Is Disneyland Oklahoma real? Vanished theme park mystery goes viral

Alexia Aston, The Oklahoman
·2 min read
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Rumors about a vanished Disneyland park in Oklahoma surfaced after a screenshot of a supposed Wikipedia page went viral.

The page claims Oklahoma’s alleged Disneyland was destroyed in 2022 after the International Space Station fell and crushed it.

The viral post alleges that Disneyland Oklahoma was built by Zachariah Richard in 1987 after the original patent for Disneyland was misspelled. It claims he won a legal battle with Walt Disney and then could build a Disney park.

This screenshot hoax of a Wikipedia page spread rumors about a vanished Disneyland park in Oklahoma.
This screenshot hoax of a Wikipedia page spread rumors about a vanished Disneyland park in Oklahoma.

This rumor has been fully debunked. Experts note that a theme park like Disneyland is legally protected by a series of trademarks and copyrights that cover distinguishing concepts and intellectual property, not patents, which protect machinery.

While a small town known as Disney does exist in the northeast corner of Oklahoma, a Disneyland park has never existed in the state, and the International Space Station did not crush it (it's stayed in space for the last 25 years).

How are people reacting to the hoax?

Still, some social media users are adding to the hoax, sharing jokes about the mythical park’s demise.

Oklahoma is getting a Disneyland-style theme park

Drawing of aerial of Three Ponies RV Park and Campground, a part of the American Heartland project planned for Vinita.
Drawing of aerial of Three Ponies RV Park and Campground, a part of the American Heartland project planned for Vinita.

While a Disneyland park has never existed in Oklahoma, employees who worked on Disneyland and Disney World theme parks are involved in building the American Heartland Theme Park, a 125-acre theme park that could be opening in northeast Oklahoma near Vinita by 2026.

Steve Hedrick, who has spent half of his 40-year career in the industry working with Disney, will lead a design team that features over 20 former Disney Parks builders and Walt Disney Imagine.

Disneyland in Oklahoma? What we know about who is building American Heartland Theme Park

Where is Disney, Oklahoma?

Disney, Oklahoma is in northeastern Mayes County and has a population of 223 as of 2021. Named after former Oklahoma U.S. Congressman Wesley E. Disney, the town has no affiliation with Walt Disney.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Is Disneyland Oklahoma real? Wikipedia screenshot goes viral