How to build a theme park in Minecraft

Attention fellow Minecraft enthusiasts. 

It's a safe bet that anyone who has found themselves here has at least two things in common: a love of Minecraft and a passion for theme parks. So, why not combine the two?

There are few things more rewarding than taking a walk through a newly completed build, meticulously crafted by your very own hands. Now, imagine the joy you'd feel if this build was actually a giant, working theme park. 

Here at Southport Pleasureland, we know a thing or two about building theme parks. Now we're going to share some of that wisdom with you. 

Read on to begin the journey towards your next big build, as we give you all the hints, tips and tricks for building your very own Minecraft theme park. 

First things first, creative or survival?

For simplicity's sake, we're assuming you're planning this build in creative mode. However, all of the builds listed here could also be constructed in survival with a little help from a crafting table and a certain amount of resilience (to fight off the mobs that will inevitably come to terrorise your park).

If you're planning to build in survival mode, we suggest first crafting a base for yourself on site. A bed is a must. Not only will it create a handy spawn point for you, but it will also stave off those pesky third-day phantoms. 

Your base can also act as a holding bank for all of your build materials, of which you'll need plenty. Stocking up some storage chests or shulker boxes is a worthwhile investment to prevent you from having to repeatedly hunt for extra resources. 

What should I include in my Minecraft theme park?

Luckily for us, we don't have to look far for inspiration. Influenced by our most popular and exhilarating rides here at Pleasureland, we've put together a winning formula for your build. 

Take a look at our list below of all the things you could include to make your theme park stand out. 

1. The themes

Of course, the best theme parks live up to their names and are built around an exciting themed area – or even better, more than one.

Take inspiration from any of our four creative themed lands: Pirate Cove, Viking Landing, Cartoon Boardwalk or Steampunk Bay. Or let your imagination run wild and see what themes you can conjure up yourself – it could be anything from Piglin Paradise to Slime City.

Personalise the design of your builds around your chosen themes to really transport visitors to another world.

2. The rides 

Rollercoasters 

No theme park would be complete without a good rollercoaster. This one is inspired by our very own Odin's Little Dragon Coaster.

The basic requirements for this build are actually fairly simple but the results can make it the star of the park. The key materials you'll need for a rollercoaster are:

• Rails (powered, detector and standard)
• Wooden planks
• A button
• Redstone dust
• A minecart

To start, map out the route for your track. Try to take advantage of natural structures like mountainsides and caves to add interest and save on crafting materials.

Use your wooden planks to build the frame for your rollercoaster and then place the rails on top, making sure to connect it back to the beginning so your coaster runs on a loop. Remember that minecarts can travel up and down slopes if you build the rail in a stepped fashion. 

Next, build your loading station. This is your ride's starting point and where your minecart should sit. Your cart will need some oomph to get going so use a few of your powered rails here, connecting them with some redstone dust to a "start" button placed at the side.

The idea is that when a player boards the coaster, they press the button which activates the powered rails and sets the ride in motion. 

Powered rails can be used to adjust the speed of your ride. To build a speed booster, place a detector rail, immediately followed by one or two powered rails.

The detector rail will activate the powered rail and give your coaster a boost. Use this whenever you need to charge your cart up hills – as well as anywhere you feel needs that added thrill factor.

Powered rails that are not powered by redstone will slow your cart down. Placing these at the end of your ride is a handy way to bring the ride to an end and keep your minecart neatly positioned at the start point again.

Don't forget to test your track. You'll need a certain amount of trial and error to perfect the speed of the cart.

Once you're satisfied that the rollercoaster works, it's time to get creative. Customise your rollercoaster to your heart's content, adding decorations to tie it in with your chosen theme. 

Fun house 

Freya's Fun House is one of our most popular attractions at Pleasureland – and the inspiration for this fun build. 

While some other build ideas here may have more exact directions, your theme park fun house is really limited only by your imagination. 

Begin by building your basic structure. The wackier the better. Maybe your fun house is a rainbow of colourful blocks – or perhaps you could build it entirely out of sea lanterns. 

Each room inside your fun house can then be designed around a different challenge or activity. 

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• The hidden lever challenge: players must find and pull the right lever to unlock the door and escape
• A maze room (bonus points for hidden mobs within)
• Door confusion: a room full of doors – but only one leads to the next area
• Slip and slide: create an icy floor for a bit of harmless fun 
• Lava walkway: up the ante with a precarious boardwalk surrounded by lava

Log flume

Log flumes are a great way of adding some water to your park and work nicely with any nautical theme you might have chosen.

At Pleasureland you'll find two exciting log flumes: one in Viking Landing and another standing proudly in Pirate Cove.

The materials needed are:

• Slabs
• Logs
• Signs
• A boat
• And, of course, water

We recommend a simple design for your ride as Minecraft boats can be a little unpredictable at times. A simple climb upwards and then a long slide down is an easy flume to create but an effective ride.

Begin by digging out a pool area for your starting point, then use the slabs to create a stepped incline up from this (as with your rollercoaster). The logs can be used to build the walls alongside your slabs so the water has a channel to run through. 

Use the signs along the walls of the channel to stop the water from overflowing or simply flowing away. 

Don't forget to add a pool for the boat's big splash at the end. 

Once you're happy with your design, you can fill the channels with water and test it out for yourself. Whee!

Trampolines

Trampolines are always a favourite at our theme park and make for a refreshingly simple Minecraft build.

The materials needed are simply some slime blocks and decorations of your choice. 

Section out your trampoline areas, making them as big or small as you like. Consider adding long tumble tracks for the more athletic player.

Once you've done this, you simply need to dig out the areas – one block deep – and replace the flooring with slime blocks. 

Now bounce to your heart's content! 

Food and drink 

Having fun at the theme park is hungry work, so you'll want to make sure you have some delicious refreshments for your guests to enjoy. At Pleasureland, we know this for a fact – that's why we have a huge range of foods and drinks on offer, from Captain Jack's Bistro to Della's Diner. 

Sadly, Minecraft grub is slightly more limited – but it's still important.

Why not create some fun food stalls for your visitors to explore? You could even have a working vegetable plot to grow your crops.

And don't forget to craft a few signs around the area to display your menu. 

We hope you feel ready to craft your very own Minecraft theme park. Want a little more inspiration? Explore the many fun rides at Southport Pleasureland. Or why not book your tickets online and join us for an amazing family day out?

Happy crafting!