American Heartland Theme Park: Consolation Prize for Fans Wanting Disneyland Texas? Nope.
For years, Disney fans have wanted Disneyland Texas. That’s never going to happen. The good news is that there’s a new $2 billion theme park comparable in size & scope to Disneyland or Magic Kingdom being built in Oklahoma that aims to compete with WDW and Universal. Actually, scratch that–it’s also never going to happen for reasons discussed in the latest update.
The project is called American Heartland Theme Park and Resort, a more than $2 billion entertainment destination development in northeast Oklahoma, just west of Grand Lake on Route 66. American Heartland will be a 1,000-acre development with a 125-acre theme park, which is slated to open in 2026 the future.
American Heartland Theme Park and Resort will be built in phases starting with a large-scale RV park with cabins scheduled to open phase one in spring 2025, a film and television studio, and a world-class theme park and resort after that. The American Heartland Theme Park and Resort will offer a unique visitor experience rivaling the world’s top resort destinations.
Our latest update for 2025 is that, two years after the groundbreaking ceremony for the first phase of a planned $2 billion travel destination in northeast Oklahoma, construction still hasn’t begun. The initially planned 2026 opening of a Disneyland-like theme park in Vinita likely will be pushed back at least three years, and the budget has ballooned to $2.5 billion. Developers insist the massive project is still a go; they are probably lying.
That’s because American Heartland Theme Park and Resort is now the subject of litigation. A lawsuit alleges that the officials behind the planned park defrauded O. Gene Bicknell, a 91-year-old man, out of over $60 million by impersonating God via text messages. Bicknell’s lawyers claim that American Heartland officials “operated a criminal enterprise that defrauded Bicknell and duped him into sinking his remaining fortune” into the theme park’s development.
American Heartland officials “executed a predatory conspiracy of psychological manipulation…convincing Bicknell, through fraud and impersonation, that God himself was commanding him” to invest in the theme park, according to the lawsuit. In addition to this sad lawsuit, there have also been multiple liens filed for millions of dollars by contractors on the project. All while no construction has moved forward.
The last public comments from the developers we could find came a full year ago. “We are continuing to move forward. We have had some temporary challenges to overcome but we are confident that we will be back on track soon,” Gene Bicknell, the project’s financial backer, said last year in a statement to the Tulsa World, the primary newspaper for northeastern and eastern Oklahoma. Now that the theme park is the subject of litigation and liens, it’s unlikely we get any new statements.
Developers cited permitting issues with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Ex-Imagineer Steve Hedrick told the paper that the project had recently received some permits, were still awaiting others, and have inspections that still need to be done. “We’re within weeks of getting ready,” he added.
Developers indicated that the RV park will happen first, and it’ll take a couple of years to complete once started. There are also more hurdles for the theme park site, and after the first year of construction on the campground, work is planned to begin on the theme park. The developers expect the theme park to take another three years to build once work gets start. This puts the American Heartland theme park itself opening in 2030 at the earliest, assuming no further delays. A bold assumption given that there have already been delays on the RV park.
In reality, the operative question is not “when” but “if” construction gets started. American Heartland has suffered multiple setbacks beyond the permitting issues, including multiple liens filed against Mansion Entertainment for tens of millions of dollars in unpaid claims for work performed. The third setback occurred when legislators declined to approve a requested $35 million appropriation earmarked for water and wastewater improvements.
Editorializing a bit, my expectation is that the RV park will happen but the American Heartland theme park will not. This isn’t a new prediction–if you read our commentary below, which is from when the project was originally announced, that’s more or less what we anticipated then. The number of setbacks the project has already faced only further reaffirms this.
We’d love to be wrong, but in all likelihood, the campground manages to open a few years from now and the theme park is quietly cancelled. And a campground in Oklahoma is hardly huge news that DTB needs to be reporting, so in all likelihood, this will be our last update on American Heartland.
In any case, here’s the original announcement followed by our extensive commentary detailing why you should not get prematurely excited for this project…
“We are thrilled to make Oklahoma the home of American Heartland Theme Park and Resort,” American Heartland CEO Larry Wilhite said. “At the crossroads of the heartland, Oklahoma is an attractive location for a family entertainment destination. The state’s business-friendly approach and innovative partnership efforts have helped make this possible. We look forward to bringing unforgettable generational experiences to Oklahoma.”
As noted above, American Heartland Theme Park and Resort will be comparable to the size of Magic Kingdom and Disneyland. The park will feature an Americana-themed environment with a variety of entertaining rides, live shows, family attractions, waterways as well as restaurant-quality food and beverage offerings.
“Oklahoma is excited to welcome American Heartland Theme Park and Resort,” Oklahoma State Rep. Rusty Cornwell said. “Located on historic Route 66 just west of Grand Lake, the development will attract visitors from around the world to experience and celebrate the rich cultures and hometown values America has to offer.”
The adjacent 320-acre Three Ponies RV Park and Campground is designed by Oklahoma architects ADG Blatt. This complex will be the largest campground in the central U.S. with 750 RV spaces and 300 cabins plus amenities. When completed, American Heartland Theme Park and Resort will also include a top-tier 300-room hotel and modern indoor water park.
“There’s no better place to represent the heart of America than northeast Oklahoma,” said Oklahoma State Sen. Micheal Bergstrom. “This $2 billion investment in our state will create more than 4,000 jobs and introduce a new category of entertainment to the region, and its long-term economic impact will be transformative.”
“Tourism is already one of Oklahoma’s top industries and this project will elevate our state even further. Since tourism is a doorway to economic development, American Heartland Theme Park and Resort will draw new businesses not only to the surrounding area but also throughout the region and state,” Bergstrom continued.
The developer of American Heartland Theme Park and Resort has leadership with deep Oklahoma roots. American Heartland is an affiliate of Mansion Entertainment Group, LLC, Branson’s leading performing arts, animation and studio brand.
According to its mission statement, “Mansion Entertainment Group is on the verge of becoming the most powerful entity in family entertainment, with its unparalleled expertise across film, television, animation, music, theatre, and family immersive entertainment experiences.”
(Editor’s note: The only completed productions of Mansion Entertainment Group that I could track down were for the Rose Parade finale float and a symphony on PBS.)
Mansion purports to have a “commitment to producing high-quality, wholesome content that the entire family can enjoy.” It has carved a niche for itself in the entertainment industry with an impressive roster of talents, cutting-edge technology, and innovative storytelling techniques.
As Mansion Entertainment Group continues to expand its reach and diversify its offerings, the company claims it is “poised to become the go-to destination for families seeking engaging and meaningful entertainment that inspires, educates, and entertains.”
Led by Executive Producer Steve Hedrick, the design team of American Heartland Theme Park is made up of the world’s best theme park designers including 20+ former Disney Parks builders and Walt Disney Imagineers. Design firms include THG, FORREC and Cuningham, whose portfolios feature the world’s foremost theme park brands including Six Flags, Disney Parks and Universal Studios.
American Heartland Theme Park’s creative team is comprised of over 500 years of Disney and Entertainment experience. This award winning team spans generations of production, live entertainment, studio work, television, and theme park development.
- Steve Hedrick – WDE Disney Executive 22 yrs (TP Industry 40 yrs)
- John Sorenson – Walt Disney Imagineering Land Planner 30 yrs
- Tom Turley – DLI Ops Planning & Development 45 yrs
- Don Hilsen – Walt Disney Imagineering Ride Engineer – 30 yrs
- John Polk – Walt Disney Imagineering Special Effects 20 yrs
- Tim Kirk – Walt Disney Imagineering Concept Artist 35 yrs
- Annette Crump – Walt Disney Imagineering Planner/Scheduler 11 yrs
- Andy Burden – WDE/DLI Technical Design 12 yrs
- Rick Allen – WDW Operations 24 yrs
- Craig Hodges – WDW Operations – 42 yrs
- Dave Vermeulen – Disneyland International 40 yrs
- Ted Carlsson – Disneyland/WDI VP of Technical Design – 35 yrs
- Scott Sinclair – Disneyland & WDI Theme Park Designer – 20 yrs
- Ronnie Rodriquez – Disney Creative Entertainment – 35 yrs
- Reggie Jarrett – Disney Entertainment – 35 yrs
“We are pleased that American Heartland Theme Park and Resort has taken the first step and chosen Oklahoma to build a world-class entertainment destination,” said Hopper Smith, interim director of the Oklahoma Department of Commerce. “We look forward to assisting with this project as it develops.”
American Heartland Theme Park and Resort is a family-friendly park promising timeless fun and boundless adventure. The 125-acre theme park will feature a collection of six distinctly American lands to welcome guests on a journey through the best of the American story. Families will find thrilling rides and heartwarming shows as they discover Great Plains, Bayou Bay, Big Timber Falls, Stony Point Harbor, Liberty Village and Electropolis.
“American Heartland will be a place families can come together to create lasting memories, experience joy, laughter, imagination and wonder,” American Heartland Founder and Chief Creative Officer Gene Bicknell said. “There is so much to celebrate about our country: its landscapes, its cultures and most importantly, its people. No matter where you’re from, you’ll feel right at home at American Heartland.”
“American Heartland will be an anchor tourist destination on Route 66 set to attract more than two million out-of-state visitors to Oklahoma each year,” Kristy Adams, senior executive vice president of sales and marketing for Mansion Entertainment Group, American Heartland and Three Ponies, said. “The scale and quality of the development will be unlike anything else in the region, making Vinita, Oklahoma a can’t-miss destination for families around the world.”
Turning to commentary, there’s good and bad to discuss with reasons for optimism and pessimism about this project. Let’s start with the positive. There are multiple high-profile former Imagineers who are working on this project, including several in senior design and other roles on Tokyo DisneySea.
Moreover, the founder Gene Bicknell is a Pizza Hut magnate and franchising those restaurants, apparently, pays better than I ever would’ve guessed. Based on the verbiage of the press release and the accompanying website, I get the impression that this is a pet project and driven by the values and beliefs of the owners.
Given both of those variables, the best case scenario is that American Heartland Theme Park becomes the Disney’s America that never was, and obviously minus the Disney branding and characters. If the concept art is accurate, it won’t have design and attention to detail on par with Tokyo DisneySea, but it still looks really nice–there are lands on par with the American Waterfront port. (In fact, Stony Point Harbor looks a lot like Cape Cod at TDS–compare the concept art above to the photo below.)
As a fan primarily of themed design and not Disney IP, this is something that would be right up my alley. In fact, I really like a lot of what I see in the concept art and described in the overview of each land. There are a lot of good ideas and potential in the project.
However, my excitement level is minimal for American Heartland Theme Park. First and foremost, I’ve seen a lot of announcements like this over the years from new entrants into the theme park space, and very few actually end up being built. And that’s even when they are attached to major studios or brands, and American Heartland Theme Park is not.
It’s very easy to envision a scenario where the only thing that happens here is the campground and RV park. In fact, that’s probably the most plausible outcome. There’s likely no shortage of demand for Three Ponies, and it’s certainly easier to get a campground off the ground than it is a brand-new, large-scale theme park.
I also would caution against assuming that the theme park is likely to happen because several ex-Imagineers are attached to this. It’s also true that WDI purged much of the team behind Tokyo DisneySea after that project was completed. There’s a veritable graveyard of announced-but-unbuilt theme parks around the world that have similarly impressive design teams. Everybody’s gotsta get paid.
There is also the reality that, impressive as it may seem, $2 billion is not a lot in 2023 dollars to build a whole theme park and resort complex along with a film and television studio. Yes, I realize the stated budget for Universal’s Epic Universe is only around $1 billion, but the final number will end up being significantly higher. I also realize that Disney can’t do anything cheaply or efficiently, so its budgets are basically in Monopoly money as compared to the other parks.
Regardless, the point stands: this will not be Disney’s America or Tokyo DisneySea caliber on $2 billion. More like Busch Gardens Williamsburg or Knott’s Berry Farm, which are two awesome regional parks in their own right. However, they’re not world class tourist draws or what you’d expect from the company that “is on the verge of becoming the most powerful entity in family entertainment.”
Just as this being a pet project likely being driven by the owner’s values and beliefs is an asset, so too is it a liability. Bicknell wants to will an entertainment empire based on wholesome and family-friendly content into existence…but may soon be faced with the hard realities of creating such content and the actual market for it.
Nevermind the 100-year first-mover advantage of Disney, and the vast libraries of characters controlled by Disney, Universal, etc. (Even Skydance Animation is having a tough time gaining traction, despite the formidable talent, funding, and studio support!) There’s absolutely a market for Americana and nostalgia, but it’s exceedingly difficult to build a theme park that’ll attract millions of visitors per year on that alone. There needs to be another hook.
Then there’s the location. I’m far from an expert on this region or Oklahoma, but Vinita seems like it’s kind of in the middle of nowhere with no inherent tourism appeal like Florida or California. Touting a location along Route 66 caught my attention, and not in a good way; this is 2023, not 1963. (It is about 60 miles from Tulsa International Airport, which isn’t terrible.)
I mean no disrespect to the people of Vinita, but if I were scouting spots for the most powerful entity’s first theme park presence, I’m probably looking at plots near major cities in Texas, Atlanta, Charlotte, or a few other cities in the Midwest or East Coast. For a viable large-scale theme park, you’d ideally want easy access to millions of upper middle class locals within an hour from the park and a place with tourist appeal and relatively convenient access.
Ultimately, it’ll be interesting to see whether American Heartland Theme Park ever opens. It does seem more credible than other announcements from the last decade that haven’t come to fruition. And on the plus side, at least it’s probably not a scam unlike some of those past projects. It seems more like one business tycoon’s passion project, and maybe he’ll will it into being.
If it somehow does happen, I’d recommend visiting American Heartland Theme Park early in its existence. Business acumen in the Pizza Hut arena does not translate to the same in theme parks–the official website and press release suggests a lot of hubris and very little knowledge of what makes for a successful theme park. Basically, there’s very little to suggest that this park has any form of financial viability in the long-term even if is built. But what do I know, Mansion Entertainment does have a full three years to build their brand and become the most powerful entity in family entertainment. Perhaps it’ll happen.
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I hope it gets built and is super successful. I am always for a great theme park. It may not compete with Disney right now or even in a few years, but in terms of theme parks, for many years, nothing did . Now Disney has Universal to compete with and I think this has made them both better. If this new park succeeds, it only gives everyone more choices and the competition will help keep Disney and Universal focused on doing their best too.
I wonder how many theme parks and resorts could have been built with the price they paid for Fox?
Definitely agree that competition benefits consumers, and I always welcome that…I just have a hard time believing that’s what this will end up being. Certainly not at the beginning, and probably not ever.
Universal opened its first park in Hollywood before Walt Disney World, and its second (USF) hit the ground running with a ton of huge IP thanks to the studio. I think it’s a tremendously uphill battle to open a theme park (amusement parks built around thrill rides are easier) in this era without popular characters and movies to lean on. Universal and Disney both have that, this won’t. Now, if we see Netflix throw its hat into the theme park game…that would be a different story!
I live in Oklahoma, so personally, I’m thrilled! I don’t expect it to be anything like Disney, but definitely worth checking out for the less than an hour drive! Now to see if it actually happens…
I think you nailed it with the budget comments. They need a lot more than 2 billion dollars to make something of a wow factor. This really doesn’t move me one way or another.
Everyone brings up good points but I think it will likely come down to the fun factor. Florida is hot as hell too but that doesn’t stop people from blowing out their savings on Disney and universal. Tornado alley might be a cause for concern but most tornadoes are small and don’t last very long so I can see why they’d take the chance. The main issue I see is the design of the park. Everything looks like it’s a throwback to 1776… that’s a huge mistake. People don’t want a history lesson when visiting a major theme park they want to forget about the world and have fun. Kids will not find anything fun about the wooden ships and old looking buildings unless there’s some sort of ground breaking tech behind it that I’m not aware of that makes these attractions do unprecedented things. They would have been better off sticking with a more modern style approach and using some of the greatest things America has today as a flex to create a more dynamic atmosphere. The color scheme is also boring as shit. If this place is fun no one will care where it is but I think they’re missing the mark on some of the fundamentals for creating a fun environment.
To each their own, but I think the comparisons to Walt Disney putting Orlando (or even Anaheim) on the map are off-base. Those locations were not random or haphazard, and both would’ve been built out over time with or without Disney. They just got in on the ground floor and were the ones to build them up.
There’s absolutely no reason to believe that Northeast Oklahoma is an up-and-coming area, or that any thought was put into this location. There are plenty of population projections and current growth trends that would’ve resulted in a more optimal location for both tourist and local demographics.
I’m from Northeast Oklahoma, grew up there and now live in Branson. Does it have the potential to become the next Orlando or Anaheim? No. Does it have the potential to become the next Gatlinburg or Branson, yes. Between Tulsa and the Grand Lake. It can match what Branson has over time if the theme park succeeds like Silver Dollar City has.
Residents may not have wanted a new theme park in major cities in Texas, Atlanta, or Charlotte, even though Dallas got the Universal location shoved down on it. Land isn’t cheap there either, and Oklahoma land is. I do wonder if it will ever get built though. As Michael C said, OK is right in tornado alley. WDW may have to deal with hurricanes from time to time, but it’s inland enough it’s been able to withstand that treat. Oklahoma has no such luck.
I’m not suggesting that a major theme park be built in one of those metro areas, but rather, with convenient access to them and their airports.
As for the land being cheaper, I would consider that a red flag rather than a selling point.
@Michael-yep, first thing I wondered was if it was in Tornado Alley…I can see it having its niche (if it doesn’t get sucked up by nature). But I think Tom’s correct that some financial savvy has to balance the imagineering aspect-it’s why Roy balanced Walt. No, I don’t see it overtaking Universal and/or Disney, but it could be its own thing.
Commenters have covered the problems. The vast RV facility might be a plus for it. The country may have more RVs than places for them to go.
I wonder at the theming. The big National Harbor near Washington, Dollywood and Branson might provide ideas, but would this be more than a single-night destination after Branson? Are there enough marketable entertainment brands available? Disney and Universal likely have their picks. The American theme is a bit problematic. A lot of the real US is fairly easy to visit, and in Florida and Texas, people flock to safe parts of Mexico, Costa Rica, Aruba, and more. And a lot of genuine America might be missing from what could be a whitewashed theme park. The National Park Service has become adept at presenting American history.
BTW, a wave pool park near Waco, Waco Surf has even attracted Californians for serious bodyboard training classes.
I guess the questions are: who owns those RVs, what are their interests, and disposable incomes?
I don’t question the viability of an RV park. I do question how it’s an asset to a $2 billion ‘world class’ theme park.
I also don’t think Americana as a theme is necessarily problematic or a liability–there’s a huge market for that. It’ll come down to execution.
Oklahoma will be too sweltering in the summer to have this new park.
Idk, I live in Tulsa, OK and have been to Disney many times and it they are definitely equally hot in the summer At least it’s cooler here in the spring and fall. Now I prob wouldn’t want to go to this new park in the winter and I imagine it will be closed, like Silver Dollar City in Branson.
I’m happy to see this. Two billion dollars seems like a decent budget for a world-class regional theme park, but I wonder how much land they own for further expansion / buffer zone. Personally, a size closer to DL rather than WDW is appealing…with a focus on great themed environments, envelope-pushing horticultural and interesting yet approachable culinary offerings. If it’s mainly thrill rides, cheap construction materials and Instagram focused food, I’ll probably pass. Just returned from Tivoli Gardens and THAT was a great small-park experience!
Interesting. Vinita OK is ~150 miles from Branson, MO. Branson has the ‘Silver Dollar City’ theme park nearby. If this project comes to fruition, the parks would seemingly compete with each other for guests who live within (relatively)easy driving distance.
They’re starting by building an RV Park–now that’s classy!
The film studio (and the fact it is supposed to be built first) is a red flag to me. I just don’t see how you will a film industry into existence away from a major city; you will either have to produce so much content that it is viable for crew people and actors to move there, OR you will be spending a fortune getting people in and housing them for the duration of projects.
Idk, I don’t know a ton about the film industry, but there are already many projects being filmed in OK (Killers of the Flower Moon, Reservation Dogs as examples), and while Vinita is not a town to speak of, Tulsa isn’t far!
A big note of pessimism from me there: given a whole slew of factors, from the details in this article and that the press release was shared by an acquaintance in the religious film business, I’m guessing it’ll be a “we make the true American films Hollywood won’t allow you to make anymore” idea. Your guess is as good as mine as to the long term viability of such a plan, if that’s what it turns out to be.
Great idea: Building a theme park in the middle of nowhere where no one goes to visit to start with…
Well Walt built an empire in the middle of a swamp. Nobody wanted to visit there either.
Well Walt chose a swamp to build his empire. When he started gobbling up the real estate nobody wanted to visit there either.
Sorry sounding a bit redundant there. Didn’t think my first comment posted
Well it is about a hour from Tulsa, about 90 minutes from Branson and 90 minutes from Ree Drummond’s Pawhuska, OK venue. It has a lake, a major golf course, and other amenities nearby. So it will be a destination spot for quite a few people I would think. My family and I could see staying there as a base to visit other places.
The location is certainly less than ideal, and this park will definitely be down-market compared to Disney and Universal parks. The likes of Six Flags Magic Mountain and Knott’s Berry Farm have the advantage of offering thrill rides for a more niche audience. Dollywood and Silver Dollar City, that latter of which is located in Branson, Missouri, also use fast, intense roller coasters to attract hobbyists; these parks’ rustic theming probably wouldn’t be enough to sell tickets if all they had was Disney-caliber thrill rides, and what’s with Silver Dollar City being located in an established tourist destination. So it will be interesting to see what kinds of attraction American Heartland will offer. The one thing it might have going for it is the cultural pillarization the US is experiencing; if Disney and Universal become the blue-state parks, maybe American Heartland can become the red-state park and lean into patriotism and being empathically non-woke (e.g. by having PA announcers addressing guests as “ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls”). This would be risky, but maybe incorporating Evangelical Christian theming would also be a good idea; my understanding is that Branson itself has some religiously themed attractions. I’m neither endorsing nor condemning the political views behind this brand strategy, but if I were in charge of making American Heartland a success this might be my approach.
Yeah, 100% that being a ‘counter-Disney’ is some (all?) of the motivation behind this project. Doesn’t take a lot of imagination to figure out why, and why now. I’m sure they are beating the bushes for like-minded, deep-pocketed investors. I’m as skeptical as Tom that this will get completed (started, probably for sure). This is certainly intended to be on a different political plane than WDW/DL. They won’t market it overtly as such, but they won’t need to. Just enough code words, and the internet minions will do the rest for them.
Branson is not overtly religious, but you’d certainly feel more welcome there starting a prayer circle in the middle of their Main St than at Disney’s. 🙂 Anyway, it’ll be interesting to follow all the developments. If you hear anything more about it, Tom, please keep us posted! Could be a real nice RV park on the lake when all done.
I wonder if they’ll have a Wizard of Oz ride because the location is in the middle of tornado alley, averaging 67/year.
I have no idea how well-funded this project is, but reading the history of how much effort Walt put into Disneyland it’s a close thing that it ever got built. Walt was ready to risk his own personal finances, reportedly selling his vacation home and taking a loan on his life insurance. I wonder if the people behind American Heartland believe in it as much as Walt believed in his park?
It’s too bad my calendar isn’t telling me it’s April 1st, because this would have been a good one. The reality is not so appealing. The location seems like a big mistake and the name an even bigger one.
Oh YEAH TEXAS would be perfect ! TRIPLE DIGIT temperatures will really make me want to go.
Reply to Katie: After he already had great success in Anaheim CA.
It sounds like a great opportunity to expand vacation travel to somewhere else other than Florida. Give me a good campground to visit and I’m in!! Never been to Oklahoma – might be a great one time trip!