By now you’ve heard the big, bad, mega-mall news. After 15 years in the works, East Rutherford’s gargantuan entertainment, dining and shopping complex, the fabled American Dream, has opened to the public. Well, kind of. The 3 million-square-foot monstrosity is actually being completed and rolled out in stages so the shopping and dining components, with 200 retailers and 100 restaurants, won’t open till spring. But AD decided to kick off its October 25th grand opening with one of its most anticipated offerings -- Nickelodeon Universe, which just became the country’s largest indoor amusement park – along with The Rink, one of the region’s only NHL-size skating and hockey rinks in the region.
After years of patiently waiting through delay after delay, we wanted to be among the first to check the place out, so we sent fearless editor (and mom!) Melanie to get the lay of the land. She spent the day at Nick Universe with her 2-year-old, 4-year-old, 1st grader, and even a few of her kids’ friends in tow and reported back with all you need to know before you go.
OK. First thing’s first. The park is home to a couple dozen attractions with many centered around well-known characters and TV shows ranging from Rugrats to Ren & Stimpy, but keep in mind that Nickelodeon Universe is still testing out many of the rides so if you visit this week or next they may not all be open, which Melanie found out firsthand when all the coasters were down for maintenance the day she and her crew hit the park.
Since she was with a gaggle of younger kids (yep, she’s a brave one), the lack of thrill rides was a non-issue and, thus, their day was filled with plenty of other fun, games and rides. Plus, they got to mingle with costumed characters including Chase from Paw Patrol, Michelangelo from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and the beloved SpongeBob, who were roaming the colorful park.
As for specific attractions, her toddler loved Blaze’s Monster Truck Rally, which lets kids participate in a revved-up race inside the Monster Dome in addition to the the Blue’s Clue’s-themed Blue’s Skidoo, where participants can help characters Blue and Magenta soar. Her 4-year-old's favorite, meanwhile, was Ren & Stimpy's Space Madness where everyone gets to strap in, hold on and prepare for launch to Crab Nebula. And the grade-school set went bonkers over Aang’s Air Gliders, which gives little riders the chance to soar and spin like an Airbender as well as snap a pic with Aapa the sky bison. Everyone agreed that Dora’s Sky Railway ranked numero uno. That’s where you and Dora take flight in a floating hot air balloon that transcends to a rail station in the clouds before riders board Azul for a sky-high journey featuring scenic views of the park from the elevated tracks.
Other things to note: Employees were super helpful, there were plenty of security staffers on hand and the bathrooms were squeaky clean and easily accessible. The downside is the food is pretty limited to light offerings right now so best not to go in with a hangry crew and arrive with pockets full of snacks.
From now through November 14th, “preview admission” costs $49.99 for all access tickets and $39.99 for general admission, the latter of which doesn’t include the thrill rides and are best for little ones who won’t be cruising the coasters. (But since the bigger rides weren’t even operating when we visited, again, it’s best to ask when you get there which ticket is worth it.) As of November 15th, prices jump to a slightly more painful $79.99 and $59.99 respectively. Kids 2 and under get in gratis. And yes, you’ll have to pay to park, but the fees seem relatively reasonable and as long as you don’t hit eight hours you’ll get out of there for $6 or less. Bonus: If you visit the mall between now and November 3rd, you’ll get to check out the Fall Festival including a pumpkin patch and hay maze.
Next up, DreamWorks Water Park opens on the 27th, and – hold on to your winter hats – the attraction that started it all, the 16-story indoor ski slope now dubbed Big SNOW, will be ready for (chair) lift off on December 5th.
It’s gonna be a fun winter. We can already tell.
Nickelodeon Universe at American Dream
