West Edmonton Mall

[kden604]

Anyone been to West Edmonton Mall recently?

I went quite a few years ago and it was amazing... I went a couple of years later, and it seem to have lost a lot of businesses and many of the stores had closed.

How are they doing now?

I had a lot of fun at the water park Nothing like going to a waterpark when it's -40 outside!

 

[Gonzo]

West Edmonton mall, the biggest mall in the world.

 

[kden604]

hmmm Are you sure? I know it's big, but I dont think it's the biggest... I don't know... But I've been in some amazingly huge ones down in the states that may rival it

 

[kden604]

The world's largest shopping center is the $1.1 billion West Edmonton Mall in Alberta, Canada, which was opened on Sept. 15, 1981, and was finally completed four years later. Covering an area of 5.2 million sq. ft., it encompasses over 800 stores and services, as well as 11 major department stores. The mall also has the world's biggest parjking lot, with room for 20,000 vehicles and overflow for another 10,000.

You're Right

And Then Outside of N America
Majid Al Futtaim's new Mall of the Emirates opposite the Dubai Internet City will be the largest mall in the world outside North America. A statement said the size of the mall had been doubled, and that its indoor ski facility complete with snowy mountains would be among the top three in the world. The mall opens in autumn 2005.

 

[AirIntake]

They added a new phase and it's already full. I don't think there's any chance in the near future that West Ed. will fail. (I'm from Edmonton, we call the mall West Ed.)

 

[kden604]

What did they add for the "new phase"? I normally drive across canada once or twice a year in my various travels.... If it's some dramatic change I'll make it a point to stop there and see

 

[AirIntake]

WEM is built in phases, or sections of the mall. When it opened in 1981, only Phase 1 was open, but today there are 4 phases, so it has been expanded 3 times since 1981. I believe phase 4 was built or finished in 1999.

 

[kden604]

The mall was *born* the same year as me.

 

[AirIntake]

Remember this?

1986, June 14: An accident with the Mindbender roller coaster at Fantasyland (now Galaxyland) in West Edmonton Mall, Alberta claims three lives and injures a fourth. A truck disengages from a rear car causing it to fishtail and eject its four occupants.

The ride is closed for several months and reopens in a modified form with shorter trains using non-trailered cars and over-the-shoulder restraints.

 

[kden604]

I don't remember... I was 5 I didn't go their until I was 15 the first time I think.

I went on the Pirate Ship, that does the full loop. My shoulder harness broke and let loose... I was only held in by my seatbelt. Scared the living **** outta me.

 

[AirIntake]

I was 4 but I remember it. We were planning to go to Fantasy Land the day after it happened, but we changed our minds and just looked at the roller coaster damage instead. They had big black tarps sectioning off the entire roller coaster so you had to peek through the seams and cracks to see what happened.

 

[HOCK]

I was in Cold Lake between 91 and 97 and the West Ed was a weekend away for us every once and awhile. A great mall in a great city.

Are you sure about the date of the above accident...I seem to remember an accident in Fantasyland during the time I spent in Alberta??? Maybe it was something else....I do remember a problem with one of the large swings...threw everyone about and then got stuck up in the air....it took hours to get everyone out

 

[AirIntake]

I'm quite sure of the 1986 accident. The source wasn't the greatest, but I know it was definately 1986 when it happened.

 

[Jo Canadian]

I lived about 5 min from WEM when I was in Edmonton. It is nice for a visit but bloody expensive! But you could spend an entire day in there snooping around, or even longer if you partake in the other activities there, the pool, the amusement park, the movies, hotel, hockey-er-skating rink.

 

[HOCK]

That's why the mall was sooooo expensive if you partake in the extras. I always found the stores to be the same as any other, not that expensive. There were also several great eating places....food courts - Bourbon St...... mmmmmmmmm!!! I'm glad we are not out there now, I could never remember where I parked the car????

 

[Jo Canadian]

That's why the mall was sooooo expensive if you partake in the extras

Actually I've never partaked in the extras too often, you're right it's even more of a $$$ killer. But the mark ups in many stores (that aren't a franchise) do have a 10% to 20% raise in prices, the taxes I heard cost an arm and a leg to rent commercial space there.

 

[DasFX]

I visited WEM once in 2003 and I thought it was neat, but really just a big mall. My fiancée enjoyed it, but she enjoys most malls. Anyhow, I thought the parks and extra were great, but in terms of stores, it is the same thing as any major mall except they sometimes have two or three of the same store.

 

[Diamond Sun]

My teenage years, I lived for "The Mall" (for in Edmonton, there is only one "Mall"). We used to spend hours there. My parents would drop us off at 8:00 AM (before the stores were even open) and we'd spend the day hanging out there, finishing off with a late night dollar movie, leaving the mall around midnight.

We used to go skating, shopping, to Fantasyland (which is now called Galaxy land...remember that stupid lawsuit from Disneyland that sued West Ed because they were worried that People might get the Fantasyland at West Ed confused with the Fantasyland in Disneland California. Silly), minigolfing, eating at McDonalds.

But I agree with those who said the mall will always be there. I don't see it ever failing.

I don't go there anymore though. It's too big, too many people, and too loud. Tourists sure love it though.

 

[curvacious]

I remember this very well even though I was only 8. My grandparents drove my cousins and I up to Edmonton from Idaho to visit relatives. We went to the mall that very day. My cousins and I watched the coaster in awe. Of course we wanted to go on all the rides but our grandparents wouldn't let us. As we watched another set of riders get off the coaster we noticed they weren't loading the next car. They had shut the ride down in order to check the breaks (that was what we heard anyway, that they had been having problems with them all day). After returning to the relatives home I was excited to see my mom as she had flown in that day. I was bummed that night though as she and some cousins and her sisters went to the mall and I wasn't allowed to go. Some of them were set to ride the coaster and my mom told them she wanted to watch it go once. As they watched, on the 3rd loop, it crashed. The back car (held 4 people) swung free from the track and collided with the concrete piller directly behind it. 3 people were killed (i believe instantly, or at least I hope so). They were no ejected as the safety restraints held their bodies in. The coaster was stuck with most of the cars hanging upside down in the loop. The remainder of the people had to wait there for rescure crews to free them as sheets were drapped over the bodies. My mom was nearby a woman who let out a horrific scream. My mom wasn't positive, but believes the person knew someone on the coaster (don't know if they were ok or killed). I know the coaster had a name change after it was reconfigured and reopened (the loops are in a different order). I'm not sure if Mindbender was the first name or the second. When my mom returned to the house that night she woke me and told me of the accident. I was too sleepy to let it register and quickly went back to sleep. In the morning the pictures were all over the paper (I still see them). I told her then of the "brake problem". I'll always be grateful for that angel watching over her that day.

Remember this?

1986, June 14: An accident with the Mindbender roller coaster at Fantasyland (now Galaxyland) in West Edmonton Mall, Alberta claims three lives and injures a fourth. A truck disengages from a rear car causing it to fishtail and eject its four occupants.

The ride is closed for several months and reopens in a modified form with shorter trains using non-trailered cars and over-the-shoulder restraints.

 

[Outta here]

Sorry to be the sole wet blanket, but I hate West Ed. I mean I loathe the place! I will go when relatives come to town and they just have to visit THE MALL, but I don't enjoy it one bit. I worked there when I was in college, that was enough! One of my peeves about the place is it's cleanliness. The waterpark and the movie theatres are really disgusting! One time we had to literally slosh through the spilt pop and popcorn to get to the concession stand... ewwwww...

Yeah, I'd be fine without that monstrosity in my midst...