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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis waged war on Walt Disney World Resort in 2022. After former Disney CEO Bob Chapek went against his warning and denounced the “Don’t Say Gay” law (officially titled the Parental Rights in Education Act), the Republican Governor passed legislation to dissolve the Reedy Creek Improvement District. DeSantis hand-selected board members for its replacement, the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD), that took over in February.
But Disney wasn’t ready to give up. The Reedy Creek board quietly passed a resolution to effectively make itself powerless for decades, handing little control to DeSantis’s committee. When DeSantis retaliated by threatening hotel taxes and new construction around Walt Disney World Resort, the House of Mouse sued him for violating its First Amendment rights. The CFTOD board countersued and voted to override Reedy Creek’s hasty resolution.
This week, impacted Celebration, Florida, residents spoke to CNN about their thoughts on DeSantis’s battle against Disney. Most of them were Republicans, but many were against their Governor’s crusade against the largest employer in the state.
“I’d love to be able to vote for a Republican, but he’s not winning me over with this,” said Teri Hohentanner. “It’s disappointing, number one, and the timing of it seems very retaliatory… almost a little bit of a pissing match, quite honestly.”
“Disney reacted the way I felt like they should have reacted,” said Independent voter Sally Moore. “Then to keep going with it and be spiteful about it on DeSantis’s part, I just think he’s looking like a fool.”
One resident who called himself a former DeSantis supporter called the battle a “waste of time and money.”
Just nine of thirty residents interviewed by CNN supported DeSantis, and only one agreed to speak on camera.
“I think that Disney’s had too much power from the very beginning,” Ann Fitzpatrick said. “I have agreed with every battle he has taken on… Disney is not unimportant. They control so much here.”
Share your thoughts on the battle between Walt Disney World Resort’s Reedy Creek and Ron DeSantis with Inside the Magic in the comments.