Almost every time I drive by the old TRU here with my 16yo niece she says "That should be Toys R Us! It doesn't look right!" I totally agree because ours was built around 1985 so I always expect to see it when I look.
R.I.P. Toys R Us
- Thread starter 0neiros
- Start date
Ours is Bob's Discount Furniture...
We had quite a few in the area, but there is one building left that is still ready for them to move back in!
NakedMoleRat
Legendary Member
Hobby Lobby just took ours a couple of months ago.
I think Ollie's took over the majority of them.
As far as Macy's having one in their stores...WHY?!
I mean, look. What makes it a "Toys R Us" as opposed to a generic toy store? Why not call it The Toy Shack or KB Toys or Toy King. What makes these specifically a Toys R us? In addition, their toy section is so small, why bother? You get much more variety at Walmart and Target.
As far as Macy's having one in their stores...WHY?!
I mean, look. What makes it a "Toys R Us" as opposed to a generic toy store? Why not call it The Toy Shack or KB Toys or Toy King. What makes these specifically a Toys R us? In addition, their toy section is so small, why bother? You get much more variety at Walmart and Target.
OzReturner
Sr Member
Mine turned into a Tesla dealership / charging area.
Since I moved from Orlando, Fl in 2018, had to street view this one, which only opened either early 2013, or late 2012. So sadly, this one didn't last to long at all. The Toy R us that I actually grew up going to the most, was about 10 miles west, by a mall called, Fashion Square Mall. (Anyone of you guys in the Orlando area will know this exactly) But, that mall as been dying as well, so thats why they moved the Toy R Us to a more populated outside mall. Guess that didn't work out so well...but only because of the whole company itself.
So the one by the Fashion Square Mall closed when this one opened, and then torn down and rebuilt as a Dick's Sporting goods.
That whole area suffers a bit, as the Olive Garden even shut down, which is probably due to the main mall barely operating any more.
This is totally due to the fact that the Orlando Navel Training Center used to be close by, so all this stuff was built because of that. That whole base got shut down in the late 90s, so little by little, most all these businesses have suffered.
So the one by the Fashion Square Mall closed when this one opened, and then torn down and rebuilt as a Dick's Sporting goods.
That whole area suffers a bit, as the Olive Garden even shut down, which is probably due to the main mall barely operating any more.
This is totally due to the fact that the Orlando Navel Training Center used to be close by, so all this stuff was built because of that. That whole base got shut down in the late 90s, so little by little, most all these businesses have suffered.
NakedMoleRat
Legendary Member
Just like one of the Target stores not too far from me has a Disney Store in it. Complete with it’s own music and video screen.
I grew up going to Fashion Square Mall in the late 70's and early 80's as I was a real mall rat!
Now, I don't know how many of you kids were around at the time, but I remember when Toys R Us started! The specific one in the picture above used to be Lionel's Playworld (almost identical to TRU) then TRU bought them under their brand. (I even remember thinking "Toys R Us" was a stupid name.) I haven't been back to that area in 30 years. Then 3 years ago I went back. I could barely recognize the area! What happened to Crystal's? Where was Krispy Kreme? That corner used to be the jewel of Orlando. Now it's just...sad. BTW, what the hell happened to International Drive???!!!
I guess Thomas Wolf was right. You really can't go home again.
The one in the pics is off Alafaya Trail, more east of Orlando, and used to be woods. But, guessing you mean the one by Fashion Square Mall.
Our family moved to Oviedo, north Orlando in 1985. I was only 4. So a bit younger than some of you guys. But still, growing up there and watching it change was crazy enough. In just these 5 years, looking at any updated street view, I already see so much change. Maybe some day I'll go back to visit and be even shocked.
I-Drive....its like advertising, Disney and random colors threw up down there.
One thing I don't understand...FL has horrible humidity, and is quite terrible....so I cannot figure out why everyone likes the outside malls better, as all the indoor ones are totally failing now.
You are 100% correct, my friend. If you stood directly across the street from Fashion Square (I believe you would be standing in the Crystal's parking lot...White Castle for all you northerners) There was another shopping center immediately to the left of it. There on the corner was TRU (and a "Peaches" records and tapes in the same shopping center).
Yes. I do remember the Peaches as well.
Its really sad how many places have shut down. So that Toy R Us is the one thats now a Dicks Sporting goods. But new built building. As the TrU was facing the Mall (west) Dicks is facing the road (south).
There was also a TrU by the Altamonte Mall. It was one of the rare hilly areas of Orlando. I need to check street view of that whole part of town now as well.
And the one by Altamonte mall, here June 2018....is now......a Hobby Lobby.
Ours is now a vacant lot with a small credit union on the corner. Wasted no time in tearing down the building.
The old one I used to go to in Clackamas, OR apparently likes to switch between Bed, Bath and Beyond or Spirit Halloween.
Looks like it won't be Bed, Bath and Beyond anymore.
If enough old stores keep going out of business, Spirit Halloween might just have to stay open all year long, or at least have a permanent building.
CB2001
Master Member
Certainly true of the one in Valdosta, Georgia. Not sure about the one in Tallahassee.
I loved going to that Peaches on Colonial Ave. I was at Fashion Square last year just for fun, and it’s a ghost town. I’m surprised they haven’t leveled it.
I think it was 6 or 7 (maybe more by now)years ago, that they were planning to turn part of the mall, into some big hotel like place. Something like that. I forget....and apparently they did too.
I guess the cost was more than they wanted vs how much money they expected to take in.
I've seen some recent pics people put on FB....it is sad. I think it was Christmas eve 1996, two of my friends and I walked around that mall, and it was so packed, it was hard to move around....
I know the Oviedo Mall has been a ghost town for probably even longer. That place seems to have a near curse on it, with stores coming and going so fast. I can imagine if the theater wasn't there....
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