The legal battle between Walt Disney World and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is still ongoing, but you wouldn’t know that from hearing DeSantis talk. Despite the fact that he is being sued for violating the U.S. Constitution, he is claiming that he has already “won the fight” against the mouse that roared.
In an interview/campaign ad with the CEO of The FAMiLY Leader, a conservative Christian organization, DeSantis spoke about the battle with Disney in the past tense. And he said he would not “bend the knee” to Disney, despite the fact that some apparently told him he should do so because of Disney’s power. DeSantis said…
Disney, which is the most powerful corporation in the history of Florida, they came out whole hog against it. A lot of these old guard Republicans were telling me that somehow Disney, when they call the shots you just got to bend the knee, and I said no way, I’m not going to sit idly by and let people corrupt the innocence of our kids. If we can’t stand up for our kids in those situations then we’re not good for anything, so we fought back against Disney, we had a big battle with them, and we won the battle against Disney.
DeSantis saying that Disney was going to “corrupt the innocence” of children is a reference to the company’s public opposition to the Parental Rights in Education Act, known to detractors as “Don’t Say Gay.” Disney publicly came out against the bill, which limits teachers’ ability to discuss topics including sexual orientation and gender identity in the classroom, after significant pressure from both Disney fans and Cast Members.
Following that opposition DeSantis led a campaign against Walt Disney World which included replacing the Reedy Creek Improvement District, the special district that oversaw Disney World, with his own handpicked board. We’ve also seen Disney World attractions subjected to state inspections that other large theme parks are not required to have and even a transportation bill that singles out the Monorail for additional state oversight.
Disney sued DeSantis and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District in federal court, claiming the governor was retaliating against the company for voicing its First Amendment right to freedom of speech. It’s also suing the CFTOD in state court over the board’s voiding of a land deal that had been made between Disney World and the previous special district.
DeSantis isn't wrong about Disney being the most powerful corporation in Florida. Disney itself made that point just yesterday when it published the results of an economic study that show how important Disney World is to the state of Florida, specifically when it comes to how much money Disney brings into the state, and how important Disney World is to employment, not just for the people Disney employs, it is the largest single-site employer in the state, but also the jobs that exist elsewhere in the state that likely would not if Disney World weren't there.
While there is a motion to dismiss the federal lawsuit in front of the judge, that motion is still pending. So while Ron DeSantis may feel he’s won, this fight is far from over. If the lawsuit goes forward and Disney wins, which is as likely as anything the way things currently stand, it’s quite possible that a great deal of what the governor’s done could be undone.
