NJ is buzzing with excitement over American Dream’s impending opening this week. The first phase of the mega attraction starts with the openings of the NHL-sized ice rink and Nickelodeon Universe. If you’re planning on buying tickets (or already snagged some), you should know that parking at American Dream comes at a price.
The Details
Parking will cost you $3-6 for 30 minutes to eight hours. If you’re going to be there all day (8+ hours), it’ll cost you $24. Don’t want to worry about parking? Hand your keys to the valet for $10 in addition to the regular parking rates. Be warned: When there’s an event going on at MetLife Stadium next door, event parking rates will be in effect. But not to worry: You’ll get a validation on event day with the purchase of a Nickelodeon Universe ticket.
Is It Worth It?
If you, like many others, think it’s ridiculous and the most anti-Jersey thing ever to charge for parking at a mall, remember that American Dream isn’t just a big mall. On top of its 400+ luxury shops and retail stores opening next year, American Dream will also be home to a gigantic 16-story indoor snow park called Big SNOW America, a DreamWorks water park and many more one-of-kind entertainment experiences.
“We don’t call ourselves a mall. We’re going to be 55 percent entertainment when we open, and if you look at a traditional mall, I challenge you [that] they’re under 5 percent entertainment,” Debbie Patire, the senior vice president of marketing for American Dream, told New Jersey Family last year. “We’re really a destination for not only the local consumer, but tourists and international tourists, and what we’ve done with this project is really one of a kind, meaning new to market.”
What’s To Come
The roster definitely reflects Patire’s claims. American Dream will soon be home to DreamWorks Water Park (opening November 27), SEALIFE Aquarium, LEGOLAND Discovery Center, Big SNOW America (opening December 5), KidZania, a mini golf course, bowling alley, a 4-D theater, a massive observation wheel and more. By March 2020, every attraction should be operational and open to the public—and we’re totally psyched.