Dive Brief:

• A new $2 billion-plus theme park and resort called American Heartland is coming soon to Vinita, Oklahoma, according to a developer press release. The 1,000-acre development, first announced in July, will include roller coasters, an indoor water park, a 300-room hotel and a 320-acre RV park.
• The park portion will feature six Americana-themed environments sprawled over 125 acres that host a variety of rides, live shows, waterways, concessions and other family attractions, according to developer American Heartland, an affiliate of Branson, Missouri-based Mansion Entertainment Group.
• The development will be built in phases starting with an RV park and cabins, scheduled to open in spring 2025. The theme park and resort eye a 2026 opening, according to the project website. 

Dive Insight:

The developer tapped Columbus, Kansas-based Crossland Construction to build the 320-acre Three Ponies RV Park and Campground, according to Fox23 News. Oklahoma City-based architecture firm ADG Blatt designed what will be the largest campground in the central U.S. with 750 RV spaces and 300 cabins, according to the developer.

Plans for American Heartland indicate the final footprint would rival Disney's Magic Kingdom Theme Park and Disneyland Park in size, and its design team includes former Disney Parks builders and Walt Disney Imagineers.

Vinita Mayor Josh Lee said Mansion Entertainment has secured funding for the park’s construction, according to Fox23 News. On Tuesday, the Vinita City Council approved a proposal to annex several square miles of land for the development.

Lee also said the city is expediting the permitting process to build the necessary homes, restaurants, hotels and other infrastructure to support the town’s projected surge in population, which currently stands at a little over 5,000 people. Local leaders plan to ask the Oklahoma State Legislature for at least $36 million of infrastructure improvements to support the project, according to NonDoc.

At least one expert has expressed skepticism on the project's likelihood to come to fruition. Robert Niles, who runs Theme Park Insider, wrote that theme park projects are notoriously challenging to build and critical questions remain about American Heartland in particular. Not only is the price tag astronomical, but the park's planned location is far from any major city or airport.

Construction Dive reached out to the developer for more information on the project, such where funding would come from and if any contractors had been chosen. Mansion Entertainment replied in an email, “We will follow back up in a few weeks once we have more information to share.”