WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — Massive layoffs were announced for one of Florida’s top theme parks, which has prompted members of the Winter Haven community into action.

What You Need To Know

  • Legoland Florida Resort announced it will lay off more than 200 of its employees

  • The majority of the employees affected are from the theme park's entertainment department

  • Theatre Winter Haven and the Ritz Theatre plan to host an event to benefit those impacted by the layoffs

Legoland Florida Resort said it will let go of more than 200 employees in the coming months, mostly from its entertainment department. 

Just up the road from the theme park, Theatre Winter Haven Executive Director Dan Chesnicka said many of the performers and technicians got their start at the theater. He has continued to root for them, especially during this time of uncertainty. 

“A lot of folks are concerned of course. It will be a time of transition for everybody, which of course is scary,” he said. “Legoland has been a real part of this community for decades, when before it was Cypress Gardens, so it’s really close to Winter Haven, and we have a real affection for it.”

As for the employees affected, Chesnicka said the show will still go on.

“These folks are remarkably talented, and I know all of them are going to land on their feet somewhere,” he said.

To ensure a smooth transition, Theatre Winter Haven and the Ritz Theatre plan to host an event to help those impacted.

“So we’ll have a pay-what-you-can event with many opportunities to donate to the various performers throughout the evening, but even more importantly, we’re going to invite a number of agents, talent scouts and casting personnel to come witness the event we put on, where some of those folks will be able to perform and showcase their talents,” he said.

Chesnicka says several agents from around Florida have already agreed to attend. Though his team is still working to set a date for the event, he assures it will be before Legoland employees say their final goodbyes in March.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Legoland, Julie Estrada, told Spectrum Bay News 9:

“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 and will do all we can to help them find alternative employment, including sharing audition opportunities within the external global entertainment provider.”

Legoland layoffs will continue through April 7.

According to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) notice sent out by the Florida Department on Jan. 24, 234 employees at Legoland have until March 25 to find new employment. This includes managers, technicians and performers. Nearly 75% of the employees are classified as entertainment performers.