Disney is expressing its intentions of staying “quiet” when it comes to politics.

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The Walt Disney Company has been notably very outspoken when it comes to political issues recently, with the biggest example being Disney’s current battle against the state of Florida and Gov. Ron DeSantis. This feud dates back to 2022, when Disney, which was then under the guidance of CEO Bob Chapek, publicly denounced Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Act. This triggered an alarm for DeSantis and other conservatives nationwide, opening a can of worms that Disney is still trying to close back to this day.
Disney faced scrutiny online, at its theme parks, and on Wall Street as a result, with DeSantis becoming Disney’s primary enemy. DeSantis threatened to strip Walt Disney World of its Reedy Creek Improvement District, a special ruling that allowed the massive Orlando resort to act as its own form of government. This allowed Disney to move a lot more smoothly in Florida, employing its own groups of people and starting and finishing projects a lot faster.
Disney did eventually lose access to this special ruling, with Florida and DeSantis creating a new district called the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD).

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As a result of this decision, both Florida and Disney have sued each other. The results of these lawsuits remain to be seen, but it’s very obvious Disney is not planning on backing down. However, a new report from Reuters suggests Disney will be second-guessing its political statements in the future.
According to an investor note from the Walt Disney World investor summit, Disney CEO Bob Iger claimed that the company would “quiet the noise” in the current culture war. The Walt Disney Company has been labeled just about every demeaning and heinous word you can think of recently. Those on the far right have blasted Disney as a “woke” company, with many extremists going as far as to call Disney “groomers.”
Part of this culture war also revolves around Disney’s theme parks, more specifically, an iconic ride that recently closed.

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Disney revealed its decision to close both Splash Mountain attractions at Disneyland and Walt Disney World several years ago, but the backlash is just as hot. Splash Mountain is one of Disney’s most iconic rides, being found on both coasts as well as Tokyo Disneyland. The log flume ride has entertained guests for decades, featuring multiple drops, legendary music, and a wide assortment of animatronics.
Disney’s plans are exciting, though, with Walt Disney Imagineering giving the ride a brand new look, story, and theme based on Disney’s 2009 animated classic, The Princess and the Frog. This is a franchise that has desperately needed a larger park presence, so we’re honestly quite excited to see the finished product. The new ride is called Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and will open sometime in 2024 at both Disneyland Park in Disneyland and Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World.

It may be a smart move for The Walt Disney Company and its executives to stay quiet on current-day culture wars, but with a company as large as Disney, it may prove to be rather challenging. It seems like these days, political and societal issues are being brought to Disney’s front door, literally.
Over the course of the summer, we’ve seen multiple protests form outside one of the entrances to Walt Disney World, all of which included white supremacist symbols and rhetoric. Disney’s future looks bright, especially when looking at the recent announcements made by Bob Iger and Disney Parks, Experiences & Products Chairmen Josh D’Amaro regarding theme park expansion. Disney is reportedly ready to spend a whopping $60 billion in its theme park division over the course of the next decade, and we could not be more excited to see where the company takes us.
What do you think about the current direction of The Walt Disney Company?