Latest news with #SEALIFEFlorida
USA Today
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Sea Life Florida welcomes first marine animals at LEGOLAND ahead of June 6 grand opening
Sea Life Florida welcomes first marine animals at LEGOLAND ahead of June 6 grand opening Show Caption Hide Caption Teeming with life: SEA LIFE Florida welcomes first finned residents Ahead of opening day, SEA LIFE Aquarium at LEGOLAND Florida Resort welcomed its first animals, including blacktip reef sharks and playful clownfish. The first marine animals have arrived at Sea Life Florida at LEGOLAND Florida Resort in Winter Haven as the aquarium prepares for its grand opening June 6. The resort posted images of a reef shark imported from Germany, now residing in its main oceanarium, called a Theme Park Under the Sea. The new residents include clownfish, cownose stingrays and unicorn tangs, LEGOLAND Florida said in a news release. Happening now: LEGOLAND is celebrating the power of playtime with a global festival for children 'This moment marks the shift from construction site to conservation site,' Sarah McMahon, curator at Sea Life Florida, said in the release. 'From building walls to building connections between people and the ocean. Every fish, ray, and shark that arrives is a chance to spark curiosity and inspire care for our planet.' Sea Life Florida will have more than 25 interactive exhibits, including a stingray bay, hands-on rockpools, and 10 underwater-themed galleries. The aquarium will be fully ADA accessible, and Sea Life Florida aspires to earn a designation as a Certified Autism Center, a resort-wide initiative, the release said. Annual passholders will be given exclusive early access on May 23, ahead of the official grand opening.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
LEGOLAND Florida plans to lay off over 200 employees, mostly performers
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. States lose access to Medicaid payment portal amid Trump federal aid freeze 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 Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
