller for the ice-skating rink is no match for our 80-degree weather. Therefore, for the safety of our guests, the ice-skating rink is closed until further notice.”
Jungle Island still has other daytime and nighttime adventures for guests of all ages to enjoy from animal shows, Adventure Bay, SuperFlight and Escape Rooms, to Luminosa! festival of lights, which has been extended to Feb. 9.
Another new experience is a hands-on capybara encounter, in which guests enter the animal enclosure and feed sweet potatoes to the largest living rodents in the world. They are super docile and cute and love to be photographed. The little buggers like the heat, too.
While it’s possible the rink will return as they work on the chiller, the area, formerly a nerf battleground, will definitely house another attraction, says a spokeswoman.
Info: www.jungleisland.com.
