There's always something new at Disney World to excite guests, but all those new attractions cost money. But that's not the only thing that Disney World has to pay for. It's known that the quarterly earnings calls Disney holds explain how much Disney's Experiences division makes per quarter and how much it all costs to run. However, the numbers are so big that they can be difficult to get your head around. And how much WDW itself makes, or costs to run, is less clear. Just how big are the checks that the resort has to write to keep things rolling? Well, the numbers are blowing my mind.
Disney recently filed a lawsuit against its home in Orange County, Florida over its property taxes. The lawsuit itself isn’t particularly newsworthy, as Disney has filed a lawsuit like this a dozen times in the past. The company even won a suit previously, getting property assessment at Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club ruled invalid. But what I find most interesting is just what the tax bill actually is for various Disney World properties.
Disney World Owns Almost $60 Million In Property Taxes
Florida Politics has the breakdown of the property tax bills for each of Disney World’s four theme parks, and they are absolutely huge. Epcot, being the largest park, has a property tax bill of $18.3 million. Disney’s Hollywood Studios property taxes come in at $14.9 million, while Magic Kingdom -- the most popular theme park on the planet -- comes in just under that at $14.4 million. Disney’s Animal Kingdom looks downright cheap coming at $11.8 million.
All told, the total property tax bill comes in at just under $60 million. And that’s just for the four theme parks, that don’t include the water parks or the two dozen hotels on the Disney World property. And I thought the property taxes for my single-family home were crazy.
And this is just one item on a long list of the resort’s expenses. It does put into perspective just how big Disney World is and just how much it’s worth. The property tax bills are based on an estimated value of more than $2.3 billion and, again, that’s just for the four theme parks, nothing else.
Disney World Isn’t The Only One Suing Over Property Taxes
Disney World is arguing that the method used to reach the assessed value of its properties is incorrect and, thus, it shouldn’t have to pay the bills it has been presented with. Disney World isn’t alone in this, as several hotels associated with other theme parks are also contesting their property taxes in court.
Lowes., who owns and operates the hotels for Universal Orlando Resort, including the new Grand Helios Resort that will open next year along with the new Epic Universe theme park, is contesting its tax bill of almost $11 million. The Renaissance Orlando hotel at SeaWorld is also suing over its assessed taxes.
The property tax lawsuit comes following a series of legal battles for Disney World regarding the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, the governing body that oversees Disney World. The district was created by Florida law in 2023, replacing the Reedy Creek Improvement District which hasd been in place since Disney World opened in 1971.
