All About Orlando

Cypress Gardens is making a comeback. And what a comeback it is according to its new manager.

It is no secret that Cypress Gardens has long been a destination for retirees and families who are attracted to the park’s lush gardens and signature water-skiing shows. But after emerging from bankruptcy last fall with new owners, Central Florida’s oldest theme park is seeking new ways to re-establish itself as a theme park.

Cypress Gardens is just now entering its first summer under the management of Baker Leisure Group, an Orlando-based theme-park consulting company that is determined to make the historic park profitable. “It’s been an uncertain future here for a while,” said Steve Baker, president of Baker Leisure Group. “We want to just run it and make it work. It’s a gem.”

The botanical park with its trademark Southern belles who stroll the gardens was opened by Dick and Julie Pope in 1936. Over the years, it had become less popular as more modern amusement parks came into being. By 2003, it was forced to close amid diminishing attendance. It was sold in a bankruptcy auction last fall to Land South Holdings LLC, a real estate investment company based in Mulberry. The price: $16.9 million, about $500,000 less than the initial asking price.

History has its place though and the new management understands that a park with 72 years of history cannot be changed too much, too soon. Many of their loyal patrons feel a sense of ownership, and many employees have grown up there as well. Visitors expect to see the historic elements still in place at the park such as the water-skiing shows, the Southern belles, and, of course, the famous gardens.

The park has made some changes, however, including improvements to the Nature’s Way animal area, where it is designing a behind-the-scenes tour. A Florida wine-and-food shop that will offer locally produced wines and locally made candy is also in the works. In addition, many of the park’s major improvements are only a few years old, such as a new rides area, a giant wooden roller coaster, a 13,000-person amphitheater for concerts, and a new water park.

Although the Cypress Gardens exists in the shadows of Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando, it offers a much more tranquil atmosphere with very few waiting lines. Employees are encouraged to be themselves, which many patrons find refreshing. Cypress Garden’s admission is roughly half what the giant parks charge, and that is also considered a big plus especially when cash is tight.

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