Tag Archives: Disney

Reuters reports: The board appointed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to oversee Walt Disney’s (DIS.N) theme parks accused the company of giving a previous local board and its employees millions of dollars’ worth of tickets, discounted hotel stays, merchandise and other benefits that were “akin to bribes of public officials.” “For years, the company treated district employees like Disney employees …

The New York Times reports: The blowback over Elon Musk’s endorsement of an antisemitic conspiracy theory on X gathered steam on Friday, as several major advertisers on his social media platform cut off their spending after his comments. Disney said it was pausing spending on X, as did Lionsgate, the entertainment and film distribution company. Apple, which had been on …

Inside The Magic reports: A bizarre, alleged “joke” that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis made about building a prison near Walt Disney World has ended up being part of Disney’s federal lawsuit against him. In April, DeSantis said, “Come to think of it, now people are like, what should we do with this land? People have said maybe create a state …

WDW Magic reports: In what marks a significant upheaval to the former Reedy Creek Improvement District, over thirty employees have resigned from the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, the governing entity responsible for Walt Disney World. This mass exodus includes almost half of its senior leadership and follows Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ controversial takeover of the district, raising serious concerns …

The Street reports: Disney’s battle against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis just got a little more interesting after the theme park operator’s rival Universal Orlando Resort was awarded a special benefit that was taken away from Disney World. The House of Mouse may have obtained some ammunition in its battle against DeSantis as the theme park operator’s rival Comcast’s Universal Orlando …

The Associated Press reports: Facing a backlash, Walt Disney World’s governing district will pay a stipend to employees whose free passes and discounts to the theme park resort were eliminated under a policy made by a new district administrator and board members who are allies of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. The stipend will be $3,000 a year, which is around …

Mediaite reports: The firefighters who protect Walt Disney World made headlines when they controversially backed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ (R) takeover of the Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID), the special taxing district on Disney property. But now that alliance seems to be turning sour. At the CFTOD board meeting this week, a budget proposal was presented that would eliminate the …

Politico reports: The state board that controls the land housing Walt Disney World expects to more than triple what it spends in legal fees next year following a high-profile battle between the entertainment giant and Gov. Ron DeSantis. New figures released Wednesday find the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District anticipates it’ll spend $4.5 million in legal fees in 2024, after …

Fortune reports: Already involved in two lawsuits with Disney, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ appointees to a board that oversees Disney World’s governing district on Monday launched a battle against the company on a new front — free passes and discounts for district employees. Board members of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District submitted a complaint to the state Inspector General, claiming …

Courthouse News Service reports: The Walt Disney Company shot back late Thursday against the authority claimed by a Florida-backed oversight board to void agreements giving Disney control of the special district where its theme park is located. It contends that the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District is essentially the same entity as the previous board, the Reedy Creek Improvement District, …

“Look, my wife and I, we got married at Walt Disney World. And so it’s not like we’re opposed. We’ve appreciated working with them over the years, but I would just say, go back to what you did. But where we are today, you know, we basically moved on. They’re suing the state of Florida, they’re going to lose that …

ESPN reports: ESPN has signed a licensing deal with Penn Entertainment to create ESPN BET, a sportsbook for audiences in the United States. Penn will rebrand its current sportsbook to ESPN BET later this fall in the 16 states where it is licensed. The rebrand will include a mobile app, website, mobile website and mutually agreed upon retail locations. Penn …

The Associated Press reports: Saying Gov. Ron DeSantis has followed the autocratic examples of governments in Russia and China, a group of mostly Republican former high-level government officials has called the Florida governor’s takeover of Disney World’s governing district “severely damaging to the political, social, and economic fabric of the State.” The group of former governors, U.S. House members and …

Orlando’s ABC affiliate reports: During a Wednesday meeting, officials said the previous board spent $8 million every year on law enforcement overtime on Disney properties. Now, the board is doing away with that spending and cutting $8 million used to pay law enforcement officers in off-duty shifts, saying the cost of fighting Disney in court has caused it to have …

The Daily Beast reports: A Daily Mail article featuring what the publication claimed were set photos from Disney’s upcoming live-action Snow White sparked a storm of conservative backlash on Friday, surrounding the “politically correct” “dwarf actors” pictured. The only problem? The photos aren’t legit. When asked by The Daily Beast for comment on the Daily Mail’s article, which touts photos …

Reuters reports: Walt Disney Co will ask a Florida judge on Friday to dismiss a lawsuit by a state oversight board as part of the entertainment giant’s effort to pursue its case against Governor Ron DeSantis, the latest in a year-long feud between the two. Disney wants Judge Margaret Schreiber in Orlando to dismiss a lawsuit filed in May by …

CNBC reports: Disney CEO Bob Iger opened the door to selling the company’s linear TV assets as the business struggles during the media industry’s transition to streaming and digital offerings. Iger appeared on CNBC on Thursday, the morning after the company announced it would extend his contract by two years through 2026. Disney is going to be “expansive” in its …

Florida Politics reports: During a return engagement on the Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show, the Florida Governor contended rank-and-file Disney workers are with him and not “‘woke’ executives,” comments he bases on the 2022 election. “The sad part about it guys is, when we were having this fight with Disney in 2022, most of the employees in their Orlando …

Florida Politics reports: Attorneys for Gov. Ron DeSantis are asking a federal judge to wait more than two years to start a trial in the administration’s long-running legal fight with Disney, a time frame that would have them in court after the 2024 presidential election. The lawyers for DeSantis, who is running for president, said that the discovery process in …

Click Orlando reports: The Walt Disney Company has no basis for suing Florida’s governor in federal court over actions taken to reform the special district that governed Disney property, according to a new motion filed in the lawsuit between Gov. DeSantis and Disney. Attorneys for Gov. Ron DeSantis and Meredith Ivey, the secretary for the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, …