I recently had a little weekend getaway to New Jersey, and when I discovered my hotel was less than 30 minutes from Nickelodeon Universe at American Dream, I knew I had to visit. This is the western hemisphere’s largest INDOOR theme park, and it’s located inside the USA’s second largest mall. As if that wasn’t enough, it also has multiple record-breaking rides. Needless to say, I was intrigued from the get-go.
In this post, I’ll be sharing everything you need to know for visiting Nickelodeon Universe at American Dream and all the ways this park is unique compared to other theme parks!
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Where is Nickelodeon Universe?
Nickelodeon Universe is located at American Dream Mall in East Rutherford, New Jersey. It’s roughly 30 minutes from Newark Liberty International Airport and a 20ish minute drive from Times Square. So, this makes for an excellent day trip to add on to your itinerary for a long weekend in NYC.
There are several hotels in the East Rutherford area if you’d like to take more time exploring everything American Dream has to offer.
What Ages Will Enjoy Visiting Nickelodeon Universe at American Dream?
Kids who grew up in the 90s will LOVE the theming of the park. There are SO MANY throwbacks to the shows we grew up watching whether it be rides themed after the shows or statues of characters from the shows. Rugrats, Legends of the Hidden Temple, The Ren and Stimpy Show, Fairly Odd Parents, Hey Arnold, and Spongebob are just a few of the shows celebrated throughout the park.
Going with a 3 year old, I was worried about whether there would be enough rides for her to ride. I was completely blown away by how many she could ride though. She rode 8 rides, and there were several more that we didn’t get to (we were hungry and were worn out from a red eye flight the night before).
For thrill seekers though, there are 8 rides that will have your heart pounding – 5 of which are roller coasters and 3 rides that are record breaking! The TMNT Shellraiser is the steepest roller coaster in the world with a 121.5 degree drop. The Shredder coaster is the world’s tallest and longest free spinning coaster. And the Skyline Scream is the tallest indoor spinning drop tower in the world!
Plus there are other family-friendly rides that older kids and kids at heart will enjoy with the Nickelodeon Slime Streak coaster and Spongebob’s Jellyfish Jam swings being fan favorites.
Another highlight for the whole fam to have fun with is the character statues throughout the park. These make for a great photo opportunity!
Nickelodeon Universe at American Dream really is a theme park for all ages to enjoy!
Ticket Options
One thing I absolutely love about Nickelodeon Universe at American Dream is that if you don’t want to ride any rides, you don’t have to pay anything to enter the park. This can really save families money if there are people in your party who don’t plan on riding anything.
I visited the park with my parents and my 3 year old daughter. My parents had zero interest in riding rides, so it was great that they got to stroll around with us for free!
For those wanting to ride the rides, it is advisable that you buy your tickets in advance online. It’s cheaper to buy online, and you won’t have to waste time waiting to buy tickets once you arrive.
There are a few ticket options to choose from:
A single day all access pass starts at $59 and allows you to ride all the rides as many times as you want. Kayla visited on what was considered a peak day in November, and her ticket was $69. Upon arrival, you visit one of the kiosks outside the entrance to scan your ticket and receive a wristband which acts as your ticket to get on rides. Kids 2 and under are FREE.
For an additional fee, you have the option to add on a Quick Pass to skip the lines. This was not necessary at all though on the day we visited. We went there on a Saturday from 1pm-4pm. All of the rides were a walk on except for The Shredder coaster (around a 15 minute wait) and Dora’s Sky Railway (around a 40 minute wait due to operating at half capacity).
Only want to ride a few rides? A points pass is the most cost effective ticket. This ticket allows you to pay per ride. All of the rides are either 3 points or 6 points with 3 points costing around $6.99 and 6 points costing around $11.99. You purchase your points in advance online and then use your mobile device at the rides to redeem your points.
This option is great if you are visiting the mall for other reasons and want to just swing through to ride a few rides or if someone in your party is only interested in riding a couple of rides. You can see the full list of how many points each ride costs HERE.
For $109, you can visit Nickelodeon Universe PLUS you get access to the Legends of the Hidden Temple Ropes Course, Blacklight Mini Golf, Mirror Maze, and TiLT 3D Art Experience.
For $125, you can visit both Nickelodeon Universe and DreamWorks Water Park with the option to do them both in one day or on separate days. I would personally advise to split this into 2 days if you go with this option though, because you can truly spend a full day in Nickelodeon Universe alone – especially if visiting with a smaller child. The entrance for the water park is right next to the entrance for Nickelodeon Universe.
Like theme parks? Here are some of our other posts on theme parks around the world:
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- Epcot Food & Wine Festival Guide
- Is Peppa Pig Theme Park Florida Worth It?
- Staying at Port Orleans Riverside Resort at Disney World
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Park Layout
Nickelodeon Universe at American Dream is not like Disney World or Universal where you need to spend months planning in advance how to navigate the park and make the most out of your time.
The park has one entrance/exit and a circular path that winds through and around the park. Rides are really close together, so you don’t have to do a ton of walking which is fantastic. There are also numerous seating areas which is great for anyone not riding.
And since the theme park is indoors, you don’t have to worry about dealing with the elements. It’s a great theme park to visit during the winter or on a rainy day!
Another thing that sets this park apart from most others is that the “junior” rides for the smaller kids are dispersed throughout the park. I loved that they didn’t have them separated from the bigger rides like a lot of other parks do. This means the whole family can truly spend the day together or split up as needed without having to walk long distances to meet back up.
There is a stage toward the front of the park where all of the character meets happen throughout the day. Check the signs outside the stage to see when your favorite characters will be out and if there are any special performances. While we were there, there was a holiday Paw Patrol show that happened every hour or so. Before each performance, they made an announcement over the intercom that the show was about to begin.
My family was super impressed by how clean the park was. It was definitely the cleanest theme park we had ever been to. We didn’t see a single piece of trash on the ground the entire time we were there, and all the rides were very clean.
Concessions and Gift Shops
There are some light concession/snack options available with the most popular treat being colorful cotton candy that comes in fun shapes and the most popular drink being the Slime Freeze.
I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to drink a slime freeze. They come in orange or green with orange being mango flavored and green being cherry limeade flavored. Keeping with the slime theme, I got the green one, and it was delicious!
If you get hungry though and want non-theme park food, you’re at the second largest mall in America and it has a ton of food options! You can come and go from the park as you please, so you might as well take advantage and get some good food. There are food options right by the theme park entrance in the mall with some of the closest options being Five Guys and the Oreo Cafe.
There is a small gift shop setup outside of the entrance of the park and a couple of smaller shops setup throughout the park. This is a great opportunity to buy some unusual plushes like Reptar from Rugrats or Sandy Cheeks from Spongebob.
Other Family-Friendly Things To Do at American Dream Mall
I was stunned by how much American Dream Mall has to offer. Below are just a handful of things you can enjoy at the mall in addition to Nickelodeon Universe:
- DreamWorks Water Park
- Sesame Street Learn and Play
- Legoland Discovery Center
- Visit one of the only Toys R Us stores left in the world
- Big Snow – North America’s first and only indoor, real-snow, year-round ski and snow resort
- Angry Birds Mini Golf
- See a movie at B&B Theatres
- Ride the Dream Wheel – a giant ferris wheel that has climate-controlled gondolas and takes 30 minutes for one rotation
- Shop ’til you drop at the multitude of stores throughout the mall
You can see the full list of all the activities at American Dream mall HERE.
So, is Nickelodeon Universe at American Dream worth it?
I thought this theme park was well worth it for many reasons. It’s indoors. Lines are short to nonexistent. The park is extremely clean and easy to navigate. The rides are well done and fun for all ages. The nostalgic theming is on point. What’s not to love?
This is a great theme park to visit as a day trip from New York City or if you live within a few hours drive and want a fun-filled day for the whole family.
Have you visited Nickelodeon Universe at American Dream? Let us know your experience in the comments below!
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