Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s feud with Disney seems like a story as old as time for Floridians who have ridden the years of rollercoaster filled with twists and turns. The last of these is a rumor that the House of Mouse would pack its bags and head to Georgia.
The rumor arose after an April 8 satire story reported that the Walt Disney Company announced it was moving its Disney World theme park after buying a 1,000-acre plot of land in Atlanta, Georgia.
The story also indicated that the new park would feature many of the original’s iconic rides, plus new ones “tailor-made” for the Atlanta area, such as a new “Gone with the Wind” attraction, a Coca-Cola Cola World Exhibit and an Atlanta Braves Baseball Experience.
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Never mind that the land Disney World sits on is spread over 39 square miles, nearly 25 times larger than the 1,000-acre lot the company reportedly purchased. The story went on to say that a groundbreaking ceremony was scheduled for August 2023.
The story was published on Medium, an online publishing platform founded by Twitter and Blogger co-founder Evan Williams that allows anyone — amateurs and professionals alike — to self-publish writings and other documents.
So, is Disney leaving Florida for Georgia? In short: no. The story doing the rounds on Twitter and other social media platforms is satire.
What many who shared the story failed to see was the “Parody” tag label at the bottom of the 300 word story. According to the author’s biography, Matt Ryan Allen is a screenwriter, producer and amateur futurist known for the comedy ‘Four Christmases’ and ‘Block Party’.
Fact-check website Snopes also pointed out that Disney has made no such announcement, and if it did, the seismic impact of the announcement would send ripples impossible to ignore via reputable news reports, the inevitable social media frenzy and – of course – fans.
Why is DeSantis fighting Disney?
The feud between DeSantis and Disney began in March 2022 after he signed the Parental Rights in Education Act, dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill by opponents.
The bill banned instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in Florida classrooms. It originally targeted kindergarten through third grade, limiting similar discussions in senior grades to what is “age appropriate or appropriate for student development in accordance with state standards.”
However, the Florida State Board of Education voted on April 19 to expand the law to all classes.
Soon after, Disney, one of Florida’s top employers, came under fire from the Florida Democratic Party and its LGBTQ employees who staged a strike over the company’s silence on the matter.
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Disney relented and became a target after then-CEO Bob Chapek began lobbying against the legislation.
“I called Governor DeSantis this morning to express our disappointment and concern that if legislation becomes law, it could be used to target gay, lesbian, non-binary and transgender children and families,” Chapek told Disney shareholders during a meeting in March 2022.
Afterwards, DeSantis lashed out at Disney at a group of supporters in a video obtained by Fox News Digital. “You have companies like Disney saying and criticizing parents’ rights, they’re going to criticize the fact that we don’t want transgenderism in kindergarten and first grade,” he said. If we die, how can they explain that they line their pockets with their relationship with the Communist Party of China?
How much land does Disney own in Florida?
The Walt Disney Company owns about 25,000 acres of land in Florida, which is about 39 square miles. About half of that land is still undeveloped.
Disney owns so much land that then Florida Governor Claude R. Kirk. Jr. signed legislation called the Reedy Creek Improvement Act, which formed the Reedy Creek Improvement District and allowed Disney to build the necessary infrastructure for further development.
What is the Reedy Creek Improvement District?
The Reedy Creek Improvement District was established by state law more than 50 years ago to exempt 40 miles of Disney-owned land from most state and local regulations and to allow Disney to collect taxes, follow its own building codes, and provide emergency services for its six theme parks and resorts.
At the time of its creation, neither Orange nor Osceola counties had the services to provide power and water to the remote 25,000-acre estate where the Walt Disney World Co. proposed to build a recreational development.
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In 1967, the Florida legislature, in conjunction with Walt Disney World Co., created a special tax district—called the Reedy Creek Improvement District—which, according to the district’s website, would act with the same authority and responsibility as a county government.
The district provided typical municipal services such as power, water and wastewater services, roads, fire protection, emergency medical services, drainage and flood control, and collection and disposal of solid waste and recyclables.
The Reedy Creek District was led by a five-member board of directors composed of senior Walt Disney Co. employees. With DeSantis’ new amendment, the board of directors would be headed by a five-member council essentially hand-picked by the governor.
What did Disney do with DeSantis’ new board?
On February 8, the day before the Florida House voted to create the new board, Reedy Creek and Disney quietly discussed and approved a development agreement. .
Under the terms of the pacts and covenants, Disney avoids what is essentially a hostile takeover by the state and retains maximum control over the development of the central Florida theme park resort’s 27,000 acres, including future development, acquiring development rights, confirming of current and future public amenity commitments, and maintaining the protection of valuable wetlands and conservation areas within the district.
DeSantis’ new district is also prohibited from using the “Disney” name or symbols associated with the theme park resort without the company’s permission, nor may it in any way display the likeness of Mickey Mouse, other Disney characters, or other intellectual property. use property. The company may seek damages for any violations and the agreement is in perpetuity, according to the statement.
This article originally appeared in the Pensacola News Journal: Disney is moving to Georgia? DeSantis v. Disney feud sparks rumors
