Disney is suing Florida Governor, Ron DeSantis, and the new Disney board, which he appointed, after DeSantis declared Disney’s actions to keep control of their special district illegal and instituted a new board to oversee Disney’s land in Florida.
This all began when Governor DeSantis passed the Parental Rights in Education Act, which critics call the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill. This bill states “Classroom instruction… sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur…in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate” This bill was recently implemented for all students in Florida, from kindergarten to high school. Due to the public outcry, Disney publicly denounced the bill and the governor’s actions, thus beginning the feud between both parties.
Currently, Disney has a portion of land in Florida, known as the Reedy Creek Improvement District, where the theme parks such as Epcot, Disney World, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios reside. In the district, there is a board that oversees everything, which is appointed by Disney. Disney has been in control of the district since 1967 and the board is in charge of sewage and streets and can levy additional taxes on top of the state ones. DeSantis sought to remove the special privileges by creating a bill that would give him the power to appoint a new board that oversees the district.
After the bill passed, Disney created a contract that would give the Disney board power again. This granted the board the right to review any changes to the property within its limits and that they wouldn’t lose this power until ”21 years after the death of the last survivor of the descendants of King Charles III, King of England.” In response, DeSantis claimed Disney’s actions were illegal and the new board was put in place. Disney sued DeSantis claiming a “targeted campaign of government retaliation” and that they violated the Contract Clause in the Constitution as well as the first amendment: right to freedom of speech. Disney, in the lawsuit, stated that they planned to invest $17 billion at Walt Disney World over the next decade, noting “development and investment of this magnitude cannot effectively take place when it can be nullified or undermined at the whim of new political leadership”. According to the Contract Clause, there must be a change in the situation on why the new board is taking over, which Disney claims that DeSantis’s board is punishing due to them denouncing the governor’s actions. DeSantis told Bob Chapek, Disney’s past CEO, that the company “shouldn’t get involved”, “it will not work out well for you”, and publicly stated that he “would not bend a knee to woke [Disney]executives in California”, would put a state prison in the district, and a government investigation into Disney.
After Disney announced that they were suing DeSantis, the DeSantis board counter-sued, also under the Contract Clause. They state that the special district “surrenders an essential attribute to its sovereignty”, which is why they have the right to control the land once more.
In response to the feud, NC Senator Micheal K. Garret proposed the “Mickey’s Freedom Restoration Act”, which would give Disney the same special privileges as the company in North Carolina. If passed, the state will appoint a committee that is focused on convincing The Walt Disney Company to move the theme parks and develop them in NC. This would increase tourism in the state and increase the money that could be used for many state projects, including infrastructure.
With all of this to come, the country will be watching to see if DeSantis will win against Disney, as he is expected to run for president in 2024. Who will win? The Man or The Mouse?