On Friday, March 10th, I attended a press event at the American Dream Mall located in East Rutherford, New Jersey. It was my first official press event after joining the Tech We Like team, and it was nothing as I imagined. Remembering the stories my dad used to tell, I believed I would be sitting in a large crowd listening to product developers explain their newest addition to their “tech family,” if you will. To my surprise, the event was extremely chill.
Award for Best Product Presentation Location Goes To…
The first surprise of the day was that the event was held at the DreamWorks Waterpark! Personally, as a big fan of the DreamWorks franchise (they’re responsible for many of my favorite movies!!) I was ecstatic to discover this. It’s a bit of a maze trying to enter the water park itself, but after getting used to the route, it’s smooth sailing. I’ve heard so much about the waterpark but taking a step inside and seeing it in real life felt like a dream. When I entered the park, I immediately felt the warm tropical weather (which would’ve been nice if I wasn’t wearing a hoodie) and so much character merchandise. The decorations truly immersed you into the DreamWorks universe, and everywhere I turned, I saw some of my favorite characters, from Shrek to Toothless from “How to Train Your Dragon.”
Luxury Experience in the VIP Waterpark Suites
Another surprise was that we were given a private VIP suite inside the DreamWorks Waterpark to hang out in before and after the event. It was a beautiful space with three separate areas. One area had a sink and mini fridge; another area had a dining table, a couch and chairs, a tv, and a changing room with two DreamWorks towels. The two fans in the room also came in handy. There was a nice view of the waterpark from the balcony as well. Despite not being able to enjoy the waterpark itself, I had a great view of the wave pool. The sounds of the waves made it seem like we were at the beach, and it helped me zen out in between activities. The product presentations were held in another suite similar to ours. Walking in, I could already tell that this was a mellow affair.
During the presentation of various summer-related products first kicked off with a few words from representatives from the mall itself. Then the product representative for Beachtech towels gave us a short summary of their product. After this, we were walked through some presentations of a few more products, such as the Blendjet Portable Blender, Monster DNA Fit, Monster Blaster, and Monster DNA Max. Stay tuned for future reviews of a few of these products.
Continued Thrills at the Nickelodeon Universe Theme Park
Besides the water park, another main attraction at the American Dream Mall is the Nickelodeon Universe theme park. I had the chance to check it out, and it was a lot of fun! I’ve wanted to go since I heard of it back in 2020, so I was very excited to find out that the mall graced us with admission as well as fast passes. Being in the park and seeing all the character decorations felt like my inner child was roaming free. I was even the biggest person in line to have a photo op with Spongebob! The rides are so convivial and thrilling that even the group of adults I was with had a great time (a few breaks were needed, though). My personal favorite ride would be the Shredder ride. I love how it was strategically placed, so it intertwines with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles coaster.
More Fun Continued with Angry Birds Mini Golf
We also had the opportunity to play a round of Angry Birds Mini Golf. Now, I’m not a golfer, and it was pretty evident when looking at the final tally card, but none of that mattered. The experience was interactive, and we were enveloped in the Angry Birds world. It’s amazing how large the place was. I would have never guessed at first glance. Having a full eighteen holes, each level was fun and challenging. I definitely plan on coming back to conquer all the levels again.
A Wrap-Up to a Long Day!
To wrap things up, we return back to our Dreamworks suite and hung out watching the wave pool settle for closing time at 7 PM. Before leaving the mall, I just had to visit the Nickelodeon theme park for one last spin on the rides. Afterward, my dad and I walked around and explored the rest of the mall; it was a great workout, and we were on the hunt for something to eat for dinner. I ended up convincing him to try Mr. Beast burger, the first and currently only in-person restaurant. After we finished, we struggled back to our car. Our legs were spaghetti, but it was all worthwhile because we had such a fun and eventful day.
The people at the American Dream Mall were wonderful hosts and really made the experience pleasurable. Everyone was extremely friendly and pulled out the red carpet for us. I couldn’t be any more grateful. I would love to come back to American Dream Mall and try out all the other attractions they have, like indoor skiing and, of course, the waterpark (just more appropriately dressed next time!).
If you live in the tri-state area, this is definitely one place you should add to your trip list. There is so much to do, you definitely won’t fit it all in one day, but that is the beauty of it. With so much, you’ll have plenty of reason to keep returning!
