Take A Virtual Tour Of American Dream's Water Park [Videos]

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — It's another "world's first" for American Dream Meadowlands.

The Dream Works water park will be the largest indoor water park in North America when it opens sometime after the rest of the $5 billion retail and entertainment destination does in the spring.

But it should be worth the wait. The 8-acre park will have 15 wet and wild attractions from ProSlide, creator of some of the world's largest and most popular water rides.

For starters, there is the OctopusKrakenRACER™, an eight-lane enclosed looping racer.

Then there's the dual tube FreeFall™ speed slide with a 50-foot, 70-degree drop.

"We put two of them in so there could be a racing effect," Gary Hanson, vice president of development for Triple Five Worldwide said in a video posted online about the water

Up to six people in one raft can ride the TORNADO 60™, the largest ride of its kind in the world.

But Hanson said the most popular ride should be the HydroMagnetic Rocket, the largest indoor water coaster in the world.

"You get a tour of the whole [water] park," Hanson said.

There will also be a "Madagascar" themed water tower with multiple slides and a "Kung-Fu Panda" children's complex.

There will also be an 80-foot Shrek and Donkey character balloons hanging from the ceiling.

The Nickelodeon Universe amusement park will be located next to the water park. that will feature the Spinning Coaster, the tallest and longest free-spinning coaster in the world, and the Euro-Fighter, among other attractions. (See related: 2 World-Record Roller Coasters Coming To American Dream)

But theme parks are just the tip of the iceberg at American Dream Meadowlands.

The largest indoor ski slope in the western hemisphere will allow customers to take ski and snowboarding lessons all year. There will also be an ice-climbing wall and an NHL-size hockey rink.

Mom and Dad can have some fun at For The Win, a huge adult-orientated arcade, while the kids visit the LEGOLAND Discovery Center with its 4-D cinema, LEGO brick pool, rides, and classes.

Kids can also get some work done at KidZania, a miniature city run by kids 4 to 14 years old. It will have its own currency and companies like Honda, Sony, Kellogg's, Coca-Cola and others have sponsored businesses and landmarks in the attraction.

KidZania, a miniature city run by kids 4 to 14 years old will also be there. It will have its own currency and companies like Honda, Sony, Kellogg's, Coca-Cola and others have sponsored businesses and landmarks in the attraction.

There will be a 1,500-seat live performance theater and a Cirque du Soleil theater.

Moviegoers will be able to smell scents in the films they watch in Cinemex's 1,400-seat, dine-in movie theater with X4D technology. A hotel is in the planning stages and could open a year after American Dream.

Food will play a big role in customers' experiences.

In an interview with Women's Wear Daily, Don Ghermezian, Triple Five's president and CEO, described the food options as "fun and engaging" and will further add to the entertainment experience. Ghermezian said the food options, including a Kosher fall court, the world's first, and MUNCHIES food hall, will feature cuisines from around the world.

"Food is a critically important part of the overall customer experience," Ghermezian said in the interview.

Half of the 30 to 40 million people slated to visit American Dream Meadowlands are expected to be tourists so an 800-room luxury hotel is being built in an effort to get those people to spend more of their money here, rather than in New York City.

Visitors can get information in their native language at digital kiosks and from a team fluent in Mandarin Chinese, French, Russian, Arabic, and other languages.

A casino could be in the works too.

American Dream will use technology to enhance customers' experiences. Augmented reality displays will be available throughout the complex. Smart bracelets will allow parents to shop and stay connected to their children throughout the campus.

There will be plenty of ways to get to American Dream Meadowlands.

New York Waterway is in talks to run a shuttle to take passengers to and from marinas along the Hudson River along the Gold Coast — Edgewater, Weehawken, and North Bergen — to American Dream.

The facility is scheduled to open in the spring, ending a long and often complicated development process that dates back to the ill-fated Meadowlands Xanadu project from 2003. The inside of the building was mostly complete before Triple Five took it over in 2011.

American Dream was originally slated to open in 2017. Then last summer Triple Five pushed back the completion date because it had difficulty securing financing. It worked with Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan to secure $1.1 billion in tax-exempt bonds last year. Triple Five also secured a $1.6 billion construction loan to fully finance the project.

American Dream Meadowlands is expected to generate $1.2 billion in income and provide 16,000 jobs when it opens.

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Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com

Images 1 through 3 showcase people using the dual tube FreeFall™ speed slide, TORNADO ™-style raft ride, and a HydroMagnetic ROCKET™water coaster at other water parks througout the world. (Courtesy of ProSlide, used with permission)

Images 4 and 5 show the outside of the Dream Works-themed water park at American Dream Meadowlands. (By Daniel Hubbard, Patch staff)