When 250 Bronx River students arrived at American Dream in East Rutherford, N.J., for the annual waterpark attendance trip, there were a few obstacles to overcome. The May 7 trip didn’t begin until third period and students had to attend their first three classes in the day. Last year, students arrived around 10 a.m. and boarded the buses directly without going into the school.

After overcoming the confusion of where to receive phones and waiting for the buses, students arrived at the park and shortly after received the vouchers for their meals.

But getting the  promised food and drinks proved problematic. According to the event’s organizer, Belizza Delacruz, the water park agreed to have two meal vendors open at a time but only one was open. Students say this was the less preferred vendor.

Jayden Caseras didn’t like his options. “I had the chicken nuggets and fries,’’ he said. “ I liked the burger place more than the pizza place. The pizza looked nasty.”

Along with only the pizza food vendor being open, the pizza vendor didn’t allow students to get a drink with their food order unlike the other vendor would have. When students brought this concern to Ms. Delacruz, she called the American Dream waterpark, which fixed the issue.

“I was extremely aggravated because I felt that communication was off,” Ms. Delacruz said, noting that the school spent $11,000 on the trip.  American Dream did not inform the planning coordinators that one of the food vendors would be closed and that the meals from the pizza vendors would not be allowing students to have a drink with their meals, she said.

The Bronx River News staff reached out to American Dream Waterpark but did not receive any response.

The food issues didn’t worry everyone. “I always bring snacks on trips so I don’t have to waste my money,” Trelson Peacock said.

Despite the setbacks, the trip proved popular, especially once students got in the water.

“I thought it was very fun for the first time,’’ Daniella Padagas, a junior said.