I'm 46, grew up in this mall. The 2nd floor came along years after it's inception. This mall used to be absolutely packed with ppl every day, up until the mid 2000s. I have endless memories of this mall's glory days. So sad.

This mall was already pretty dead by the time I moved to Orlando in 2013, but I still have fond memories of walking to the theater with my friends, seeing a movie, and checking out Colosseum of Comics afterward. That was a weekend staple for us. It's a beautiful building, I wish I could have seen it in its glory days.

Fashion Square was always "my" mall. I moved to Orlando in 1997 and quickly got a job working at a video store called Saturday Matinee upstairs where the movie theater now is. In 2004, when hurricane Charley hit, the mall was our savior, offering an air conditioned space to retreat to during the 2 weeks we spent without electricity in the brutal Floridian August heat. I remember when the bowling alley/ arcade was added. It was fun for awhile. To be honest, I will be sad to see this mall finally close, as it has played a significant role throughout my adult life. My daughter has a number of photos with Santa, who used to be stationed on the small platform directly across from the escalator. I will always remember this mall as the bustling and busy place that it once was. It's hard to let it go. P.S. The Premiere cinemas movies theater still has the best popcorn in Orlando, and is also the most reasonably priced theater around.

It's 100 degrees in Orlando today, and has been for the past week. No one in his right mind is going to park in the open sun and walk around an 'open-air power retail center' -- like the ones that replaced so many indoor malls like Fashion Square. I cannot for the life of me figure out why retailers do not flood back to these air-conditioned, comfortable indoor malls that are standing vacant.

I went to this mall in January of last year. The movie theater was beautiful and full of neon.

Very nice mall! Another waste of a beautiful solid concrete and steel structure in good shape.

While in high school, and a few years after, I worked at Robinson’s (1975-1981) before moving to Denver Colorado. Because of Covid and other unfortunate circumstances, I’m back in Florida and have visited the mall a few times since. IMO, Dillard’s Clearance Center was the only place worth going to and that’s been declining lately. So sad to see the rest of the mall vacant while remembering the good old days when it was a really happening mall.

How unfortunate this mall is dead, it's one of the most beautiful I've seen in your series.

I love coming to this mall. I bought some shorts from Champs a month ago, the employee I talked to claimed they out-sell the location at “The Florida Mall”, I don’t know if I believe that but the West Oaks Mall location closed while this one is still operating, so I suppose it’s possible. The theater is great, they went retro when they decorated the auditoriums. When I went to see “Fall Guy” my ticket was only seven bucks.

By the way, the reason for the demolished tenants in between the Floor & Decor and Macy's was because they were going to build a Westin hotel there.

I remember coming here all the time as a kid. Even spent the night here in middle school when I was in Girl Scouts. I have so many fond memories here, hard to believe I’m 27 now. It feels like just last week I was here exploring the hot topic then going to the Chinese food place that was there. Weird to see the mall of my childhood so barren now but it was hound to happen🥲 The Claire’s, GameStop, anime store, Beya, and a few others I can’t quite think of now. There used to be a Colosseum of Comics there too

Damn, I think I saw Tiffany perform there in the late 80s....

This was never “my” mall. I grew up in the Florida Mall which shows no signs of slowing down. My first job and many subsequent jobs were there. But I spent some time at FS and have some fond memelries of it. I just went to Fashion Square a couple weeks ago to see a movie and it was depressing. Seeing these places that used to be thriving and be where all of us would hang out together is depressing. But times they are a changing.

I frequented this mall as a child in the 80s. The Orange Bowl, Barefoot Mailman, Wunderbar, Circus World, Swiss Pretzel. Every few years, I will stop in and walk around this post-apocalyptic 'dead mall' hellscape in its current state and it's like a Stephen King nightmare. I can still close my eyes and hear the parakeets chirping at the pet store near the Sears wing entrance, the happy families pushing strollers past the bubbling fountains. All things run to ruin. Time is relentless.

I come here almost every week during the summer for the free children's movie. It is so crazy how dead it is. It's kind of funny that they have forgotten to unlock the door by the theater or turn on the elevator, which is an issue since the escalator doesn't work and the only other internal option is a service elevator (a nice janitor let us and other kids sure it). My daughter loves the little kiddie rides by the fountain post movies because there's never any line. Bonus fact, Santa was there this year. No line. I have come across something interesting about this mall. The tenants it does have can be unique. For a little while a small theater company used an old shoe store for performances, it actually worked really cool for an in the round show). Then during last month my daughter and I did run into a church renting space.

I grew up coming to this mall with my mom. The food court was amazing, we would always hit sbarros and get a slice and a meat ball. they had a whole train track loop for kids. It was always SLAMMED in there. The arcade was also awesome. I moved to that side of town in middle school and would hang out there on weekends causing trouble to the security guards. It’s crazy seeing it absolutely abandoned and empty. Why people will opt to walk around hot ass outdoor shopping plazas blows my mind. Rip

Man, this is both depressing, and it makes me feel old. I remember when I'd visit this mall often with my wife and all of those stores were present, open, and the place would be packed on the weekend. We'd eat, do some shopping, maybe see a movie, and we wasted endless hours at the Coliseum of Comics that was upstairs right across from the movie theater ticket office, all of that is long gone now. The internet kind of made a lot of those stores superfluous, and of course, a mall isn't truly a good "third space" since the draw to spend money was around every corner. In fact, almost every mall in Orlando is doing poorly except the Mall at Millenia, and the Florida Mall, both of which are jampacked with tourist shoppers, and the Mall at Millennia being home to so many high end brand stores.

At least we still have Altamonte and Florida Mall.

I love the fountain and those flowers in front of the fountain are absolutely beautiful. I also like those pillars with the palm tree shape where Macy's is.

Cool video. It's a shame to see a beautiful mall like that sitting empty.

Nice looking place! Way too many empty stores. Is it even worth it to heat and cool this huge empty monster? Nice job!

The open space (wall next to Macy's) was supposed to be a multi-story hotel. About ten or so years ago, about a dozen stars were demolished, but the mall owner went bankrupt. Empty space ever since,

I was a teenager and got my first job working in this mall around 2000-2001. It was during the Christmas season and very lively. This mall has changed a lot. I also grew up hanging out at the Oviedo mall (Marketingplace) and I remember when Gap, Aeropostale, and A&F were still there.

Is it my imagination or is Simon properties like the one property manager that knows how to take care of and deal with malls properly?

The closure of the nearby Naval Training Center Orlando spelled the doom for Fashion Square. The loss of those sailors with money burning a hole in their pockets was too much to overcome.

This is my home mall. I sat on one of the benches recently and my memories almost overtook me. In its heyday, FS was full of life and soul. You couldn't pry me away from it during my formative years. It was packed, almost like going to Disney or Universal. People from all walks of life made FS their home. It was a nexus for the neighborhood and much more than a simple hangout. I hate the way society has shunned places like FS in favor of "villages" that cannot begin to replicate the feel of a classic, hometown mall. Perhaps my brain can no longer reconcile my nostalgia versus inexorable consumer trends, but FS could be resurrected if enough tenants could be lured back into residency. It's a beautiful space with wonderful air conditioning and a solid roof. Plus, a new apartment block is being constructed literally across the street. It's a shame. I sometimes wonder if my memories are a burden or a blessing.

12:45 I remember when that wall came up it had posters for a tgi fridays, I guess the plans fell through only after they demolished the shops on the side

For a dead mall, this place looks pretty clean inside. Nice mall design, and that fountain is a plus! And that theater even seems to have a little neon inside, too. I wish there was a way, to reinvigorate this mall with a lot of new shops coming back. Since at least the interior here hasn't fallen apart badly, like is the case with Regency Square in Jacksonville.

We have an important announcement from the current owners of Broadway Commons. The mall is expected to be demolished for redevelopment into an open-air mall with IKEA and Target being the only stores allowed to remain. Demolition is planned for mid-2025.

Back in the 70's it was glorious - as good as a mall could get. Then when Star Wars opened - those times - still golden. I was 14 in 1977, and cannot drive down Hwy 50 past this site without severe pangs of nostalgia. OMG what it was - what has been lost. Remembered forever - magical forever.

Beautiful mall- why is there not more effort being made to draw in more stores & restaurants to fill the space?

Orlando needs more toll roads because there’s not enough money coming in from tourism! 😂😂😂

Wow I didn’t realize there’s an actual mall in there! I live right down the road from this and pass by it every time I go to Best Buy! lol

Crime took it over 15 years ago, then everyone left - even the criminals!

I guess you were there really, really early? Otherwise I can't fathom why it exists (as you said)!

It's a nice looking mall. If Macy's leave, it's a wrap.

There was so much promise for the renovation plans for this mall, and it just all fell through for some reason. The only thing keeping that place afloat is the theater. It's sad to say, too, as I've been going to this mall since I first moved to Florida over 25 years ago. I still remember Tilt, Babbage's, when Coliseum of Comics first arrived there. Does anybody else remember Biz Kids? I do, and to this day, I still have no idea what that place was about. Hell, we had two game stores in Fashion Square, TWO! If they didn't have what you wanted at Babbage's, you would just walk on over to the other side of the mall to visit EB Games. I even did Halloween trick r' treating with my siblings in this place when it was still bustling. It's a shell of what it used to be, and I hope somebody eventually breathes new life into this place.

It's not Burd-eens. It was pronounced Bird-Eye-ns

Make sure to check out Merritt Square Mall if you haven’t

Wonderful Video!!!! I LOVE THE FOUNTAINS!!!!! F+L, Corey

In the first minute, we see an empty parking lot and a Spirit of Halloween. Not a good sign for this mall.

Wow... had no idea it was that bad. I haven't been there in over 15 years so I shouldn't be surprised.

It's "Bur-DINES," as in dine, not deen.😁

This was the place to be in middle school 🥲 they had a basketball court and my friends and I would go to see the boys 🤭🤭 really missing the teriyaki place rn

If y'all need a perfume this holiday season come on down to fashion square macy's I'll tell u what's good

This was such a great place when I was a kid. Nowadays I can't even drive past it on Colonial without wanting to cry. Btw, DON'T come to the Oviedo Mall.

I got some pictures there and made a tiktok about the empty mall. Just a couple stores were open.

My childhood mall

Doomie, it's weird that you covered two malls that I worked in; Enfield Square in CT and this one. I worked at Barnie's Coffee & Tea (before it became a Starbucks), right across from Hot Topic. What are the odds these two videos came up today??

Oh it's Wilamette

The irony is that Fashion Square Mall was threatening to put Colonial Plaza (1957) out of business. Colonial Plaza's been mostly bulldozed and converted to a bunch of big box stores and thriving. Fashion Square's on the ropes. Seminole Mall about 20 minutes north of there is even more abandoned than this mall, which is sad as it's a nice facility overall. Altamonte Mall is where everyone moved to, which seems to be an inferior property to me, but is closer to Orlando. Also, Altamonte Mall absolutely reeks of disgusting, greasy, fake-butter popcorn. While the stench is always present, when they're actively making it, the smell is nauseating.

The spencer's and hot topic here were realllllll bad, but reliable. Shirts from there reeked of damp.

Hot topic and Spencer’s are still there

For this video, I drank a Raspberry flavoured 5% alcoholic drink from Shaker Cuisine & mixology. I didn't know that this drink is made in Quebec. This is so good.

Nice looking truly sad

I love this mall. I go when i can just to walk:).....i saw how slowly stores went and so the food court. Still my fav:)).....wish i ran in to Doomie that day:).......also if anyone skateboards.....i waxed a yellow curb by the movies in front of the loading dock at the round about to do some slappys:)

So you filmed this in late September-early October of 2022 and just now got around to releasing it? Or does someone else film the walkthroughs?

Doomie, yeah this mall is bad.

I think if they threw in about ten or twelve new stores and a few food places and then advertised the new additions it would lead to more investment. I've been to this mall and have seen movies in that theater and the last time I was there there were a lot more stores in it. I think a place like that would be great for the people who live nearby, especially on weekends. Come see a movie, grab some food, maybe check out the stores, etc. Problem is, there's no stores. But the stores that ARE open must be making money or they wouldn't be there which shows that SOME people ARE coming to the mall. Spencer's, Hot Topic, Macy's etc wouldn't be operating if they weren't making SOME money. But they need more stores and they need to put them near each other and near the existing stores. Having stores so spread out in such an empty mall is not good for anyone. Build outward from the movie theater (The most visited place) and I bet it would do better.

Was this at the end of International Drive? Looks similar, but don't remember a 2nd level.....

Fyi: Burdines was pronounced "bur-dynes" not "bur-deans"

All the malls have shiny tiled floors that make my high heels slip. Tiles seem to polish my high heels soles and make them slip even more. I cant even walk up any sloping parts due to my slipping soles

1st