Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) and Disney have been engaged in a battle for nearly two years since the company called for repealing the Parental Rights in Education bill, and the clash shows no signs of ending soon.
The feud led to DeSantis restructuring the special district, which encompasses the Walt Disney World Resort, and adding more state oversight to the renamed Central Florida Tourism Oversight District. As the state took over the district, Disney sought to undermine the new state-appointed board, which led to two dueling lawsuits.
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As two court battles play out and the feud not having an end in sight, here are the latest developments in the battle between the House of Mouse and the Sunshine State.
Federal lawsuit
In the lawsuit brought by Disney in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida, DeSantis and the board of the Central Florida Tourism District have both filed motions to dismiss the case. The lawsuit was originally filed on multiple claims but was later narrowed to only allege that the defendants infringed on Disney’s free speech rights by allegedly retaliating for comments the company made against the Florida Parental Rights in Education law in 2022.
In filings earlier this month, both the state defendants and the CFTOD board defended their respective motions. Lawyers for the board said that Disney’s “argument is as meritless as it is audacious,” while lawyers for DeSantis said, “After two rounds of briefing, one thing is clear: Disney misunderstands standing.”
The motions to dismiss will be considered at a hearing on Dec. 12 at 9:30 a.m. EST, according to a court filing on Thursday.
State lawsuit
In a lawsuit brought by the CFTOD board in the Circuit Court of the 9th Judicial Circuit in Orange County, Florida, the board is suing Disney in an effort to uphold its governing authority and its action of voiding an agreement the company made with the previous board which undermined the power of the board.
After Disney dropped legal claims regarding the legality of voiding the agreement it had made to undermine the power of the CFTOD board in federal court, it levied them as counterclaims in the lawsuit in state court.
The case is currently in discovery, with Disney’s bid to dismiss the lawsuit failing in July. Judge Margaret Schreiber set the hearing date for the board’s motion for a summary judgment on their claims against Disney for March 12, 2024.
Disney touting its impact on Florida
As the legal battles continue between Florida officials and Disney, the company is touting its impact on the Sunshine State with an Oxford Economics study commissioned by Disney.
The study, based on fiscal 2022, showed that Disney generated $40.3 billion in total economic impact for the state and generated $3.1 billion in annual local and state tax. It also showed the company has generated 263,000 direct and indirect jobs in the Sunshine State. The report also claimed that without Disney, Florida’s unemployment rate would rise from 3% to 5.4%
“I am incredibly proud of how Disney has created meaningful change and benefitted people’s lives in Florida for generations, not just in establishing our area’s theme park industry, but also in how we have worked with other sectors across the state to do the same,” Jeff Vahle, president of Walt Disney World Resort, said in a statement.
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“The numbers speak for themselves on why Disney is so important to fueling jobs, the economy, and tourism throughout our region, and the future investments we’re looking to make will continue to provide even more opportunities for Floridians,” he added.
Despite earlier threats that it would consider not investing in the Sunshine State, Disney announced in September it would double its expenditures for its theme parks and cruise line to $60 billion over the next 10 years. The announcement was framed as going to all of its resorts, including its flagship Walt Disney World Resort.
