Originally Posted By joe80x86 From the Ledger: <a href="http://www.theledger.com/article/201...o-Winter-Haven" target="_blank">http://www.theledger.com/artic...er-Haven</a> LEGOLAND is coming to Polk County. The word leaked out Wednesday in an e-mail from a county tourism official to county commissioners in advance of today’s scheduled press conference at Cypress Gardens. Merlin Entertainments Group purchased the Winter Haven theme park earlier this month. Merlin, the world’s second-largest owner of tourist atttractions, currently operates four Legoland parks, three in Europle and one in California. The company will transform Cypress Gardens into LEGOLAND Florida, Polk County’s director of tourism and sports marketing disclosed in his memo Tuesday to county commissioners invited to Thursday's announcement by the company. All e-mails to county commissioners are available under Florida’s public-records laws.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros The link didn't work for me, but the information sounds like what we've been expecting for a couple days around here. I think it has the potential to be a great relationship between CG and Legoland, if they let it happen. From what I've seen of the other parks, they are more laid back and heavily landscaped, so I think there's a decent chance that they will be able to keep a lot of the park as-is, and just put some Lego touches in certain places. It would be great to see Cypress Gardens flourish again, and this seems like the most realistic chance they've had in a long time to do that. And does anybody know who helped Julie Pope do the waterski show? It seems strange that they would just leave a blank in the article like that...
Originally Posted By brotherdave I wonder what this will mean for the two wooden roller coasters still standing. I sure hope that there is a chance that they may be incorporated into Legoland's theming and ride lineup. Both were fun coasters. I found them to be much more fun and smoother (and re-ridable) then Gwazi at Busch Gardens Africa.
Originally Posted By joe80x86 Here is the whole link: <a href="http://www.theledger.com/article/20100120/NEWS/100129985/1410?Title=E-Mail-Reveals-Legoland-Is-Coming-to-Winter-Haven" target="_blank">http://www.theledger.com/artic...er-Haven</a> I had posted this to another site before and their bad words function removed Dick Pope. It should day Dick and Julie Pope.
Originally Posted By brotherdave It looks like one of the wooden coasters will remain (Triple Hurricane, from what I've read). Too bad for the Starliner, though, given its unique history. I hope they decide to keep it, too. If not, I hope it finds a new home elsewhere.
