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Credit: Inside the MagicElon Musk called out The Walt Disney Company, this time referring to the company’s founder, Walt Disney himself.
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In a recent interview, Musk asked what Walt Disney would think of the Disney company today, theorizing it would not be positive at all. Elon Musk has been extremely outspoken with regard to his views on The Walt Disney Company lately. Earlier this year, Disney, along with dozens of other high-profile companies, began a small boycott of Musk’s X platform (formerly Twitter) due to Musk’s controversial comments.
For years, Twitter acted as the primary social media site for journalists and users interested in news-focused content. Twitter was also full of your typical social media content like viral videos and personal status updates that you couldn’t care less about, but Twitter had a leg up on the competition, prioritizing news and allowing users to share and interact with world events in unprecedented ways. This core method of communication and discovery of news hasn’t changed, but Elon certainly hasn’t made things easier during his very brief tenure as owner and CEO, changing nearly everything about the site.
Musk has been known for being controversial, but his recent comments on X proved to be too far. Musk responded to an incredibly insensitive remark regarding Jewish people made by a user on the platform. This is far from the first questionable or even downright racist thing Musk has said, but this proved to be far more egregious considering the context and timeframe of when he said it. Musk immediately faced a string of backlash, which included the corporate boycott of X. The Walt Disney Company halted most posts on the platform for over a week until it returned.
However, much like Disney’s standing with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Elon and Disney’s relationship seems strained beyond repair, with Musk coming after Disney consistently since the boycott.
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In a new interview with Munro Live, Musk asks, “You have to wonder: what would Walt Disney think of the company that is his namesake today?”
The full clip is linked below, as shared by Mickey Views
In a new Munro Live interview, Tesla CEO Elon Musk says “you have to wonder: what would Walt Disney think of the company that is his namesake today?”
Adding, “I think Walt Disney is turning in his grave faster than a drill bit.” pic.twitter.com/xQ4XLZfAho
— Mickey Views (@MickeyViews) December 8, 2023
This is a question many fans of The Walt Disney Company ask themselves, with Disney evolving into one of, if not the most popular and influential brand in history. What started as a small production company has morphed into a company responsible for countless iconic films, multiple cruise ships, hundreds of hotels, and several different theme parks.
Over the last several decades, The Walt Disney Company has grown into one of the biggest companies in the entire world. Fans of the company can experience the brand in a multitude of ways, with Disney owning and operating multiple theme park resorts all across the globe, with locations in Asia, Europe, and North America. These resorts include the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, Disneyland in California, Tokyo Disneyland in Japan, Shanghai Disneyland and Hong Kong Disneyland in China, and Disneyland Paris in France. Each one of these destinations is incredible in its own way, and we truly envy guests who have been able to visit all of them.
As we mentioned earlier, The Walt Disney Company also owns several cruise ships, with its fleet now totaling five different ships: Disney Magic, Disney Wonder, Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy, and Disney Wish. The fleet is expected to grow significantly in the coming years, with the Disney Treasure on the way, as well as a new ship Disney purchased from the defunct Genting Hong Kong cruise line. This marked the first time Disney purchased a partially complete cruise ship from a third party.
However, Elon Musk does not think Walt would be very happy with the company, stating that “Walt Disney is turning in his grave faster than a drill bit.” There’s no denying just how influential Walt Disney was as a businessman and a creator, creating a company capable of providing magical moments that have affected billions of people, but Elon seems to think Disney has strayed too far from Walt’s original intention.
Disney has achieved an incredible amount of success but has also faced quite a lot of challenges and struggles. Aside from failures within Disney’s fleet of theme parks, like the permanent closure of Walt Disney World’s multi-million dollar Star Wars hotel, Disney has become embroiled in politics, whether it intended to or not.
Walt Disney World’s Galactic Starcruiser acted as a miniature cruise experience for guests visiting the Walt Disney World Resort. The “resort” offered guests a three-day, two-night Star Wars experience, complete with life shows, walkaround characters, and a storyline they could fully immerse in during their voyage. This experience also connected directly to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, creating an even more immersive story for guests to live in. The experience was incredibly expensive and incredibly short-lived, only operating from March 2022 to September 2023. The project reportedly cost Disney around $400 million, with the company announcing that it plans to use the project as a lesson. Disney also plans to use the defunct experience as a tax write-off.
Disney’s recent film releases have sparked outrage from the right-leaning aisle, with many critics accusing The Walt Disney Company of going “woke.” This is a term that has essentially lost all meaning in 2023, but this doesn’t stop the word from being hurled in Disney’s direction. Recent releases from both Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios have sparked controversy and outrage, with many parents becoming more hesitant to show their children Disney films. In 2022, Disney faced a plethora of backlash over Turning Red and Strange World, two animated movies that leaned more into adult topics and themes than past Disney projects. Lightyear also proved to be quite controversial, with the film featuring a same-sex kiss. This sparked huge amounts of backlash despite lasting less than a second and being incredibly easy to miss. The outrage to this scene honestly seemed silly, but as a moment that was supposed to feel “inclusive,” it sort of just fell flat, with Disney failing to fully commit and shoving the scene in a corner at the end of the film.
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As we stated earlier, Disney had a special relationship with the state of Florida, with the two parties forming a symbiotic relationship that has benefited both sides for decades. However, this all came crashing down after Gov. DeSantis threatened to take away Disney’s protections and special treatment within the state. As we know now, DeSantis was successful with Disney’s long control of its Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID). The state of Florida now owns the district Walt Disney World resides in, with Gov. Ron DeSantis hand-picking a new board to oversee it, called the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.
These actions were prompted by The Walt Disney Company’s actions in 2022, when it spoke out against Florida’s highly controversial and problematic Parental Rights in Education Act, or the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. This bill has been talked about to the point of exhaustion since it was first introduced, but it still remains just as divisive. As stated by NPR, “The legislation prohibits any instruction about sexuality or gender between kindergarten and third grade, or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.”
Disney was far from the only company to speak out against the bill, but it was certainly one of the biggest, with former CEO Bob Chapek crafting a response that would prove to not please anyone.
The sentiment that Disney needs to stay out of politics is one that many conservatives have embraced, not just DeSantis. Disney has been the target of many attacks from conservative figures for a multitude of reasons. Several high-profile figures attempted to strip Disney of its “no-fly zones” inside its Disneyland and Walt Disney World theme parks. Earlier this year, Inside the Magic reported that several big-name congressional figures were trying to remove Walt Disney World’s “No-Fly” zone. In 2022, Congressman Troy Nehls (R) of Texas’ 22nd Congressional District began advocating for the removal of “No-Fly Zones” over Walt Disney World and Disneyland — the only two theme parks in the country with such restrictions. After almost a year without momentum, Nehls reintroduced the bill in 2023.
“I’m proud to reintroduce my bill, the Airlines Independent of Restrictions (AIR) Act, in the 118th Congress to revoke Disney’s special no-fly zone privileges,” stated Nehls. “Theme parks like Disney should not receive special treatment just because they are well-connected. Our national security should not be compromised to fit the needs of one corporation.”
Despite a small “victory” in Florida, Gov. DeSantis has not slowed down his attacks against The Walt Disney Company. Since the state officially took control of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, DeSantis has threatened to strip away even more of Disney’s special rights and privileges. One of these threats saw DeSantis specifically target the Monorail service at the Walt Disney World Resort. The Monorail is one of the most iconic parts of the resort and can also be found at other Disney resorts around the world, such as Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland.
It’s a fun and unique way to traverse the massive Orlando resort and has become synonymous with the word “Disney.” However, earlier in 2023, DeSantis threatened to make changes to how Disney would be able to conduct inspections of its Monorail system as well as rides and attractions scattered throughout the Florida theme parks.
DeSantis also teased his idea of building a new Florida state prison right next to the Walt Disney World Resort, a move that would certainly take away from Disney World’s “magical” atmosphere and aesthetic. The Walt Disney World Resort is known as “The Most Magical Place on Earth,” after all, and DeSantis knows this.
All of the fighting and political battles are quite interesting when you remember just how beneficial Disney and Florida’s relationship has been for the last several decades. The two parties formed a symbiotic relationship that provided the state with billions in tourism dollars and provided Florida natives valuable jobs. In return, Florida allowed Disney to own and operate its Walt Disney World theme park resort with as few headaches as possible, thanks to the now-defunct Reedy Creek Improvement District.
The Walt Disney Company did not back down without a fight, however, as it filed multiple lawsuits shortly after losing control of the RCID. Disney sued both Florida and Gov. DeSantis, citing various violations, including violation of its First Amendment rights. The two parties met in court for the first time this week. DeSantis and his team seek to get the federal lawsuit placed against him dismissed. Only time will tell what happens as a result of the two lawsuits, but it’s safe to say that much like Elon Musk, Disney and the state of Florida are on incredibly thin ice.
The Walt Disney Company will also be transforming internally in the coming years, with Bob Iger set to step down as CEO for the final time in 2026. Iger stepped back into the role of CEO in late 2022 after Disney revealed it had terminated Bob Chapek’s contract. Chapek became CEO of Disney in early 2020, possibly the worst time someone could take on a role as large as CEO of The Walt Disney Company. In the short time, Chapek led the company, he became one of the most divisive and controversial leaders in Disney’s history, if not the most divisive and controversial. Bob Iger agreed to step back in as CEO for a few short years until Disney could find a true successor. At this time, there are several possibilities, but no one has been confirmed or even mentioned by Disney.
What do you think about Disney’s relationship with Elon Musk and Gov. Ron DeSantis? Do you think there’s a way they can all rebuild their relationships?