Chessington World of Adventures Resort has announced a £50m expansion that will include the world's first Minecraft World theme park land, a new rollercoaster, and a Minecraft hotel. The addition has been described as one of “Merlin Entertainments’ most ambitious theme park developments in recent years”, with details of the expansion, set to open in 2027, now revealed.
Escape the Nether rollercoaster
The world's first Minecraft rollercoaster will be called Escape the Nether. According to a statement from Merlin, it will “take guests on a high-speed indoor adventure through dark mines before bursting out of the building through a Nether portal into the Overworld themed area of the land”.
Images released by Merlin show plans for the new land, where guests can immerse themselves in a Minecraft adventure. Popular characters such as Steve and the Chicken Jockey appear in the colourful plans, and the park will include interactive elements. An artist's impression of the rollercoaster shows a rotating car on a track with passengers in the dark.
Minecraft World Hotel
Work has also begun on the Minecraft World Hotel, which will feature 69 Minecraft-themed rooms – 49 standard and 20 premium – across four floors. According to Merlin, the hotel will draw on “the game’s iconic biomes, characters, mobs, colours and textures alongside an immersive restaurant and potions bar”.
The lobby will be themed around the Overworld, with Nether Portal-style lifts and corridors resembling mine tunnel corridors. Bedrooms will include Minecraft's distinctive blocks, items, and mobs, with bunk bed areas for children. An underwater-themed restaurant, inspired by Minecraft's ocean biomes, will be located downstairs, while a Woodland Mansion-themed bar will feature rows of colourful potions.
Location and previous Minecraft events
Chessington World of Adventures is in Surrey, a 35-minute train ride from London Waterloo, and in addition to its theme park it has a zoo and SEA LIFE aquarium. It already has two themed hotels on site – the Azteca and Safari Resort Hotels – which include themed bedrooms around the Gruffalo, Room on the Broom, and wild animals.
The new land and hotel are not the Merlin group's first foray into the Minecraft world. Over the summer, Alton Towers hosted Minecraft: Meet the Mobs, an interactive trail where guests could earn an exclusive digital item if they completed it.
Daisy Mercedes, creator of experiences and events at Merlin, said: “We promised something truly special when we announced Minecraft World earlier this year, and with Minecraft World Hotel we are offering even more. Not only will fans be able to experience the game imagined for real life, but they’ll be also able to sleep inside it, ensuring fans respawn exactly where they want to be!”
“Seeing the Minecraft World Hotel take shape alongside the attractions we are building at Chessington World of Adventures theme park is a Minecraft fan's biggest dream. Every room, corridor and detail has been crafted with immense love for this game, the stories made within it and its community.”
