The governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, has significantly altered the way the state and Disney's relationship works, as he believes that the company has excessive control. This is a detailed chronology of the ongoing conflict between the state of Florida and Disney World.
February 2022: The Parental Rights In Education Act
The Florida legislature passed the Parental Rights in Education Act in 2022. This law restricted the content teachers could discuss in public schools, particularly on sexual orientation and gender identity. Critics nicknamed the legislation "Don't Say Gay," as it hindered teachers' ability to recognize these class topics.
The Walt Disney Company is the biggest employer in Florida, and some people hoped they would use their power to influence public opinion and the politicians they had donated to by speaking out against the bill. However, the former CEO, Bob Chapek, initially tried to avoid getting involved in politics.
March 2022: The Walkout, The Passing of 'Don't Say Gay and Disney Speaks
On March 8, 2022, Bob Chapek spoke out against the law and apologized to cast members on March 11 for not doing so earlier, announcing a pause in all political donations in Florida. However, some Cast Members were unsatisfied, leading to a company-wide strike on March 22.
The law, passed by a mostly conservative legislature, was signed by Governor Ron DeSantis on March 28. Despite this, Disney made its most forceful statement yet, denouncing the law and pledging to aid in the effort to have it overturned.
April 2022: The Threat to End The Reedy Creek Improvement
Governor DeSantis was unhappy with Disney's criticism of Florida's laws. He and some important lawmakers discussed possibly removing the Reedy Creek Improvement District because they believed it gave Disney too many advantages.
Eventually, a law was passed on April 22 that dissolved the district. However, there were concerns about this decision because RCID gave Disney more power than other theme park companies and involved various responsibilities that would now fall on the state.
June 2022: Disney Delays Cast Member Relocation
Before the chaos of recent times, The Walt Disney Company had announced plans to construct a new campus in the Lake Nona region of Florida. Most of Walt Disney Imagineering, along with 2,000 other Cast Members, were expected to relocate there by 2023.
However, progress appeared to be slower than anticipated by the summer of 2022, and the Imagineering move was postponed until 2026. Although the reason for the delay was not explicitly stated, some speculated that issues in Florida may have contributed to it.
February 2023: Disney Gets More Authority Over Significant Portion of the Land
To avoid any negative effects that could have resulted from eliminating Reedy Creek in Florida, the government proposed a new bill on February 6 that would establish a new governing board to replace it.
Governor DeSantis would select the members of this board. Since it was likely that the bill would be approved, the Reedy Creek Improvement District organized a public meeting on February 8, 2023.
During this meeting, Disney and the board agreed to grant Walt Disney World more authority over a significant portion of the land in the district.
On February 27, 2023, Ron DeSantis signed a new law that replaced the Reedy Creek Improvement District with the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.
The Republican governor would select the new district's board and share his beliefs. Initially, it needed to be clarified how the new board would differ from the previous governing body. However, it took little time for conflicts to arise.
April 2023: Central Florida Tourism Oversight District Discovers The Disney World Land Deal
The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District had its inaugural meeting on March 8, 2023, but during the second meeting in April, tensions began to rise. During the break between meetings, the newly formed board discovered a land agreement between RCID and Walt Disney World that the board needed help to reverse.
The agreement didn't completely take away the authority of CFTOD, but it did significantly reduce it. This upset the board and Governor DeSantis, and they expressed their intention to explore legal options to reverse the decision. In a speech the following day, DeSantis hinted at possibly constructing a prison on Disney World land in Florida. Disney chose to take the matter to court on their terms when it became evident that legal action was inevitable.
In late April, Disney sued Governor DeSantis and the CFTOD members in their official capacities, alleging that the state's actions were a deliberate form of retaliation against Disney for exercising its right to free speech under the First Amendment. Disney contended that the new laws only affected the special district covering Walt Disney World, which is unfair.
May 2023: The Latest Happenings
Florida has taken action against Disney World by filing a lawsuit and passing a new law. The CFTOD filed a countersuit, arguing that the Disney/Reedy Creek deal was unfair and approved by a government controlled by Disney. Governor DeSantis signed a law that changed the rules of the deal between Reedy Creek and Disney, allowing the new board to cancel the agreement.
Despite the ongoing legal battle between Reedy Creek and Disney World, Florida's governor DeSantis signed a transportation bill on May 11, 2023, that includes the Disney World Monorail. The bill allows Florida to inspect the monorail, which Disney World previously did. However, this only applies to the monorail and no other transportation systems. This new language in the bill ensures that there will be no impact on any other transportation system except for the Disney World monorail.
CFTOD sued Disney over a land agreement, but the government passed a law allowing the board to undo the deal. Now, Disney is asking for the lawsuit to be dismissed because the law makes the outcome of the lawsuit irrelevant. Even if Disney wins, it can't do anything differently because the law still applies. Disney has been focusing on reducing costs and restructuring its entertainment division, resulting in thousands of layoffs between March and May 2023.
Despite announcing plans to move 2,000 Cast Members, including Walt Disney Imagineering, to Florida, the company has abandoned the plan due to the unfavorable business climate in Florida. This is a significant shift from when the move was first announced, with Florida's business-friendly environment being cited as a reason for the relocation.
Judge Mark Walker is overseeing the legal disputes between Disney and Florida. Still, his position is in jeopardy as Florida has filed a motion to remove him from the case. Florida argues that Judge Walker has shown bias toward Disney due to his previous comments on the Disney special district issue. The decision on Judge Walker's removal is pending, and until then, the case is on hold as no further rulings can be made.
