Theme park giant Merlin Entertainment saw almost as many visitors pack into its Legoland, Thorpe Park, Alton Towers and other attractions last year as there are people living in the UK.
The firm, which also owns Madame Tussauds and Sea Life, saw pre-tax profit surge 34.6% to £249 million in its first full year as a listed company, and offered investors a 4.2p dividend.
Merlin flagged its strong Halloween promotions and the “unseasonably warm” Autumn in the UK – but boss Nick Varney said it was the awesome-impact of the Lego Movie at boosting the number of bums on its rides that stood out.
Revenues at Legoland Parks increased by more than 13% last year.
As there isn’t another Lego movie this year, though, Merlin admitted 2015 will be “tempered by tough comparatives.”
This year it’s opening rollercoaster Oblivion at Italy’s Gardaland, new Lego Friends-themed areas in three Legoland parks, and a new ‘Star Wars’ feature at Madame Tussauds in London and in Berlin.
Merlin is also building a 152-room hotel at Legoland in Florida and a new ‘Enchanted Village’ with 120 rooms and 5 tree house stays at Alton Towers.
