'Angry Birds' Miniature Golf Coming To American Dream

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — An indoor miniature golf course based on the widely popular "Angry Birds" media series is coming to American Dream in East Rutherford.

The course will take players through various settings from the movie, including: Bird Island, Pig Island, and Eagle Island. Golf balls will be designed to look like the popular characters and putters will be shaped like the slingshot from the games and movies.

It will be the first "Angry Birds" mini-golf attraction in North America, officials with American Dream said in a news release. The 18-hole indoor course will be inspired by the upcoming "Angry Birds Movie 2."

Dana McHugh, an American Dream spokesperson, said the golf course will open this year. It will be on the first level between American Dream's main events court and theme parks.

"Partnering with American Dream for our first ever location-based entertainment offering in the United States is a perfect hole in one," said Joe Lawson, senior vice president of content licensing and U.S. brand development, for Rovio Entertainment, creator of the "Angry Birds" franchise. "Mini-golf is a lot like playing Angry Birds 2. You need just the right angle, the proper trajectory, and a deft touch to sink your birdie."

As for when American Dream will exactly open, no one is certain, but it won't be this summer. American Dream developer Triple Five announced Monday that the $5 billion project's opening date has been pushed back to the fall.

Related: American Dream Meadowlands Pushes Opening Date Back — Again

Not all the 450 tenants will open their doors on Day 1, Triple Five previously said. They will continue to open through the holiday season and in early 2020, a news release from American Dream stated.

The 3-million-square-foot facility will have six atriums, each one uniquely designed. One will have a garden with bird-filled aviaries and fields for rabbits. Another will host live entertainment. A 60-foot fountain in another can transform into a fashion catwalk in seconds, officials said. There will also be an entertainment atrium for live events.

Luxury retailers include: Saks Fifth Avenue, Barneys New York, Watches of Switzerland, Hermes, Dolce & Gabbana, Louis Vuitton, and Gucci. Uniqlo, H&M, and Zara will open "expansive specialty stores" at the 93-acre campus.

Some unique entertainment options at American Dream will include a Nickelodeon Universe theme park with the steepest roller coaster in the world, the world's first MUNCHIES Food Hall, the first indoor ski and snowboard park in the Western Hemisphere with an 800-foot-high ski slope and an ice-climbing wall, and the first Sea Life Aquarium in New Jersey with a walk-through, saltwater tunnel.

Other just-announced attractions include Mirror Maze and ClimbZone, an indoor rock-climbing center.

American Dream Meadowlands is expected to generate $1.2 billion in income and 16,000 jobs in its first year of operation.

The long-delayed project was originally slated to open in 2017, but financing problems caused construction delays. The project dates back to 2003 when it was the ill-fated Meadowlands Xanadu project. Triple Five took it over in 2011. (See related: It Appears American Dream's Opening Has Been Pushed Back (Again))

Related:

• Here's What Roller Coasters Are Coming To American Dream [Video]
• Aquarium, LEGOLAND Coming To American Dream Center
• NJ Hall Of Fame Permanently Moving To American Dream Meadowlands
• 12-Story Indoor Ski Park Planned For Meadowlands Mega Mall
• Take A Virtual Tour Of American Dream's Water Park [Videos]
• Dine-In, 4-D Cinema Coming To American Dream Project
• Mini City KidsZania Coming To American Dream Meadowlands
• World's First MUNCHIES Food Hall Coming To American Dream
• Huge Adult Arcade Coming To American Dream Meadowlands
• Take A Virtual Tour Of American Dream's Water Park [Videos]

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com