Merlin Magic Making, the Florida-based creative division for Merlin Entertainments, is laying off 31 employees.
The Orlando Business Journal reports that Merlin Magic Making will lay off the staffers starting on 31 May through 13 June, according to a letter dated 1 April to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.
In Florida, UK-based Merlin Entertainments owns attractions including the Orlando Eye at Icon Park and Legoland Florida in Winter Haven.
The job cuts are permanent.
Merlin Magic Making is located in Lake Wales, Florida. The Merlin segment is an in-house creative and project delivery team.
At Merlin Magic Making, a team of technical experts and engineers designs and delivers theme parks, hotels and immersive experiences.
In February, Merlin announced Fiona Eastwood as its new chief executive officer after 10 years with the company.
Job cuts at Merlin’s creative division
In her new role, Eastwood is responsible for implementing the business’ transformational strategy and ensuring it’s well placed to grow at scale.
She later told The Times that a restructure of three operating divisions into one unit at Merlin would streamline operations.
News of the layoffs at Merlin Magic Making come after a January notice that Legoland Florida was laying off 234 employees, mostly from its entertainment team.
“At Legoland Florida Resort we are making operational changes to help us elevate the guest experience in 2025 and beyond. This includes changes in how we deliver entertainment,” a Legoland representative said in a statement.
“The decision to reduce the size of some of our teams was undoubtedly difficult, but these changes will allow the resort to operate more flexibly and responsively in a competitive market.”
Merlin operates over 140 attractions in more than 20 countries, from UK-based resort theme parks like Alton Towers and Thorpe Park to Sea Life aquariums across the globe.
Images courtesy of Merlin
