American Dream Mall 2022 Update

American Dream Mall, formally Xanadu in New Jersey has had a tumultuous past with billions of dollars wasted. With a new order and a new business plan set in motion, the rough start for American Dream Mall has been well publicized. But what is the mall like now? How has it evolved since I last talked about it in 2019 and what is the experience like today? In this 2022 update of American Dream, I travel to the infamous mall and find that out.

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BrightSunFilms 2022

Presented in 4K

[BrightSunFilms]

Well, things have ALREADY changed at American Dream. The Nickelodeon theme park has now changed from it's crazy entry price to a pay-per-ride system. So you can now enter the park for free, you just have to pay for the actual attractions one by one. To get everything it's now just $60 which is a lot better than what it was before. The water park has also dropped to $80 which is also more reasonable. Maybe they've listened or maybe their attendance is really bad...

[CaffeineGeek]

The entire project, name and all, feels like something my eight-year old would design in a game like Mall Tycoon.

[signofmars]

As someone who’s worked at the Mall of America, having a Walgreens (and a Holiday convenience store) in the mall is a godsend for mall employees. Whether it’s a lunch break errand or if it just saves me a stop on my way home, it’s a significant QoL amenity.

[kendrickorenmoran]

You should do another update for 2023, the mall has definitely grown more and as a New Jersey resident, the mall fells at place now. Many stores have opened up and many stores are fully planned, the mall is getting more and more packed as the months go by, it’ll be great to see an update to the mall within.

[phuturephunk]

I still can't get over the just jaw dropping amount of stone and tile work they did for this place to have it crash hard like this. I mean, the floors alone are magnificent.

[artsysharo]

Honestly having convienence stores and supermarkets inside of a mall is one of the biggest ways to save a mall from closing. Almost every other country in the world has supermarkets and drug stores inside of their malls, and it makes the whole thing far more appealing because you get more random foot traffic. If my Target was inside of a mall, I would do a lot more window shopping than I am now, that's for sure.

[BirdAntlers]

This is one of the most unsettling malls I've seen that wasn't literally falling apart. It's like a fever dream and an open concept hospital blended together

[camperthebear]

the state this mall is in reminds me of the weird malls you see in your dreams. too tall of ceilings, weird WEIRD decorations, almost no stores and the ones that are there you cant really explore bc they're closed. absolutely bizarre. love it.

also the walgreens makes sense to me! used to go to the mall of america a lot since it was close in college and often there were moments where being able to grab something like an antacid or tylenol was really useful.

[andrewcb]

One of my biggest complaints with American Dream’s Nickelodeon Universe (outside of the absurd prices) was how it just looks like a giant white warehouse that they slapped some rides into. I had no idea that the entirety of the mall gives off the same feeling both inside and out and the entire thing really just feels incredibly strange, unappealing to look at, and disjointed.

[George-nxzu]

As a New Yorker without a car, I'm actually super grateful that Big Snow exists. This is a year round snowboard/ski slope available that only requires a 15 minute bus ride from New York Port Authority to American Dream. The nearest proper ski resort is at least an hour away from Manhattan by car and there's no public transit option by comparison, so the shuttle bus costs can become prohibitive. Not only that but Big Snow has a 6 pack that gets discounted to $100 during holiday sales (which means each lift ticket only costs $17). Its perfect for someone like me who just wants to snowboard in the morning and get back to Manhattan by the afternoon.

[Genevieve]

As someone who lives a few towns away from this mall, and who's visited a few times, I have to say for anyone who's wondering: the way to get into the mall and the parking area also depends on if you live nearby, it makes it easier to get around. Otherwise, the whole mall itself is just a bit...sad. I honestly dislike the place because of how it screws with traffic for me even more. They really messed this up, it offers nothing for those who actually live in the area. Except for, maybe, the Toys R Us store. Sadly my high school graduation party took place in the theme park (but somehow cost more than a normal ticket. I didn't go). This was a great look into the monstrosity.

[darkinetix]

Even without the pandemic looming, I have no clue how anyone in their right mind thought this would be a good idea. Malls were already on the decline. They should have leveled half of it and turned that into green space and mixed use development, then built a unique, but closer to normal sized mall fit for both locals and tourists.

[tonycave]

Considering so many malls are boring, I do appreciate American Dream for trying to do something ambitious and different.

[peterstean]

I'm shocked at the state of the approach roads and the exterior - as others have said it seems to exist in a strange limbo between unfinished and abandoned. Those large 'blank' areas around the mall are really unsettling too, and makes the whole place really unappealing.

[thatonekatie]

Now you need to go to the OG, Mall of America which celebrated its 30th Anniversary yesterday. It's obviously seen its ups and downs and right now after it's most recent face-lift, a lot of it looks like American Dream. Still, it has free parking and the vast majority of the stores are open. It would be fun to see your comparison.

[chanm]

It's a gorgeous building. If they can survive until their occupancy rate hits a turning point I think they'll be fine.
I think most of the people you saw at the mall were there just to window shop. People who are looking to make a specific purchase don't usually hang around at the mall.

[vinesauce]

I like a couple stores and the weird liminal spaces, but it's not really worth the drive or the hassle of getting in and walking around for a long time. It's a mess in it's current form. There's some hope if they fill the empty spaces out, but the layout problems are probably unfixable. Also, screw the prices of the themepark stuff.

[GabrielLigon]

Walgreens definitely seems like a winner with all the excursions IMO. - Motion sickness from roller coasters or water park, sore from snowboarding… 🤷🏻‍♂️

[bschuler]

I was there 2 weeks ago on a Friday night and it was packed and a hive of activity. Surprisingly, I think the idea of having everything, waterpark, theme park, ski park, etc.. under one roof as a mall attraction seems to have actually paid off. I was expecting a ghost town when I arrived but I am happy to report that the mall seems to have finally taken off. I expect to go back a few times in the next year and see how it evolves. It certainly was an experience. We did the NYC Aquarium at Coney Island and then the mall. Was a great day.

[damandbass]

To experience all of the attractions, you almost have to pay around $300 per person. That means $1200 for a family of four. For a trip to the mall - in New Jersey? Are they insane?