The dispute between The Walt Disney Company and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has had several twists and turns, some of them have bordered on absurd, but what it has really revealed are some of the more significant issues in Central Florida. While the Florida governor stripped Disney World of its self-governing District, many stood idly by and watched, either out of fear of retribution from the governor or disdain for Disney.
Related: Complete And Total Reversal, Florida Bill Would End DeSantis Disney District
Last month, in its response in Federal Court to the governor’s request to dismiss the case, Disney warned that this type of government retaliation could happen to anyone with a “disfavorable viewpoint.” Disney wrote in its brief:
Governor DeSantis and his allies are engaged in an ongoing constitutional mutiny…If the line is not drawn here, there is no line at all. The retaliation against Disney for crossing the Governor’s ‘line’ was swift and severe: for the explicitly-stated purpose of punishing Disney for its comments, the State immediately stripped Disney of its voting rights in the governing body that oversees Disney’s use of its own private property.
And now, it appears that Central Florida is starting to head Disney’s warning, and the tide of public opinion is turning in Disney’s favor.
Related:Â Disney Wants To Remind Florida That Its More Valuable to the State Than DeSantis
The Turning Tide
It started last week when State Sen. Linda Stewart (D) was preparing to introduce a bill to return control of the Reedy Creek Improvement District to Disney World. Stewart, who represents Orlando in the state legislature, said that she plans on meeting with the Orange County delegation after Thanksgiving to discuss the bill that would repeal the law that Governor DeSantis passed stripping Disney of the Reedy Creek Improvement District and replacing it with the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.
And now the Orlando Sentinel has decided to jump on the bandwagon. The Sentinel published a scathing editorial calling the Florida Legislature to step up and stop Florida Gov Ron DeSantis before he further damages the former Reedy Creek Improvement District.
Nobody foresaw a day when the vengeful, political whims of one man could turn the peaceful kingdom of Reedy Creek into Disney’s greatest vulnerability. And if Gov. Ron DeSantis is forced to return to Florida, embittered after watching his presidential aspirations burn, there is no telling the mischief he could wreak. Someone must stop him. And those champions must rise from a group he has already conquered: The Florida Legislature, which should act in the coming session to curb the governor’s grasp over the former district.
The Orlando Sentinel also called attention to the many DeSantis loyalists receiving huge paydays from the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District despite a lack of experience running a District the size of Reedy Creek. Many DeSantis appointees have found the new Board incredibly lucrative, including Glen Gilzean, who is paid $400,000 as the District administrator.
Related:Â More Employees Flee DeSantis Disney District As It Is No Longer ‘Functional’
The employees at Reedy Creek have started to notice, with 44 of the 370 employees leaving the District since the new Board took over in February. In their exit interviews, some employees called the District “politicized” and worried it was “no longer functional.”
Why Now?
While the cat is away, the mice will play. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is currently running for the Republican presidential nomination, and it’s not going well. He now finds himself fighting for second place with former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley in the early primary states of Iowa and New Hampshire. However, both are trailing former President Donald Trump by at least 40 percent in most polls.
And should he lose the nomination, DeSantis will return to Florida with less than two years remaining in the governor’s office. He is term-limited and will be out of office in 2026. Perhaps that is why Stewart introduced the bill when she did. She is hoping that Republicans, who control both houses of the Florida Legislature, are regretting their original vote and will change their minds.
It also helps that Disney recently released a report reminding Central Florida what the Walt Disney World Resort means to the area. According to the report, Disney World adds more than $40 billion in statewide economic activity either directly or indirectly. Disney also reminded the Florida Legislature that Disney World will be there much longer than the current governor.
The momentum seems to be shifting in Disney’s favor, but what matters more is the legal momentum. That will be decided on December 12, when a Federal judge will determine the future of Disney’s special District and its First Amendment case against the governor.
We will continue to update this story at Disney Fanatic.
I believe that this governor thinks he is god. He acts like Hitler. He doesn’t care anything about us people who live here in Florida only about himself. His wife4 had cancer and he took care of her, which is right, a lot of Floridian’s have done this, it is not unusual for us to do this, it is not remarkable, it’s something you just have to do.
comes from a source called Disney Fanatic…… need we say more
It’s interesting to note how some of Newsbreaks recently commented that builders have too much power yet now you want Disney to be in control of their own district. May be need a change from Newsbreak to a Break from the news. No developer should have that power!
More hate from another Liberal hack.
What Disney fails to understand is they need to stay out of politics and provide wholesome entertainment for children which they are barely doing now that they have turned woke and DEI obsessed. DeSantis would have left them alone if they had. We are not interested in their upper management’s opinions.
First of all – why is this being offered to us by Newsbreak as “news”?
Second of all – why do so many people not get it with Disney? Consider Florida’s economy for a minute. You know a tourist can come from somewhere and never do anything BUT give money to Disney? Disney will pick them up at the airport, give them transportation on Disney’s compound, where Disney has its own hotels and grocery stores and everything.
Americans are walking around with cell phones that give them access to all the information in the world, and they’re so ignorant. And then “this” gets offered “as news.”
You know how spoiled children have tantrums when their parents won’t give them what they want – that’s the left every time someone on the right tries to hold up some sort of standards.
Thank you for the update. We are watching for more current info on the damage DeSantis is doing to our state.
I appreciate the update on Disney’s fight for First Amendment rights. I think that “Citizens United” identified the status of corporations as those comparable to citizens (pardon my summary), and if corporations can speak with their money, then they may also choose to speak out for or against legislative or gubernatorial decisions (I am not a lawyer). It is called Freedom, as long as it is not libelous.
Nevertheless, the actions of the governor against Disney seem akin to a child having a tantrum. It seems not the appropriate way to govern. Leaders should rise above the fray and be examples of cooperative problem-solving.
I support Disney. They contribute to the Florida culture and economy and are not perfect, much like tourism, the sugar industry, and cattle farming.
Citizens who disagree can write letters, participate in civil protest, and greatest of all: VOTE.
For those who say Disney should stay out of politics, then you are suppressing free speech and you should request that Hobby Lobby, Home Depot, etc, etc, etc, should refrain from politics. The better solution would be for people who do not agree with a company’s politics to boycott that company. No one forces you to go to any Disney property. Just don’t give them your money. I would say that DeSatan (my name for him) should stay out of businesses and let them have their own opinions.
Wow, what a bunch of DeSantis butt kissers. Are you crying, little boys.? Go home and let your mommies take care of you, you don’t seem old enough to form real opinions.
Disney stock price has dropped 55% in the last 2 years. Speaks for itself. And using the Orlando Slantinel as a source. You have no credibility.
Go woke, go broke. I loved watching Walt Disney every Sunday night when I was a child. Now, I won’t touch anything Disney. So sad.
Keep drinking the Kool aid!!!
Ronnie keeps Destroying the State
I have never seen Florida so out of control, Ronnie let’s the Insurance situation, housing
Florida is not a place to retire