MYSTERY SHOPPER
LEGOLAND FLORIDA
Merchandise on offer meets Lego’s high standards and covers all price points
Retailing at Legoland Florida is a serious business for both the operator and the customers
THE WATERPARK A large perimeter fence inspires curious visitors to peek through and it’s possible to see the Lego Waterpark taking shape. Like the theme park, some of the infra-
structure was already in place when Merlin bought the Cypress Gardens, so it’s being re-themed and new attractions are being added. The waterpark will open later this year and will be an exciting addition for Merlin, as this will be its fi rst waterpark.
SOCIAL MEDIA I checked in on Foursquare on arrival, but didn’t fi nd any offers running. There were a few grumbles logged – mainly about the parking charges for SUVs, which are higher than for standard cars – plus a couple of mentions about value for money when compared with Disney, but the great turnout I witnessed indicated the park is being well received, so it’s to be hoped these are relatively isolated issues. There was no sign Merlin had attempted to manage its FourSquare reputation or to
organise any special offers, but, given the company’s reputation for great marketing, it’s unlikely this channel will remain unex- ploited much longer.
FOOD AND BEVERAGE Although the food seemed to be going down well with guests, and it’s certainly up to a good standard for a theme park, the F&B operation was the only element of the park which seemed to have a few issues. These are largely caused by the absence of food carts and the fact that the main restaurant is at the entrance to the park, so visitors wanting to use it need to retrace their steps to do so. One mother I spoke to said her kids had
got hungry and she was looking around for a cart to buy them a snack, but there were none, so she had to walk back to the res- taurant to buy food. She said on the next visit, she’d bring a picnic. It will be unfortunate if this issue isn’t
fi xed quickly – Merlin is expecting to sign up a good number of season ticket hold-
Grannies Apple Fries (and cream) are a novel addition for a theme park
ers, which it expects will yield a return on their secondary spend in the shops and restaurants. This could be undermined by people bringing their own food. There’s a good choice of places to eat
throughout the park, so it could be a ques- tion of visitors learning how to plan a day out and use the facilities, and also a ques- tion of marketing the existing food outlets within the park and at the point of arrival. There are a number of novel food offers
too, including Granny’s Apple Fries – deep fried apple chips with whipped cream, which I have to report were delicious.
RETAIL As you’d expect, the retail elements of the park are excellent. Merlin has tapped in to Lego’s expertise in this area and the shops are positioned carefully around the park with a great range of the latest merchan- dise and park-specifi c toys. Trade in all the shops seemed brisk on
the day I visited and there are delightful toys, clothes and gifts to suit all budgets.
JULIANA DELANEY CEO, Continuum Group
A huge new car park and swanky visitor entrance trumpet Merlin’s investment. Inside, beautiful fl ow- ers and planting remain from the site’s previous owner. My immediate question? Could such
The pirate waterski show at Legoland Florida is in need of some fi ne tuning
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lovely fl owers stand out against the pal- ette of Lego’s famous primary colours? But they do, and the scale of the site allowed both to blossom in harmony.
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There was also some dishar-
mony; guest services and café staff seemed bemused by the demands of visitors and staff lead- ership looks a challenge in need of a solution, but overall it’s bang on
the money. All apart from the waterski show, which was so awful it was beyond a joke – it needs fi xing and quickly. With so much to do in Orlando, Lego
will have to work hard. The question is, did Merlin select the location as ideal or fi nd an ideally-funded deal? Time will tell.
AM 1 2012 ©cybertrek 2012
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