West Edmonton Mall in 1990 - Vintage, retro footage of the Mall and Fantasyland in Alberta, Canada!

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This retro footage has been color-corrected, and sharpened. The audio has been enhanced, removed background hiss, and normalized. The volume has also been boosted. Watch vintage content of the mall, located in Alberta, Canada.
The Edmonton Oilers used to practice there. There's a schwarzkopf coaster, called the Mindbender. And lots, lots more!
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#WEM #BestEdmontonMall #WestEdmontonMall

[@vinnievee5710]

The mall used to be so unique and have so much charachter. They have removed everything that made it special.

[@volfgang1393]

vinnie vee allmost

[@xXPinkDummyXx]

@@volfgang1393 we have galaxy land (powered by hasbro) and the water park and more

[@volfgang1393]

@@xXPinkDummyXx I know

[@xXPinkDummyXx]

@@volfgang1393 I didn’t expect you to reply... it’s weird how we a a year apart

[@volfgang1393]

@@xXPinkDummyXx yes

[@boatknight2246]

i was 4 years old and yet this seems so surreal and dream like. Its as if this never happened, time is weird man.

[@dustfart466]

Yep , I was a kid in the 90’s who fortunately had the opportunity to enjoy this side of WEM. I really loved fantasy land as a kid and let’s not forget the McDonald’s right next door that al2ays had a Disney movie playing on the tv. Oh the days.

[@AltaGame]

​@@dustfart466 @bestedmontonmall I remember a previous McDonalds outside of fantasyland then the one in the videos I've seen so far. The one here showing the fashion show and the one in the 1983 video. DF makes reference to the movies playing. It had two sides to it, the left was more family and a kids type of place with movies and block seats, the other side for in and outs. Being a mall rat from St. Albert, I seem to recall something legal with Johnny Rockets and the size of the McDonald's... ;) (A1 & A2 bus & Super Summer Attraction Pass, whoop whoop!)

[@selurdeerbetah92]

So crazy I just happen to think the same thing. I remember being here but only vaguely. I'm pretty sure I was same age

[@CaptAwesumNo1Zone]

I was 3 close to 4 yrs old in '90 myself, guaranteed some of you I ran into, I was so full of energy and happiness in that place at that time, I couldn't believe it existed. I know what you mean about it feeling very dream like, I have memories of clouds and balloons and carnival like food when I think of that place, the play area in Fantasy Land was like a Never Never Land to us, you slid down that slide and you landed in a world ran by kids. It felt like you could climb to the moon once you reached that rope ladder up top. My few memories of my Mom and Dad together was us together in that mall so it'll always have a place in my heart. You don't get that anymore from any place, the place was magic, P.S. I remember the ball pit area in IKEA when my parents went shopping there.

[@kaywire6099]

Even as a kid born in 2004 I still remember how much more vibrant and and interesting the mall used to be. I’m sad I never got to experience that place in its true glory.

[@dianephoenixs5240]

I miss the foutains at the renovated food court

[@volfgang1393]

Diane Phoenix's me too....

[@cleopatra4906]

Diane Phoenix's I miss the hydro plane slide

[@DeL-sm8bl]

Omg I'm now the age of all these parents in this video. I was those kids 😣. I don't want to be old.

[@UltrafineDeluxe]

Stop acting like a woman.

[@austinmurphy3232]

@@UltrafineDeluxe lmao

[@cassidypresley3271]

Then act...... Like a kid!! Kid at ❤ 🤍 💙 🧡 heart!!

[@kend8264]

The fact that 1990 is now considered retro and vintage 🥺

[@chickenwings6172]

It's retro yes but not vintage, Vintage is 50 years old.

[@souljustice]

I've watched the original about a thousand times. Good Job but the VHS hiss really brings back that nostalgia feeling.

[@sturay7842]

Lol

[@fishygamesandshorts2895]

I wish I had a time Machine and go back to the 1990

[@The_Duggler25]

West ed used to be so amazing.... dam I miss how it uses to be

[@xxxxmastergamerxxxx509]

Image being at the mall and seing the Oilers at the Ice Palace 😧

[@BestEdmontonMall]

Oilers were a huge draw back in the day.

[@TributetoCanada]

Canada was amazing at this time, filled with hope and promise for the future. Very good video- thank you!

[@ASTRO-films]

The 90s were probably canadas best years for most things in canada , marineland was also way better in the 90s

[@doanster]

Thanks for this priceless video! Takes me way back to my childhood. Miss the old Fantasyland.

[@marymaier5096]

doans

[@ConnorCTG]

doanster

[@nene3857]

I still miss the dragon at the old theaters.

[@thatmodshop7160]

Yes!!

[@ToddyWithaHotdog]

Man those water slides look so much more fun than what they've got now

[@jarrettaustin1602]

Awesome! Back when WEM was something to experience. Now it's a pale comparison of what it used to be.

[@Bopig]

Oh wow the oilers used to practice at the rink in West Edmonton Mall? I didn't know that.

[@klovenkane5982]

Yup, they should still do that..

[@user-dn1cy8ln2y]

I used to watch them play at the mall rink and remembered it was all netted up around the big rink.

[@rebecaamyotte5167]

I worked at the mall from 1986 to 2018 best years ,I miss the mall in those times not the same anymore

[@ProfessionalMusicPartners]

Do you remember the three clowns who walked around the mall playing Dixieland music in the 80’s?

[@user-dn1cy8ln2y]

I also worked at the mall in the late 80s to early 90s……..at Cafe’ De France and Carless O’Grady, a Mexican restaurant. I was 25 years old…… in my senior years. You are absolutely right on that……..as the Mall has certainly change in the 30 some years since I work there.

[@kenz7412]

I have an obsession with malls, I’m glad I spent a good amount of time in what was left of this The early 2000s didn’t hold much of what used to be there but man I swear I would be SO sad if I never experienced at least some of the tackiness

[@ReachForTheSkyVideo]

Really enjoying your videos! Your retrospectives on the mall's history in particular. Would love to see a video on vintage Bourban Street. When it first opened it had all these weird animatronics in the upper floor windows with sounds (I recall a women's legs sticking out a window while kicking & screaming - very strange). There was also a really cool sci-fi-themed restaurant around where Tony Roma's is now. They had video screens on the walls playing space movies, there was a dance floor with a transforming robot who would perform with a professional dancer, as well as this giant plush spider hanging from the ceiling that would "drop" down unexpectedly on patron's tables during their meal. Everyone thinks I'm making this place up, but I clearly remember going to several birthday parties there back in the mid-eighties. Wish I could remember the name of the restaurant!

[@evanjohn1857]

David Bates I remember it as well. I went with my family as a kid and they had a stage show with an inflatable gorilla, if I remember correctly.

[@chunkgoonie4508]

Rip,petting zoo Rip white slides Rip old mind bender Rip drop of doom Rip games of "skill" Rip fantasy land Rip 6 ft crests

[@Bryan-pw1rw]

what are you talking about RIP old mind bender? nothing has changed

[@rbgamergirl2858]

B S it went over its tracks in the late 90s

[@rbgamergirl2858]

B S meaning that the mindmender went of the track and killed people

[@Bryan-pw1rw]

It did not go over the tracks in the late 90s. There was one incident in the 80s where there were fatalities and modifications were immediately made to the wheel assembly and passenger restraints before it returned to operation. Since then its had an incredibly good safety record. By saying RIP Old Mindbender you make it sound like they no longer have it.

[@puffnpluky76]

They repainted it

[@planetcoasterprojects3093]

I have lots of old footage from the mall during the late 80s...including a live performance we did at studio 86, we called ourselves the rubber chicken fantasy and tried our best to butcher a few songs lol

[@kovidlarper8428]

Best Edmonton mall should do a video on the dormant lrt station that was built under the mall during original construction. Clarify if this is a myth or true.

[@brandonwilson3248]

Rea1 Dea1 I’ve heard this before to

[@tylerwharper]

This is the type of video I've been looking for for a while. I love going back to West Ed and remembering all the good times I had back in the 90s. I took my son there and I'm sure he got bored of all the stuff. I told him about what used to be there. Thank you so much for the video to keep the history alive

[@brixbuildz]

So cool to see! I’m just a teenager but it’s cool to see footage my parents always takes about! It’s been a family tradition to go to west Edmonton mall the past few years and I always look forward to it. Thanks for this video

[@kiriedriver]

24:25 "The pure fun of a stay on the truck room" This is the most Albertan thing I have ever heard lol

[@edvaira6891]

I actually OWNED this video (bought it when we spent part of our honeymoon there in 1991)

[@user-dn1cy8ln2y]

I also spent my Honeymoon in 93 got married and stayed at the Fantasyland Hotel in one of the theme rooms.

[@hanstokke9950]

Thanks so much! Great to have actual footage of the Audiokinetic Sculpture.

[@BestEdmontonMall]

A tad more... kzbin.info/www/bejne/sJuTkmRnaqeVhbs

[@AltaGame]

The fist time I was at West Ed I was probably 9ish. I remember walking through a temporary plywood hallway with sheets of plywood as the floor through a set of double doors leading into the base of the Mindbender. (It looked nothing like it did once the park was done.) It was incredibly loud and it seemed like I was right under the thing. This was within the same timeframe as the accident. Riding it after It became a HUGE personal obstacle for me to overcome.

[@TrebleChild]

I grew up on the north side of the mall right across the street from 1990-1997 what a time to be alive

[@joeshmow1583]

I have this video on vhs lol i used to watch it at my grandmas when I was little. I used to love going to tge mall as a little one. There was literally endless things to see

[@cassidypresley3271]

I was......31 in 1990 and was working in some Mexican restaurant..... in Burbin St in W.E.M. I have many fond memories of the early days of the mall and was my everyday get away.

[@bluetarantulaproductions6179]

I'm from Sherwood Park (suburb of Edmonton) and I love visiting West Edmonton Mall whenever I can.

[@RaginRonic]

The song at the end was also used as the theme song for 'Great Movies', which was on ASN in Atlantic Canada, in the 1980s and early 1990s. XB

[@moee.6488]

I wish it can still look like this.

[@LiberateAlberta1907]

West Edmonton Mall used to be the world's largest Mall til competition took over. Now it's the 5th largest on earth. West Edmonton Mall started the competition lol

[@donkeyballs3307]

I remember the day it opened in 1981 , like it was 8 years ago, man am I old.

[@nene3857]

Just because you can remember when it opened?

[@user-dn1cy8ln2y]

I was there at the opening in 81………I was in my early twenties.

[@alyssawoodman]

Like everything else in this world, the originality, the spirit and the flavour of this place has disappeared. Now it's a soul sucking, fast fashion nightmare. Miss the old WEM!

[@jacobnamod3034]

born in 88, this is all memories to me... wow i remember how the mall looked back then and seeing this video is just... wow... im such a dork. Nostalgia.

[@CumDumpster69820]

Born in 2004 and I remember the mall very well

[@CumDumpster69820]

Also what was the lazy river like

[@serbster]

@@CumDumpster69820 It was awesome, my favorite thing to do at the water park when i was a kid

[@payduhman]

@@serbster the lazy river was by far the best one at the water park. So relaxing and it was always an adventure walking up the stairs to get to the top

[@aaronpeta]

Rode the rollercoaster 15 times in a row one day, did the drop of doom over and over, bought trinkets in all those little shops on top of Fantasyland... the submarines, the aquariums... Honestly moving to NYC was a disappointment after growing up with WEM.

[@amangill3154]

I remember going to West Edmonton mall alot when I was younger and was there when the waterpark opened

[@ironingboard9760]

This reminds me of full house

[@Decade8Media]

Strangely, the guy that did the commentary for this video also voiced the old video you had to watch during orientation at the the TC Energy Cochrane Extraction plant.

[@joeshmow1583]

Lol he did lots of safety videos. I totally recognize his voice.

[@erich84502ify]

East ridge mall was my citys West Edmonton but it was reboot/reset twice and came back to life, it never compared to that

[@annasolanis]

Heard about it back then, never had any desire to visit.

[@riccardoscaletta01]

Just went there earlier, the mall is still fun for me

[@eldestelcock9688]

West Edmonton best mall ever. Tuesday, September 15th., 1981 A.D.

[@WildKat25]

As a resident that likes the WEM here is a good way to save money when visiting. Actually go and buy the WEM 3 day pass (or longer based on how long you plan to stay) as it costs $100 per person, but you get to visit the waterpark once per day and individual prices for the waterpark is $50 per adult. The pass is worth the money on that alone. But you get a lot from the pass, the assumption is that you can't do everything, but you can if you dedicate yourself for the full 3 days.

[@mizunopearl]

WEM certainly has changed since those days (and not in a good way). The heart and soul that made WEM great has been lost and it's just not as appealing as it once was. Truly an era we will never see again.

[@shank7529]

19:01 Lol! Love how that fashion show took place RIGHT in front of McDonalds

[@sexyshit84]

My dad used to work there in the mid 80s.

[@Writercat13]

out of this whole video, somehow the most surreal was the Ikea- i cannot imagine it anywhere other than south common, and that mall store front looked so fake

[@trevorcarson7659]

Man west ed seems to suck now compared to back then i am 20 and remember the place having more when i was 10 then today really sad seems super sweet back then

[@sexyshit84]

Trevor Carson it kicked ass back then. It looks okay now but it just lost its character.

[@thatmodshop7160]

@@sexyshit84 PERFECTLY SAID!!!!

[@BrodyYYC]

Happy I got to go on the subs back in 2004 before they took them out. I got pretty claustrophobic though!

[@amangill3154]

And in junior high used to go to West Edmonton mall for activity day

[@johnvosh1986]

From what I was told by my grandparents, I was actually taken to West Ed when I was just a young kid, probably under 5. It would of been cool if they would of had more then just I think a couple photo's. Of course, I don't remember anything from back then, which is a real shame. It is so stupid that the owners of West Edmonton mall got rid of so many of the awesome attractions from in the 90's. Now the mall is so sterile and boring. They should of kept all these attractions, but just updated and upgraded instead of removing them. The dolphins would be so much better then the seal lions they have now.

[@mjb995]

Wish I could relive the glory days of wem. Its lost its spark somehow.

[@nene3857]

A mall is a mall is a mall. You go there to shop, basically.

[@payduhman]

@@nene3857 well…yea lol but this mall actually used to be more than just shopping as clearly indicated in the video

[@thatmodshop7160]

@@nene3857 with all due respect you don't get it, you must have missed the great era of this mall and you don't appreciate its wonders. I was born 1990 and have MANY fond memories my favorite ride was the perilous pendulum and as of late the mind bender. This mall lost its special touch pladium, fire breathing dragon, random water shooting across, water falls everywhere. There was nothing else like west edmonton mall and even when it was rebranded galaxyland I still wanted to go every weekend. This place had something no other place did a magic that had great continuous changes and until a certain point was great, I'm hoping Hasbro does some great changes I want to bring my kids/family there so we can all experience the magic together 😁

[@SuperUnderwaterboy]

This is what shopping should be like! Fun, exciting , and you will come back. Now it's just get in get your sh#t and get out, no reason to hang around and explore.

[@atherwitch]

Member them oilers?

[@mattmoelhoff646]

I wanna lurn about the trex in the lake but there is no info about it. i was wondering if there is a place that can tell you about it?

[@alvaroanacona7138]

Yes! The Trex statue was in front of the Santa Maria in the water! We was battling a snake that was wrapped around his neck! I’ve looked for more info on it! It was my favourite attraction actually!

[@mintishart]

This was my favorite place on earth at that time! Sure don’t remember IKEA being there though

[@coolgalaxylandgirl671]

I miss going on that

[@onewhitedude]

Before the extra fashion and bling arrived there was this...

[@vinokai]

Wtf?! We had a sun tanning area at the water park?....man...nowadays, WEM feels so...hollow

[@skaterboy-cz9wj]

Trivia question. Who is the statue of at the skating rink with the male holding up a female figure skater. It doesn't say who but it looks like an old "Soviet Union" team - Ludmila and Oleg Protopopov. Does anyone know??

[@keesha2207]

Holy crap its changed

[@alvaroanacona7138]

9:32. Robotic great white shark 9:42. T-Rex battling giant snake. No one ever believes me about these two attractions! Fuckn Vindication!

[@cooleymike1]

6:56 Barbara Bush getting in some exercise

[@rhino2960]

2:57 one thing to note, us canucks dont call 'em jacuzzis, we call 'em hot-tubs

[@nene3857]

I was wondering if there was a difference besides the name.

[@cowboylike_zoe]

i'm 19 why is this video so nostalgic to me

[@coolgalaxylandgirl671]

I wasn't even around back them 1:32

[@holzmann8443]

You fellers need to adjust the tracking on your VCR and replace the belt.

[@Decade8Media]

The narrator of this video is the same guy that did the narration on a orientation video for the Cochrane Extraction gas plant.

[@Plus_P_Plus]

RIP to the Mind Bender victims!

[@thatmodshop7160]

Yes ❤️

[@user-dn1cy8ln2y]

@@thatmodshop7160………that was in 84 and two were killed on injured as one of the coasters lost one of its real wheels.

[@GeneralmotorsMHM]

What about “ Cafe Europa” !!!

[@user-dn1cy8ln2y]

Did you work there………?

[@HunterGrazner]

Does the mall still have their mascot? I haven't seen marv around for a while.

[@BestEdmontonMall]

Aleczander Hewitt Cosmo and Sharky are the more commonly seen mascots these days.

[@HunterGrazner]

When DID Sharky pop up anyway? I figure Cosmo appeared almost immediately after the Disney lawsuit forced the name change, but I was born in 1991 and visited the waterpark in the late 90's early 2000's, and he wasn't there at the start. And do all three mascots show up together sometimes for big mall events? Wow, who knew WEM Mascots were so question inducing?

[@cleopatra4906]

Wow it was so diffrent

[@thehappywanderer4230]

When fantasyland before it became galaxyland had actual REAL trees. It made you feel like you were actually outside even though you were inside instead of these plastic looking pastel colors that are god awful.

[@LakeNipissing]

EXACTLY !!

[@daniellongworth7513]

0:13 i didnt know West Edmonton Mall brought Andre the Giant to town!

[@chonkeyshonkey]

Or King Kong. Lol

[@PlatinumEagleStudios]

Bring back Marvy. Also I had no clue the mall had an Ikea LOL. Does anyone know when the Ikea was removed? And what replaced it?

[@LokiDaElf]

It was where Ed’s is and I think Jysk or some bed and bath store is now.

[@crystalbrown3728]

What was the name of the dolphin mascot

[@liamgossen9855]

It’s marvy mallphin

[@Sirbartholomew]

One big difference i notice about now and then is that there use to be so much mor plant life throughout the mall, made everything feel much more vibrant and alive. Now all that plant life has been replaced by sterile plastic structures

[@klovenkane5982]

I remember that..

[@user-dn1cy8ln2y]

I remember that too, the mall used to have these large parrot cages with large parrots and used play with them in their cages. They were so tamed and never gotten bitten by one. Spent hours in just playing with them.

[@wormie7656]

The last time i went to the west edmonton mall water park i had to get stiches i slipped and fell and a there was a bolt sticking out and and it went in my leg and had to get stiches😂

[@nurrakugy5126]

the mall is in my neighborhood lmao

[@LiberateAlberta1907]

The Mall is in my city lol😂😂

[@beastwarrior99]

3 blocks away

[@greg6500]

I was scammed by international Stereo at this mall in 96! :D

[@BestEdmontonMall]

International Stereo called that "being a customer". LOL

[@allandunning9497]

i went on a field trip in grade 1 to the marine life

[@charlesmagno28]

submarine in 1985?wow

[@clllaytrrron]

6:55 is that Barbra Bush?

[@BestEdmontonMall]

😂

[@texifyaviationyt]

2:38 Is that Nessie's Revenge?

[@charlesmagno28]

There's a submarine? Wow till when was that?

[@user-dn1cy8ln2y]

Yes the little lake had two full size subs that would take you down a see all the beautiful fish.

[@canadian9173]

Make a video about the old petting zoo🐐🐓🐰🐝🐥

[@aznguy876]

We need a new video: what happened to the dolphins?

[@atherwitch]

M.J Rosete they all died except one, people protested for years to get Howard moved. Bob Barker showed up all the time, it was super sad ( remember dolphins can hear beyond anything we can)eventually PETA got him moved....he was losing it

[@mainlymusicman]

He said 1.2 million??? How ?

[@chunkgoonie4508]

1 dolphin now

[@rbgamergirl2858]

chunk Goonie 0 dolphins 🐬 now. They have sea lions now

[@wormie7656]

And i also miss those dolphins now there is sea lions :(

[@nene3857]

Sea Lions are adorable as well.

[@klovenkane5982]

Hardrock cafe didn't last long, wasn't planet Hollywood there at one time..? I can't remember 😂

[@Plus_P_Plus]

7:19 COCO!

[@coolgalaxylandgirl671]

then in 1995 they changed the named to Galaxy land 3:47. to make it out of this world like theme park so much cooler than boring Fantasyland

[@ryantheavian6260]

Some people don't like the Galaxyland theme because it is too "cheesy" and Cosmo is literally stuffed right in your face. In my opinion, Walt Disney World is better than Galaxyland. I Respect Your Opinion.

[@SuperUnderwaterboy]

They had to change because Disney was threatening to sue,

[@sadiemandel-mcarthur4168]

I live there

[@packlesswolf1]

Sadie Mandel-McArthur in the mall?

[@nene3857]

Sadly, ALL our dolphins passed away. I remember being splashed by one when I wasn't looking, just soaking me, then it had the nerve to laugh! Wasn't funny at the time tho. My kid and I were soaked.😆

[@thatmodshop7160]

Awe what a great memory!!

[@aplam94]

When did they get rid of the petting zoo?