Credit: Inside the MagicThe battle between Walt Disney World Resort and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is heating up.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and The Walt Disney Company have been enthralled in a battle for nearly two years following the decision to remove Disney’s self-governance in the Reedy Creek Improvement District and replace it with the state-supported Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.
As the two entities have been awaiting what might happen next, there are now three major developments that indicate DeSantis now has much more attention on Walt Disney World Resort moving forward.
First, Disney vs. DeSantis, which was filed in April 2023, was just thrown out by a U.S. Judge, proving a major victory for the Florida Governor. However, Disney has indicated it will appeal its case to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. Though the case will be appealed, it was a clear victory for DeSantis and gives the Governor more legal ground to stand on as his Central Florida Tourism Oversight District continues its governance in Disney World.
Jeremy Redfern, the press secretary for Governor DeSantis, issued a statement following the victory, which can be read below:
“The Corporate Kingdom is over. The days of Disney controlling its own government and being placed above the law are long gone. The federal court’s decision made it clear that Governor DeSantis was correct: Disney is still just one of many corporations in the state, and they do not have a right to their own special government. In short – as long predicted, case dismissed.”
Second, DeSantis officially dropped out of the race for U.S. President. Though he was considered to be one of the more popular Republican candidates, the Florida Governor officially removed his name from the running, leaving the Republican spot as a two-candidate race between heavy favorite Donald Trump and former S.C. Governor Nikki Haley.
Finally, the Florida Department of Transportation has begun its inspection of the Disney Monorails. Nothing major is expected to happen that will affect guests visiting Magic Kingdom and EPCOT, which use the monorails, but the findings of this inspection will surely serve as yet another development in the saga of Disney and DeSantis.
As the lawsuit has been dismissed and DeSantis has his full attention back on the state of Florida, it’s clear that this saga isn’t over yet.