Cristiano Nicastro woke up around 4:30 a.m. Saturday filled with excitement typically reserved for children on Christmas morning. The 10-year-old from Seaford could hardly sleep knowing a visit to iconic Toys R Us awaited.

"I always go on YouTube and watch Toys R Us videos," Cristiano said, repeating the ubiquitous jingle of an older generation, "I don’t want to grow up, I’m a Toys R Us kid."

Cristiano and his father, Robert Nicastro, 41, were among the first wave of shoppers for the grand opening of Long Island’s first stand-alone store since the retailer shut down in 2018. A line of hundreds of shoppers stretched from the Tanger Outlets Deer Park entrance to a nearby Old Navy store.

Christmas jingles blared from a speaker as eager shoppers waited for the opportunity to browse the 7,00

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