Al's Toy Barn



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 trapped in Sid's house, but first appears in Toy Story 2. It is owned by Al McWhiggin, an obsessive toy collector who has stolen Woody at the beginning of Toy Story 2. When Buzz and his rescue squad of toys leave Andy's house on their mission to rescue Woody, Hamm is the first to spot the toy store just across the street the next morning. However, between the toys and the toy store lies a busy road traffic filled with roaring vehicles.

To safely cross the street without being run over by any vehicles, Buzz formulates a strategy, which requires the toys to pull orange construction cones over their heads. Under Buzz's commands, the toys drop the cones and proceed. They cause a massive pile-up on the road, but they make it safely on the other side.

Arriving at the entrance to Al's Toy Barn, the toys find the store closed. After seeing a worker entering Al's Toy Barn, they rush to the entrance, and Buzz orders the toys to jump so that their feet strike the sensor mat simultaneously in order to trigger the door open. Once they enter the toy store, Rex excitedly finds a manual to a Buzz Lightyear video game he has played earlier in the film.

After Buzz orders the toys to split up their search, Buzz encounters an aisle full of new Buzz Lightyear toys and gets into a fight with another Buzz Lightyear action figure who behaves much like him in the first film. While this newer Buzz overpowers Andy's Buzz, the other toys meet Tour Guide Barbie, who gives a tour around the toy store until they pick up the new Buzz. Andy's Buzz eventually breaks free and rushes to catch up with his friends at Al's apartment, which is (conveniently for Buzz) located just across the street from the toy store.

After Al has lost the toys at the airport, it is implied from his latest commercial that Al's Toy Barn has suffered greatly for his misfortune. Dressed as the chicken, he says they have "the lowest prices in town, everything for a buck...buck...BUCK" before breaking down in tears.

Characters seen in Al's Toy Barn

 * Tour Guide Barbie
 * Buzz Lightyear with a new utility belt
 * Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots
 * Evil Emperor Zurg
 * Ball

Trivia

 * When Etch A Sketch draws a map of Al's Toy Barn, the address displays 1001 West Cutting Boulevard, which is the address of Pixar Animation Studios in Richmond, California.
 * 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 Toy Story.
 * Characters from A Bug's Life are visible as toys inside the store.
 * 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 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 in Al's Toy Barn, Mr. Potato Head views Rex, chasing after the car, in a rearview side mirror, which 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 are seen when Hamm, Slinky, Mr. Potato Head and Rex while in a toy car bump into them since one is seen in Andy's room.