Park Profile
www.parkworld-online.com
From
Quintessentially Legoland
Southern Belles to Lego
bricks Billed as Florida's first commercial tourist
theme park, Cypress Gardens opened its gates for the first time on January 2, 1936. This botanical garden planted by Dick Pope and his wife Julie became one of the state’s biggest attractions, known for its water ski shows, lush gardens and ‘Southern Belles’ (as seen above). Competition increased after Walt Disney World Resort opened at Lake Buena Vista in 1971, and in the early 1980s the Popes retired and transferred the park to their son, Dick Pope Jnr. In the 1980s, book publisher Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich purchased the park but later sold it together with its SeaWorld and Boardwalk & Baseball properties to Anheuser-Busch in 1989. Busch closed the latter park soon after but continued to operate Cypress Gardens until April 1995, when a group of the park's managers led by Bill Reynolds bought the property. The park then operated until April 2003, when it closed after a prolonged tourism decline. In February 2004, Adventure
Parks Group, owned by Kent Buescher, purchased the property and renamed it Cypress Gardens Adventure Park. Buescher's plan to reopen that September was delayed by two months due to damage from hurricanes Charley, Frances and Jeanne. In September 2006, Adventure Parks Group filed for bankruptcy protection following approximately $30 million of hurricane damage. Land South Adventures
purchased Cypress Gardens at a bankruptcy auction in October 2007, leaving Buescher as interim manager until Baker Leisure Group took over as operator the following January. On September 23, 2009, Land South Holdings closed the park, and its future seemed uncertain until Merlin Entertainments announced, in January 2010, that it had bought the property and planned to turn it into in the world’s fifth Legoland park. It was officially reopened as Legoland Florida on October 15 this year.
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Jones is convinced he has a hit on his hands. “Guest reaction has been outstanding,” he says. “The best part of Legoland Florida is the high level of interaction on each of the rides and attractions. Kids aren’t just entertained, they become part of the experience, which is quintessentially Legoland. The park brings interactive fun to a whole new level.” With several rides and buildings remaining from Cypress Gardens, construction of Legoland Florida moved quickly. “The site had excellent infrastructure already in place so we were able to hit the ground running and open in almost half the time we would normally,” acknowledges Jones. “But when we began construction, the gardens themselves were in quite a state of disrepair and were inhabited by a number of Florida species …including alligators. Fortunately, they’ve moved on to other locations. We are extremely proud of the end result.”
The new park is not without its critics, however. The Orlando Sentinel business columnist Beth Kassab writes of, “Legoland's fight to overcome its middle-of- nowhere location and attempt to persuade people to pay first-tier ticket prices for a second-tier theme park. Disney is the primary destination of most Orlando tourists; the new attraction must tap into Disney’s market of out-of-state travellers who stay a week or more. If Legoland doesn’t make it with this crowd, it won't make it beyond a look-see for locals and Florida day-trippers. And we know what happened to other parks that went that route. Circus World and Boardwalk & Baseball are now mere footnotes in Florida’s history.” Yet neither of the parks above enjoyed the same unique selling point as Legoland Florida, as Jones is keen to highlight: “We are incredibly lucky to be working with one of the most beloved toy brands in the world, Lego. The importance of this brand cannot be overstated and is the single most important asset to attracting visitors to the park.” As for the location, it’s actually closer to central Orlando (about an hour) than the successful Busch Gardens in Tampa, so maybe Jones is right about the power of a good brand. At $75 plus tax ($80.25) for an adult admission, or $65 for those under 12/over 60, admission to Legoland Florida is roughly $10 cheaper than the headline price for each of the four parks at Walt Disney World. The new attraction will open 12 months a year, although remain closed on Tuesdays/Wednesdays outside key holiday periods.
Plans have already been announced for a waterpark, the infrastructure for which was inherited from Cypress Gardens. Following a similar format to Legoland Water Park in California, it will operate as a second gate to the main park as from next summer. A themed Legoland hotel is planned at a later date.
http://florida.legoland.com
LEFT: a ‘Southern Belle’ recreated from Lego bricks at the new park
Flying School NOVEMBER 2011
Miniland USA
Coastersaurus
Lost Kingdom Adventure
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