A Fun-Filled Day Trip to DreamWorks Water Park at American Dream

5 mins from the Lincoln Tunnel, American Dream is a perfect daytrip for New Yorkers – esp in winter!

I took my 4 and 6 year olds to DreamWorks Water Park at American Dream in East Rutherford, NJ to meet some friends last weekend and we had such a blast! I wasn't sure if they were old enough to enjoy "the biggest waterpark in North America," but there was plenty for kids – and kids at heart – of all ages!

Only 35 minutes from Brooklyn, it was even easier to get there than I expected. We arrived soon after the 11am open time, which worked out great. There were plenty of chairs to claim along the water's edge and the lines for rides were minimal until later on. Used to some level of ick at other theme parks, I was impressed with the squeaky clean spaces from the locker room to the park.

We started with a dip in the center Wave Pool to take it all in before relaxing and waterfall-seeking on the Bubbly Lazy River. The Kung Fu Panda "Temple of Awesomeness" Play Structure (water playground) and Penguins Fun Zone slides were perfect for littles – my youngest gleefully helped herself to a mix of small slides and had a blast splashing around the structure. I was thankful we had enough grownups in our group to easily split up with the kids given our different age groups. The big kids' favorites included the 3 thrilling, double-tube-required slides (get ready for a repeated stairs workout, parents!) at the top of Stair C and Toothless' Trickling Torpedo water coaster which speedily circumnavigates the entire perimeter of the enormous space.

The water was comfortable but cool in the 81 degree climate. When our crew felt chilly, we headed to the kid-friendly hot tubs for a dip to warm up. Once the kids slowed down enough to realize they were hungry, we headed to the cafe to grab some food and take a breather on the lounge chairs. The menu of sandwiches/hot dogs/pretzels/yogurt, etc did the job, but I would recommend bringing some of your own finger-food favorites. Some of us grownups snuck away to wait on line (about 30 minutes at Saturday 4pm) to ride Shrek's Sinkhole Slammer – a high-speed, 4-person raft ride which plunges into a massive funnel and hurls you up a 20 foot wall before plunging back down the chute. Such a thrill!

I wasn't sure how long we would stay, but time passed quickly and 5 hours later and thoroughly pruny, we opted to head home after a swift candy stop at the strategically adjacent "It's Sugar" shop. Needless to say, the kids raved about the day and can't wait to return!

I was hosted for the purposes of this review, but the opinions are all my own.

Know before you go:

Arrive to American Dream before the Water Park opens, especially on a holiday or weekend. The mall is huge with plenty of attractions beyond its theme parks (see below). To capitalize on prime chair availability and less lines, the earlier you get into the Water Park, the better. If you want to check out the water coaster or steepest water slides, hit those first before the lines get long.
Getting there:
- By car: Park in Lot B or C ($4/day).
- Rideshare: Pickup/drop-off locations at American Dream are located at A Hub and C Hub.
- Public transportation on weekends and holidays: Take NJ TRANSIT 355 Bus from Gate 305 at Port Authority Bus Terminal. Service operates hourly and the trip time is only 16 minutes. For details, visit njtransit.com/americandream or go to their Trip Planner.
Leave any valuables at home, but they have wristband-enabled lockers available for a charge. Small lockers $12, medium lockers $15, and large lockers for $20.
Bring or buy a waterproof case with a neck strap for your phone. (Either ahead of time on Amazon or they sell them for a premium at the park.) Having your phone is super helpful to touch base with others in your group in case you have to split up and also to document the fun experience.
Forgot a bathing suit or towel? They sell tons of options there!
Ride options by height (up to 36", 36"-42", 42-48", 48"+) *Note: life jackets required for kids on many rides regardless of skill level
Water safety: there are several attentive lifeguards at each Water Park station which offered peace of mind in the moments a kid walked beyond sight.
Check website for hours. They are generally open 12-7pm on weekdays, 11am-8pm on Saturdays, and 11am-6pm-ish on Sundays
Pricing (pre-purchase tickets to avoid the possibility of tickets selling out):
- All access pass: Non-Peak: Starting at $79 | Peak: Varies $89-$99
  - Free for kids two and under
  - For an added fee, purchase a Turbo Pass, which allows you to skip the line at most attractions.
- New 2023 Winter Season Splash Pass: $179 unlimited visits from Jan. 1 - Mar. 31, 2023.
- Twilight ticket – last 2 hours of park operations on select dates: $49-$59
- Luxury cabanas/suites:
  - Poolside Cabanas: Non-Peak: $100 | Peak: $300 (4-5 ticketed guests)
  - Skybox Suites:
    - Ocean Suite (650 sq ft) Non-Peak - $1200 | Peak - $1200 (16 ticketed guests)
    - Sea Suite (400 sq ft) Non-Peak - $600 | Peak - $900 (10 ticketed guests)
    - Bay Suite (250 sq ft) Non-Peak - $400 | Peak - $700 (8 ticketed guests)

More kid-friendly experiences available at American Dream:

Nickelodeon Universe (The Western Hemisphere's largest indoor theme park)
Big Snow (Indoor ski slope!)
Legoland Discovery Center
Mini-Golf (Angry Birds or Blacklight)
Dream Wheel (ferris wheel with climate-controlled gondolas)
Geoffrey's Toys"R"Us Express Train Ride
Legends of the Hidden Temple Ropes Challenge
Mirror Maze
Blast 7D
ClimbZone
Gem Mining
Dream Riders (plush motorized ride-ons)

Happy day trip planning!

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American Dream: DreamWorks Water Park & Nickelodeon Universe
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