From Hype to Heartbreak: The Fall of American Heartland Theme Park

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Over the past few years, the amusement park sector has been experiencing quite a thrilling journey. From Disney’s debatable decisions and shutdowns to the much-anticipated arrival of Epic Universe at Universal Orlando, fans have been swept up in a storm of feelings. Amidst business transformations and growing guest discontent, one announcement in 2023 brought a fresh sparkle of hope: a $2 billion theme park reminiscent of Disneyland, right in the middle of the United States – Vinita, Oklahoma.

Presented as the ‘American Heartland‘, it was touted as a place that embodied a patriotic spirit for family entertainment, created by ex-Disney designers according to what we’ve been informed.

A Bright Spot of Hope Amidst a Dark Time

2022 to 2023 saw a bustling phase for the parks, as people’s demand accumulated during a period when parks were closed due to lockdown measures.

During this period, visitors to the theme parks were experiencing increasing discontent due to escalating costs, additional fees for services previously provided (like fast passes and Magical Express), and a deterioration in the quality of service as the parks appeared less well-kept than they had been before.

This occurred alongside Disney entering into a contentious political dispute with Florida, which sparked reactions from typical families, as well as other questionable decisions made by Disney. Consequently, their image suffered and was perceived negatively (The House of Mouse).

On July 19, 2023, theme park enthusiasts nationwide received an invigorating piece of news! A new theme park, resembling Disneyland, was set to emerge right in the heart of the United States, specifically Vinita, Oklahoma. Dubbed as “American Heartland,” this park boasted a patriotic motif and was confirmed to uphold traditional family values and entertainment. Moreover, it was announced that the construction would be led by numerous ex-Disney Imagineers!

The enthusiasm for this project spread swiftly among theme park enthusiasts, creating a wave of excitement right from the start.

The Mansion Entertainment Group – Who Are They?

The first news was shared by Larry Wilhite, who represents the Mansion Entertainment Group. This organization presently manages and owns the Mansion Theater located in Branson, Missouri.

A significant portion of the financing was expected to come from Gene Bicknell, a 92-year-old wealthy philanthropist who once owned more than 700 Pizza Hut franchises worldwide in the early 2000s. This project, valued at $2 billion, encompassed not just a theme park, but also a resort hotel and campground. Initially, there was much enthusiasm about this news, but I personally harbored doubts, and with reason.

Poor Planning Prevents Proper Performance

Full disclosure: I once worked for the Mansion Entertainment Group.

In the years 2003-2004, I had the privilege of being hired to perform in musical theater at Mansion America Theater. During this time, I took on the role of Reuben in “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” as well as multiple roles in a production titled “Celebrate America.” Notably, I was cast as Gene Bicknell’s son for one of his characters.

I was loosely connected to Larry Wilhite, but my time with him gave me doubts about the “American Heartland” project when it was unveiled. To put it simply, my work at Mansion Entertainment group left me feeling that the organization wasn’t well-structured. Moreover, the location for the proposed resort and theme park in Vinita, Oklahoma seemed impractical to me. This area, known as “Tornado Alley,” experiences a significant number of destructive storms and tornadoes each year, which makes it an unlikely choice for such a project.

21 years ago at the mansion, it appeared that this situation would turn into an insurance nightmare. From my observation back then, I wasn’t confident that they had the capability to handle it. Over the last few years, I’ve attempted to reach out to them multiple times regarding the progress of the project, but I’ve yet to receive any response.

The End of a Dream

In 2024, there were reports that the project’s progress had stopped and unpaid bills were accumulating. One news source, Construction Dive, announced in November of 2024 that “two companies have put liens on the developers” and “there has been no activity on the site.” This marked the beginning of the end for this highly anticipated project. The most recent update came just last week with KJRH 2 News Oklahoma reporting under the “The financial backer for the proposed Vinita Theme Park has filed a lawsuit in Federal Court.

Lawyer Gene Bicknell took legal action against Larry Wilhite and Stephen D. Hedrick, alleging they deceived him to the tune of $60 million in losses.

Bicknell alleges in the lawsuit that they engaged in a predatory scheme of psychological manipulation. This manipulation led Gene into believing, through deceit and disguise, that God himself was instructing him to fund the park’s construction and also to give Silanskas and Wilhite two-thirds ownership of the completed project, which was valued at approximately $2 billion.

It seems like the American Heartland didn’t get off the ground properly; it concluded prematurely.

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2025-08-03 19:57