Florida Governor DeSantis announces big changes to the way Disney World is ran
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis spoke at a press conference today where he outlined new measures against Disney World.
Florida vs Disney World
The past year has been turbulent between the state of Florida and The Walt Disney Company. Florida passed the Parental Rights in Education Law in 2022.
The Walt Disney Company originally remained quiet surrounding this bill despite pleas from employees and fans for them to take an official stance. Tension built until then-CEO Bob Chapek denounced the bill, but many believed it was too little, too late.
The company has even gone so far to say that they would actively work to get the bill repealed. This caused DeSantis to retaliate in his own public speakings.
The tension between the company and the state continued worsen as state Republicans repealed the Reedy Creek Improvement Act of 1967. Essentially, the law states that Disney is its own governing body in the two cities and land within Orange and Osceola counties.
The bill passed, and Reedy Creek Improvement District officially dissolved. The state of Florida now has power over Disney World, and DeSantis created a new oversight board for the district.
DeSantis retaliates even more
Just before the handover took place, Disney tried one last ditch effort to keep as much control out of the state of Florida as possible. Just recently, Disney made an agreement between the district and the parks/resorts.
This new agreement basically gives Disney most of the control of the district and prevents the new oversight board from making any changes to this agreement until 21 years after the death of the last survivor of King Charles III.
As such, DeSantis even ordered a criminal investigation for legal and ethical violations. In addition, he wants to create more hotel taxes and toll roads in the Disney World area, which affect Guests (that's you) by making your vacation even more expensive.
Voided Contract and Attraction Inspections
At the press conference today, DeSantis shared that he is planning to announce even more measures against Disney World. The first being he plans to void the contract between the Central Florida Tourism Oversight Board (previously Reedy Creek Improvement District) and Disney World regarding Disney's development rights for many, many years.
Now, everything will need to be passed through the State Legislature.
In addition, DeSantis is ordering for attraction and transportation inspections through the state instead of through Disney World's private inspection company. This could mean the state may close attractions or even transportation systems like the monorail or skyliner.
We will continue to keep you posted in this ongoing fight. Share your thoughts with us in the comments below and pass this post along to someone else who may be interested in these new developments.
Disney is a huge asset for Florida. What does the
governor want to accomplish that is good for the people ?
Agreed. That is why florida will loose my business. I'll go to California to enjoy disney hostile free. Got a trip planned for next year.
Well said
Death santos , reminds me of why I hate politics , he thinks he is king of Florida , , dictators like him will be gone, they , can go no lower than hell
Ron started this with his attempt at creating a false crisis to whip up fear among his base to turn out to vote for him. First, does anyone really believe you can teach someone to be gay if they weren’t going to be that way already? Second, like Trump, there was no evidence that grade school teachers were discussing or promoting gay lifestyles. It was a made up controversy to make non-straight people seem like a threat. Lastly, why make the language so vague that a freshman HS teacher who happens to be gay is asked by a student about their spouse or partner by a student and can’t answer out of fear of one single parent alleging that it is not age appropriate? A straight teacher can answer that, but anyone else can’t?
I’d really like to know how inclusion hurts some of you who are complaining of “wokeness.” I just don’t understand your arguments and feel like you’re truly more afraid of anything and everything that doesn’t look like YOU rather than the parks evoking the feelings you felt pre-pandemic.
Sounds like Ron is more interested in obtaining personal power than working for the people he represents. Someone who’s so thin skinned that they can’t take criticism, and who places a higher priority on a personal pissing match than running the state doesn’t have the qualities I’d want in a president. Just another hotheaded bully.
Correct. Desantis has facist tendencies.
Desantis aspires to be a dictator. He has spent how much time working on revenge on a theme park, that also happens to be a huge employer in Florida who brings in billions of tourist dollare?? Vote this clown out.
I know it's not possible but I wish Disney would move the parks, jobs, taxes paid, and tourism income to another state. Then the clown governor can explain to the citizens of the state how his ego lost Disney and how he plans on replacing the jobs and revenue that he personally cost the state.
Yes! Repeal Citizens United!
Can someone define “woke” for me? A was
desantis is a clown of huge proportion. amanda is correct. disney has a right to make what ever statement they want. if they want to be inclusive that's their right and all u rednecks can stay home in protest. thats your right. rest assured. disney will be around long after desantis is on the ash heap of history....
How is exercising your 1st amendment right starting it? What DeSantis is doing tramples on the Constitution.
You think the government should punish people for criticizing it? That’s what happens in China, not America.
My wife and I are huge Disney fans go every year. But I truly believe Disney has become way to " woke ". It is starting to show in thier movies and every day operations. I also believe they should stay out of politics.
All that being said, I think the Governor has taken this way too personally from the beginning even though Disney had no business butting its nose in. And I also believe as Governor he needs to do what's best for the state. And that's to keep he economy going..keep tourists coming into the state not make it more expensive. As much as the Governor hates it, Millions of people arent visiting Florida for Gator land ...and LBH.. We love Universal also but they're mostly the beneficiary of WDW being down the street alsong with SeaWorld. The Governor needs to end this and talk it out
Rob, totally agree! I love Disney but they had not right to go into politics and say they would work to have legislation repealed. Companies need to run their companies and stay out of politics!
Thank you! That headline was driving me crazy!
Huge Disney fan....still Disney is the one who started this. And it's "run" not "ran."
A State can not run a privately held company. I still believe Disney did the right thing standing against that law. LOVE IS LOVE
Disney stuck their foot up their own a... That is what happens when you let a few emotional employees dictate policy.
The way Disney is "ran"? Grammar anyone??