We’ve been following the feud between The Walt Disney Company and Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis, and recent times have yielded lots of interesting updates.
©Governor Ron DeSantis Website
A new Board of Supervisors appointed by Florida Governor DeSantis has met regarding the future of Disney’s Reedy Creek Improvement District (now called the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District) and they’ve recently discovered an agreement that was signed by Disney and the old Board that grants Disney quite a lot of power over certain decisions within the District moving forward. The new Board has threatened legal action and the Florida Governor has ordered an investigation into Disney’s agreements, all while Disney has defended the agreement. And now Disney CEO Bob Iger has commented on the situation.
During the 2023 annual shareholder meeting for the Walt Disney Company, Disney received a number of questions related to the District and Disney’s decision to take political stances. One question came from a financial advisor that asked, “what steps have already been taken or will be taken to protect shareholder value with regard to the legal battle between Disney and Ron DeSantis and the Reedy Creek Improvement District?”
In response, Iger said, “we love the state of Florida.” He continued, “I think that’s reflected in not only how much we’ve invested over the last 50 years, but how much we’ve given back in the form of jobs, and community service, taxes…tourism of course, and all sorts of other responsible business practices.”
©Disney
Iger continued by noting, “we’ve also always respected and appreciated what the state has done for us…it’s kind of been a two-way street. But a year ago, the Company took a position on pending Florida legislation, and while the Company may have not handled the position it took very well, a company has a right to freedom of speech just like individuals do.”
According to Iger, “the governor got very angry about the position Disney took and seems like he’s decided to retaliate against us, including the naming of a new board to oversee the property and the business, in effect to seek to punish a company for its exercise of a constitutional right…and that just seems really wrong to me.”
©Disney
Iger emphasized that this seems “wrong” for the state to do “against any company or individual, but particularly against the company that means so much to the state that you live in.” To put things into perspective, Iger noted that they [Disney] have “over 75,000 employees…countless thousands of indirect jobs have been created, about 50 million visitors will go through our gates this year alone, about 8 million of them from outside the US, and we are the largest taxpayer in the state.”
Reedy Creek
He shared, “we’re currently planning now to invest over 17 billion dollars in Walt Disney World over the next 10 years, and those investments we estimate will create 13,000 new Disney jobs and thousands of other indirect jobs, and they’ll also attract more people to the state and generate more taxes.”
He concluded by stating, “our point on this is that any action that thwarts those efforts, simply to retaliate for a position a company took sounds not just anti-business, but it sounds anti-Florida.”
Reedy Creek
After that question, another individual posed a question to Iger asking whether it was wise for Disney to take political positions “to satisfy a very small portion of people when our primary mission is entertainment, not education.”
To that, Iger said, “as the CEO of the Company, my job is to strive to do what I think is best for our business and that includes doing…what’s best for our Cast Members or our employees, and what will enable both to flourish.”
©Disney
He went on to note, “I don’t think we should or can weigh in on every issue. And I also understand there are gonna be gray areas. There are gonna [be] times when we decide to weigh in on an issue that we believe is worthy of debate because of its relevance and importance to our business or to our employees…and there are times when I actually believe we shouldn’t.”
But, he continued, “I strongly feel that we alone have to determine whether, when, or how to weigh in on an issue, whether it’s private or public. Of course with the standard that when we take a position on those matters, there’s a true reason why we have. And in almost all cases it has to be because it directly affects our business or our people.”
TRON Cast Member in NEW Costume
And so the Reedy Creek drama continues. We’ll keep an eye out for more updates and let you know what we find.
If you want to learn more about the Reedy Creek Improvement District battle, check out these posts:
- “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” — Gov. DeSantis Threatens Future Action Against Disney
- Why Disney Dragged King Charles Into Its Battle with DeSantis
- Disney Comments on Lawsuit Threat from New Reedy Creek Board
- Desantis-Appointed Reedy Creek Board Claims Disney Stripped Their Power With “Last-Ditch Efforts”
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I want to see Florida and Disney resolve this matter in a manner that allows both sides to retain some dignity, and walk away as grown ups. Disney should acknowledge Florida’s rights to pass its own laws without improper interference, even if Disney disagrees, and Florida to acknowledge Disney’s rights to free speech and the right to continue to utilize the new board to support current and future WDW’s expansion needs. Ultimately, both DeSantis and Disney are accountable to their marketplace. DeSantis to the voters and Disney to its customers. If either push things too far, it will hurt their success and future. DeSantis could benefit from appearing statesman-like before this thing spirals into total pettiness. And Disney could benefit from appearing too Woke and too big and powerful to yield to civil government, where appropriate.
People of Florida are in charge of their own politics. Corporations have the right to make stupid decisions, just as I have that right. If Disney didn’t expect retaliation from the state for poking into and spreading FALSE information about a legally passed and popular bill, then that’s their own naive fault….They must pay the piper, even if the payee has been replaced. PS: I agree with RandyC.
And to add to my blog desantis sounds just like that bully that was n Washington and we all k ow who that was now don’t we
Between banning books, banning certain school curriculums’, and taking out vengeance on specific businesses, Ronnie is losing a lot of respect and digging his own grave. Yes he and Florida have the right to pass their own laws, but when the laws are racist, homophobic, or based on revenge because someone disagreed with him and stood up to him, that is just wrong. In the end he will lose and forever make the people and the state of Florida look very bad.
Disney decided to take the woke path without ever reading the bill. Then they threatened the government by stating they would no longer support state lawmakers that voted for this bill and would support their opponents. Yes, they do have the right of free speech and can do whatever they please with their money. But why be surprised when there is pushback. Look, I love Disney. And I am an old man. But I did not want sexuality taught to my children or now my grandchildren. That is not a teachers job, it’s their family’s. Especially to young children kindergarten thru third grade. That is what the bill was about, NOT “Don’t say gay. That was a lie.
Yes, Bob, a company has the right of freedom of speech but likewise if your customers don’t like what you have to say on a subject THEY have the right to stop engaging in your product!!!
I totally agree with KWLa. The crux of this whole debate is Florida said 5, 6, 7 and 8 year olds are too young to receive instruction in sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools. It is totally appropriate for the state to prohibit this for children that age. Disney, Chapek and now Iger say that is OK to instruct on that topic. I agree with the State of Florida on this one. This new law is not racist or homophobic. It says certain topics need to be age-appropriate. I love Disney and believe that Disney overstepped on this one, but they do have the right to say stupid things. I still want to see Florida and Disney resolve this in a professional and adult manner, to benefit everyone.
Why do people insist on the “woke” word. It’s a political word that evokes hatred and prejudice. Agree with Patti. Does America need another bully?
Good question, Jim. The people trying to re-engineer and re-orient our society are the ones that first used the phrase, ‘Woke.” I heard Obama use it a few years ago. It is a nice, concise way of saying all that Woke represents, in one word. I for one don’t appreciate being labeled a racist or homophobe because I agree with the State of Florida on the Parental Rights in Education bill, because I too believe that children 5, 6, 7, and 8 years of age are too young to receive instruction in gender identity and sexual orientation in public school. I suppose I could start referring to Woke as “efforts to re-engineer our society and societal norms, along Socialist ideological lines.” It’s much easier to say and write, “Woke.”
To the people that support DeSantis, I don’t like what you’re saying and I think you should be punished!
Wait…that’s what all this discussion is about…
Desantis needs to leave Disney alone he would like to take Disney over and control it all that’s means the parks and etc this is a hate monger with a GOVERNMENT over reach from what I heard now n Florida there r books that have been removed next they will burn them sounds like the days they burned books he needs to b removed he has napoleon complex little man
I live in Central Florida. It was a return to the state where I grew up, after I retired and left a cold climate with high taxes. It’s been a good trade so far! Glad I was in Florida during COVID, and not Western New York. (Beef on weck, AJ!) Generally, I think DeSantis has been a good Governor. I think his passions are getting the better of him in his Disney squabble with these tax increase and toll road ideas around WDW. The Disney park guests will end up paying those new taxes. Anytime taxes are increased they become a pass-through to the consumer. Businesses never just absorb tax increases. DeSantis needs to ignore this topic for a while and cool down. If he really wants to be POTUS, DeSantis could use a dose of statesmanship right about now, and find a less-mercurial way of drawing closure to this matter with Iger.
I am an annual Disney passholder for many years. I am a grandmother who lives in the state of Florida for 50 years and I can honestly say none of my grandchildren were taught about sex by their school. They were taught by their parents at when ta time when they were old enugh to comprehend!! Ron DeSantis is a bully and this country doesn’t need another bully!! We already had a bully president! Aside from that living in Florida as I do, DeSantis wants everyone to believe the way he believes and if you dare to disagree, he will retaliate. He has already banned quite a few things in our state. He really annoyed me when he had the nerve to ban BOOKS!! Reminds me how a certain dictator came into power many years ago. I wish he would knock it off already with his constant use of the word “WOKE”! The word woke used to pertain to something else entirely different until all of our most ridiculous politicians found another meaning for it. The way they all say it makes it almost sound like a dirty word!! Aside from all of this, Disney has put the state of Florida on the map and is a boon to our economy. Reedy Creek has maintained the area beautifully. Now DeSantis wants to take that land and build any one of a number of things on the land Dsiney owns surrounding the parks. One thing mentioned was a prison!! Yes folks a prison!! Another way for him to belittle Disney for disagreeing with him. He is such a petty man. I am ashamed he is the governor of this beautiful state I love. By the way, I did not vote for him either time. His first campaign he barely won. I wish he would have lost! Florida deserves better than DeSantis!!
My husband and myself have annual pass holders for o er 30 years and live out of state and have been to Disney over 100 times and yes that is true statement and have family that live n Florida and we r sick of the word WOKE also so people need to shut that down and desantis has a little man complex and that’s who napoleon was so he must n related to him and he is a hate filled radicle And Disney took a swamp and built this wonderful place to have so much fun n and vicious hate filled desantis wants to destroy it and Disney lays a lot money n taxes so he keeps having more lies coming out of his mouth and then also banning books Floridians u need to get this hate monger out of office and all his toadies with him long love Disney world and Mickey Mouse and bob iger keep that fight up and let desantis k owe he is not a sheriff he’s Barney fife from Andy Griffen show