Eco-related concerns over Cypress Gardens being turned into the world’s largest ‘Legoland’

When I recently heard about the sale of Cypress Gardens to Merlin Entertainments, who were going to transform it into a Legoland theme park, I had some eco-related concerns and hesitations.

Here's a little background on the company first: Merlin Entertainments is a fast-growing British entertainment company with a hand in 60 attractions and theme parks in 13 countries. According to the company's website, their properties and projects include "four Legolands (one in California), five other full-sized theme parks, six hotels, the London Eye Wheel, nine Madame Tussauds attractions, 27 Sea Life aquariums, Warwick Castle in England and four year-round haunted house attractions called the Dungeon." Did I mention they're only second to The Walt Disney Company in terms of worldwide attractions companies?

My first concern was for the beautiful botanical gardens at Florida's first theme park that founders Dick and Julie Pope created in 1936. Would they be dozed in order to fit some brand new metal monstrosity of a roller coaster?

Next, I could just imagine the devastation to the rest of the land the park currently sits on in Winter Haven being subjected to bulldozers, tearing up the grounds to make room for this shiny new money maker of a destination in Central Florida. Not to mention the the resources and energy that would go into making brand new rides and buildings to fill it.

This article appears in Jan 20-26, 2010.