LEGOLAND Florida plans to lay off over 200 employees, mostly performers

Yahoo

28-01-2025

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (WFLA) — Employees at LEGOLAND Florida received notification last week of mass layoffs set to take place in just a few months.
In a notice dated Friday, Jan. 24, Merlin Entertainment, which owns and operates the Winter Haven theme park and resort, said 234 positions will be eliminated beginning on March 25, 2025.
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Over 150 of those positions include entertainment performers. Another 23 are entertainment technicians. At least five are team leaders, with other positions like 'Head of Resort Quality' also being let go.
The layoffs are expected to continue through April 7, 2025. According to the company, none of the employees are represented by a union, and the layoffs will be permanent.
It's unclear exactly what prompted the company to decide to let go of several of its performers.
In an emailed statement, a spokesperson for LEGOLAND said the resort plans to retain a core entertainment team and will be working with an unnamed 'global leader in world class experiences' during seasonal events.
LEGOLAND's full statement can be found below.
At LEGOLAND Florida Resort we are making operational changes to help us elevate the guest experience in 2025 and beyond.
The decision to reduce the size of our entertainment team was undoubtedly difficult, but these changes will allow the Resort to operate more flexibly and responsively in a competitive market.
We are supporting employees during this period of change, including sharing job opportunities elsewhere in the wider visitor attraction sector in Florida, such as those being created at our new SEA LIFE Florida at the Resort. We will do all we can to help them find alternative employment.
Julie Estrada, spokesperson for LEGOLAND
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