Settlement Reached in Disney-DeSantis Lawsuit: A Comprehensive Overview
Allies of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and the Disney corporation reached a settlement agreement on Wednesday, resolving a lawsuit over the control of Walt Disney World’s governing district, the Reedy Creek Improvement District.
The settlement was approved by the members of the board of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, marking the end of nearly two years of intense litigation.
The Origin of the Dispute
The disagreement between both parties was sparked by DeSantis’ takeover of the Reedy Creek Improvement district from the Disney corporation following the company’s opposition to Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law.
This law, passed in 2022, bans classroom lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity in early grades and has been spoken about frequently by both parties.
DeSantis, who championed the law, used Disney as a punching bag in speeches until he suspended campaign for the presidential election earlier this year.
The Takeover and Its Aftermath
In retaliation for Disney’s opposition to the law, DeSantis took over the governing district of the Disney parks through legislation passed by the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature and appointed a new board of supervisors.
This greatly disrupted the Disney World business, as the governing district is utilized to conduct business matters for the sprawling theme parks that consist of 25,000 acres.
Disney sued DeSantis and his appointees, claiming the company’s free speech rights were violated for speaking out against the legislation. However, a federal judge dismissed that lawsuit in January and the dispute has been ongoing.
The Controversial Agreements
Before control of the district changed hands from Disney allies to DeSantis appointees early last year, Disney supporters on its board signed agreements with Disney shifting control over design and construction at Disney World to the company, effectively giving the company controlling power of their governing district.
This was seen as an unorthodox move to outsiders, and many thought that this gave the company too much power in their overall operations. The new DeSantis appointees claimed these “eleventh-hour deals”
neutered their powers and the district sued the company in state court in Orlando to have the contracts voided.
Disney’s Counterclaims
In response to the lawsuit, Disney filed counterclaims that include asking the state court to declare the previous agreements valid and enforceable. This move marked another significant turn in the ongoing legal battle between the entertainment giant and the Florida governor.
But as DeSantis stepped down from the presidential campaign, he started committing more time to this fight with Disney.
The settlement agreement marks the end of a contentious period in the relationship between Disney and the Florida government. It remains to be seen how this resolution will impact the future operations of Walt Disney World and its relationship with the state government.
DeSantis still has two years left on his term as governor, giving him plenty of time to retaliate again. As the dust settles, all eyes will be on the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District for future actions.