The battle between The Walt Disney Company and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has been ongoing for a while now.
From battles over bills to special districts to lawsuits, we’ve seen plenty of back and forth in the past few years. But now, after a long legal conflict, Disney has dropped its federal lawsuit against DeSantis.
AP reports that “Disney asked a federal appellate court to dismiss its lawsuit against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday.” This comes just a day after the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD) board approved a deal to develop Walt Disney World Resort in the coming years.
It’s not surprising that this lawsuit was dismissed, considering it was dependent on whether a development agreement could be reached. The CFTOD board is made up of DeSantis’s appointees, and Disney has notoriously butted heads with those on the board since DeSantis took over control of the district.
The development plan for Disney World was approved Wednesday night by the CFTOD board. Disney will invest $17 billion over the next two decades to improve infrastructure at the resort.
“This new development agreement paves the way for us to invest billions of dollars in Walt Disney World Resort, supporting the growth of this global destination, fueling the Florida economy, and allowing us to deliver even more memorable and extraordinary experiences for our guests,” said Jeff Vahle, president of Walt Disney World Resort
The deal also gives approval for Disney to build a fifth major park and two smaller parks (like water parks) if the company decides to. Hotel room numbers can be raised up to 53,000 and retail and restaurant space can be increased by over 20%.
So what does CFTOD get out of this deal? Disney will donate up to 100 acres of the property for “the construction of infrastructure projects controlled by the district.” Disney will also have to award at least half of its construction projects to companies based in Florida and spend at least $10 million on affordable housing for the Central Florida area.
We’ll be interested to see how this deal plays out in the coming months and affects the decisions that Disney makes. We’ll keep you in the loop.
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Because Disney knew they HAD NO CASE!