Governor DeSantis Signs $2.5 Billion Disney World Highway Bill Into Law

in Walt Disney World

Ron DeSantis sitting in front of a flag.

Credit: Ron DeSantis

If you thought that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and the Walt Disney Company would remain mortal (legal) enemies after the recent surprise lawsuit settlement, we are pleased to report that the two seem to be getting along well enough for the politician to sign a massive $2.5 billion bill to expand the highway to Walt Disney World into law.

DeSantis smiling with an iconic fairy tale castle and a rainbow in the background.
Credit: Inside the Magic

Desantis and Disney…at Peace?

Until very recently, DeSantis and Disney were locked in courtroom conflict on a very public level. When a former presidential candidate and the world’s most powerful media company are engaged in multiple overlapping lawsuits and public insults, it attracts the world’s interest. The battle began (mostly) when former Disney CEO Bob Chapek spoke out against the Parental Rights in Education Act, more popularly known as the “Don’t Say Gay” law, a key component in the governor’s self-proclaimed battle against “wokeness.”

ron desantis (left) bob chapek (right)
Credit: Inside the Magic

In rapid success, Governor DeSantis dissolved the Reedy Creek Improvement District, the special tax area around Disney World that the company had essentially run as a privatized government for decades, and replaced it with the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD). He then stocked its board of supervisors with political allies like former administrator Glen Gilzean (who has gone on to manage elections in the county) and Moms for Liberty co-founder Bridget Ziegler, though there’s been something of a revolving door on staff of all kinds at the CFTOD.

Disney sued DeSantis and the CFTOD, claiming violations of its First Amendment rights, local politicians demanded the return of Reedy Creek, and the governor bizarrely claimed at different times that he was responsible for the tens of millions of tourists who visit Disney World every year and that he would turn the area into a state prison.

Ron DeSantis looking confused over old prison cells
Credit:  Inside the Magic

Related: Ahead of “Massive” Overhaul, Disney World To Change ‘Toy Story’

However, all of that is behind them now because Disney and the CFTOD board unexpectedly announced a settlement that would shelve all lawsuits and basically let bygones be bygones. DeSantis seems to be having a hard time not still jabbing at the Walt Disney Company at press conferences, but that’s still a lot better than when the two were battling out in state and federal courts.

Moving Florida Forward

Now, Governor DeSantis actually seems to be doing the Walt Disney Company a pretty huge favor by signing a new bill into law that will massively expand the infrastructure around Disney World.

Any visitor to the Walt Disney World Resort in the last few decades could tell you that one of the biggest difficulties of a trip to Magic Kingdom is the transportation. When 58 million people visit a theme park a year, there is bound to be some congestion, and things around Disney World have gotten pretty bad.

Traffic on Interstate 4 in Florida
Credit: Andrew Heneen via Wikimedia Commons

Orlando International Airport (MCO), the hub for air travel into the theme park, has been increasingly overwhelmed by the sheer volume of Disney travelers in recent years. During this recent Spring Break, the airport had to warn travelers to arrive hours before their flight, even if it was domestic, and things haven’t gotten any better since.

The other main travel route to Disney World is the Interstate 4 Highway, which passes through Osceola County and is listed on the official Disney World Directions & Parking page as a primary entry point for points of origin like:

  • Atlanta, GA
  • I-75 South to Florida’s Turnpike South toward Orlando to Interstate 4 West to Walt Disney World Resort Exits
  • Boston, MA
  • I-95 South to I-4 West to Walt Disney World Exits
  • Chicago, IL
  • I-65 South to I-24 East I-75 South to Florida’s Turnpike South toward Orlando to Interstate 4 West to Walt Disney World Resort Exits
  • Columbia, SC
  • I-26 East to I-95 South to I-4 West to Walt Disney World Exits
  • Dallas, TX
  • I-20 East to I-49 South to I-10 East to I-75 South to Florida’s Turnpike South toward Orlando to Interstate 4 West to Walt Disney World Resort Exits

Unfortunately, I-4 is also increasingly bogged down with non-Disney commercial and commuter traffic. It is also prone to being shut down due to vehicular accidents, fires, and even high-speed police chases.

That might be about to change because Governor DeSantis (per Florida’s Voice) just signed a bill that will commit a whopping $2.5 billion to expand I-4 around Disney World. The bill (HB 1301) was introduced by State Representatives Shane Abbott (R-Defuniak Springs) and Kimberly Berfield (R-Clearwater) as part of the Moving Florida Forward initiative, which is using state surplus funds to relieve traffic congestion.

Disney World Gates
Credit: Inside The Magic

According to the initiative’s site:

[The] Moving Florida Forward Infrastructure Initiative focuses on critical improvements to ensure that transportation infrastructure can meet the demands of current and future residents and visitors, including investments in major interstates and arterial roadways to ensure people and goods can move safely throughout the state.

With the $4 billion dedicated for Moving Florida Forward’s initiative and the Department’s work program, FDOT’s total budget for the next 5 years totals over $68 Billion in transportation investments.

Ron DeSantis has now committed the bulk of Moving Florida Forward’s funds to upgrade the highway that acts as a direct funnel to Disney World, a theme park to which he still refuses to bring his children after the lawsuits.

Related: Massive New Theme Park Threatens to Open Immediately Outside Disney World

Despite that, DeSantis said, “[S]ome of these projects are going to be started and/or completed 10 to 20 years ahead of schedule in some instances. We want to make sure that the congestion is relieved and we are starting that now,” DeSantis added. “I can announce that 14.7 miles of I-4 widening from U.S. 27 in Polk County through Champions Gate to the Osceola Parkway and Osceola County will begin construction this year.”

Considering that DeSantis also renewed a program that will give high-traffic motorists (like visitors to Disney) a break on toll fees, it’s starting to seem like Disney has found a new friend.

Do you think DeSantis and Disney will be able to cooperate in the remaining months of the governor’s term? Tell Inside the Magic your thoughts in the comments!

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