There could be MAJOR changes on the horizon for Disney…or, at least, some major changes are being threatened.
Disney World
Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Bill (what critics call the “Don’t Say Gay” bill) has spurred a lot of discussion. We’ve seen Disney make a number of responses to the Bill — most recently, issuing a statement in response to the Bill’s passage into law, which Florida’s Governor then issued a response to. Now, it seems all of this talk has generated interest in Disney’s operations in the state and a KEY aspect of how they do things in Florida could be at risk.
What’s Happening?
Recently, we shared that Spencer Roach, a Republican Representative in Florida’s House of Representatives (representing District 79) posted a message on Twitter about Disney, Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, and future actions that appear to be in discussion.
According to Representative Roach’s Twitter post, some Florida legislators have met twice in one week to talk about potentially repealing the 1967 Reedy Creek Improvement Act (the “Act”), an act that “allows Disney to act as its own government.”
In the Tweet, Roach said, “If Disney wants to embrace woke ideology, it seems fitting that they should be regulated by Orange County.” In an interview, Roach also “called Reedy Creek ‘the largest tax evasion scam in Florida history, if not U.S. history.'” (NBC News)
Yesterday was the 2nd meeting in a week w/fellow legislators to discuss a repeal of the 1967 Reedy Creek Improvement Act, which allows Disney to act as its own government. If Disney wants to embrace woke ideology, it seems fitting that they should be regulated by Orange County. pic.twitter.com/6sj29Gj6Wz
— SpencerRoach (@SpencerRoachFL) March 30, 2022
Instead, the Governor said that the repeal of the Act could form just a part of a larger effort to strip Disney of what DeSantis calls “special privileges” in the State.
©Deadline
DeSantis stated, “I would not say that that’d be retaliatory. I mean, the way I view it is, you know, there are certain entities that have exerted a lot of influence through corporate means to generate special privileges in the law…I don’t think we should have special privileges in the law at all.” (Click Orlando)
In a news conference, DeSantis also discussed Disney’s influence in the state and an instance where an exception to a certain law was carved out for the Company, according to DeSantis. (But the Orlando Sentinel points out that public records show DeSantis’ legislative affairs director “served as a liaison between Disney and lawmakers” to craft the language for that bill he referred to).
DeSantis shared, “I think that’s one of the reasons they’ve got so far over their skis on this on this parental rights stuff, because I think they’re used to having their way and they’re not used to having people that will stand in their way and say, ‘Actually, the state of Florida is going to be governed by the best interest of the people in Florida’…You know, we’re certainly not going to bend a knee to woke executives in California. That is not the way the state’s going to be run.”
©Fox10 News | Florida Governor Ron DeSantis
According to the Orlando Sentinel, DeSantis has followed up these comments by indicating that he would be “receptive” to the idea of making changes to Disney’s self-governing situation. DeSantis said, “As the governor, I could be presented with changes to that…And I think I’ve said I’d be receptive to that. But ultimately, the Legislature would have to move forward. So I know that there’s a lot of discussion about that. And we’ll just see how that shakes out.”
DeSantis clarified, however, that the various tax breaks Disney has been awarded by the state, apply to businesses equally and he is not looking to end those. (Orlando Sentinel)
DeSantis also spoke about one part of the Reedy Creek Improvement Act, specifically the portion that would allow Disney to decide on its own to build a nuclear power plant. DeSantis stated, “I was shocked to see some of the stuff that’s in there. They could do their own nuclear power plant. Is there any other private company in the state that can just build a nuclear power plant on their own?” (Orlando Sentinel)
Florida Palm Trees
DeSantis isn’t the first to have brought up this provision though. The Orlando Sentinel shares that a bill, which would have revoked Disney’s ability to build a nuclear power plant, was introduced previously but died in the 2019 legislative session.
The Orlando Sentinel notes that DeSantis has indicated businesses should be treated equally, but also points out that DeSantis has singled out Disney for certain special privileges in the past before.
So, it seems legislators AND the Governor have now discussed the possibility of repealing the Act, but just what is the Act, what does it do, and how could it impact Disney?
What is the Reedy Creek Improvement District?
We’ve covered the Reedy Creek Improvement District (the “RCID”) in previous articles, but we’ll go over some of the key things here. Our friends over at AllEars have a great post on this subject from Disney historian Jim Korkis that we’ve used for reference.
The Basics
According to NBC News, back when Disney World was being built, Walt Disney “began lobbying the state of Florida to grant his company an entire jurisdiction that would function as the equivalent of a county government but retain its own special rules.” Back in 1967 the legislature and then-governor of Florida created and signed the Reedy Creek Improvement Act, which created the RCID.
As the RCID website notes, it is a “special taxing district” that can “act with the same authority and responsibility as a county government.” The governor at the time also signed acts that formed 2 incorporated cities within the RCID — Bay Lake and Reedy Creek (Reedy Creek later got renamed to the City of Lake Buena Vista).
Reedy Creek Fire Department ©Reedy Creek
RCID is a “multi-purpose district that provides essential public services, regulates building codes, land use and environmental protections, and tries to provide direction for the efficient operation of Walt Disney World property.” (AllEars)
Basically, improvement districts (like the RCID) act as their own political subdivisions. The RCID acts through the decisions of its own Board of Directors, which is composed of property owners. The RCID can make decisions on a whole BUNCH of topics including the imposition of taxes, the adoption of ordinances, contracting for professional services, handling pest control, and more.
Suitability Ratings Map ©Reedy Creek Improvement District
The Reedy Creek website says that the District is responsible for overseeing land use and environmental protection, providing essential public services (like fire protection), regulating the EPCOT Building Code, and operating and maintaining all public roadways within the District. In other words, the RCID basically has jurisdiction over Disney World property, so it essentially functions like its own separate county.
How it Helps the Local Counties
Why was/is this good for Florida and the counties near Disney World? Well, as the RCID website says, because of the creation of this new district, “landowners within the Reedy Creek Improvement District, primarily Walt Disney World, [are] solely responsible for paying the cost of providing typical municipal services like power, water, roads, fire protection etc.”
The residents of Orange and Osceola County get a benefit by not having to pay for to build or maintain those services.
Why Has It Been Beneficial for Disney?
The RCID is crucial to how Disney operates its land and theme parks in Florida. Disney owns the majority of the land that is under the RCID’s control. Remember that Board of Directors we talked about earlier? That is formed by landowners. But how can that be if Disney owns the land? Well, to handle this issue, Disney actually sells blocks of undeveloped land to the supervisors who sit on the Board. The supervisors then have to sell the land back to Disney when their terms are done. (AllEars)
The Board of supervisors are elected by the landowners. Disney owns the land. Votes are proportional to land ownership. Get the idea? Basically, the way that the RCID is designed and operates allows for Disney to essentially govern its own property. (AllEars)
Disney World Road Signs
Since Disney can essentially govern its own land, they have a tremendous amount of freedom and power over making decisions about things within the District. According to historian Jim Korkis, “If it wanted to, the district could build its own airport or nuclear power plant.” (AllEars)
As the Orlando Sentinel notes, the RCID is “able to sell tax-exempt bonds, write building codes, condemn property, develop and maintain its own infrastructure and offer fire and emergency services. It can levy taxes. And it can build whatever it wants — whether a theme park or an airport — most of it without the typical local oversight that encumbers regular developers.”
Reedy Creek’s ability to collect taxes and issue bonds is one of the most important parts of this arrangement, according to NBC News. They note that the RCID recently had a budget of more than $169 million, more than 90% of which comes from property taxes on Disney’s real estate. As NBC News shares, “That means it can avoid the headaches of local government that often come with asking residents to pay taxes to fund infrastructure.”
Mexico Pavilion
Even the roads in Disney World are different. NBC News shares that one source indicated that the roads in Disney World are “generally a notch or two higher than outside the district.” As a result of all of this control, Reedy Creek actually has an AA bond rating from Fitch (a credit agency in the U.S.).
The creation of the RCID and the level of freedom it provided Disney has led to a number of achievements that essentially wouldn’t have been possible otherwise. Here’s just a few:
- The establishment of the “EPCOT Building Codes” — These building codes “are based on a philosophy that encourages new methods in design, construction and materials.” These led to a whole bunch of imaginative ideas like “a fiberglass castle and an 18-story geosphere,” while still ensuring the safety of the public (AllEars)
- The fact that Cinderella castle was able to be built out of fiberglass — “A sophisticated system of sprinklers, computer-controlled smoke detectors, and flame retardants made possible the 189-foot-tall Cinderella Castle that used more fiberglass than any other single structure up to its construction in 1971.” (AllEars) As Richard Fogelsong, a retired political science professor, puts it “They wanted to build things like a 500-foot fiberglass palace castle — and there’s no clause in the local code for something like that.” (NBC News)
- The establishment of Disney World’s unique trash system — “The first installation in the United States of the Swedish-built Automated Vacuum Assisted Collection (AVAC) was for the Magic Kingdom. This unique method of waste collection allows refuse to be deposited at 17 collection points around the park. Every 15 minutes it is drawn through 24-inch pneumatic tubes, at speeds up to 60 miles an hour to a central compactor station at the back of Splash Mountain and then trucked out to waste management.” (AllEars)
Magic Kingdom
As political analyst Jim Clark said, in effect Disney is its own city, “They can zone the way they want. They can do things the way they want.” (Click Orlando)
What Happens if the RCID Goes Away?
For over 50 years, Disney has operated as its own little county, with the freedom to do what it wants when it wants and how it wants (essentially). So what happens if the RCID goes away? Well, everything would be DRAMATICALLY different for Disney in terms of how it operates.
Essentially, Disney would stop being its own little city. Instead of being able to make its own decisions regarding zoning, essential public services, environmental protections, land use, public roadways, etc., Disney would have to turn to the local county governments it would fall under (Orange County and Osceola County) for approval and authorization.
Political analyst Jim Clark said that the repeal would “be a disaster for Disney. One of the reasons they came here in the mid-60s was the legislature’s promise that they could have self-government.” (Click Orlando)
EPCOT
Instead of turning to its own Board of Directors, made of those who were voted into place by the landowners (that’s Disney), Disney would be at the mercy (so to speak) of local government leaders, some of whom might not always be in agreement with what Disney seeks to do. This means Disney could face significant pushback when it comes to decisions it wants to make about the many things that it previously had the ultimate freedom to determine.
Disney would also have to follow whatever layers of bureaucratic requirements, “red tape,” and approval requirements the counties might have in place, as opposed to simply following whatever requirements it has set up on its own. In essence, Disney would lose a large amount of control over the decision-making process for various projects and aspects related to the operation of Disney World.
As NBC News puts it, “Imagine if Disney had to go through its local planning and zoning board to build a new castle. Or if it suddenly had to rely on Orange County, Florida, and other local jurisdictions to pick up its trash. Or if it could no longer sell its own bonds to build roads in its parks. That’s what could happen if some Florida legislators get their way.”
Tree of Life
This massive change could result in complications and greatly slow down Disney’s ability to “move” on a number of projects it may have previously been able to get approved by its own Board very quickly.
Another wrinkle could also cause more complications. Disney World’s property is located partially in Orange County, Florida and partially in Osceola County, Florida. This means it would have to deal with 2 separate county governments depending on where a particular project falls on Disney World’s property. We’ve already seen how these differing counties can sometimes impact certain taxes paid by guests in Disney World, but now the effects would impact Disney’s operations at a more critical level.
Animal Kingdom
We mentioned it briefly above, but zoning and land use are areas where Disney could face some big problems. Right now, the RCID can make all kinds of decisions related to these topics, but if the RCID were to end, that would fall of the appropriate counties. Essentially, Disney World would be stuck in a similar position to Disneyland.
Disneyland has not had the benefit of freedom and self-governance that Disney World has had. Right now, Disneyland is in the middle of taking the steps it needs to get the local approval necessary to change some of the government restrictions in place that stop them from using their land in certain ways (i.e. they might have land zoned for “hotel” use that they now want to use for mixed purposes — hotel AND entertainment).
Grand Floridian Resort
Beyond a loss of control, the repeal of the Act (and destruction of the RCID) would mean that Disney would have to pay fees and taxes it doesn’t currently pay. For example, without the RCID, Disney would have to pay impact fees to Orange and Osceola counties. These are one-time payments that developers make to “offset the cost of public services like roads.” Under the RCID, Disney doesn’t have to pay impact fees. (Orlando Sentinel)
Thanks to the RCID, Disney is also “immune from a tax that other property owners pay to fund law enforcement.” Thanks to that exemption the RCID (and Disney) save millions in taxes each year. If the RCID ends, that would change. (Orlando Sentinel)
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
But, if the RCID ends, that could also have a BIG impact on the taxes for those counties that would then govern Disney — Orange County and Osceola County — and their residents. The Orlando Sentinel notes that because of the taxes that Disney pays to Reedy Creek, and the amounts that Disney and the Disney Vacation Club pay to cover the utilities for the District, “Central Florida taxpayers are not burdened with additional costs of maintaining our infrastructure.” This quote comes from a Disney spokesperson.
Tom Wilkes, an attorney with GrayRobinson who was worked on things involving Reedy Creek, also shared that “it could end up costing area taxpayers more if local governments had to begin servicing Disney parks.” (NBC News)
But, if the RCID goes away, this would presumably change.
Will It Actually Happen?
Of course, that’s unclear at this time, but there are reasons why some think this threat of repeal won’t be realized into true action.
For one, Disney creates thousands of jobs for Florida. In fact, it is the “largest single-site employer in Florida.” (Click Orlando) Thus, there is an incentive for Florida legislators to continue to provide things that are beneficial to Disney to encourage them to continue to expand and create new jobs for Florida residents. In fact, Disney is relocating a number of its California employees to Florida in a new hub at Lake Nona and this is expected to create over 2,000 jobs for the region (Orlando Sentinel).
Due to the situation with Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, California Governor Gavin Newsom has called out to Disney (via Twitter) and noted that they may want to reconsider moving those jobs back to California, a state that “actually represents the values of your workers.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom ©ABC
Richard Foglesong, a retired professor of Political Science from Rollins College said, he thinks no true change will come out of these discussions. “If you ask me whether it’s politically possible to take these privileges away from the Disney company, I don’t think so,” Foglesong said. Foglesong noted, “I think that cooler minds will prevail and that this is really a shot across the bow to try to bring the Disney company, Mickey Mouse if you will, into line with Governor DeSantis.” (Click Orlando)
Others in the Florida Legislature have shared their doubts that the possibility for a repeal of the Act would get anywhere. Senator Linda Stewart, a Democratic Senator in the Florida Senate (representing District 13, which consists of part of Orange County), has said “I don’t see how in the world he’s going to be able to dismantle it…It would never get through the Senate and it’s unlikely to get through the House.” (WFTV 9 ABC)
According to NBC News, this also isn’t Disney’s first battle regarding the RCID. They note that in the past, “Disney has agreed to pay as much as $13 million in exchange for maintaining the district.” As we noted before, a bill which would have revoked Disney’s ability to build a nuclear power plant was also previously introduced but died in the 2019 legislative session.
Hollywood Studios
Former Republican State Representative Bobby Olszewski echoed this statement saying “This seems like saber rattling in order to draw some headlines…I can tell you they [meaning Disney] have done a lot for our state and for our local community, so it is surprising that this is something that is coming up right now.” (WFTV 9 ABC)
Representative Roach’s Tweet only indicates that meetings have been held with certain representatives on this topic, nothing more. Further formal action would need to be taken to actually repeal the Act that created the RCID, and those actions would take time. WFTV 9 ABC shares that the Florida legislature is out of session at the moment, and no bill has been filed that would dissolve the RCID or otherwise target tax breaks Disney has received over the past years.
Flower & Garden Festival
According to KION 5/46, lawmakers “would not be able to repeal the act until they meet again next year, unless DeSantis or legislative leaders convene a special session to address it.” NBC News shares that representative Roach has acknowledged, barring a special session, the bill to change the RCID situation wouldn’t be able to be introduced until 2023.
According to Roach, “Right now it’s just an idea, though it’s not a new one, that I’m thinking about and have socialized with some colleagues…Disney is politically vulnerable, and they’re in a position now where, if it’s politically possible to correct this aberration of the free market… although it may on the surface look retaliatory, in politics, timing is important…And if this is something we want to address, the time to do that is not when they’re untouchable, but when they’re politically vulnerable.” (NBC News)
EPCOT
This is a developing situation, we’ll keep an eye out for more updates.
Click here to read about when Disney fought the law and won
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“According to historian Jim Korkis” Well perhaps this historian should reevaluate his “opinion” on weather or not they could build their own nuclear power plant.
he evidently has no clue about this topic, if he did he would know that the regulations that are in place would not allow them to. These structures have more red tape government regulation than you can believe.
disney by their own admission doesn’t want the government involved in their business so why would he say something like that ?
One thing i have learned if you hear a company is for something, like disney is for not having the county take over, then there is a financial aspect to it they do not want to lose. But hey, they would just pass it on the ones paying for entrance into the parks right ?
This is the Florida legislature’s own brand of tyranny. Floridians get out and vote. Remember that Desantis won the election by a very narrow margin. This is what happens when only the vocal minority votes. And shame on Disney for not taking a stand on behalf of their cast members sooner.
It seems to me that Disney, like other large corporations, should run their businesses and stay out of politics. Every time they go down this path, they alienate ~50% of potential customers one way or other. With the business aspects in mind, Disney is a cash cow for Florida and if the RCID does benefit those outside the district in the adjoining counties, perhaps eliminating the entire agreement may not be in the best interest of the local people. Nevertheless, large corporations do need to stay of politics and should not have as much power to be able impact legislation passed in a state by duly elected representatives.
I disagree with Margaret and agree with Don. Disney created this monster because they didn’t stay out of politics, therefore, they are now subject to the consequences of their misguided actions.
Companies like Disney need to stay out of social politics and stick to lobbying for/against regulatory items. It doesn’t do anyone, any good when Disney picks a fight with a governmental body. The customers will suffer from the repeal of RCID, the citizens of counties taking regulatory ownership of Disney World will suffer, and innovation will slow to a crawl in Disney World.
Disney needs to step away from politics as a whole. They should empower their employees to engage in political activism outside the Disney company and name. This neutral stance would be the best for everyone invovled.
As for the Florida bill… the language is quite clear. It prohibits classroom lessons and discussion around sexual orientation and preference for grades K – 3. This includes traditional family composition. You cannot say that a household with a mother and father is better/worse than a household with two mothers, and/or is better/worse than a household with two fathers. The language only affects classroom lessons and discussion. This allows the parents of the children to take ownership of those lessons and prohibits discrimination based on personal belief from entering the classroom in K-3.
There are not restrictions on the teacher’s ability to help a student one-on-one if an issue arises… however I would rather the school employ a counselor that is educated in child education, growth, etc… so that any issues with children that young (in terms of sexual orientation and preference) are handled properly by the counselor.
I would not want my children in K- 3rd to be required to deal with this subject at that age. I want them to be kids. Tech them to treat everyone as a person, don’t introduce bias into their lives at such a young age. Let them enjoy their younger years, because the world can be a cruel place and if we can help them grow, bias free… it just makes things better all around.
Bottom line, the fight between Florida and Disney is lose-lose for everyone involved.
Look. If Disney wants to dive head first in to Politics then let them suffer the consequences.
Otherwise stay out of it. ESPECIALLY when what their fighting against is manufactured garbage news.
They reacted to a bill without actually reading it. Only to what celebrities and talking head advocates named the bill.
Mr. DeSantis with his constant threats against cruise lines, Key West voters, Covid school protections and now Disney continues.
He tags a name (like a Brandon) against Disney to stir hate and discontent by referring to Disney as a WOKE corporation. Disney generates tons of tax revenue for Florida and operates far better as its own government than does anything Florida can offer.
Let’s see what ‘DeSantisLand’ has to offer… Vote this arrogant and ruling man out.
Yeah the Koch Bros and other far-right businesses should stay out of politics too. Reform the campaign finance laws and everybody can be happy!
This entire situation, regardless of anyone’s stance about the bill, is the result of Bob Chapek completely mishandling it from the beginning. It has turned into a media mess for Disney. Chapek’s last second actions to try to redeem himself to Cast Members brought this situation on.
The RCID hasn’t been an issue since the opening of WDW, but now Chapek has made the brutal error in judgement that it has been brought to the forefront, regardless of if it could happen. People loved to criticize Bob Iger (and Michael Eisner before), but Iger always handled difficult situations with grace…he got a park built in Shanghai which demonstrates that. The board of directors certainly can’t be thrilled with the stumbling that Chapek has demonstrated on this. More of this and his tenure is likely to be much shorter than those before.
As for a nuclear power plant, everyone knows that would never occur, but is being used as the item in the agreement to throw out there to the media. Considering Disney’s efforts on solar and conservation, they certainly would never go down the nuclear path.
This is nothing but a disgruntled politician making empty threats. There is virtually no support for what Rep. Roach (how apropos) is prattling on about (by cooler heads on BOTH sides of the aisle).
You can be for or against what Disney is standing for, but this poor threat of retaliation is empty.
I hear so many people keep saying “Disney” when referring to the mess it got itself in. But it wasn’t Disney it was the ceo Chapek. I can’t believe the board doesn’t take a real hard look at Chapeks future with the company after getting Disney into this current enormous mess. This is solely on his shoulders for opening his mouth. Desantis is right to a degree. I’m not saying he’s right about everything, but if a company ceo wants to throw around his power and arrogance into politics then accept the consequences. I just can’t help but think of the picture of Walt standing in the undeveloped land where Disney now sits and imagining that his dream would be run by such men. His dream wasn’t for power or influence in politics. It was for families and friends to leave those very things behind and create wonderful loving memories in a beautiful carefree environment. Shame on those exec’s that have destroyed Walt’s dream!
Likewise I disagree with Margaret and Jonathon N. Disney started this whole thing by getting into politics. As a Floridian, I’m happy we voted for Ron DeSantis. He’s been a great governor and has fought hard, despite all of the negative press, for the rights of Floridians. Moreover I’m disgusted that Disney, a corporation based in CALIFORNIA, would try to overturn the will of FLORIDIANS who support the bill by a 2/3 MAJORITY.
Disney would be better served by staying out of politics, and focus on providing a better experience for their guests.
Amen Darren. I completely
Agree. And Jonathon it seems the arrogance has rubbed off on some people. Keep your nose clean Disney and stay out of politics !! It will be a losing situation for you. Stop making up garbage to appease the minority. I want everyone to have their rights but don’t push it onto me. I do t want it. I think for myself. People should do the same.
DeSantis is threatening this purely as retaliation because Disney did not support the discrimination of the ridiculous “Don’t Say Gay” law. No one in their right mind believes otherwise. How easily his inflated ego allows him to drop his pro business mentality.
DeSantis and the republicans in Florida are ginning up a culture war in order to generate votes, period. The Florida bill is a “solution” in search of a problem. Nobody is teaching that stuff in grades K – 3, NOBODY!
Also, corporations are ALWAYS involved in politics whether in statements or, especially, financially. Really, it was kind of nice to see a company put some of its clout behind what is probably a substantial portion of its workers to protect them from a bully like Ron.
“not just be done as some kind of retaliation”
That’s exacly what he is trying to do. DiSantis and all the Florida GOP politicians are just upset that Disney spoke against the bill. Even more so that hey lost Disney campaign donations and support.
Come on Disney, we don’t go to WDW to be lectured on how to raise our kids. Just respect we have the wherewithal to bring our kids to your happy place. Our kids love Princes and Princesses, Mickeys and Minnies and animals and aliens. We don’t care if our son’s or daughter’s favorite character is Belle f Woody or Figment or the little green soldiers.! We don’t want you as a Disney Corporate employee to tell us what to do and not do… That doesn’t mean we are hateful, it just means we are the orbiters of when our children should be subject to sexual ideas. Personally, we chose to wait to they were 10 or so, depending on the child’s curiosity. Others may want to complicate life for them earlier; your children, your prerogative. Live and let live!
So they want to punish Disney’s “woke” ideals. Basically, they want to punish them for their views because they don’t match the conservatives in power. Sounds like a dictator who hates democracy – what hypocrites who brag about Florida freedom. DeSantis is being petty, threatening, and vengeful. He should shut up and ignore Disney’s comments. They have a right to their beliefs and the market will set the standard. But no, he wants revenge like the childish dictator he is. So unamerican. So unpatriotic. You can’t punish everyone who disagrees with you.
Disney decided to become politically active, arguably their own political party. Disney needs to stay out of politics and go back to being a resort. They deserve anything they get in the way of retribution. I have no sympathy for them.
Did anyone at Disney read the bill or did they just read the headline. This is not an anti gender, don’t day gay bill. This new Disney is not the Disney of Walt’s making. As a corporation, Disney should stay out of politics, go back to the original vision of Walt and provide wholesome family friendly entertainment that the majority of their patrons want, expect and pay dearly for. Stop trying to change societies moral compass. Entertain us not train us.
The original benefits awarded to WDW were there to reward Walt Disney for turning swamp land into a viable long-term commercial enterprise that would bring jobs and tourism to Florida. The Disney Company has had 50 years of preferential treatment. It still has extended copyright on Mickey Mouse and other characters that no other company could get. It is time for Disney to realize it is not exempt from the laws of Florida. The people of Florida vote for their duly elected representatives and it is up to Florida to decide what the law should be. Disney needs to stay out of politics, period.
If people don’t like Florida law then don’t travel there.
I’m very familiar with RCID, knew some of their key ppl, have visited their operations, and have the highest regard for their professionalism, the EPCOT Code they developed, and Disney’s dedication to public safety. RCID has been essential to the development and growth of Walt Disney World.
Gov. DeSantis is waaay over HIS skis making such stupid threats. Anyone with half a brain knows Disney World put Orlando on the map and was key to developing it into an economic dynamo for FL. So he wants to put his knee on the neck of the golden goose, for political theater? DumbSantis.
Corporations & board members can believe what they want individually, give their money & support individually to causes they believe in, but when it comes to the company as a whole… Stay out of politics! You always risk alienating 50% of your patrons every time you take a public stance either one way or the other. No one wants to be lectured one way or the other. When you publicly announce you support Stance A, you automatically are unwelcoming, intolerant, & condemning to 1/2 of your customers who happen to support Stance B. Virtue signaling is also vacuous & insincere. People go to Disney to get away from the problems of the world.
Doesn’t corporate America have a responsibility to stand up against ignorance and discrimination? Shouldn’t they stand firm for the rights of ALL their customers and employees? Must they be blind, deaf, and silent about what is wrong? Don’t they contribute directly and indirectly to the states tax coffers, thus earning the right to have and voice an opinion?
@Charlie
No, Corporate America should never have a stance on issues like this. It is not possible for a company to stand up for all their employees and all their customers because people have varying beliefs.
Corporate America should focus on treating all their employees and customers with respect. Corporate America should also allow their employees and customers to stand up for their own beliefs without retaliation. There may be rules around this (ie cannot wear politically charged and/or discriminatory clothing to work/on property).
Government policy should be focused on what the people want, not what the companies want. Yeah, that may be a pipe dream (too much corporate interference in government as it is) but that what “should” be happening… in my opinion.
Voting for DeSantis is the best thing I’ve ever done. He’s protecting children, he’s standing up to Disney (who think they can do what ever they want) he’s standing up for Floridians and he’s against all this nonsense. If you don’t like it, don’t come here. Leave.
For all of you saying Disney needs to stay out of politics, you do know why they had to make any kind of statement to begin with right? At first they didn’t make a statement either way, trying to stay neutral, and their employees decided to strike because of it. Their own employees drew them into the politics. For some reason they felt that Disney HAD to make a statement, so by striking, Disney had to make a statement. I do not give fault to Disney for standing up for employees who are against the “Bill”, but do not tell them to stay out of politics, when they tried. They stay out and they’re wrong, they get in it and their wrong. I fault the employees who felt Disney needed to get involved in an issue that is Education related.
A company like Disney can allow their employees to stand up for what they feel is right without getting into politics. Disney should have stated they will not get into the fight, but would not hider employees doing what they felt was right as long as they didn’t use the Disney name.
I agree with Jennifer’s assessment that the employees strong-armed Disney into action. They didn’t try to stay out of politics, they chose to enter the fight. Let the employees make their statement and move on with business as usual. It’s not an easy choice… or an easy conversation… but it can be done (many other companies already do this). Disney should have had more backbone.
Again, these are my opinions, and if/when I disagree with someone I’m not saying they are wrong, just that I see it a different way.
Will be alot of unemployment in florida if Disney leaves, alot.
Disney needs to stay out of politics. They NEED to work on improving the guest experience which has gone downhill since re opening after COVID.
No one mentioned “Citizens United” the Supreme Court’s decision to give corporations “person-hood status”. Corporations have always been involved in politics and social matters, and thanks to the Supreme Court, they now have legal standing; just like every other person/citizen to speak “their” mind and donate to political and social campaigns.
Margaret, Jonathan & others make valid points but those of you who were vocal against them should consider the bigger picture. Corporations are abusing the system by not paying their fair share of taxes and by having a disproportionate amount of influence in our political system. Our politicians should be more concerned about us having a living wage, affordable health coverage, reasonable childcare expenses, decent affordable housing, college access for all, etc. Instead of providing Corporate “give-a-ways” in the form of tax-breaks for large corporations who can afford to pay their fair share.
This entire situation is disappointing. Disney has been my family’s vacation destination for the longest, but due to politics most likely will change. Now that the bill has passed the Senate and most likely will pass the House and be signed, any future costs incurred by Disney will be passed to the customers. With diminished service quality and exorbitant prices already at Disney, I doubt I will continue my regular journeys to Orlando. Whether corporate involvement in politics is right or wrong it appears in this case not to be wise. The leadership of Disney failed. I doubt every Disney employee was against the bill, but leadership decided to side with the loudest ones.
DISNEY… STAY OUT OF POLITICS. Iger is the bad guy in this. He is the one who pushed the company to the far left … becoming more PC and steering attraction rehabs to make a small percentage of the public happy… and all for the sake of his political ambitions.
It is bad enough to suffer Disney’s high prices for what has become a less than stellar experience, but throwing in all the woke and PC posturing has ruined the experience. A Disney trip was supposed to get you away from the troubles of the world, not shove them in your face and become a soapbox for the social left.
What was once my favorite destination… is no longer. Unless there is a change I’ll never go back… how sad.
Randy, Iger wasn’t the one who stepped into the media spotlight and opened his mouth. Chapek stepped up and took sides on a hot social/political issue in his role as CEO of Walt Disney. On top of that he disregarded thousands of his employees who didn’t agree with the issue. Isolating a very large portion of the staff. Big big MISTAKE. That wasn’t Iger, that was Chapek. Think now, was Desantis keyed in on Disney prior to Chapek opening his mouth? No. Was Desantis challenging Disney standing as a self governed entity prior to Chapek opening his mouth? NO. You cannot push this on anyone other person than Bob Chapek. He kicked the hornets nest by stepping into the media limelight and opening his mouth. He is an investors worst nightmare!