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Credit: Inside the MagicNasty threats emerge amid the unnecessarily heated battle for the Reedy Creek Improvement District between Disney and Governor Desantis.
For over a year now, The Walt Disney Company and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis have been involved in an unnecessary tug-war, jeopardizing the future of the Reedy Creek Improvement District over the different stances both parties have towards LGBTQIA+ communities, education, and “not so secret woke agendas.” And with the conflict escalating more every time, it would appear that some of Disney’s “secret” maneuvers are forcing Governor DeSantis to clutch at straws and threaten retaliation against the Orlando-based theme parks and The Walt Disney Company.
Related: DeSantis’ “Woke” Wedding Comes to Light In Recent Report
But with over a year of struggles, legislatures, attacks, and “secret” maneuvers, it’s about time we did a roundup of the DeSantis vs. Disney conflict.
How did the conflict start?
Governor Ron DeSantis’ year-long battle against The Walt Disney Company started with a disagreement of ideals when the Florida Governor signed the notorious “Don’t Say Gay” Bill. Since then, the conflict has escalated with the Florida Governor making threats against the company and doing everything in his power to take over Disney’s Reedy Creek Improvement District, ending Disney’s “special privileges” in Florida and aiming at making an example after “punishing and embarrassing” the company.
“Don’t Say Gay” Bill
As stated above, the conflict started when Disney’s interests didn’t align with Ron DeSantis’s when the Governor set the divisive Parental Rights in Education — commonly known as “Don’t Say Gay” — law in motion. While The Walt Disney Company didn’t immediately take a stance regarding the bill and its impact on Florida society, multiple Cast Member protests and social pressure forced The Walt Disney Company to release a statement supporting the LGBTQIA+ community.
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As The Walt Disney Company has repeatedly stated throughout media outlets, “Disney is committed to celebrating an inclusive, respectful world.” The company’s website states, “We create authentic and unforgettable stories, characters, experiences, and products that capture the imagination of our global audiences.”
This firm stance to promote diversity and inclusion has earned The Walt Disney Company the title of one of the most “woke” companies of recent years, with people online and even national news anchors attacking the company for “pushing woke garbage in our faces.”
Related: Why Disney Should Have Cast a Drag Queen in ‘The Little Mermaid’
Regardless of these attacks, The Walt Disney Company remains firm, pushing for better representation of minorities, including the LGBTQIA+ community, people of color, Latinos, and more throughout the Parks and the content the company continues to develop. The latest step towards inclusion is the debut of the first-ever after-hours Pride event. Disneyland After Dark: Pride Nite will debut at Disneyland in June, during Pride Month. You can click here to learn more about this upcoming event.
Why does Governor DeSantis want to dissolve Reedy Creek?
DeSantis considers his fixation on taking over the Reedy Creek Improvement District as retaliation for The Walt Disney Company’s firm stance against the “Don’t Say Gay” Bill, with the Governor plotting in secret and trying to outmaneuver the entertainment giant and its army of executives, high-priced lawyers and politically connected lobbyists for over a year.
The Florida State Legislature passed the legislation on April 20, officially dissolving Disney’s Reedy Creek Improvement District, effective this year. However, Governor Ron DeSantis’ plans are not unfolding quite like the politician would like them to.
What is the Reedy Creek Improvement District?
For those unaware of Governor DeSantis’ long-disputed trophy, Reedy Creek Improvement District is a special taxing district created by the Florida State Legislature, working with Walt Disney World Company, in 1967, that would act with the same authority and responsibility as a county government.
With the creation of the special district, Walt Disney World aimed to turn — with complete autonomy — 38.5 square miles of largely uninhabited pasture and swamp land into a global destination Resort that welcomes millions of visitors every year.
Per Reedy Creek’s official website, “The new legislation said that landowners within the Reedy Creek Improvement District, primarily Walt Disney World, would be solely responsible for paying the cost of providing typical municipal services like power, water, roads, fire protection etc.” This meant that local taxpayers, including Orange and Osceola County residents, would not have to pay for building or maintaining those services.
When did Governor DeSantis take over Reedy Creek?
Governor Ron DeSantis visited the Reedy Creek Fire Station to sign the legislation into law in February, effectively taking state control of Walt Disney World’s long-time self-governing district, appointing a board to take charge of the District and boldly stating, “There’s a new sheriff in town.”
However, DeSantis’ victory wouldn’t last long, as he was unaware of one of Disney’s last moves in the conflict that made the takeover backfire for the Florida Governor and his recently appointed board.
Disney’s “secret” maneuver to save Reedy Creek
While Disney did not actively feed the fire of the conflict since Ron DeSantis started it, the 100-year-old company would not sit with its arms crossed as the Florida politician took over. And The Walt Disney Company’s “last” move left Disney fans cheering for the British Royal Family while sparking a meme war across the internet and infuriating Governor DeSantis and his appointed board even more.
What did Disney do about the Reedy Creek takeover?
While many claim that Disney played dirty in the agreement with Ron DeSantis and his board, the company has stated that “All agreements signed between Disney and the district were appropriate and were discussed and approved in open, noticed public forums in compliance with Florida’s Government in the Sunshine law.” This means that the so-discussed “royal lives clause” should’ve been no surprise to Governor DeSantis and The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board.
Related: World Turns on DeSantis as Disney Plays its Greatest Trick Yet In Reedy Creek Battle
The “royal lives clause” is a legal contract clause that allows terms to be set for the lifetime of any descendants of the current reigning monarch, King Charles III, plus 21 years. This renders The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District effectively powerless – except for road and municipal maintenance – for the lifetime of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and most, if not all, of the United States politicians.
While the highly-debated clause thwarted the DeSantis-led takeover, for now, the Florida politician is not ready to give up, as the second-term governor said, “They can keep trying to do things, but, ultimately, we’re gonna win on every single issue involving Disney. I can tell you that,” during an event at the conservative Hillsdale College in Michigan.
Were Disney’s maneuvers truly “secret”?
Throughout the year-long conflict between Ron DeSantis and The Walt Disney Company, DeSantis has heavily relied on the element of surprise. “Nobody can see this coming,” DeSantis told a top Republican legislative leader as they planned a move against Disney last year, he recalled in his new book. However, it was the Governor who was caught off guard when Disney finally struck back.
“As DeSantis plotted in secret, Disney moved in the open,” stated CNN while reporting on the latest developments, adding that the development agreement had been approved over the course of two public meetings held two weeks apart earlier this year. CNN added that both meetings were noticed in the local Orlando newspaper and attended by about a dozen residents and media members. However, no member of the Governor’s office was present at either meeting.
“You spend all that energy and attention on Disney, and then no one minds the store?” said Aaron Goldberg, an author and Disney historian. “Disney was playing chess, and DeSantis was playing checkers.”
Theme park and entertainment journalist Scott Gustin tweeted, “They’re going to be even more angry to learn (again) everything they needed to know was available via public records, public meetings, and public notices before this bill passed.”
How is losing control of the board affecting Ron DeSantis’ image?
Ron DeSantis has built a political brand by going toe-to-toe with the businesses he identifies as “woke.” However, being outmaneuvered by The Walt Disney Company after over a year of struggles and devoting an entire chapter of his new autobiography to the company could undermine a central pillar of his story as he lays the foundations for a likely presidential campaign.
Some veteran Republican operatives in Tallahassee, Florida, exhausted by DeSantis’ high-profile cultural fights, were amused to see Disney having one-upped the Governor, according to a GOP source. Allies of former President Donald Trump have also poked holes in DeSantis’ narrative, with MAGA Inc. PAC spokesman Taylor Budowich tweeting that the governor “got out-negotiated by Mickey Mouse.” Other potential GOP contenders and Republicans have publicly raised objections to DeSantis’ targeting of a private business.
John Morgan, an influential Orlando-area trial lawyer, and Democratic donor often complimentary of DeSantis, said, “Disney gave him a lot of rope.” “They obviously tried to resolve it, but there was no stopping him because DeSantis wanted the fight. Disney always knew it had that trump card.”
So, what happens now?
While Ron DeSantis appears to have lost his edge and continues to gain criticism even from supporting — or former supporting — parties, the Florida Governor is not ready to give up on this tug-war.
DeSantis’ threats against Disney
The war over the Reedy Creek Improvement District is far from over, as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis vowed to win all battles against The Mouse and his Orlando-based theme parks in a recent interview. Some of the latest threats against Walt Disney World Resort and The Walt Disney Company include implementing hotel taxes and toll roads around the Central Florida theme parks — Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT — and Resorts, and the introduction of a “superior authority” to ensure a resolution in favor of DeSantis. “All I can say is that story’s not over yet,” DeSantis said. “Buckle up.”
On his end, Disney CEO Bob Iger has stated that the so-called battle is a matter of right or wrong. “We love the state of Florida, and I think that’s reflected in not only how much we’ve invested in the last 50 years but how much we’ve given back in the form of jobs and community service, taxes… tourism of course, and all sorts of other responsible business practice,” Iger said. “We’ve also always respected and appreciated what the state has done for us. It’s kind of been a two-way street.”
“We are the largest taxpayer in the state,” he continued. “…Our point on this is any action that thwarts those efforts simply to retaliate for a position the company took sounds not just anti-business, but it sounds anti-Florida.” “As long as I’m in the job, I’m going to continue to be guided by a sense of decency and respect and trust our instincts that when we do weigh in, we weigh in because the issue is truly relevant to our business and to the people that work for us,” he concluded.
What do you think of the ongoing battle against Governor Ron DeSantis and Disney over Reedy Creek? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments below!