E-mail link says Cypress Gardens will be Legoland Florida

mwatts said:

If this was the case then why hasn't this park previously been successful?

I'm surprised at how few remember the success Kent Buescher had with the park. The attendance exceeded his projections. The kids rides were a good draw and the waterpark was a hit. Unfortunately, he was forced to file for bankruptcy because the insurance company failed to pay the claim for the damage the park sustained due to a hurricane. Mother nature delayed the opening and forced him to take out loans he wouldn't otherwise have needed.

I believe the most recent operator who bought the park during the bankruptcy had zero interest in operating the park and was hoping to eventually build condos. Their actions pretty much tell the story and they got hit with a collapse of the real estate market and a downturn in the economy.

The evidence suggests that there was no way that Buescher thought he could draw tourists away from Orlando with the rides he bought and the tiny water park he build. Clearly his plan was to appeal to locals.

If Merlin thinks they can draw tourists away from Orlando then I think they're making a mistake.

The key in my opinion is to offer something to residents that Orlando does not. A family friendly attraction that is less crowded and at a price point that the Orlando can't match.

Sure Merlin can attempt to lure some tourists away from Orlando with promotions, but I wouldn't count on it. Orlando already has more to offer than the average visitor can consume in a week's vacation and most are happy to stay in the immediate area.

Making an attraction that Florida residents support is the key to success. Fortunately, I think the LEGO brand will boost this park's image and make it very appealing to local families.

Lego bricks too unappealing

Perhaps, but at a certain age, many kids---and especially boys---cannot get enough of those bricks. Wahoo's experience is not uncommon.

If this was the case then why hasn't this park previously been successful?

If it hadn't been for the storm damage and subsequent uncovered costs, I suspect the Buescher incarnation might have worked okay. It also seems to me that a Legoland park may have less capital investment required---it's not a "big rides" sort of park, but more of an atmosphere/activity sort of park, and those experiences are cheaper to build. The lower investment allows a smaller attendance/revenue base to still be successful.

I could be wrong about that part, but that's the way it seems, just going back to the relative attendance figures and schedule at the CA park. That's not a lot of people for a park that's open at least five days a week, year round, yet it's a success. That's telling.

Disney has already stated (albeit 5-7 years ago now) that the high-speed rail could stop at Disney *or* at other Central Florida tourist destinations, but not both.

Disney has backed off of this stance, in part because the political winds about rail are shifting, and in part because local governments keep pushing back in a variety of ways. But, I don't think it is very relevant; station placement is still going to be very political, and I'm not sure Winter Haven can swing it.

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2009-10-02/news/0910010217_1_walt-disney-disney-world-florida-department

I agree with Eric and Brian--the park was successful under Buescher, and can be successful again.

The park sustained $35 million worth of damage after the three hurricanes. Buescher had $30 million in insurance but the insurance company only paid $7 million and even that took some time. After the hurricane he was forced to take out a $30 million loan at a fairly high rate, and the rate accelerated after a year. Even though the park was making money he couldn't keep up with the payments and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2006 and eventually sold the park in a September 2007. The day after the sale, the insurance company, after much litigation, paid an additional $8 million, totaling only about half of what they should have.

It's official!

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/travel/attractions/os-legoland-florida-park-20100121,0,1659229.story

Jeff said: Are you suggesting that the product has just been all wrong the last few years?

Wrong? No. Perhaps mis-marketed...I don't know as I don't live there and been witness to the whatever efforts have been made to promote and market the park to the local area. It's just a guess.

But I can tell you this much: what was there doesn't have the appeal and pulling power that Lego does. Carlsbad is an hour from Orange County and further from Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, and Kern Counties yet families willingly drive 2-3 hours to visit.

When it comes to Lego, if you build it they will come (pun intended!)