Disney In Talks To Build New Community in Lake Nona, Florida

Posted on by Mathew Corn Uncategorized

According to Orlando Business Journal, The Walt Disney Company and Tavistock Development Co. LLC are in talks to build a residential and commercial community in Lake Nona, Florida. The deal is still in early stages so may not come to fruition.

Tavistock is currently preparing to develop 4,192 residential units and 2.4 million square feet of non-residential space in the Lake Nona community, which may be the location for this Disney community.

Of course, this would not be Disney’s first community in the Orlando area. Disney developed Celebration, Florida near Walt Disney World, and Golden Oak within Walt Disney World property. Flamingo Crossings Town Center is currently under construction and opening in phases. A Lake Nona community would be the furthest away from Walt Disney World, at approximately 18 miles.

Florida Governor to Take Executive Action Banning Requirement of “Vaccine Passports”

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks

Via wdwnt.com

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has spoken out against the “vaccine passports” currently under consideration by the Biden administration. The “passports” or credentials are meant to easily prove whether or not someone has been vaccinated, to allow them access to places that require proof.

DeSantis does not support the “vaccine passports”, stating Florida’s approach to the vaccine is to “provide it for all, mandate for none,” although the passport would not be a mandate, only a digital or physical record of vaccination. According to The Washington Post article we cited earlier, the Biden administration is in fact actively working to ensure the passport does not act as a mandate.

DeSantis said it is “completely unacceptable” for the government or a private sector to implement a “vaccine passport” for movies, sporting events, and theme parks. He said he will be taking an emergency, executive action later this week to effectively ban “vaccine passports” in the state.

Currently, vaccinated guests visiting Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort are still required to follow physical distancing rules and wear a mask. Floridians over the age of 40 are currently eligible for the vaccine and those over the age of 18 will be eligible April 5, 2021.

Florida Tourism Falls to Lowest Number Since 2010

Posted on by Mathew Corn Animal Kingdom, Disney Parks, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom

Via wdwnt.com

In 2020, Florida tourism has fallen to its lowest number of visitors in ten years due to the COVID-19 pandemic with only about 86.714 million tourists.

Visitation had been growing steadily in the past decade from the 80.879 million tourists who visited Florida in 2009 and 82.315 million tourists in 2010. Florida has had at least 100 million visitors per year since 2015. In 2019, there were 131.42 million visitors, putting 2020 at a 34% drop from the previous year.

In their posting of the visitor estimates, Visit Florida did note that “due to the unprecedented nature of the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact it has had on data used to produce visitor estimates, the numbers provided below are likely to face larger-than-normal revisions as new data become available.”

Visit Florida President and CEO Dana Young said the estimated 20.625 million travelers in the fourth quarter exceeded expectations.

“Many of Florida’s top origin markets were under stricter travel restrictions in Q4 than the previous quarter, but thanks to our advertising in the Southeast, visitation from those states remains strong,” Young said in a statement. “Visit Florida’s marketing has been integral to Florida’s economic recovery and will continue to propel our tourism industry forward in 2021.”

Theme parks and resorts such as Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort are a huge draw for Florida tourists, especially to Central Florida.

Request for Tokyo Olympics To Be Moved to Florida

Posted on by Mathew Corn Uncategorized

Interestingly enough, Florida is petitioning for the Tokyo Olympics to be moved to the Sunshine State. Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis issued a letter to the International Olympic Committee encouraging them to consider relocating the 2021 Olympics from Tokyo, Japan to the United States of America, and more specifically to Florida. In the letter, Patronis cites Walt Disney World’s success amidst COVID-19.

Disney cast members welcome guests to Magic Kingdom Park, July 11, 2020, at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., on the first day of the theme park’s phased reopening. (Kent Phillips, Photographer)

According to a letter by CFO Jimmy Patronis, “media reports of leaders in Japan “privately” concluding that they are too concerned about the pandemic for the 2021 Olympics to take place, there is still time to deploy a site selection team to Florida to meet with statewide and local officials on holding the Olympics in the Sunshine State. I would welcome the opportunity to pitch Florida and help you make the right contacts to get this done.”

Jimmy Patronis continues stating: “The State of Florida has successfully allowed sports to take place during the pandemic. When most states shut down their sporting events, the city of Jacksonville hosted the Ultimate Fighting Championship (the UFC) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) setup the “bubble” to hold games in Orlando. Moreover, during football season the National Football League (NFL) and college teams were able to compete on Florida soil. Additionally, our international tourist destinations, like Disney parks have been open and operating safely in Florida for some time. In fact, Disney serves as an incredible model for how to run a complex organization in the midst of COVID-19.”

Disney Reportedly in Talks to Move Some California Operations to Orlando

Posted on by Mathew Corn Uncategorized

Via DisneyFanatic.com

With Disneyland in California remaining closed since March 14, it looks like The Walt Disney Co. is rethinking some California operations, with the possibility of moving some operations to the Orlando area, near Walt Disney World.

As shared by BizJournals: “The Walt Disney Co., owner and operator of Walt Disney World and the largest employer in Central Florida, is in talks to relocate some of its office divisions from its headquarters in California to Lake Nona, a master-planned community in southeast Orlando, Orlando Business Journal has learned.”

According to the exclusive with BizJournals, a Disney spokesperson has reportedly confirmed that talks are in place by saying “nothing was concrete” at this time but Disney is “always exploring opportunities for additional locations within the vicinity of our theme park”.

While what operations Disney may move remains unknown, we do know that with the pandemic restrictions set in place by the State of California and Governor Gavin Newsom, it seems like there is no reopening date in the near future for Disneyland. Disney’s frustration with the closure has been notable, as Florida’s Walt Disney World reopened with CDC guidelines back in July 2020.

We’ll keep you posted as we learn more about this potential shift in operations. In the meantime, our fingers are crossed for all the west coast Disney fans and Cast Members that Disneyland can reopen safety soon enough.