Minecraft World Opening in 2027 at Chessington in the UK

Minecraft World Rendering
Minecraft World Rendering (Courtesy of Merlin Entertainments)

Minecraft World will open at Chessington World of Adventures in Greater London (UK) next year in 2027. The land will include new attractions including a world-first Minecraft coaster, themed retail and dining, plus a host of fan favourites and ridiculous fun from the Minecraft universe. The coaster looks especially intriguing and could perhaps follow the model of the well received Galacticoaster at the US LEGOLAND parks being indoors with controlled rotation cars (think Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind) , screens and launches.

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Busch Gardens and SeaWorld Parent Company United Parks Sued by Sesame Street Over Unpaid License Fees

Sesame Workshop (the company behind Sesame Street) has sued United Parks & Resorts (parent of SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens) over unpaid royalties. Sesame Workshop file in federal court in New York on March 12, 2026 and is seeking to end its licensing agreement with United Parks & Resorts. United Parks & Resorts operates full themed park lands around the Sesame Street IP with rides, shows and parades and for many locations it is the centerpiece of their kid’s area. In addition to unpaid royalties Sesame Place also alleges plans for a 3rd Sesame Place theme park were shelved and that United shortened seasons or completely closed Sesame Street themed lands without proper notice.

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The Lumber for Your Favorite Wooden Roller Coaster May Have Come From S.I. Storey in Armuchee, Georgia

Wooden Roller coasters primarily use a very specific type of wood called Southern Yellow Pine (SYP) for their structure and track. Southern Yellow Pine has become the industry-standard wood used worldwide for most modern wooden roller coasters due to its density, strength, and pressure-treatment capabilities. For more than two decades, S.I. Storey Lumber Company in Armuchee, GA has specialized in high quality treated Southern Yellow Pine that has been used in roller coasters around the world. S.I Storey lumber is in use at many Six Flags parks, smaller local parks across the United States and even international parks like Walibi Belgium. Please note that of the coasters pictured in this article only Viper and Weerwolf are known for certain to have S.I. Storey lumber.

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Conflict in the Middle East and the Impact on Theme Parks

Six Flags Qiddiya Theme Park Near Riyadh, Saudi Arabia via Saudi Press Agency (SPA)

New and significant military conflict has bean in the Middle East on Saturday, February 28, 2026. The United States and Israeli forces took action against Iran who retaliated with attacks on US facilities throughout the region. This included Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. Several of these house major theme parks now popular with tourists including potentially your favorite theme park influencers from the United States. One of these is the brand new Six Flags Qiddiya City near Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with its record breaking coasters like Falcon’s Flight. This conflict is expected to last at least 4 weeks, so anyone with a trip scheduled this month will have some decisions to make. The US State Department is currently recommending US citizens leave these Middle East countries ASAP and new travel is not recommended or even possible in many cases either in or out.

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Lego Group to Take Control of LEGOLAND Discovery Centers From Merlin on February 27, 2026

LEGO Discovery Center Atlanta Entrance Art
LEGO Discovery Center Atlanta Entrance Art

The LEGO Group acquired the LEGOLAND Discovery Centers and LEGO Discovery Centers from Merlin Entertainment back in Spetember 2025 in a ~$250 million deal. The acquisition includes 29 facilities in nine countries which attract around five million visitors each year. It does not include the 11 LEGOLAND Theme Parks and Resorts which Merlin to continue operating under licence from the LEGO Group. Merlin will now focus on the theme park locations while the LEGO Group will see the LEGO Discovery Centers as an important addition to their global network of retail stores allowing fans memorable hands-on brand and shopping experiences

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Slides Arrive Onsite for “Splashville” Water Park Coming to Bartow County in Cartersville, Georgia in May 2026

We’ve written before about the exciting municipal water park coming to Bartow County and the flume slides have now arrived! Work continues at the Hamilton Crossing site with construction of the stairs and structure to support the flumes. The fumes themselves are staged at the perimeter of the park awaiting install and currently there is one enclosed and one open flume. Pictures here were taken on Sunday, February 22, 2026.

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Comcast Adds Generous Loyalty Offers (Including Discounted Universal Tickets) After Major Customer Losses

It’s no secret that linear TV and cable subscriber numbers have been falling for years now, which is a drag on Comcast’s traditional cable TV business. What is perhaps newer for Comcast is a decline in broadband internet customers due to increased competition from fiber and home wireless 5G internet. Comcast revealed in its latest earnings report that it lost 104,000 internet customers and 257,000 cable TV customers during the third quarter of last year due to customer switching from increased competition. In the industry this is referred to as “churn” where customers switch from one service to another looking for better deals. One way to combat this is with loyalty programs (think airline miles or hotel points) where customers are rewarded for staying put. Comcast has ha such a program for some time, but has made some changes for the better and included some hefty theme park discounts the their Universal Orlando Resorts parks in Florida.

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The Closure of Mountasia Family Fun Center and the Collateral Damage of a Theme Park Sale

Mountasia Family Fun Center Sign
Mountasia Family Fun Center Sign (from X.com @mountasia037)

Earlier in 2025 it was announced that Herschend was aquiring the US based assets of Palace Entertainment. This acquisition included famous properties such as Pittsburgh’s Kennywood, Iowa’s Adventureland, Noah’s Ark water park in Wisconsin Dells and Lake Compounce, the oldest continuously-operating amusement park in North America. It also included some smaller family entertainment centers including Malibu Norcross in Norcross, GA and Mountasia in Marietta, GA that we subsequently closed on September 28, 2025. Mountasia was specifically known for three mini golf courses, bumper boats and go-karts. I had a chance to drive by the now shuttered Mountasia and got some current pictures.

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Sam Darnold and Kenneth Walker III Go to Disneyland!

Sam Darnold and Kenneth Walker III on the Disneyland Tea Cups (courtesy of X/@ESPN)

It’s become a tradition for a representative of the winner of the Super Bowl to make a trip to Disney the following day and that continued with the Seattle Seahawks victory in Super Bowl 60. Quarterback Sam Darnold and Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III made the trip to Disneyland in Anaheim to celebrate their victory. There was a victory parade down Main Street, U.S.A and the pair also got to take in some rides including the famous tea cups! There’s also a really complex process that allows a TV commercial to be made about it on the fly as soon as the game ends.

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Universal Orlando Resort Gets Super Bowl Commercial

Universal Orlando Resort Sign
Universal Orlando Resort Sign

One of the highlights of the Super Bowl for many are the commercials. This year’s game was televised by NBC (owned by Comcast), so there were many nods to the Comcast group of businesses including Xfinity web service, the new Minions & Monsters movie and the Universal theme parks! The ad centers specifically around the Universal Orlando Resort and although every park was shown in some way, including Volcano Bay, the majority of the park shots were centered around Epic Universe and Stardust Racers.

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