If your kids are as obsessed with Minecraft as mine are, then you've probably seen the Minecraft Experience advertised EVERYWHERE. If not you've either been living under a rock, or not been on Instagram.
The Minecraft Experience: Villager Rescue (with a name that makes me think other, different "rescue" themes could be coming another time) is based in London (of course it is), at Corner Corner, Canada Water. It's a 6 minute walk from both the Canada Water and Surrey Quays stations. Surrey Quays also has a big shopping centre if you're driving and need somewhere to park.
We booked online and were guided through selecting a timed entry slot - which meant we didn't have to wait loads when we got there. It wasn't too crowded at all really, but we went during school time so that definitely helped. If you don't want to go during school time then I'd say aim for an inset day when not all of the rest of the country will be off too.
Heads up, you can’t take in bags - they have to go in a paid locker (cashless, £3), so be prepared for that extra cost if you're visiting London with a rucksack and a picnic. The website says you shouldn't bring buggies, but it also says there are no on-site lockers, and there were, so....?!
Having said that, you can't take a pushchair in around the experience, so if anyone little is going they'll need to walk or be carried (under 3s are free).
They do also run Relaxed Sessions where they say they can't dim the lights or the sounds, but they do keep the groups smaller.
How long does the Minecraft Experience take?
Overall, I'd say the whole experience took about an hour, just over. People online say 45 minutes, as does the official website I've just noticed, but it felt longer to me - maybe they rush things through more at busy times?
I can imagine that at busy times it could be chaotic, as there's lots of running around and it's basically like being in a lifesize version of the game! You get a light up cube that you take around with you and you have to complete challenges that are explained to you in each different room. Don't dress to warmley as you will be running around and keeping active!
I actually really enjoyed it, even though I don’t play Minecraft - the kids were totally into it and it was fun seeing them so engaged.
It wasn’t scary at all, but it was very interactive and sensory. It's absolutely aimed at kids who are into Minecraft. That's not to say anyone who hasn't played the game couldn't have an OK time, but you get a lot more from it if you are a fan. Having said that, older kids who are serious about gaming should probably know in advance that you're working as a team and you don't get your own scores, and it's not really about skill or hacks.
Is the Minecraft Experience worth the money?
This is always such a tricky question to answer as it depends on how you value money. But I know my son really enjoyed it, as did I! If you have a large family it would get very expensive, especially if you went at the weekend. During the week you can buy a family ticket for not much more than the price of a single child ticket (at the time of writing this, if I could go this afternoon I'd pay £22 for a child or £23 for a family of 4!) but at weekends, the family ticket option is greyed out and it's more like £30pp - which for 45 minutes is a lot of money by the time you've bought 3 or 4 tickets.
Naturally, there is a shop at the end - and said shop is very expensive! So if your kids are likely to want goodies, maybe buy something for half the price from Amazon and take it with you or let them wear it on the day...! You can avoid the shop though, if you want. They also take a couple of photos of you during your visit which you can buy at the end, so if you're likely to want to do that it's wise to budget a bit more for the day. And there's £3 for the locker if you need it.
When does the Minecraft Experience in London run until?
The Minecraft Experience in London is not permanent but they have just announced an extension. It's currently set to run until the 28th September so it can go all through the school summer holidays.
By Victoria Drew, Sleep Consultant.
The thoughts and views expressed in this blog post are the author’s own and not that of Activibees.com or it's operators.
