Adrian Jones Named General Manager

Legoland Florida has named Adrian Jones as General Manager of the new park.

Merlin Entertainments Group has named a general manager for its future Legoland Florida theme park in Winter Haven.

He is Adrian Jones and, according to a news release distributed Monday morning, his duties begin immediately.

Jones has an extensive background with Merlin Entertainments. Most recently, he served as divisional director of Midway Attractions in the western United States, responsible for Legoland Discovery Center in Schaumburg, IlI.; Madame Tussauds Las Vegas; and Madame Tussauds Hollywood, the first Madame Tussauds attraction to be built from the ground up in 200 years.

According to the news release, Jones has worked in leisure attractions for more than 20 years and “has done everything from selling ice cream to being a general manager …”

During the construction phase of Legoland Florida, Jones will work closely with John Ussher, Merlin Entertainments’ general manager of development for Legoland.

“Adrian is a talented manager and we are thrilled that he has accepted the opportunity to run Florida’s newest full-day theme park,” Ussher said for the release.

Jones is a graduate of Nottingham Trent University in the United Kingdom and is moving to Polk County with his wife, Sarah, who is a certified nurse and midwife.

In another story from the Ledger:

“My focus will be about how we interface the operational needs with the project needs,” Jones said. “So, for example, how are we going to do our marketing, and what impact will that be on the park as we build it? Really it’s about building my (operations) team, who will be responsible for the day to day, whilst integrating them into the build that will be taking place for the next 12 months or so.”

Crews in recent weeks have been dismantling rides at the Legoland property. Jones said all the Cypress Gardens signs have now been removed.

“We need to start cementing the idea in people’s minds that this is a Legoland park,” he said.

Things are moving along, and although the bulk of the new jobs won’t be filled until next summer, filling these top positions is an indication of the progress that is being made. There are several other key positions still listed as needing to be filled.