The Disneyland Transition Out of California Receives Shell-Shocking Update

Oklahoma was on track to build “Disneyland” and attract millions of Americans, but plans to relocate this theme park giant from California to Oklahoma have been delayed. What happened?

Oklahoma’s Desire To Relocate Disneyland No Longer in the Books?

A new $2 billion theme park and resort is being planned about 100 miles from Fayetteville, Arkansas. It is expected to be comparable in size to Disneyland Park and Disney’s Magic Kingdom Park. According to a news release, the 1,000-acre American Heartland theme park and resort is set for construction near Vinita, Oklahoma, off Route 66 and Interstate 44. The work will occur in multiple phases, starting with a large-scale RV park slated to open in the spring of 2025.

Officials said this will be the largest campground in the central U.S., featuring 750 RV spaces, 300 cabins, and a variety of amenities. Following the RV park’s debut, the theme park and resort are expected to open sometime in 2026. The park will offer an Americana-themed environment with rides, live shows, family attractions, waterways, and restaurants.

The theme park will be divided into six “distinctly American lands”: Great Plains, Bayou Bay, Big Timber Falls, Stony Point Harbor, Liberty Village, and Electropolis. Additionally, the resort will feature a 300-room hotel and an indoor water park. “There’s no better place to represent the heart of America than northeast Oklahoma,” said Oklahoma State Senator 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.”

The privately funded project is an affiliate of Branson, Missouri-based Mansion Entertainment Group, LLC, a performing arts, animation, and studio brand. According to the release, the design team includes over 20 former Disney parks builders, and the firm has worked with significant theme park brands like Six Flags, Disney Parks, and Universal Studios. However, the ambitious project has encountered significant challenges a year after entertainment mogul Gene Bicknell announced plans to build a “Disneyland”-type theme park in northeast Oklahoma.

Construction on the American Heartland Theme Park and Resort, initially projected to cost $2.5 billion, has been halted amidst allegations of financial problems. The development was expected to transform a 1,000-acre site near Vinita into a premier entertainment venue featuring rides, live shows, family attractions, waterways, restaurants, a 300-room hotel, and an indoor water park. Additionally, the Three Ponies RV Park and Campground were to offer 300 cabins and 750 RV sites, further enhancing the region’s appeal as a tourist destination.

Plans were in place to open the venue by the fall of 2026, but progress has been stalled for months. The delay is reportedly due to issues related to Mansion Entertainment’s Grnonpaymentayment of bills, which has cast doubt on the project’s future. According to Craig County land records, Crossland Construction and FORREC, the firms involved in the construction, filed liens amounting to $352,429.31 and $5.5 million, respectively, against Mansion Entertainment Group and its affiliate OGB Holdings in May 2024.

The liens were filed as nonpayment, signaling severe financial troubles within the project. Repeated attempts to reach Mansion Entertainment Group for comment have gone unanswered, raising further concerns about the endeavor’s viability. “I am cautiously optimistic,” said Rep. Rusty Cornwell, R-Vinita, when asked about the project’s status.

Cornwell and other community leaders had met with American Heartland founder Gene Bicknell earlier this year. Bicknell attributed the delays to legal issues, ensuring they would be resolved within a few months. However, that deadline has already passed without resolution. “The company (Mansion Entertainment) has spent a lot of money buying up property,” Cornwell noted, referring to the land near the proposed venue.

Despite these investments, the ongoing legal and financial troubles have shadowed the project’s future. In a Facebook post dated May 31, Bicknell addressed the issues, stating that the project “will move forward” and apologizing to FORREC and Crossland for the delays. He emphasized the company’s commitment to resolving financial disputes quickly.

The city of Vinita has also made significant moves to support the project. In September 2023, the town annexed six square miles as part of its growth strategy, anticipating the economic boost the theme park would bring. Additionally, Cornwell authored House Bill 3854, which would have provided $35 million in water infrastructure upgrades to accommodate the massive influx of visitors the park was expected to draw.

Unfortunately, after revisions and introducing a substitute bill to create an investment rebate program for water and wastewater infrastructure investments in small cities until July 1, 2029, Cornwell’s bill died in the Appropriations and Negotiations Committee. This setback has only added to the uncertainty surrounding the American Heartland project.

As the situation unfolds, the once-promising theme park poised to rival Disneyland now faces an uncertain future. Whether the legal and financial hurdles can be overcome remains to be seen, but for now, the dream of a Disneyland in Oklahoma is on hold. A Disney park-type location outside California or Florida would work well for folks who can not travel to these states.

Announcement video for the American Heartland Theme Park planned to open in 2026.

– @ExpThemePark on X

Announcement video for the American Heartland Theme Park planned to open in 2026. @AmericanHrtland pic.twitter.com/xbhdkBdbSs

— Expedition Theme Park (@ExpThemePark) July 19, 2023

With Disney California Adventure Park, Downtown Disney, Shanghai Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, and places like Tokyo Disneyland already existing, maybe it’s time for a new kind of Disney park.