Tag Archives: Disney

The Hill reports: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said Friday there is “zero” chance he will back down from his dispute with Disney, even as some fellow Republicans urge caution. “[Disney] can do whatever they want,” DeSantis said during a stop at a diner in Manchester, N.H. “I know people try to chirp and say this or that, but the …

“Disney announced the possibility of a Lake Nona campus nearly two years ago. Nothing ever came of the project, and the state was unsure whether it would come to fruition. Given the company’s financial straits, falling market cap and declining stock price, it is unsurprising that they would restructure their business operations and cancel unsuccessful ventures.” – DeSantis spox Jeremy …

The New York Times reports: In March, Disney called Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida “anti-business” for his scorched-earth attempt to tighten oversight of the company’s theme park resort near Orlando. Last month, when Disney sued the governor and his allies for what it called “a targeted campaign of government retaliation,” the company made clear that $17 billion in planned investment …

The New York Times reports: Florida legislation that was designed to hamstring Disney could end up helping the company, at least in relation to a lawsuit in state court over development at Walt Disney World near Orlando. On Tuesday, Disney filed a motion to dismiss the state court case. As a matter of legal maneuvering, the filing was routine: Disney …

Florida Politics reports: Florida will no longer stand clear of the monorail doors. Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed legislation (HB 1305) that will allow state inspections of Walt Disney World’s monorail system. Those provisions were part of a larger transportation bill that also increases debt service for the state’s transportation trust fund and authorizes new projects and partnerships. But the …

Reuters reports: Walt Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger on Wednesday accused Florida politicians of retaliating against the company and questioned the state’s interest in the entertainment conglomerate’s continued investment in Walt Disney World. “We operate responsibly. We pay our fair share of taxes. We employ thousands of people. And by the way, we pay them above the minimum wage, substantially …

Florida Politics reports: Walt Disney World could potentially be fined by its new state-run governing board for code violations. The Gov. Ron DeSantis-appointed governing board approved a resolution to start setting up the structure for a code enforcement department that could levy fines ranging from $75 to $500 per day for code violations. It takes effect Aug. 1. The resolution …

CNBC reports: Disney on Monday expanded its federal lawsuit against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, accusing the Republican leader of doubling down on his “retribution campaign” against the company by signing legislation to void Disney’s development deals in Orlando. Disney’s amended lawsuit also noted that Florida’s Republican-led legislature passed legislation last week targeting Walt Disney World’s monorail system. “Governor DeSantis and …

“First, the big issue with Disney was they exercised a lot of political influence in this town. And they tried to fight us on things like parents’ rights and things that are really important to the people of Florida. “We beat them on that. We signed a parents’ rights bill and we’ve expanded protections and we’ve done a lot of …

The Orlando Sentinel reports: Gov. Ron DeSantis wasted no time signing a bill into law that allows the board he chose to oversee Disney World’s sprawling 25,000-acre domain to ignore development agreements approved by the previous board handpicked by the entertainment giant. DeSantis signed the bill (SB 1604) on Friday, a day after the Senate approved it. Sarasota Sen. Joe …

Florida Politics reports: Gov. Ron DeSantis’ six-figure support from The Walt Disney Co. over the years could be a 2024 issue. The Stand For America PAC, which supports Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley, calls on DeSantis to “return the more than $100,000 his campaign and affiliated PACs have taken from Disney over the years.” “DeSantis, who currently faces a lawsuit …

Florida Politics reports: The Legislature has passed a bill seeking to retroactively invalidate Disney’s agreement with its outgoing board — a contract now at the center of an ongoing civil lawsuit. Senators approved SB 1604 with a 27-13 vote Thursday evening. The bill is seeking to roll back an agreement Disney made with its old Reedy Creek Improvement Board in …

Florida Politics reports: The state has moved a step closer to opening up the Disney World monorail to state inspectors for the first time despite Democrats’ objections that the move targets Disney, which has a strong safety record. “Do we want Disney to shut down? Do we want Disney to leave our state? Do you want Disney to come on …

The Insider reports: A district board appointed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis passed a motion Monday during an emergency meeting to counter-sue Disney. The lawsuit will be filed in central Florida, Martin Garcia, chairman of the board for the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, said. It was not immediately clear from Monday’s meeting what the basis of the lawsuit would …

Deadline reports: The federal judge presiding over Disney’s lawsuit against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has recused himself, citing a conflict of interest. The lawsuit, filed by Walt Disney Parks and Resorts U.S., Inc. on Wednesday, accuses DeSantis of a “targeted campaign of government retaliation.” That would violate the company’s First Amendment rights, the suit contends. Friday’s order by U.S. Magistrate …

Florida Politics reports: The most powerful Republican in Congress is speaking out against Gov. Ron DeSantis‘ war with The Walt Disney Co., which includes threats of a prison near Disney World. On CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of California urged DeSantis to find a productive solution, specifically mentioning the Governor’s prison threat as unhelpful. “This is a big …

The Hill reports: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) on Thursday criticized the move by Disney to sue the governor, arguing the suit has no merit and it is politically motivated. “I don’t think the suit has merit, I think it’s political,” DeSantis told reporters at a news conference in Israel. “They had no transparency, no accountability, none of that, and …

The Daily Beast reports: Nikki Haley gave a shameless pitch on Fox News to the Walt Disney Co., suggesting a relocation to her native South Carolina after DeSantis’ repeated attacks on the company. Soon after, a super PAC supporting DeSantis’ as-yet-unannounced bid for the White House shot back at Haley with an edited video of Disney “officials” voicing support for …

“You know, as governor I took care a double-digit unemployment state and I turned it into an economic powerhouse. Businesses were my partners, because if you take care of your businesses, you take care of your economy, your economy takes care of the people and everyone wins. “And so that’s the way we dealt with it. South Carolina was a …

The New York Times reports: The fight between Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida and the Walt Disney Company is headed to court. On Wednesday, a board appointed by Mr. DeSantis to oversee government services at Disney World voted to nullify two agreements that gave Disney vast control over expansion at the 25,000-acre resort complex. Within minutes, Disney sued Mr. DeSantis, …