Disney World is a Florida icon.
Cinderella Castle
When Disney started buying land in Florida in 1964, the population of the nearest city — Orlando — was about 240,000 people. Today, Orlando’s population is more than 2 million, and with the hundreds of hotels, theme parks, shopping destinations, restaurants, and other tourist destinations that have sprung up in the 5+ decades since Disney World opened, it’s not hard to see that “one man’s dream” was responsible for much of that growth.
But the past year has been one of unprecedented conflict between Disney and the State of Florida. In the Spring of 2022, Disney spoke out against a law that limits discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in schools. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Legislature then made moves to eliminate a special district that allowed Disney some self-governing powers over its Florida property. Since then, the feud has escalated to include lawsuits on each side.
Disney vs. DeSantis
And that has led many people to wonder if Disney would ever just pack up and leave Florida altogether. There have been Internet rumors about places Disney is reportedly looking to move (all not true, as far as we know), even former president — and current Florida resident — Donald Trump has suggested that Disney should consider a relocation.
So, would Disney ever leave Florida?
The Disney World Monorail
While we never say never, the answer to this question is almost unequivocally no. According to engineering consulting firm AECOM, Disney World drew about 60 million visitors in 2019. Disney is also one of Florida’s largest taxpayers — to the tune of $780 million in state and local taxes in 2021. “Does the state want us to invest more, employ more people and pay more taxes or not?” Disney CEO Bob Iger said in a May 2023 company earnings call.
All aboard!
Disney World — with its 40+ square miles, four theme parks, 31 hotels, water parks, golf courses, a shopping and dining complex, and sports fields — not to mention the roads, lakes, Monorail and Skyliner routes, and other infrastructure built by the company — is not something that can be loaded up onto semis and moved. Even if Disney COULD move many portions of the resort, it would require additional investment of billions and billions of dollars.
And Disney employs 75,000 people in Florida. They have recruited and built up a population that fits their employment needs over the past several decades. Anywhere Disney might move would need to have a workforce that meets its needs, as well.
Disney World includes a huge sports complex.
What do the experts say about the chances of moving out of Florida?
“The investment made by Disney into the land, buildings and attractions in Florida would be hard to repeat in another location in the U.S. with comfortable weather year-round,” theme park architect Kevin Barbee told the Washington Post recently. “And, if landowners found out it was Disney buying, the prices would skyrocket.”
A relocation would also mean moving dozens of animals who live at Animal Kingdom.
Indeed. In the 1960s, Disney went to great length to conceal its identity as the buyer of the thousands of acres of undeveloped land where Disney World now sits.
“There isn’t enough tea in China or gold in the ground to get Disney to leave Florida,” Dennis Speigel, president of International Theme Park Services, told the Washington Post.
Do you think there is any chance Disney World would ever move its massive resort out of Florida? Tell us in the comments.
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I don’t believe Disney would leave Florida but wish they could . Florida has become a controlled state. If not for Disney being there we would not travel to Florida. Their laws and their government is terribly prejudiced . We do not believe in banning or burning books.
Don’t think they would leave but fell like they will cut future projects to a minimum
Desantis will be gone by 2027 and become a footnote in political history. The mouse will live forever!
No they will stay but if they don’t wise up with there wokeness n greed they may take them down
DeSantis can’t stand up to Disney Corporation. He’ll be out of office sooner rather than later and the state of Florida won’t help him get rid of Disney. Florida would be crazy to do that! Think of all the businesses and lives that would be destroyed in the state. Hotels restaurants etc, JOBS also. Without Disney no one would want to come to Florida. Disney is our biggest draw for people not just here in the USA, but tourists from around the world! Disney was the biggest boon to my state of Florida and here it is 50 years later and it is still going strong. Stronger than ever! Tourism is our biggest industry and Disney brings in millions of tourists into the state every year. Ron DeSantis’s latest laws and bills are killing our state. He want’s to be a dictator. He’s forcing his opinions down everyone’s throat here. If you don’t agree with Ron he will retaliate against you. He has done that to Disney because they dared to speak out against him. Last I looked we still had freedom of speech!! Hopefully Ron DeSantis doesn’t become President! He will destroy our country not just the state of Florida! Hopefully he will just be a bad memory soon!!
I do not think they will leave FL altogether, but I think all this showed Disney they need to have another venue beyond FL and CA. I predict a slow down at FL in projects going forward beyond the change with Lake Nona. Hope they find another state and chance to start a new project to expand.
The lost from staying in the State of Florida is going to enormous .. We are losing tourist and business. that would normally maintain Disney ..
What will they do at such lost..
I do believe that a good business decision is either stand up and fight harder or move to another State even thought the climate might be different
I think Disney (as an American cultural institution) is doing everything right! My hometown in Vermont has a banner over Main Street: “All Are Welcome Here!”
I do not want to dive into the politics, per se, but instead propose something wild….
Disney can and should leave Florida for reasons we all have seen this summer – it’s just too hot there!
My proposal is that Disney stay in Florida (short-term) but begin preparations to relocate to…. Vermont!
Disney Magic Mountain – I would love Disney to purchase a massive tract of land in my home state of Vermont (including a major ski resort for winter) and build a new Magic Kingdom at the foot of a brand new Magic Mountain Kingdom.
Totally wild – never gonna happen – but it’s fun to dream! With climate change, I think Disney will need to look at the reality of low attendance in summer months if they stay in Florida – never mind the politics that have many, many, many people boycotting Florida.
Thank you for listening, and thank you for all your awesome guides, website, and YouTube videos!
Disney would likely never leave, unfortunately. There’s only a narrow band of states where the weather is acceptable for their year-round operations. All of them remain in the Old Confederacy, with all the baggage that entails. Methinks Florida would rather stay with the devil they know.