THANK YOU FOR JOINING US I'M
KILEY.
AND I'M JASON.
THE BIGGEST BIRTHDAY, WELL
NOT THE BIGST.
THE BIGGEST IN THE COUNTRY.
IT IS THE BIGGEST OF THE
MALL'S EXISTENCE.
IT WAS 25 YEARS AGO TODAY THAT
THE BIGGEST MALL IN AMERICA
FIRST OPENED.
25 YEARS AGO MARY MCGUIRE
EVERYBODY WAS SKEPTICAL 25
YEARS AGO WHEN ALL THE LOCALS
WERE LIKE WHO IS GOING TO CARE
ABOUT THIS SHOPPING MALL?
THEY WERE WRONG, MARY.
WEREN'T THEY?
Reporter: WE HAVE PROVED
THEM WRONG.
IT'S FUNNY TO LOOK BACK FROM 25
YEARS AGO.
THEY SAID WHY MINNESOTA?
THEY WEREN'T SURE IF THIS MEGA
MALL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE
MIDWEST WOULD WORK, BUT IT HAS.
IT HAS PROVEN TO BE A GET
SUCCESS.
TO CELEBRATE TODAY THEY HAVE A
REALLY BIG BIRTHDAY CAKE.
CHECK THIS THING OUT.
YOU CAN SEE IT FEATURES A LOT
OF THE THINGS THAT THE MALL IS
FAMOUS FOR.
LOGO FOR LOGO UNIVERSE.
HAMBURGER FOR ALL THE GREAT
FOOD OPTIONS.
THE CAKE WAS CREATED BY THE
FAMOUS CHEF BUDDY, THE CAKE
BOSS.
HE IS OPENING UP A BAKERY HERE
AT THE MALL THAT WILL BE IN THE
NEW FOOD COURT.
WE WERE THRILLED TO WORK
WITH BUDDY TO CREATE THIS
MASTERPIECE AND FOR PEOPLE TO
COME AND HAVE A GREAT PHOTO OP
WITH.
Reporter: THIS IS NOT THE
CAKE PEOPLE WILL BE CONSUMING
HERE.
THEY WILL BE HANDING OUT 2500
CUP CAKES TO FOLKS HERE.
BUT THIS THING IS ALL EDIBLE.
I'M TOLD IT WEIGHS ABOUT A
COUPLE HUNDRED POUNDS AND
SMELLS DELICIOUS.
BEFORE THAT CAKE CUTTING
THOUGH, THEY WILL TRY TO BREAK
TWO WORLD RECORDS HERE AT THE
MALL OF AMERICA.
ONE FOR THE MOST AMOUNT OF CUP
CAKES ICED IN AN HOUR.
AND THE SECOND FOR THE LARGEST
GATHERING OF BIRTHDAY HATS.
SO APPROPRIATE FOR A BIG
BIRTHDAY HERE AT THE MALL OF
AMERICA.
BUT LIKE YOU MENTIONED, THIS IS
REALLY PROVEN TO BE A GREAT
SUCCESS AND TIME ACROSS AMERICA
WHEN MALLS ARE SHUTTING DOWN.
WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF DEPARTMENT
STORES SUFFERING.
THE MALL WANTS TO MAKE IT MORE
ABOUT AN EXPERIENCE FOR FOLKS.
IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT SHOPPING.
AND I HEARD AN INTERESTING FACT
FROM THE OFFICIALS HERE AT THE
MALL TODAY, MORE PEOPLE VISIT
THE MALL OF AMERICA THAN DISNEY
WORLD, GRACELAND, AND THE GREEN
CANYON IN ONE YEAR COMBINE --
GRAND CANYON IN ONE YEAR
COMBINED.
I AM REALLY HORRIFIED
BECAUSE BACK HERE NO ONE
BELIEVES THAT IS AN ACTUAL
CAKE.
THEY DON'T THINK THERE IS ANY
CAKE IN THERE.
Reporter: THERE IS CAKE IN
THERE.
THERE IS A LOT OF FONDANT, I'M
SURE.
BUT THIS SMELLS DELICIOUS.
HOW DO YOU KNOW THERE IS
CAKE IN THERE?
HOW DO YOU KNOW?
OPEN IT.
IT COULD BE SYROFOAM WITH
FONDANT ON IT.
Reporter: I TRUST THE CAKE
BOSS.
HIS NAME HAS BOSS IN IT.
STICK YOUR FINGER IN IT AND
PROVE IT.
DO IT.
Reporter: YOU THINK I
SHOULD?
NO, I'M NOT DOING THAT.
I WILL NEVER BE INVITED BACK TO
THE MALL.
I STILL NEED TO DO MY CHRISTMAS
SHOPPING.
FAIR ENOUGH.
THANKS FOR THE REPORT, MARY.
WE APPRECIATE THAT.
NO GUTS, NO GUTS.
I THINK YOU NEED TO GET THE
I-TEAM ON THIS.
CAN QUESTION GET A FULL
INVESTIGATION?
IS ANYONE GOING TO CUT THAT?
WHO IS GOING TO CUT INTO THAT?
THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WITH
BUDDY'S CAKES.
THEY ARE ALL WORKS OF ART BUT
YOU DO IT BECAUSE THEY ARE
REALLY DELICIOUS.
DO YOU REMEMBER THE FIRST
TIME HE WENT TO MALL OF
AMERICA?
NO ONE ON THIS PANEL WAS HERE
25 YEARS AGO.
I WAS.
WE WERE HERE FOR THE SECOND
TIME I LIVED.
HOW OLD WERE YOU SIX MONTHS
OLD?
I WAS PRETTY YOUNG.
[ LAUGHTER ]
NO WAY YOU REMEMBER IT.
NO.
BUT I REMEMBER MY FIRST MEMORY
FROM THE MALL.
AND THERE WAS A SNOOPY RIDE OR
SOMETHING.
CAMP SNOOPY.
YEAH.
THAT WAS MY FIRST MEMORY.
I REMEMBER BEING IN THE
BASEMENT WHERE THEY DO ALL OF
THEIR TRASH.
ALL OF THEIR TRASH GOES.
I DON'T KNOW.
I MOVED HERE AND WE WENT AND
SAID OKAY IT'S A BIG MALL.
YOU'RE NOT RIAL A MALL GUY.
COME ON.
YOU DON'T GO?
I WENT TO GO TO THE -- WOULD
THAT BE PART OF THE BRICKMAN
BRAND?
YOU GO ON A TUESDAY MORNING.
YOU CAN HIT EVERY SINGLE STORE
YOU EVER NEED IS THERE.
YOU MAKE ONE STOP YOU ARE DONE.
THE MALL OF AMERICA PEOPLE