Mall Of America

[Kathryn Merteuil]

It has been many many years since I have been. It was lots of fun.

 

[EACarlson]

I grew up ten minutes from the Mall of America, the first apartment my wife and I had you could see it from the kitchen window. There are now two hotels attached to the mall, also included in the movies should be Mighty Ducks 2 and Mallrats. Anything you see in Mallrats that shows the exterior of the mall, is actually the Mall of America. It used to have a lot different things inside, I remember doing NASCAR simulators there in the late 90's. When I went with my kids in April, it seemed a lot more like a regular mall, just bigger.

 

[LynnTH]

I live about 20 minutes from MOA. We probably go 3-4 times a year. We are also Landry's Members, so we get $25 dining credits to use for our Birthdays. DD and myself both have June birthdays, so we go to use those either at Bubba Gumps or Rainforest. Most times we just go to walk around and see what is new (and gets our steps in...)

They supposedly going to be putting in a water park. But, I think they have said that for a while and not sure if it has been approved yet. Would be a nice addition.

 

[cabanafrau]

Malls in our metro area are closing at a sharp pace. Others that remain open are struggling to adapt spaces formerly occupied by major department stores that either don't exist anymore or are closing underperforming locations.

I heard a major mall that opened when I was a kid is going to be entirely closing this summer. Seemed hard to believe when I first heard, just because of what a major draw it was for many years when I was growing up. Then I remembered, oh yeah, every time I've been in a mall the past five or so years they're so quiet, sometimes eerily so.

 

[DodgerGirl]

I live about 20 minutes from MOA. We probably go 3-4 times a year. We are also Landry's Members, so we get $25 dining credits to use for our Birthdays. DD and myself both have June birthdays, so we go to use those either at Bubba Gumps or Rainforest. Most times we just go to walk around and see what is new (and gets our steps in...)

They supposedly going to be putting in a water park. But, I think they have said that for a while and not sure if it has been approved yet. Would be a nice addition.

There's gonna be a water park in Mall Of America? I thought they made Camp Snoopy into a Nickelodeon theme park and it seems to draw in customers. I wonder if and when that water park will get built and opened they will close the Nickelodeon theme park?

 

[EACarlson]

There's gonna be a water park in Mall Of America? I thought they made Camp Snoopy into a Nickelodeon theme park and it seems to draw in customers. I wonder if and when that water park will get built and opened they will close the Nickelodeon theme park?

It's been talked about since the mall opened. The first place talked about is where IKEA is now on the north side of the mall across American Blvd. Then it was talked about on either the north or south sides where the hotels and office space are now. I don't think anyone has been able to make the numbers work, there is a Great Wolf Lodge a half mile away that has not been doing well.

 

[kdonnel]

It's been talked about since the mall opened. The first place talked about is where IKEA is now on the north side of the mall across American Blvd. Then it was talked about on either the north or south sides where the hotels and office space are now. I don't think anyone has been able to make the numbers work, there is a Great Wolf Lodge a half mile away that has not been doing well.

I guess in more northern climates indoor water parks are a necessity to have a long enough season to be profitable but I don't enjoy indoor water parks at all.

They are so loud and the pool smell can be overpowering.

Great Wolf Lodge is my main exposure to indoor water parks. I don't blame people for avoiding it and it struggling.

 

[CdnCarrie]

We have been at MOA a few times as it's an 8 hour drive from our city in Canada. The kids really enjoyed the amusement park when they were younger.

As for malls maybe its climate related but the malls in my city are fine. In fact a new indoor mall was built around 5 years ago. We have 5 indoor malls that seem to be doing well. One indoor mall was torn down about 20 year ago and made into individual stores.

 

[kdonnel]

My one and only visit to the Mall of America was in the summer of 2001. I think we spent about half a day there and had a good time.

My nearest mall is still doing well. There are very few unoccupied spaces and there seems to be enough foot traffic to keep the stores profitable.

The next closest mall is one that was originally built as an indoor outlet mall that never really found its footing. It is still full but that is because they are allowing non traditional mall stores.

Then the next mall is the one used in Stranger Things as Starcourt Mall. That one is dead except for three of the anchor stores which remain open despite the rest of the mall being closed to the public.

 

[LynnTH]

It's been talked about since the mall opened. The first place talked about is where IKEA is now on the north side of the mall across American Blvd. Then it was talked about on either the north or south sides where the hotels and office space are now. I don't think anyone has been able to make the numbers work, there is a Great Wolf Lodge a half mile away that has not been doing well.

Yeah. They have talked about it for a while. Just googled it and as of April 2024 - they say it is still in planning. They have scaled it down from the original plans from like 2019. Just waiting on all approvals it seems. So, we shall see...

 

[CdnCarrie]

There is a indoor waterpark nearby isn't there? We took the kids there about 10 years ago. It was actually quite small.

 

[LynnTH]

There is a indoor waterpark nearby isn't there? We took the kids there about 10 years ago. It was actually quite small.

Yeah. Great Wolf Lodge -it is small. This one would be connected to the mall (if and when it ever passes)

 

[CdnCarrie]

Yeah. Great Wolf Lodge -it is small. This one would be connected to the mall (if and when it ever passes)

Okay when we went it was called Water Park of America. Sounds like its now part of the Great Wolf Lodge chain.

 

[EACarlson]

Okay when we went it was called Water Park of America. Sounds like its now park of the Great Wolf Lodge chain.

It opened as an independent park called Water Park of America. I think the investors underestimated how much it would cost to operate so they sold it to Great Wolf after a few years. It's about half the size of the other Great Wolfs I've been to.

 

[LynnTH]

It opened as an independent park called Water Park of America. I think the investors underestimated how much it would cost to operate so they sold it to Great Wolf after a few years. It's about half the size of the other Great Wolfs I've been to.

Yeah. Not sure when it changed hands. I think it was Water Park of America when I brought my kids there years ago too.

 

[cabanafrau]

We have been at MOA a few times as it's an 8 hour drive from our city in Canada. The kids really enjoyed the amusement park when they were younger.

As for malls maybe its climate related but the malls in my city are fine. In fact a new indoor mall was built around 5 years ago. We have 5 indoor malls that seem to be doing well. One indoor mall was torn down about 20 year ago and made into individual stores.

Maybe climate related, IDK. I live in SE Michigan, which is fairly similar to the climate of Toronto. Many indoor malls here are struggling and/or closing/closed.

 

[CdnCarrie]

Maybe climate related, IDK. I live in SE Michigan, which is fairly similar to the climate of Toronto. Many indoor malls here are struggling and/or closing/closed.

Well I don't live anywhere close to Toronto. But I do know that if I go to any of the 5 malls on a Saturday they are fairly busy and have a few empty storefronts but they are maybe 5% of the building if that.

 

[cabanafrau]

Well I don't live anywhere close to Toronto. But I do know that if I go to any of the 5 malls on a Saturday they are fairly busy and have a few empty storefronts but they are maybe 5% of the building if that.

It's hurt our malls that several smaller chain stores have closed, but it's absolutely devastated them when we've either lost so many department stores altogether or they have closed so many locations. Are Canadian department stores managing to stay afloat overall?

 

[CdnCarrie]

It's hurt our malls that several smaller chain stores have closed, but it's absolutely devastated them when we've either lost so many department stores altogether or they have closed so many locations. Are Canadian department stores managing to stay afloat overall?

The Bay is hanging in there but maybe not much longer.
Walmart put Zellers out of business about 15 years ago.

 

[elgerber]

I live about 40 minutes away, and rarely go. I think it's been 2-3 years. It's still a hopping place, as when one thing closes, something else opens in it's place. It's always different in that way. It's not usually someplace we go to shop for something specific, it's a pain for that. More just to wander and snack.
My dd is a little closer, she and her friends might go a couple of times a year, for an event or something.
And yes, that water park, they have been talking about for over 30 years and it has yet to actually happen.