Janice R. Andrews
Disney and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis have reached a mutually agreeable resolution, marking a significant breakthrough in their long-running feud.
The resolution, which brings an end to a multi-year disagreement, was approved by the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, which is in charge of overseeing the special tax district in which Disney is located.
The battle began in March 2022 when Bob Chapek, the CEO of Disney at the time, openly denounced a controversial measure known as “Don’t Say Gay.” The bill limited the types of lessons that could be taught in schools about gender identity and sexual orientation. In response, Governor DeSantis created the Central Florida Tourism District to manage Disney’s territory. This move set off a string of court cases and heated exchanges between the state and the entertainment behemoth.
Disney would drop its case against the special tax district, which claimed that the company had violated Florida law by withholding public data, in accordance with the conditions of the deal. Disney now has more room to negotiate new contracts that would be advantageous to its regional development goals as a result of this action.
Furthermore, both parties have decided to forgo pursuing state court cases against one another in favor of settling their issues amicably and without acknowledging any culpability or wrongdoing.
Governor DeSantis celebrated the settlement, calling it a win for Disney as well as for Florida, and he hinted that it would make Disney more competitive with respect to nearby Universal Orlando.
Jeff Vahle, president of Walt Disney World, responded by expressing his happiness that the lawsuit has come to a conclusion and reaffirmed his commitment to working together to improve the attractions in Central Florida.
Disney and Governor DeSantis will no longer be significantly distracted going forward as a result of the long-running dispute being resolved. But it comes right before another big fight for Disney, as billionaire activist Nelson Peltz, who is critical of the company’s leadership and management choices, is attempting to secure two board seats at the next shareholder meeting.
With the deal, Disney and Florida have closed a bitter chapter and opened the door to future cooperation and expansion of the tourism industry in the state.
