- Hamm: "Hey, guys, why did the toys cross the road?"
Buzz: "Not now, Hamm."
Rex: "Oh, I love riddles! Why?"
Hamm: "To get to the chicken on the other side!" - —Buzz and the toys spotting Al's Toy Barn across the street
Al's Toy Barn seen across the street by the toys.
Al's Toy Barn is a toy store first mentioned in Toy Story in a TV commercial advertising Buzz Lightyear toys while Woody and Buzz Lightyear are at Sid's house, though it first appears in Toy Story 2. It is owned by Al McWhiggin, an obsessive and greedy toy collector who steals Woody at the beginning of the second film.
Official Description[]
- For the cast of Toy Story 2, the trip to Al's Toy Barn was both perilous and otherworldly. Using only modest exaggeration, the filmmakers presented the retail toy store as towering and awe inspiring, especially when viewed from the very low angle of the characters. It also provided Buzz the existential experience of confronting himself, facing hundreds of identical Buzz Lightyears still in their packages.
Places of interest[]
Entrance[]
Buzz Lightyear, Hamm, Rex, Mr. Potato Head, and Slinky Dog enter the store by jumping onto a door sensor mat to trigger the automatic doors opening. After they enter, Rex finds a strategy guidebook to the Buzz Lightyear video game he had been playing earlier on a shelf next to the door. Later, when Buzz is exiting the store, he knocks over a stack of boxes onto the door sensor mat to open the doors, unknowingly releasing an Evil Emperor Zurg action figure in the process. When the automatic doors open, a cow mooing sound effect is played (due to the store's barn theme).
Barbie aisle[]
- Slinky: "We've been down this aisle already."
Mr. Potato Head: "We've never been down this aisle. It's pink."
Slinky: "Face it, we're lost." - —Slinky Dog and Mr. Potato Head
This is where Hamm, Rex, Mr. Potato Head and Slinky encounter a bunch of Barbie dolls having a party and meet one of them, Tour Guide Barbie, who volunteers to help the toys in their search.
Hot Wheels aisle[]
- "To our right is the Hot Wheels aisle. Developed in 1967 the original series had 16 cars, including the corvette."
- —Tour Guide Barbie
Tour Guide Barbie opens up the tour by taking the toys into this aisle. Further down along this aisle are bicycles, toy vehicles, and container of bouncy balls that the toys crash into.
Buzz Lightyear aisle[]
- "And this is the Buzz Lightyear aisle. Back in 1995, short-sighted retailers did not order enough dolls to meet demand."
- —Tour Guide Barbie
Buzz Lightyear being imprisoned into a cardboard box.
This is an aisle full of new Buzz Lightyear toys that Andy's Buzz encounters while on his search. Here, he gets into a fight with another Buzz Lightyear action figure, who behaves much like him in the first film. He mistakes the real Buzz for a rogue space ranger, ties him up into a box, and places him on the shelf with the other Buzz Lightyear action figures. Tour Guide Barbie takes the toys into this aisle where they pick up the newer Buzz (mistaking him for Andy's), leaving the real Buzz behind. Buzz manages to escape soon after and gives chase to the toys.
Al's Office[]
This is where Al McWhiggin, owner of Al's Toy Barn, maintains his office. There is a Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots playset on his desk.
Trivia[]
- Al's Toy Barn appears to be a parody of Toys "R" Us, which shut down in 2018, but The American Dream Mall recently opened a new flagship store.
- When Etch A Sketch draws a map to Al's Toy Barn, the address displays 1001 W. Cutting Boulevard, which is the address of Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, California.
- Just before the toys reach Al's Toy Barn, Hamm makes a joke parodying the riddle: "Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side!"
- The shot of Andy's Buzz Lightyear climbing up the display only to encounter the new Buzz Lightyear standing tall resembles the one of Woody climbing up Andy's bed, only to encounter the original Buzz standing tall in the first Toy Story.
Bug's Life toys on sale at Al's Toy Barn.
- Characters from A Bug's Life are visible as toys inside the store.
- After Al McWhiggin compliments the Cleaner for fixing Woody and claims, "He's just like new!", the movie cuts back to the Toy Barn and shows a sign saying the word "NEW!".
- One ball from Luxo Jr. is visible immediately after entering the store. When leaving the store, a container of those balls can be seen to the left of the door (a sign on the container reads "Fresh Farm Balls"). A ball is also shown in the commercial for the store earlier in the film.
- Barbie's dance steps are based on Ann-Margret's moves in Viva Las Vegas.
- One of the levels in Toy Story 2: The Video Game is a space-themed section of Al's Toy Barn called "Al's Space Land", where the majority of toys there are of Buzz Lightyear and Emperor Zurg. There's also an arcade with a claw machine and ball pit (similar to Pizza Planet). Oddly enough, the Aliens from Pizza Planet are being sold there as well.
- In Toy Story 3: The Video Game, tokens are used at Al's Toy Barn on the game board to buy new toys that can be used in Woody's Roundup.
- At one point, while the toys are in Al's Toy Barn, Mr. Potato Head views Rex chasing after the car in a rearview side mirror. This parodies a scene in Jurassic Park, when the T. rex chases after the crew in a jeep.
- Additionally, the phrase made famous in Jurassic Park, "Objects in mirrors are closer than they appear," is also visible on the mirror of the car that the toys drive in the store.
- Buckets of toy soldiers (like the one in Andy's room) are seen when Hamm, Slinky, Mr. Potato Head, and Rex bump into them while driving in the car.
- The pink bear from the first film is shown being sold in the store.
- Al's Toy Barn is seen sponsoring Racer 75 in the Cars teaser trailer.
- In the Can You Find the Difference Seek & See book, on the difference page on the right side, the sign outside has "Big" in front of "Al's", making the sign now say "Big Al's Toy Barn".
- In Monopoly: Disney/Pixar Edition, players can use Al's Toy Barn currency to rent due to it being Pixar-themed.
- In Disney Crossy Road for the mobile app, Al's Toy Barn is a playable environment featured in Toy Story 2.
- In Disney Magic Kingdoms, the crescent moon icon on the game's version of Al's Toy Barn more closely resembles the Funmeister mascot of Walt Disney World's former Pleasure Island area than the film's moon.
- Al's Toy Barn also makes a cameo outside of Pixar. It is featured in the Megas XLR episode "Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Coop".
Gallery[]
