Middle America's $2 Billion Park Will Never Happen - Inside the Magic

Although Disney and Universal are the top contenders for theme parks in the U.S., there’s been some contention about which Parks constitute the other top amusement parks.

Knott’s Berry Farm in California and Dollywood in Tennessee are probably two of the bigger and more well-known theme parks in the country, along with the various Six Flags locations. While Disney continues to work within the confines of their existing Resort properties, retheming existing attractions and areas, Universal Studios has been working hard on expanding its reach across the country.

With Epic Universe well underway at Universal Orlando Resort, it would add a third Park to the property and would be their first major Park expansion since Volcano Bay opened in 2017. Epic Universe is expected to provide an immersive and all-new experience for Guests, including attractions and areas themed to How to Train Your Dragon, SUPER NINTENDO WORLD, an expansion of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and the Classic Universal Monsters. The Park is expected to open in the summer of 2025.

Earlier this year, it was also announced that Universal was looking at opening a year-round Halloween Horror Nights style attraction in Las Vegas, and was looking to bring a family friendly theme park to Texas, essentially expanding from the coast to middle America. However, a recently announced theme park is trying to compete for the middle of the country by bringing a Disney-sized Park to Oklahoma.

What is American Heartland Theme Park?

The recently announced American Heartland Theme Park is expected to be a celebration and honoring of “hometown values” and a sense of Americana, with all of the bells and whistles of a Disney Park, including a team of over 20 former Walt Disney Imagineers and builders. However, the response to the announcement has already been met with much skepticism and wariness online.

Guests will have the option of staying in a 300-room hotel or a large scale RV Park, able to accommodate over 700 RV spaces and 300 cabins, making the Three Ponies RV Park and Campground the largest RV Park in the central U.S.

The American Heartland Theme Park and Resort is expected to bring in almost five million Guests each year to northeast Oklahoma, along with thousands of jobs and a booming tourism industry.

Work on the theme park will take place in phases, starting with the RV park and cabins, which are scheduled to open in spring 2025. The theme park and resort are scheduled to open in 2026.

The Park would cost upwards of $2 billion to build, and with a proposed 2026 opening, it’s a massive undertaking. Plans for the Park include six distinct areas featuring a variety of amusement rides, live shows and entertainment, family attractions, water slides, and restaurants all themed towards an Americana vibe. American Heartland CEO Larry Wilhite said the following about the decision to build the Park in middle America:

“We are thrilled to make Oklahoma the home of American Heartland Theme Park and Resort. At the crossroads of the heartland, Oklahoma is an attractive location for a family entertainment destination. We look forward to bringing unforgettable generational experiences to Oklahoma.”

Will Heartland happen?

This isn’t the first time that a major Park has been announced for a location other than the far-east or west coast, but hasn’t come to fruition. Several other Parks have even been attempted, or were created, and eventually left abandoned due to a variety of issues.

Even major Parks like those under the Six Flags and Cedar Fair umbrellas have struggled to gain the kind of traffic and revenue that Universal and Disney both see. With its expected $2 billion budget and a 2026 opening, it seems highly unlikely and unrealistic that those proposed numbers are met. Epic Universe has taken years of planning and will take another two years to see completion, even as it’s halfway built.

The Park also has no major IPs, or intellectual properties, to utilize in its marketing and throughout its Parks. Knott’s Berry has the Peanuts Gang while Six Flags has Looney Tunes and DC characters. While certainly not a requirement of a theme park, incorporating well-known characters and franchises helps draw in more Guests.

According to some on Twitter, it will never happen, like @jacksonw99 saying, “As someone who knows a lot about Oklahoma, and quite a bit about theme parks, there is zero chance of this ever coming to fruition. Not at this scale at least.”

Concerns

Several valid concerns have been pointed out online as well, further adding to the unlikelihood of American Heartland coming to fruition. For one, Oklahoma is in the middle of America’s “tornado alley,” known for its dangerous weather during the summer months, including high heat and humidity. It also snows during the winter, making it impossible to operate year-round.

Others brought up more pertinent concerns considering the current state of social affairs in the U.S. right now. On Twitter, user @DLthings posted about the proposed theme park, stating, “idk fam, seems like the kind of place where I’d be either called a homophobic slur or denied entry because my rainbow shirt is ‘divisive’.” “Bro wake up Racist Disneyland just dropped,” Tweeted @alyssa_parrish. “In this theme park, women have to ask for permission from their husband’s to buy souvenirs,” joked @Petty_Boop_.

The Disney Parks have often been cited as a “safe space” for members of the LGBTQ+ and other minority communities. Recent events involving Florida Governor Ron DeSantis have called Walt Disney World into question as the governor has passed several anti-LGBTQ+, anti-Black, and anti-women laws over the last year leading up to his bid as a 2024 presidential candidate.

Considering the political affinity of Oklahoma, and its location in the Bible Belt of America, it isn’t too hard to imagine the discomfort some Guests may feel when visiting. While it’s possible that that could be part of the draw to a certain audience, American Heartland Theme Park just seems to be facing too many other obstacles to ever really see the light of day.

Do you think the American Heartland Theme Park will actually be built? Let us know why or why not in the comments below!