Are IP partnerships Chessington World of Adventures Resort’s secret weapon?

Chessington World of Adventures is one of Merlin’s four UK theme park resorts, located on the outskirts of London, and attracting around 1.5m visitors annually.

Originally opening as a zoo in 1931, Chessington was then developed into a theme park in the late 80s under The Tussaud’s Group ownership.

It’s fair to say a lot has changed since then.

Chessington has evolved alongside significant developments in the UK leisure and attractions market. We’ve had the opening of Legoland, the evolution of Thorpe Park, significant investment in Paulton’s Park and the rapid growth and increasing diversity of entertainment options for visitors in the London area.

It’s harder than ever for operators to cut through the noise and maintain their appeal. Alongside all of this, competition is about to heat up for domestic and international visitor spend with the opening of Puy du Fou and Universal later this decade.

Can IP-based investments be the solution?

IP partnerships are not new to Chessington.

Whilst the park started its theme park life with original themed concepts like Dragon River and the still-popular Transylvania area (with the Vampire roller coaster), IP attractions first made their way to the park in the 90’s with well-loved brands including Action Man and Beano.

Since 2017, Chessington has seen an influx of IPs, including Julia Donaldson (The Gruffalo and Room on the Broom), Elmer the Flying Elephant, World of Jumaji, and, most recently, the opening of The World of Paw Patrol.

And the biggest is yet to come, with the opening of a Minecraft world in 2027.

Working with popular characters and brands can be a great way to differentiate and create experiences with well-established audiences and content. Done well, it can drive preference and increase potential for guest-focused commercialisation.

It’s not just an opportunity for theme parks either: the growth of IP-based experiences has been dramatic over the past ten years, with the development of immersive experiences, pop-up attractions and themed hotel resorts.

But partnering with IP can also come with downsides and definitely isn’t the only option operators have (and in some cases, wouldn’t be the right strategy).

“Integrating world-famous brands gives guests an immediate emotional connection”

In this exclusive interview with blooloop, Stan Swinton, Merlin’s chief growth officer, explains why IP is important at Chessington.

Q: With the amount of IP growing at the park, how do the different IP brands complement each other?

A: We are excited to be adding to Chessington’s rich line-up of family adventure worlds and experiences with World of Paw Patrol and Minecraft World, both world-first live theme park experiences for beloved family brands, with deep resonance for today’s audiences.

Together, these brands and their immersive worlds help us offer something for different members of the family, making Chessington a destination where siblings or friends can spend time together enjoying experiences tailored to different interests.

The common thread is that every IP we bring into Chessington must strengthen the resort’s family focus and sense of adventure, while offering compelling content for different ages, interests and stages of life.

Q: Licensing is not a new concept for the park, with early examples in the 90’s including Action Man and Beano. How has Merlin’s approach to licensing changed since those early iterations?

A: The biggest change is that Merlin is now focused on investing deeply in a smaller number of world-class brands with proven long-term relevance for our core family audiences.

Lego, Minecraft, Peppa Pig, Paw Patrol and Harry Potter are all strong examples of brands that continue to connect people across generations, markets and fan communities.

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Our approach goes far beyond applying characters or branding to an attraction; we are committed to working with the right partners to create fully realised worlds that extend across the guest journey, from attractions and themed accommodation to food, retail, events and digital engagement.

That focus allows us to invest with greater confidence, build stronger creative partnerships and develop experiences that feel authentic to fans while delivering long-term value for Merlin.

Q: Experiences are often one (important) touchpoint for an IP brand. Are there examples where Chessington has benefited from being part of an IP holder’s broader ecosystem?

A: Minecraft is a powerful example.

The announcement of Minecraft World at Chessington at Minecraft Live earlier this year reached audiences through Merlin channels and Mojang-owned channels, tapping directly into one of the world’s largest and most engaged fan communities.

The combined announcement reached over 1 billion people, demonstrating the scale of what is possible when we work with IP owners who can amplify a real-world experience through their own ecosystem.

That is the potential of the right partnership.

Fans are already watching, playing, sharing and engaging with these brands every day, so collaboration across marketing, social media, content and community engagement can significantly expand awareness and discoverability.

The strongest partnerships are mutually beneficial: Merlin brings world-class location-based entertainment expertise, and our partners bring creative immersive worlds, deep fan relationships, cultural relevance and global reach.

Q: With Universal’s plans to open a theme park in the UK and its focus on blockbuster IP, how does Chessington plan to win its share of international visitors?

A: We will continue to focus on great days out for every UK family, while also building on the significant international interest we are seeing in our London-based offering.

Universal’s plans further confirm the strength of theme parks and brand-led entertainment in the UK, and we welcome investment that raises the profile of the sector and attracts more visitors into the market.

Merlin has a very distinct proposition. Chessington World of Adventures is uniquely positioned as a fully integrated family resort, combining theme park experiences, animal encounters, themed accommodation and globally loved IPs.

World of Paw Patrol and Minecraft World strengthen that proposition further, with Minecraft World representing the single biggest investment in Chessington’s history and the world’s first Minecraft-themed land at an attraction.

We have seen in Orlando that Merlin’s differentiated offer can hold share and rise with the tide when major new entrants expand the overall destination appeal, including with the launch of Universal Epic Universe, which has taken marginal share since entering the market.

In the UK, our strength is the breadth of our portfolio: we can offer multiple days out across trusted attractions, build strong trade partnerships and capture both domestic and international demand through experiences that are uniquely Merlin.

Q: There have been plans floated for new resort buildings and water parks. What role will IP play as part of these plans?

A: Given the strong results we have seen from IP-led projects across our resorts, we expect our new product development to remain largely IP-led, whether that is through licensed partnerships or Merlin-owned concepts.

We believe there is already significant opportunity within our existing IPs and exclusives to expand how guests experience those worlds, from rides and attractions to themed accommodation, retail, food and beverage, events and wider resort experiences.

Q: IP also comes with risk, as often guest expectations are higher when a well-loved third-party brand is involved. How do the teams at Merlin ensure guest expectations are exceeded?

A: Minecraft World at Chessington is an incredible example of how we are approaching this in the right way for the audience.

From the outset, we have worked closely with Mojang Studios and engaged fans and globally known influencers across the design of the experience, from attraction development and world-building to food and beverage, retail and the wider guest journey.

The more passionate the fan base, the more important it is to create something that feels authentic, engaging and high quality.

That means working hand in hand with the IP owner, understanding what fans love most about the brand, and bringing those elements to life in a way that only Merlin can deliver: immersive, interactive and designed for real-world play.

Q: IPs don’t come much bigger than Minecraft, and fans can be much more ‘hardcore’. How will Merlin ensure both casual fans and serious gamers are left satisfied?

A: Minecraft is the best-selling video game of all time for a reason, with a global community of more than 600 million players.

What has always stood out to us is the creativity, exploration and shared sense of possibility at the heart of the brand.

Our focus has been on working closely with Mojang Studios, Minecraft creators and the fan community to build an experience that feels authentically Minecraft for long-time players, while remaining welcoming and inclusive for families discovering the brand together.

That means every part of the land is being considered through the lens of what fans love, from iconic biomes and favourite mobs to food, beverage, retail and exclusive elements that will only be available within Minecraft World.

Some of those experiences will also connect back to the in-game world, helping bridge the physical and digital experience for Minecraft’s global community.

Whether you have been building online for years or have never placed a single block, Minecraft World is designed to make families and friends feel part of the adventure in real life.

It brings the creativity, discovery and shared play of Minecraft into the real world at Chessington World of Adventures in a way that has not been possible before.

See also: Merlin’s IP wizard Jonathan Lewis on Bluey the Ride: Here Come the Grannies!

IP-led investments need to drive commercial growth through guest-centric ‘secondary’ spend

As cost pressures and competition continue to intensify, it’s often not enough to just rely on attendance spikes from IP investments.

Operators like Merlin must work closely with IP holders to maximise commercial return, whilst keeping visitors happy to keep spending more.

Whilst Minecraft World might not be opening at Chessington until 2027, another of Merlin’s resorts, Alton Towers, is test-driving the IP this Summer with the Meet the Mobs event.