I don't think you are right about that, in fact I think a moderate sized park is long overdue for several reasons.
VALDOSTA:
There are 134,000 people in the Valdosta, Georgia metro area.
Region has as one Air Force Base and one Marine Supply Depot
One large State Park nearby
Has regional commercial airport
Wild Adventures is in Valdosta Georgia, isolated on a back road that ends at a paper mill, and it is doing great.
Wild Adventures draws from one Interstate Highway and three U.S. Highways.
Wild Adventures is 117 miles (two hours) away from Jacksonville.
Wild Adventures is 209 miles from Orlando. ...and 234 from Atlanta. ...and 432 from Miami. and finally 693 from Cincinnati, Ohio, consistently the center of Florida Visitation on I-75.
JACKSONVILLE:
There are 1,328,144 people in Jacksonville, Florida metro area.
Region has 3 major Naval Bases, 1 Marine Corps Base, 3 Coast Guard Bases, 1 Army/Guard training Base
Has more state and national parks within an hours drive then any other city in America.
Has a BEACH and major river and international airport.
Has 4 Interstate Highways and 5 U.S. Highways
317 miles to Atlanta, 344 miles to Miami, 710 from Washington, D.C. and the Northeast Corridor. On the route of virtually all traffic between the northeast and Florida.
Any park could be located at or near the junction of I-95 and I-295 SOUTH which would logistically catch all eastbound traffic on I-10 heading south, and all I-95 traffic, and all beltway traffic.
The local population, hungry for recreation would flood the place daily, and the Florida visitors would have a first shot at fantasyland USA.
Oh no! Theme Park in Jacksonville is all about LOGISTICS, and as long as the owner didn't try to out spent Disney, he or she would succeed beyond their wildest dreams. This is why I keep coming back to the idea of a creek side, old style, family, TROLLEY PARK on Hogan's Creek.
OCKLAWAHA