When visitors step into Rebounderz Jacksonville’s newly renovated, 6,000 square foot laser-tag arena, the hustle and bustle of the center outside dies down. Muffled by notes of a suspenseful soundtrack playing overhead are the simulated “shots” of weighty metal laser-tag guns; a fog settles over the black-lit, two-story arena. Lights flash overhead, cutting through the mist as the soundtrack builds to a climax.
It’s just one of many additions made to the four-year-old facility, where owners and Nocatee residents David and Laura Zorn first began planning renovations in early 2015. The couple gave themselves an ultimatum when they resolved to create an ever-changing “extreme entertainment center” on Old St. Augustine Road: Go big or go home.
A total of $1.25 million was spent on the renovations, manifesting in new and enhanced attractions at the facility. After a 10-month design process, the renovations are expected to be completed in early June.
“We really wanted to create an experience that was never before seen,” David Zorn said. “The aesthetics and the flow of things have really changed. We wanted to bring in new attractions and enhance the ones that we already offered here.”
The Zorns have implemented changes across the board, beginning with the layout. Where visitors were once greeted with a snack bar, an interactive, multiple-lane mini-bowling area now sits, moved from its previous location in the back of the arena where it went largely unseen. A bar and an eatery now occupy what Zorn calls the “epicenter” of the facility, citing visibility as a concern he and his wife hoped to address.
“We opened the walls, moved the party rooms and decided to put the eatery right at the front in view of the attractions,” he said. “It just creates a natural hub for parents to be able to sit and keep an eye on their children as well as for non-participants to stay in a comfortable environment.”
According to the Zorns, the eatery will also run specials for sporting events such as NFL Sundays, fantasy football draft parties and Thursday night college games.
The menu has seen an upgrade as well, with Rebounderz expanding its draught beer selection to eight different beers on tap. Laura Zorn said Rebounderz has worked to create all its dishes in-house, with the menu revamped to include health-conscious dishes such as a hummus platter and artichoke dip alongside heartier favorites like loaded fries.
The new additions to the arena attractions include a laser maze called “The Vault,” the first of its kind in Jacksonville where players compete in “Mission Impossible” style play, the largest ninja course in Northeast Florida and a dedicated play space for toddlers. Director of Publicity Stevan Schwartzenberger said these activities, alongside the four existing dodgeball, basketball and jump arena trampolines, double as exercise for kids.
Laura Zorn agreed.
“That’s true for every attraction because there’s an emphasis on physical activity,” she said.
Still to come are a Leap of Faith tower challenging players to jump across platforms to reach a suspended obstacle as well as four different rock walls and a warp wall addition to the ninja course.
“It’s been such an amazing transformation,” she said. “As a full entertainment facility, we’re trying to distinguish ourselves. We’ve put a lot of effort into making sure the attractions, service and safety are top quality.”
The Zorns stress that safety continues to be the number-one priority in the action-adventure center. Rebounderz is a member of the International Association of Trampoline Parks, David Zorn said, and as such its trampoline areas are regulated to one jumper per square trampoline, and each attraction is under the supervision of employees.
Most of all, the Zorns want new and returning visitors to know they don’t intend for any of their attractions to get old.
“It's always been our intention to be able to expand and add things to the arena to create something for everyone,” Laura Zorn said. “We want to constantly transform this space. So if you haven’t been here in a while, it’s time to come back – it’s like night and day.”
