Day trip: Family fun at American Dream in New Jersey

The word mall should be jettisoned from the description of American Dream — the venue in East Rutherford, New Jersey, is more like a Disney World-esque entertainment center. Go there only to shop at the more than 250 stores and miss the point entirely.

Go to ski or snowboard on a snow-covered indoor mountain, and now we’re talking. Swim in the DreamWorks Water Park with multiple tube slides to choose from. Ride one of the indoor amusement park roller coasters that soar into the rafters’ duct work. Ice skate at the indoor rink. Take selfies at the Tilt Museum. See sharks in the Sea Life Aquarium. Be challenged in The Escape Room. Play black light miniature golf.

Getting the picture?

The excitement builds when pulling off the New Jersey Turnpike and spying the three-story mall’s enormous Ferris/observation wheel with its enclosed, climate-controlled cabins. The drive from the Nassau/Suffolk line takes a little more than an hour without traffic and parking is in garages adjacent to the building entrances for a flat $5 per day fee. Fun awaits every age — while the teens snowboard, take the littles to Sesame Street Learn & Play, visit Legoland Discovery Center or ride with them along the mall’s snaking tile hallways aboard the Toys "R" Us Geoffrey’s Express train.

Families could spend an entire day immersed in activities, dining and shopping without leaving the American Dream building. Stores range from the expected — Sephora, Foot Locker, Old Navy, Zara — to the high-end Dolce & Gabanna, Saks Fifth Avenue, Gucci, Cartier. Food choices include burgers, dumplings, pizza, falafel, barbecue, sushi, both at sit-down restaurants and faster choices including food halls. There’s even a self-serve wine bar for grownups. Plenty of couches offer places to rest throughout the day, and if lost in the mall maze, scan the QR code on the mall’s touch screens for a digital map to appear on your smartphone.

Don’t forget to pack your wallet — activities can climb to more than $100 per person. Many prices are lower if you book online.

Here are five highlights of a day at American Dream:

Big Snow

Enter the ski area year-round and it’s 28 degrees and filled with manmade snow. A ski lift carries skiers and snowboarders to the top of the indoor mountain. Ski options include a bunny hill and two bigger hills — one for switchback skiing and the other with obstacles such as pipes for snowboarders. There’s also snow tubing. A viewing area with an electric fireplace lets people watch the skiers from the warmth of the mall, like a mini ski lodge. A cafe sells hot chocolate, lattes and other treats — skiers ring an adjacent bell and their order is delivered. The best plan is to book in advance online to be assured a time slot. "During the winter it sells out," says guide and supervisor Oscar Munguia. Skis, snowboards, boots, helmets and even pants and jackets can be rented — just bring your own socks and gloves. Tickets are $60 for a two-hour access session without equipment rental, $100 with rental on weekdays and $10 additional on weekends.

Nickelodeon Universe Theme Park

This indoor amusement park is like a miniature Adventureland. Impressive rides range from the tame — Blue’s Skidoo ride featuring Blue from the "Blues Clues" television show and the Paw Patrol Hero Academy climbing zone — to the wild — the Kraang Prime Pandemonium flings riders upside down and the Skyline Scream is three stories high and induces vertigo just looking up at it. SpongeBob’s Jellyfish Jam is a traditional swings ride, and there are multiple roller coasters, including The Shredder, which spins riders while they plunge. Characters from "Paw Patrol," "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" and "SpongeBob" make appearances. Entering the amusement area is free, but a wristband for unlimited rides is $59 online and $70 at the gate. Rides can also be purchased a la carte. 

DreamWorks Water Park

Don a bathing suit for this option. Shrek and Kung Fun Panda hang outside; step inside the atrium-roofed water park and you’re in an 81-degree oasis. A calm pool area that resembles a lagoon allows for the youngest visitors to get in the water along with the rest of the family. A lazy river runs throughout. Twisting tube water slides take braver riders from the roofline careering to splashdown. Characters such as King Julien, the lemur from "Madagascar" and Shrek from the movie of that name make scheduled appearances. Opening in April is Gabby's Splashpad, a toddler interactive play area themed after the television show "Gabby's Dolllhouse." Admission is $69 per person during nonpeak times and $89 per person during peak hours; children 2 and younger are free. Tickets must be purchased online.

Sesame Street Learn and Play

"We are an emulation and recreation of everything kids know and families recognize from an episode of 'Sesame Street'," says general manager Joe McGrath. Indeed, there’s Hooper’s Store, where kids can pretend shop, the 123 apartment building’s iconic stoop, the Sunny Day Theater and much more. Costume characters Elmo, Abby Cadabby and Big Bird make scheduled appearances, and the newest character addition — Cookie Monster — is joining  the lineup in April. Admission is $26 for older than 2; 2 and younger are free. There’s no time limit on play but there’s also no reentry after leaving.

The Tilt Museum

More than a dozen different paintings that run along the walls and floor include the Statue of Liberty, an enormous dog, a dragon and more. When visitors pose on the designated spots on the paintings, the photo turns out like an optical illusion, showing the person, for instance, climbing the Statue of Liberty’s crown or surfing atop a flying hot dog. Admission is $15 when booked online and $17 at the door.

By Beth Whitehouse

beth.whitehouse@newsday.comBethWhitehouse1

Beth Whitehouse writes about families, parenting and great things to do with the kids on Long Island. She’s been a Newsday editor and shared a 1997 Newsday staff Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the crash of TWA Flight 800.