American Dream Opens On Friday: Here's What Everybody Saw

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – For those who came to the opening of the American Dream megamall on Friday morning, they got a little taste of what's coming.

They saw wide hallways with high ceilings, some showing what's there already – a theme park – and what's not: retail, recreational and dining destinations that will be the hallmark of one of the largest shopping meccas in the country.

Either way, it was a big day for the developers of the American Dream project, a shopping and entertainment venue in the Meadowlands that has been nearly two decades in the making. And it was a big day for state officials who have championed the project.

Gov. Phil Murphy, following a tour of the mall and the theme park, called American Dream's arrival, "A big day for New Jersey."

"It's been a long time coming," Murphy said.

For now, Nickelodeon Universe Theme Park and an NHL-size ice rink are ready for the public. Other attractions, shopping and dining will follow over the next several months.

The doors officially opened at 10 a.m. However, visitors won't get the full American Dream experience — which eventually is supposed to include more than 450 retail, dining destinations and entertainment venues — until next spring.

Murphy also said the venue “feels like a success” and that he believes American Dream's owner, Triple Five, wouldn’t have pursued the project if the developer didn’t think it would fail. Triple Five also manages two of North America’s largest malls – Mall of America and West Edmonton Mall.

Unlike the traditional mall, American Dream is more entertainment than shopping—55% to 45%, Triple Five's chief executive officer, Don Ghermezian, pointed out.

Given the competition retail faces from online competitors, many shopping centers are seeing increasing vacancies.

As more and more stores close, the make-up of the traditional shopping center is changing, forcing mall owners to try and find new ways to keep people coming in. Attractions such as escape rooms, virtual reality and axe-throwing venues – are popping up at malls across the country.

Ghermezian said turning a mall into "an entertainment destination" drives traffic.

"People come, they bring their families and they have an experience with us," he said.

Triple Five, projects 110,000 people will visit the $5 billion retail and amusement complex daily. Between 30 and 40 million people are expected to visit within its first year of opening.

Here is what they saw:

In the days leading up to the $5 billion mega-mall's debut, speculation swirled as to whether it would open due to the state Department of Community Affairs not yet issuing a permanent certificate of occupancy.

However, Thursday evening, the state confirmed American Dream received a temporary certificate of occupancy, allowing it to open as planned Friday.

Click here to see a full list of what is opening and when.
American Dream Is Coming Friday: Here's What'll Open, What Won't

American Dream: Your Options For Getting There

Here's what will open later:

Nov. 27

DreamWorks Water Park, an indoor water park that will include the world's largest indoor water coaster, a free fall slide with a 70-foot drop, a lazy river and a 1.5-acre wave pool.

Dec. 5

Big SNOW, the country's only indoor real-snow park, will open. It will offer skiing, snowboarding, introductory lessons, private coaching, children's programs, snow play, corporate team building and private events within its 180,000-square-foot, 16-story, climate controlled facility.