Ron DeSantis – A Walk With The Mouse

Disney vs. DeSantis: Case DISMISSED

Posted on February 1, 2024February 1, 2024 by Mathew Corn Uncategorized

Nearly two years ago, now ex-Disney CEO Bob Chapek spoke out against Florida’s Parental Rights in Education bill. The bill was championed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Shortly after Chapek spoke out against the bill, Governor DeSantis began his crusade against the House of Mouse.

Mr. DeSantis and the Republican-led state legislature quickly dissolved the Reedy Creek Improvement District, which stripped Disney of its right to self-govern. They then voted to move Disney’s monorail system under state inspection control. The Governor appointed his own loyalists to lead the district formerly known as Reedy Creek. That new board is now having its own issues with the company.

After more than a year of dealing with the Governor, Disney officially filed a lawsuit against DeSantis. The company claimed that Mr. DeSantis had violated its First Amendment rights to free speech when he targeted them. Disney claimed that the governor had waged a campaign of retaliation against them, simply because they said something that he did not like.

Now, a judge has sided with the controversial Governor. Disney’s case against Ron DeSantis has officially been dismissed.

District Judge Allen Winsor said that Disney did not have a claim of retaliation because the laws DeSantis created that targeted the company are “facially constitutional.”

DeSantis’ lawyer had made that claim earlier when asking the judge to dismiss the case. The governor’s legal team said that it “didn’t matter” if DeSantis punished Disney, because the laws he passed looked constitutional. Because the laws appeared constitutional at face value, it doesn’t matter if it was created for a retaliatory reason.

The judge also determined that Governor DeSantis had every right to dissolve Reedy Creek and then appoint a board of his own loyalists.

Disney, however, highly disagreed with the judge’s ruling. Shortly after the ruling, a Disney spokesperson released a short statement:

“This is an important case with serious implications for the rule of law, and it will not end here. If left unchallenged, this would set a dangerous precedent and give license to states to weaponize their official powers to punish the expression of political viewpoints they disagree with.”

Disney has not said yet if it plans to appeal the judge’s ruling, but its statement appears to indicate such a move.

The ruling is relatively surprising, considering that Governor DeSantis admitted multiple times to going after Disney because they spoke out against him. He even admitted to retaliation in his new book. Many constitutional law experts said that Disney had a very strong case.

DeSantis’ Disney Takeover Hits the Parks

Posted on January 9, 2024January 9, 2024 by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Epcot, Magic Kingdom

Back in April 2023, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis officially dissolved the Reedy Creek Improvement District. The special district had been around since 1967 and allowed Disney to function as its own form of government. DeSantis and the Republican-led Florida legislature voted to dissolve Reedy Creek after DeSantis and Disney began locking horns in March 2022.

As part of Reedy Creek’s dissolution, the embattled governor announced that the state would also be taking over the inspections of Disney’s most iconic transportation option — the monorail. Prior to the dissolution, Disney was able to have its own inspectors come in and make sure the monorail was operating safely. However, DeSantis said that that would no longer be acceptable, so he would send in state inspectors to do the work.

It’s been eight months, but that promise has finally come to fruition. According to Click Orlando — a local news site — the Florida Department of Transportation has begun the process of regulating the Walt Disney World monorail.

“Being that this is the first time that the State has had oversight, FDOT is doing its due diligence to thoroughly complete the review while ensuring the safety of travelers,” said FDOT District Five Public Information Director Cindi Lane.

FDOT’s Structures Maintenance Office, which inspects hundreds of bridges and other structures across the state, has begun conducting field inspections of Disney’s monorail structure.

As part of that process, Disney has provided FDOT with safety manuals and other existing monorail documentation, Lane said.

While it may not seem like a big deal to have state inspectors looking at the monorail system, they actually hold immense power. FDOT inspectors can choose to suspend Disney World monorail service while they are doing their inspections. We do not know how long they could keep the monorails down. Thankfully, that has not yet happened.

Since the state’s takeover of Walt Disney World Resort and the Reedy Creek District, things have gone from bad to worse between Disney, Governor DeSantis, and his new board running Reedy Creek.

The board has tried to force Disney to dissolve its Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion program. The head of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District — Glen Gilzean — called the program “unAmerican.” However, just two years ago, he was praising Disney and its DEI program for all the positive work it was doing in the area.

The district has also lost dozens of employees, some of whom worked for Reedy Creek for decades. No member of the CFTOD board has any experience working in the theme park industry. Those who have left said that morale is at an all-time low and called the board “unqualified and incompetent.”

Disney is currently suing the CFTOD for violating its First Amendment Rights, as well as breach of contract.

Disney Threatens More Lawsuits Against Florida & Governor Ron DeSantis

Posted on September 4, 2023September 4, 2023 by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Uncategorized

The long-running legal battle between Disney and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has a new development. According to the New York Times, Disney has sent letters to the office of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis this week, stating that the company would pursue more lawsuits over the state not complying with public records requests.

Per the Times, Disney filed a motion this past Friday, September 1, 2023, to amend its federal suit to remove complaints specifically related to the development contracts for the former Reedy Creek Improvement District — which is what the state lawsuit against the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District covers — and leave Disney’s accusation that DeSantis violated the company’s First Amendment rights intact. The motion was denied later that day by Judge Allen Winsor in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida in Tallahassee.

In that same motion, however, Disney disclosed that DeSantis and six other state entities had not complied with public records requests from May of this year, made by the company’s lawyers during the discovery process of both cases. This week, Disney mailed letters to the offices of DeSantis and the other state entities, “saying that the company would sue each under Florida’s public records act unless the requested materials were made available by Sept. 6.”

It has now been nearly four months since our request, and we have yet to receive any of the requested records or any substantive response asserting valid exemptions.”Adam Losey, Orlando lawyer working for Disney, as stated in one of the letters

Disney is asking for “all documents and communications, including but not limited to text messages, Signal messages, and WhatsApp messages on any devices” with the keywords “Disney” or “mouse,” among others, according to the letters.

This is the latest entry in the feud between Disney and DeSantis, coming just days after the revelation that Disney will be footing the bill on both sides of its lawsuit against CFTOD, who is suing the company in state court. DeSantis told CNBC back in August that he has “moved on” from his battles with The Walt Disney Company, and wants the whole issue to be dropped.

Mark Hamill Takes a Stance Amidst Disney Vs. DeSantis Feud

Posted on September 4, 2023September 4, 2023 by Mathew Corn Uncategorized

At this point, the feud between the Walt Disney Company and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has been ongoing for over a year, without a clear winner in sight just yet. Now that a couple of lawsuits have begun, the entanglement has gotten even more complicated and is sure to last an even longer time.

HOLLYWOOD, CA – MARCH 08: Actor Mark Hamill is honored with star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on March 8, 2018 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)

It’s hard to believe that the feud began with the Parental Rights in Education Act. This bill was passed in February 2022, when Bob Chapek was still the CEO of the Walt Disney Company.

At first, CEO Bob Chapek attempted to stay out of the politics. But after the Walt Disney Company faced pressure from its vast arsenal of employees and fans alike, he changed his tune. Governor Ron DeSantis has been exacting his revenge ever since.

A year and a half later, Reedy Creek Improvement District has been replaced with the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District. The main difference between Disney’s former Reedy Creek Improvement District and the new board is that Governor Ron DeSantis gets to hand-pick the members of the board.

Now, the Walt Disney Company is suing DeSantis and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD) for retaliating after the company exercised its right to the First Amendment (freedom of speech). DeSantis and the CFTOD are now counter-suing the Walt Disney Company in what has become one of the pettiest legal battles ever seen.

Amidst the legal battles, Governor Ron DeSantis is currently running for president, campaigning all around the country. As he campaigns, however, one of history’s greatest heroes chimes in: Luke Skywalker, himself.

Of course, we’re talking about Mark Hamill, the legendary actor who brought the character to life.

Ron DeSantis recently made a social media post, asking the people of America if they supported his plans to run for president. Mark Hamill outspokenly responded:

Hard pass. https://t.co/m80iMCOiIN
— Mark Hamill (@MarkHamill) August 22, 2023

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Plans to Toll Guest Roads & Raise Hotel Taxes at Walt Disney World

Posted on April 7, 2023April 7, 2023 by Mathew Corn Disney Parks

Via wdwnt.com

The dispute between Walt Disney World and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis seems to be escalating once again, as he issued multiple threats on the resort in a new statement.

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando, Florida, U.S. February 24, 2022. REUTERS/Octavio Jones/File Photo

Politico reports that in a speech delivered at Hillsdale College, a conservative liberal arts college in Michigan, DeSantis said “They are not superior to the people of Florida. So come hell or high water we’re going to make sure that policy of Florida carries the day. And so they can keep trying to do things. But ultimately we’re going to win on every single issue involving Disney I can tell you that.”

DeSantis also promised to double down on his efforts to punish Disney through methods both in the Legislature and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight Board. Notably, he promised to hike Disney’s hotel taxes and institute tolls on the roads around Walt Disney World Resort property now administered by the CFTOB, among others.

In a separate speech hosted by the Midland County Republican Party in Michigan, the governor said “Disney tried to pull a fast one on the way out the door. That story’s not over yet. Buckle up. There’s more coming down the pike.”

DeSantis v. Disney: Part II

While tensions cooled between the governor and Disney as last year came to a close, the spark reignited once again earlier this year when Disney passed several laws which restricted the power of his newly-appointed Central Florida Tourism Oversight Board, designed to replace the Reedy Creek Improvement District. The new board was designed as retaliation for Disney’s outspoken response to a bill last year which restricted educators from teaching any LGBTQ+-related concepts to students.

Through the final meeting of the Reedy Creek Improvement District’s board, which was controlled by Disney, the board passed a number of restrictive covenants which handed most of the District’s power to Disney for a period of at least thirty years, but also lasting until after the death of the final living descendant of King Charles III.

The move shocked DeSantis and his board, who expressed disbelief at Disney’s actions and retained multiple law firms to fight the agreement in court. At the time, the Executive Office of the Governor reached out to WDWNT with this statement from Communications Director Taryn Fenske:

“The Executive Office of the Governor is aware of Disney’s last-ditch efforts to execute contracts just before ratifying the new law that transfers rights and authorities from the former Reedy Creek Improvement District to Disney. An initial review suggests these agreements may have significant legal infirmities that would render the contracts void as a matter of law. We are pleased the new Governor-appointed board retained multiple financial and legal firms to conduct audits and investigate Disney’s past behavior.”

Disney responded with their own statement:

“All agreements signed between Disney and the District were appropriate, and were discussed and approved in open, noticed public forums in compliance with Florida Government in the Sunshine law.”

Earlier this month at Disney’s annual shareholder meeting, CEO Bob Iger accused Gov. DeSantis of punishing Disney for exercising their right to free speech. “We love the state of Florida,” he said, citing the company’s various investments in the community over the years and saying he respected and appreciated what the state has done for Disney in the past. “Any action that thwarts these efforts simply to retaliate is anti-business and anti-Florida.”