Dover Skating Center — Attraction in Dover

I really tried to like this place, but the staff is setting a very negative ripple effect with their immature behavior. I've never seen refs that skate around the rink the entire time practicing tricks. They are supposed to go back n forth in the middle and keep an eye on everyones safety. I had so many kids going the wrong way and cutting across the entire rink to get to an exit. Smh.

Every rink I've been to had a clear rule, if you need to get off, get off at the next exit you can, not cutting in front of others, and don't skate in the opposite direction! (I'm not talking about skating backwards either, though this is the first rink I've been to that allowed backwards skate during regular skate and didn't have couples skate or anything like that.) The refs didn't tell any of the kids, or rather, they missed 90% of the kids who went in wrong directions. The refs are so busy socializing or skating that they aren't doing their job. When staff isn't being authoritative enough, it causes the customers to be a bit crazier. Also this place lets way too many kids be here without their parents, so they act a fool too. It's just too crazy. I like the place but I wish people would just be respectful, that's IT. I stand proven right, since I made this review we went back and some kid had eaten our food when we were looking away. Like I said, there's not enough authority here. And I hate authority, but you need to step in and parent these kids since you let them come w/o their parents. (The kid who ate our food had no adult with him, so they kicked him out. I will say thank you for doing that, but why was his group of friends allowed in w/o supervision??)

Also, please get some better music. I hardly ever see anyone really jamming out or singing along unless it's an older song. No one knows these songs except maybe the staff. Never seen a skating rink play trap music. 🤦‍♀️ Play some songs that trend at skating rinks maybe? Some songs for families, some for couples, it's not rocket science. I'm just tired of listening to trap music about selling drugs when I'm skating with my 7 y.o. 🤷‍♀️ but yet the refs said ice cubes song was inappropriate even though we were all...

Recently went to Dover Skating rink as I have done for the past several years. However this time I was stopped and told Skating backwards/spins/and any advanced level Skating is prohibited. They could perhaps allow it if i stay towards the center. First off, beginners and slower moving skaters are to stay towards the middle, this is the same for all rinks across the nation!! For reference I am a very advanced skater and I come to the rink to practice, get better, relieve stress and to simply decompress. According to the floor guards someone was injured at the Christiana location thus no more SKATING is allowed! This to me makes absolutely no sense and the best way I can think to describe this is allowing people to play basketball on a basketball court but shooting in the rim is prohibited! I don't know how this rink is still in business, it refuses to cater to actually skaters and seems to get by on birthday parties and overly rowdy teen nights. Being an older and more advanced skater I firmly believe this policy needs to change. There are inherent risks with activities such as this and just because one person gets hurt, you implement a terrible and idiotic policy. If I'm a gym owner I'm not going to close the squat rack because someone pulled a muscle squatting. I don't know who needs to hear this or will see this but this is completely unacceptable and a mockery of Skating and...

Dover skating ring doesn't care about your kids. This evening they had their Throw Back Night from 7pm to 11 pm. The cost was $14.00 for our kids to attend. I get a call from another mom saying they are shooting at the skating ring, come get your daughter When I arrive, I arrived at the same time the police arrive and their are kids standing outside of the skating ring not allowed to go in. I go into the skating ring and see that there is nothing happening inside and my child was skating. I allow her to stay but I remain on the premises and I watch from 9:30pm to 11 pm. The 4 SUV police cars sit in the parking lot watching all these kids stand in the parking lot. Now they must have heard a loud pop to have ran out the building, nut once everything calmed down, the kids should have went back in the Ring but they were not allowed to go back in Kids were running in the street on Route 13. After a while the police left. Again they should have at least allowed the kids to wait in the lobby for their parents because all kids don't own cell phones. I was not pleased! Those kids where running between cars pulling into the skating ring and I watched a few almost get hit! Unacceptable! Do better Dover...