
After taking two weeks to deliberate on the issue, Orange County Circuit Court Judge Margaret Schreiber has denied Disney’s request to dismiss the lawsuit filed by the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District. The Walt Disney Company now has 20 days to respond to the case.
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Lawyer Daniel Patrocelli argued for Disney that the lawsuit filed by the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District should be thrown out because Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida legislature passed a law voiding all contracts between the Walt Disney Company and the Reedy Creek Improvement District. However, Judge Schreiber ruled that the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District case has merit and should be heard.
The two sides are at odds over agreements that Disney made with the Reedy Creek Improvement District before the takeover by the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District. Those agreements would have essentially rendered the new Board powerless against Disney until 28 years after the last living descendent of King Charles III died. Governor DeSantis’ committee sued Disney to remove all of those deals.
The Walt Disney Company has filed a separate lawsuit in Federal Court against Governor Ron DeSantis and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, claiming that DeSantis and the Florida Legislature retaliated against the company for speaking out against Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Act, known by its critics as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. Disney is accusing Governor Desantis of infringing on the company’s First Amendment rights.
This week has been interesting for the CFTOD and its chief tenant, Walt Disney World. Earlier this week, the Board announced that it would be cutting the property tax rate in the district. However, at the same meeting, it announced that it was cutting $8 million that Disney World uses for security.
The Board explained the cut by saying it needed the money for lawyers to fend off the Disney lawsuit. The DeSantis appointees wanted to create economic opportunity in the district, and this was the best way to find money without raising taxes.
There is no timetable for Disney’s lawsuit against Florida Gov Ron DeSantis and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District to be heard in Federal Court. However, Disney will respond to this setback within the next three weeks.
We will continue to update this story at Disney Fanatic.