Brrrring! That’s the final bell before spring break. You are officially out from March 28th to April 3rd. As you head to your locker to go home, you talk to your friends about their plans. One says they’re going to Paris, another says Arizona, and another says Key West, but you are staying home. You begin to wonder what you’re going to do all week when your friends are away. You could do anything! You could shop, eat, and play. You begin to feel overwhelmed at everything you can do and how to fit it in. Then you think, I can just go to the American Dream Mall. Over Spring Break, there are tons of activities to do, no matter the weather.
Shopping
To start, the American Dream Mall has 450 stores, with some that are exclusive to this specific location. One of the last Toys ‘R’Us stores is there, offering a whole store of childhood favorites, including, LEGOS, plushies, and much more. Another store that is exclusive to the American Dream Mall is It’s Sugar, which is the first-ever candy department store that is three stories high, covering all the candy imaginable. It even features a 60 ft tall candy Statue of Liberty! Another exciting store that has a built-in playland is LEGOLand. It offers many Legos that are rare and ones that you can’t find in ordinary stores. In addition, LegoLand is great for families with younger children, with many LEGO-based activities. The mall also features Gentle Monster, which is an eyewear store that is known for its art gallery-like interior. In conclusion, the American Dream Mall has a ton of places to shop.
Food
If you’ve been shopping all day, walking around the mall, you have probably gained an appetite. You start to get overwhelmed by the number of food options. If you want an easy pop in pop out place, Marcus Live! would be a perfect place. It has a casual dress code and is from celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson, serving elevated American comfort food like brown sugar wings, hot honey salmon, and lamb chops. It is also a very friendly, child-friendly food place with everything they might want.
If you want to dress up, a perfect place would be Jarana, a highly- rated Peruvian restaurant known for authentic flavors. Highlights include ceviche, lomo saltado (stir-fry beef), and tuna wantacos.
For a heavily themed restaurant and a perfect family restaurant, there is the Hasbro Gameroom Cafe. The venue features immersive environments, including a “gold-plated Vault” private room inspired by Monopoly. Dishes are creatively named after Hasbro properties, such as “Pass Go” starters (appetizers), “Community Chest*” nachos, “Hungry Hungry Hippo*” sliders, “Potato Head*” disco fries, and “Trivial Pursuit*” pizzas. A really nice addition is the Candy Land Shake Bar serving oversized milkshakes inspired by the colorful game. There are many different restaurants, but these are some really good ones.
Entertainment
For entertainment, there are also tons of things to do, such as mini golf, escape rooms, movies, a 300-foot-tall Ferris Wheel, etc. But over Spring Break, there are tons of exclusive events. Unlike the usual quieter weekdays, you will see characters like Blue from Blue’s Clues, SpongeBob, and Shrek out for meet-and-greets almost every day during the break.
There is also a Dream Asia Festival on March 27-29. It has food, performances, entertainment, and more. The entertainment includes K-POP dance party groups, Kung Fu shows, Japanese Taiko drumming, and a lantern festival. In addition, there are interactive workshops, a “Squid Game” style challenge, a JDM car show, a petting zoo, and a dedicated kids’ zone with bounce houses. Ticket information can be found at the Dream Asia Festival website.
Of course, there are many other attractions, like the Nickelodeon Amusement Park, DreamWorksWater Park, and Big Snow, the indoor ski resort. All offer a once-in-a-lifetime experience and memories.
In summary, if you don’t have travel plans, the American Dream Mall would be perfect. Activities vary from world-class dining experiences to once-in-a-lifetime activity experiences. Of course, most of it costs money, but if you have time, it should be worth it to visit the American Dream Mall. Many students over Spring Break look for local options, and this is a 30-minute drive! If you want more ideas or things to do over the break, please visit Shannon Burke’s article. So what would you do if you went to the American Dream Mall? Let us know what you try!
