NEARLY ABANDONED: What’s it Like inside this Oviedo mall from the 90s?

Thanks for tuning in, today we visit The Oviedo Mall in the greater Orlando area! I’m aware the camera is a little shaky in this video, going forward I’ll improve on the stabilization of the videos! Take a trip wi5 me inside the Oviedo mall! #deadmall #orlando #mall #oviedo #florida

[@SuspiciousSkys3045]

Wow! I helped build this mall & literally insulated the movie theaters in this mall during the construction... It's literally heart breaking to see this happening to these places...😢

[@CruzingwithCruz]

Yea man, used to go so much as a kid

[@DavidMajorz]

Same here...I think it was late 90's ...I was part of the construction team that helped lay the foundation!!!...I still go off and on but only for the movies!

[@scottivlow9962]

That is so cool that a mall still has a B.Dalton book store especially a big one too. There used to be a real small store at Eagle Ridge Mall outside Lake Wales on 27. In Polk County you have to travel to South Lakeland to Books A Million.

[@Redvelvvetbaby]

I worked at the West Oaks mall in Ocoee a few months ago and it’s soo dead with the weirdest stores in it. Very nostalgic tho

[@CruzingwithCruz]

It really is! I’m planning on doing a video there soon

[@rachelgreer3457]

You missed the Oviedo Brewery! (Located on the outside of the mall). Many of my friends like to meet for Run Club on Tuesday nights, 6:30PM. 25% off the tab for all RC participants!

[@CruzingwithCruz]

@@rachelgreer3457 yea I’d be down

[@SuspiciousSkys3045]

Like many places, many local restaurants and stores nearby suffer too... 😒

[@KimDsmom]

This mall is 15 minutes from our house. We've lived in this area for 30 years. Our optometrist office is in the mall. We haven't been to a movie, anywhere, in years. We do still like to go to the food court once in a blue moon. We used to frequent this mall quite a bit when my son was young (he's 23 now). The Eat, Play, District (arcade) is "fairly new", and has done fairly well (though we have never been). There are often seasonal events/fairs/festivals that set up in the parking lot, and fireworks on The 4th, etc.. There has been a lot of turn over in the stalls, at the food court, over the years; but, some of the food places have been there for many years. COVID closed the theater... we thought for good... but, it did reopen. (I don't know if things have ever completely bounced back since 2020.) There were (are still) plans to put apartments INSIDE the mall; in the anchor store areas, that were abandoned, years ago. (COVID put all of that on hold, but supposedly the plan is still in place... that's the talk anyway; don't know what the hold up is.) There has been a lot of development in the area... mostly apartments. I don't know if that will bring more business to the mall; some of the new apartment complexes are right next to the mall! (I'm wondering if those were the apartments that were supposed to go INSIDE the mall.) There is a new Italian market, that is on the back side of the mall; where Chamberlin's used to be... next to "Zoo" gym; "D'Amico Brothers"... their bakery is "to die for"! They say it's a dying mall. Unfortunately, with this economy and the inflation, and our massive debt, and the government's printing of money, and "freebies", and spending like "drunken sailors", this country is headed for a financial crash, and a 1920 style depression. ALL business will be "dying businesses" soon... unless people wake up... FAST!!

[@CruzingwithCruz]

Wow! Thanks for the comment.. yea definitely covid did a number to slot of these businesses. Like I mentioned even when I worked here at Barnes and noble 10 years ago, you saw that the mall was slowly dying! Very sad.. but if you did enjoy this vid I have others like this! Please consider subscribing :)

[@KimDsmom]

@@CruzingwithCruz Well… my son used to love that Barnes and Noble. Whenever we went to the mall, he always wanted to go in there. The timing would have been right… maybe we saw you there. Lol And, Yes… almost twenty years ago there was a huge, three story, enclosed climbing structure for the kids. They’d climb up there, and wouldn’t come down when it was time to leave. Very tricky of them… not like the adults could climb up and get them! Lol Take care! 👋🏼

[@studzmalone2550]

I appreciate the content . I live in Orlando but haven’t been to this mall. Try visiting some of Orlando’s malls that aren’t quite malls like: Magic Mall and J Mart. They are more of a bazaar type deal, with independent vendors

[@CruzingwithCruz]

@@studzmalone2550 yea man thanks for the comment, I appreciate you for checking it out and will plan on the future! If you enjoy please consider subscribing!

[@Aztec73]

On that country hits record that you were looking at was song called 6 white horses That was by Tommy Cash brother to the famous Johnny Cash.🇺🇲😊

[@CruzingwithCruz]

@@Aztec73 ohh wow didn’t know that! Thanks for watching man, means a lot!! If you like this video considering subscribing! I have more coming like this :)

[@truegatorguyodonnell5092]

The B. Dalton is the mall brand of Barnes & Noble. Most had closed (along with its counterpoint, Waldenbooks), but evidently has been resurrected to brand the failing B&N mall stores.

[@CruzingwithCruz]

Wow that’s really interesting, but like you said pretty much the same store, I used to work there about 10 years ago! But yea man thanks for watching, if you like this one consider supporting with a sub for other vids like this!

[@joemonteirosportsshorts3343]

2:58 i remember this used to be a CHAMPS.

[@CruzingwithCruz]

Yea you’re right!

[@Travel-MyJourney]

Nice sharing with us host. Watching you lovely vlog from a new friend.

[@CruzingwithCruz]

@@Travel-MyJourney thanks that means a lot

[@jtu2434]

You should check out Sanford mall, it's more dead than oviedo.

[@CruzingwithCruz]

Ohh really? I never even hear of it! I’ll definitely check it out, thanks bro

[@CruzingwithCruz]

Also do you have any feedback for the video? I’m going to be incorporating more stuff for the next video.. I’m going to the Sanford one next!

[@Rickone-c7j]

Haven’t been in a while either

[@radioraffa]

Oviedo mall has been dead for almost 20 years. A year or so after opening, Waterford Lakes Shopping Plaza opened up and basically took all their business. The movie theater is what had kept it going (just like other dying malls). While many malls are failing, others in the Orlando metro area (like Altamonte and Millenia Mall) are still doing pretty well.

[@CruzingwithCruz]

Yea those I feel like especially milenia and Florida mall cater more towards a international crowd especially with the location

[@radioraffa]

@@CruzingwithCruz Yes at those locations, the tourist keep it going. While some do venture up to Altamonte.. But most in Altamonte are locals.

[@CruzingwithCruz]

@@radioraffa yes totally right on that! So if you enjoyed this video please consider supporting by subscribing! Working on better quality vids!

[@joemonteirosportsshorts3343]

Not true at all. It was poppin in the mid 2000’s up until 2012

[@radioraffa]

@@joemonteirosportsshorts3343 It was not popping.. Maybe at night when all the little kids and high schoolers were running around who were there for the Movies. I would go there in the middle of the day and was always no one there. It was good if you wanted to go to a store and get out quick. (like going to Dillard's). Lived here in the mid 90s, when I went to UCF, when the mall was a forrest and Waterford Lakes was a cow field across from the post office. Neither the 417 and the 408 were near either place. I moved back to the area in 03. Both were here and Oviedo mall already had the label of being a "dead" mall (well of course more alive than today lol) compared to all the others. A mall like Fashion Square was way more busy back then Oviedo and now it's a ruin.

[@BestRapsFreestyles]

Nice😊

[@CruzingwithCruz]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@Tampafan33]

Those walls with murals were awesome. Loved the Pokémon one haha

[@Retinol-j1s]

Nice

[@Tampafan33]

The Lakeland mall is interesting because weekdays its mostly dead but man the weekends its super packed. Almost too packed. I still think the best one is the Brandon mall

[@CruzingwithCruz]

Are you referring to the Eagle Ridge mall? And thanks for watching ! If you can give me some feedback for my vid at Seminole towne I appreciated it!

[@Tampafan33]

@@CruzingwithCruz oh no eagle ridge is lake wales. That thing is always dead. The movies stays busy there though. The one im talking about is Lakeland square mall in Lakeland florida. I live in Bartow. But Lakeland can be dead as a doornail during the weak a lot of times but the weekend gets crowded