Banking in LEGOLAND
March 6, 2012 4:31 PM
Top Billing
The park's "Miniland USA" section features detailed LEGO recreations of New York and other cities. Wells Fargo, a LEGOLAND Florida sponsor, gets top billing in this mini-Times Square.
Bank Boulevard
The area is well banked. We saw branches of 8 banks and one credit union on the three-mile drive from our hotel to LEGOLAND.
Ready to Roll
Toronto-Dominion Bank entered Florida two years ago when it bought three failed banks and has expanded there.
Creatures Big and Small
Florida has lots of community institutions, too, like this credit union near LEGOLAND. Some other banks we saw included Platinum Bank, Florida Traditions Bank and CenterState Bank.
Branding ... Brilliant!
It was pretty clear Wells Fargo is the official bank sponsor of LEGOLAND. The marketing deal was a natural because Wells converted its Wachovia branches in Florida just a few months before the park opened in October 2011 and it provides exposure to tourists, a Wells spokeswoman said.
National Banking
Miniland USA's recreation of Washington, D.C., is remarkable. This model is a dead ringer for the building that houses PNC and B of A branches across from the Treasury Department.
D.C. Double Take
My wife and I lived in D.C. and immediately recognized this as the fancy SunTrust building near the Treasury Department.
Landscaping 101
LEGOLAND Florida, the site of the old Cypress Gardens, could teach bankers a lot about how to maintain their foreclosed properties .
Exit Plan
Maybe this helicopter is for MetLife mortgage executives beating a hasty retreat from the defunct originations unit .
Real Money
Even this cash machine owned by ATM USA fits the LEGO theme. Guess whose customers don't get hit with a surcharge? You guessed it: Wells Fargo's.
Epilogue: Empire of the Sun
This fellow, dressed warmly for Florida, was a mysterious customer. He told me he had traveled from "far, far away" because the weather might help his asthma. He abruptly left to look for his son.
