A $2 billion theme park and resort complex is being built in northeast Oklahoma and is set to rival the world’s top resort destinations, officials announced on July 19.
Known as the “American Heartland Theme Park and Resort,” the 1,000-acre development with a 125-acre theme park will be located just west of Grand Lake on Route 66 and will include a number of entertaining rides, live shows, family attractions, an outdoor waterpark, and more—all celebrating the best of the United States.
It will also house a 300-room hotel with a modern indoor water park and a large-scale, 320-acre, RV park with cabins called the “Three Ponies RV Park and Campground,” according to park officials.
The RV grounds, which will be located adjacent to the park, will be the “largest campground in the central U.S.,” with 750 RV spaces and 300 cabins plus amenities, officials said.
The family-friendly park will also feature six distinctive U.S. lands that will lead guests on their American journey through the Great Plains, Bayou Bay, Big Timber Falls, Stony Point Harbor, Liberty Village, and Electropolis.
Overall, in terms of size, the new theme park development will be on a similar scale to Disney World’s Magic Kingdom in Florida or Disneyland in California.
“We are thrilled to make Oklahoma the home of American Heartland Theme Park and Resort,” American Heartland CEO Larry Wilhite said in a press release. “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.”
‘Rich Cultures, Hometown Values’ of America
A team of experts, including more than 20 former Disney Parks builders and Walt Disney Imagineers, are helping to build the new park, according to the announcement.Officials expect the new development to rival the top resort destinations in the world and bring in around 4.9 million guests per year.
In a statement, Oklahoma state Rep. Rusty Cornwell (R) said he believes the new development will attract visitors from around the world to “experience and celebrate the rich cultures and hometown values America has to offer.”
State senator Micheal Bergstrom (R) said the $2 billion investment will create more than 4,000 jobs while the 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 to the surrounding area and throughout the region and state,” the senator said.
Visits Down at Disney
However, American Heartland founder and chief creative officer Gene Bicknell told reporters Thursday the company’s main goal is to make the theme park affordable for all.“So a family of mom and dad and a couple of kids, you know their whole dream is to take their kids to a park of this type,” he said.
Mr. Bicknell also said that some of the revenue from the park will go toward various charities.
The announcement of the brand-new theme park comes as Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando are struggling to attract visitors amid increased ticket prices, increasing competition, and soaring heat, according to reports.
According to data from Touring Plans, which tracks wait times at top amusement parks, July 4 was the third-slowest day in the past year at Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park in Florida, while wait times at Disney’s Magic Kingdom in the state were an average wait time of 27 minutes on July 4, down from 47 minutes in 2019.
The decreased footprint will no doubt serve as another blow to Disney World, which is embroiled in an ongoing legal battle with Florida governor Ron DeSantis over the state’s Parental Bill of Rights Act.
Still, Disney CEO Bob Iger told CNBC last week that he has no “long-term concerns” about Disney’s theme parks, and blamed the COVID-19 pandemic and increased competition for declining visits.
“Florida opened up early during COVID and created huge demand, and didn’t have competition because there were a number of other places, states, that were not open yet,” he told the publication. “If you look at the numbers in Florida in 2023 … versus 2022, where not as much was open and Florida was the only game in town, there is a lot more competition today,” he added.
