Legoland Florida set to lay off 234 workers
According to a notice filed with Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, 234 Legoland workers will be permanently let go between March 25 and April 7.
'At Legoland Florida Resort we are making operational changes to help us elevate the guest experience in 2025 and beyond,' spokesperson Julie Estrada said. '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.'
The company did not provide details or additional reasons for the staff reduction.
The notice, done in compliance with the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, indicates that 174 of the positions are 'entertainment performers,' although stage managers, technicians and production workers are listed, too. Among the non-entertainment positions on the list are a director, sustainability manager, retail supervisor, resort operations manager and head of resort quality.
Polk County's Central Florida Development Council listed the resort as having more than 1,500 employees as of October.
In December, Legoland announced it was ending its water-ski show on Lake Eloise. Its final production was Dec. 30. The attraction was a nod to Cypress Gardens — once called the 'water ski capital of the world' — which operated on the property from 1936 to 2009.
The Florida cuts come as the Winter Haven resort plans to add a Sea Life aquarium attraction this spring. It's under construction adjacent to the Legoland park and near its Peppa Pig Theme Park, which opened in 2022. Legoland Florida also operates three on-site hotels.
Legoland is owned by Merlin Entertainments Group, which purchased Cypress Gardens for $22 million in 2010. Legoland Florida opened on the site in 2011. The attraction was retooled and refurbished, keeping some rides with new theming. Hundreds of Lego-based figures were added to the park. The original, historic gardens area has been maintained.
Merlin, based in Britain, also operates the Orlando Eye, Madame Tussauds Orlando and Sea Life Orlando Aquarium on International Drive. Merlin runs dozens of attractions in Europe, Asia, Australia and the U.S., including Legoland parks in California and New York.
Disney World sets closing date for MuppetVision 3D show
In November, Merlin announced a deal with Mojang Studios to create real-life Minecraft-based attractions, although the locations were not identified. Later in November, Merlin CEO Scott O'Neil announced his resignation, and Chief Operating Officer Fiona Eastwood was chosen as interim CEO. In mid-January, O'Neil became CEO of LIV Golf, the Saudi-based tour, replacing former professional golfer Greg Norman.
dbevil@orlandosentinel.com
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