Disney Asks Court To Dismiss DeSantis’ Lawsuit

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Governor DeSantis looking at Disney World Castle; The end of Disney in Florida?

Credit: Inside the Magic

The feud between Walt Disney World and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis shows no signs of stopping, and the battle has been taken to court before the lawsuit hearings even begin.

By now, we’re sure you’ve heard all about this ongoing volley. However, if you haven’t, here’s a quick recap. Shortly after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis passed the Parental Rights in Education Act, or “Don’t Say Gay” Bill, Disney spoke out against the legislation for being hateful toward members of the LGBTQ+ community. The Governor responded by moving to dismantle Walt Disney World’s special tax district, the Reedy Creek Improvement District, which has been in place since the property opened and allows the Resort to conduct things like construction, infrastructure, and emergency response largely on their own.

BREAKING: Governor Ron DeSantis Annihilates Reedy Creek and Disney With New Bill Signed
Credit: Inside The Magic

DeSantis installed a new board, the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, but just as they took over, it was discovered that Disney had made an agreement with the previous board that stripped the organization of any power for several decades (actually by using a bizarre clause involving King Charles III). DeSantis responded by continuing his retaliation against the company, including threatening to build a prison on Disney property, taking control over the property’s monorail system, and eventually moving to dissolve the aforementioned agreement.

Disney responded to this by suing the Governor and the new board in federal court for violating their First Amendment rights and alleging that this is a clearly targeted attack against them for expressing a political opinion. They cited several comments and actions from the Governor, including several pages of his own memoir. The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District then responded by voting to sue at the state level.

Alright, are you all caught up? Let’s get to today.

Reedy Creek Disney Lawsuit
Credit: CBS News

Tuesday, May 16, Disney asked a Florida court to dismiss the opposing suit by the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District. The court filing argues that the lawsuit has been rendered moot after DeSantis signed a bill that voided Disney’s development deals, essentially fulfilling the same action that the board is trying to take with the suit.

The governor’s move “makes any order this Court could issue — in either party’s favor — legally irrelevant,” Disney’s lawyers wrote. Disney actually expanded their lawsuit following the signing of this bill, citing it as further proof of targeted retaliation for expressing a political opinion.

Governor Ron DeSantis Claims New Bill ‘Born’ Out of Disney’s ‘Arrogance'

In March, the board accused Disney of crafting “11th-hour” development deals intended to thwart their power over the area. Disney disputes this, arguing that the contracts were crafted to help lock in its long-term development plans, as well as the fact that the agreements were signed in a public hearing and approved by the new board members.

The board has yet to comment on this recent action. This is an ongoing story, so stay tuned to Inside the Magic for more details.

 

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