Gov. DeSantis Asks State Legislature To Repeal Reedy Creek Act

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Uncategorized

The battle between Disney and the state of Florida has just gone up another notch. On Tuesday, April 19, the Florida state legislature held a special legislative session to focus on redistricting. Before the session began, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis made a public statement asking the legislature to consider terminating all special districts that were created in the state prior to 1968. This would include the Reedy Creek Improvement District — which is run by Disney.

The Walt Disney Company and Florida have been at odds for weeks over the passing of Florida’s controversial Parental Rights in Education bill. The bill is also called the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, and its critics believe that it will target the LGBTQ community. Disney CEO Bob Chapek has spoken out against the bill and has promised to work with local advocates to see that the bill is repealed. Disney has also paused all political donations in the state, but that did not happen until the company had donated more than $100,000 to state republicans.

For his part, Governor DeSantis has made it clear that Disney does not run the state, and he will enact whatever legislation he deems necessary, regardless of Disney’s stance on the issue. DeSantis also said that he would consider supporting legislation that would repeal the Reedy Creek Improvement Act. The act was passed in 1967 and basically allowed Walt Disney World Resort to function as its own government.

Magic Kingdom

Before the April 19 legislative session began, Governor DeSantis made the following statement:

“I am announcing today that we are expanding the call of what they are going to be considering this week. And so, yes they will be considering the congressional map, but they also will be considering termination of all special districts that were enacted in Florida prior to 1968, and that includes the Reedy Creek Improvement District.”

Reedy Creek

While some see the move as taking the power back from Disney — which has wielded a ton of power in the state since the theme parks opened — others see the move as incredibly shortsighted. Right now, when Disney wants to make improve things like roads and street signs, it pays for it. Disney is also responsible for any issues with its electricity and Wi-Fi. It also pays for its own police and medical staff. Should the state decide to repeal the Reedy Creek Improvement Act, Florida taxpayers would then be responsible for those costs.

Disney has not commented on Governor DeSantis’ comments or the potential repeal of the Reedy Creek Improvement Act.

Disney’s new headquarters building in New York hits a major milestone

Posted on by Mathew Corn Uncategorized

Construction is progressing nicely on the New York building that will soon house production studios, offices, retail space, and a public food court owned by The Walt Disney Company. so much so, that a “topping out” ceremony was held last week.

Located at 137 Varick Street in New York City, Disney’s new structure is referred to as Four Hudson Square. It takes up an entire city block bound by Varick Street to the east, Spring Street to the south, Hudson Street to the west, and Vandam Street to the north.

In January of this year, construction had only reached ten floors, and as of last week, crews placed the building’s highest steel member.

Earlier this month, a topping-out ceremony was held in celebration of a significant milestone in the construction of The Walt Disney Company‘s newest building: the placement of the topmost beam in the new structure’s framework. A topping-out is a sure sign of progress and one that is celebrated by those who have a part in the new building’s development.

“A lot of times, those on location at the time the topmost beam is to be placed are invited to sign their names on the beam,” said Dwight Tyndall, Senior Engineering consultant at Click Engineering in Dallas, Texas. “Their names are then forever a part of the structure.”

disney abc building new york

This type of celebratory practice isn’t reserved just for The Walt Disney Company, and it isn’t uncommon. It’s often carried out at buildings of notable size and significance, but a topping-out celebration can happen for any construction project. And though there are some things about construction that are the same across the board, Tyndall says that each topping-out ceremony is different.

“It depends on the the project,” he said. “Some have a ceremony with dinner and a big celebration. It just depends on the project and the companies behind it.”

The Walt Disney Company‘s ABC former building in New York was located on the Upper West Side, but Disney sold the building after announcing plans to move those operations to a new location in the Big Apple.

Disney sold the building it owned since 1949 on Columbus Avenue and a nearby parcel on West End Avenue for $1.2 billion to Silverstein Properties. Silverstein developed three of the completed World Trade Center towers and other New York projects. It was then that Disney signed a lease on the Hudson Square space. The lease is up in 99 years and cost the House of Mouse $650 million.

“We’re excited to invest in the growth and development of Hudson Square,” it said in a statement, “and commit to Disney’s long-term future in New York.”

Structures on the Hudson Square space were demolished by 2020 to make room for the new build, a steel-framed superstructure, designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and developed by Silverstein Properties. The building encompasses 1.2 million square feet spread out over 22 stories. The entire structure stands 338 feet tall. The building will house film and production studios, including the studio where ABC’s The View will be filmed, as well as office space, and a large ground floor retail space.

“This move represents an historic step forward toward our long-term vision for our New York operations,” said Robert Iger, CEO of Disney in 2018 when the move from the Upper West Side was first announced. “The Hudson Square district is rapidly becoming a dynamic, innovative hub for media, technology and other creative businesses.”

How Disney Chairman Bob Iger Makes and Spends Money: Net Worth, Career

The new building at Four Hudson Square will feature a pair of 320-feet towers made of glass and green terra cotta, as well as a public food court on the ground floor, and several landscaped terraces. In all, the new build will boast 30,000 square feet of outdoor space.

four hudson square disney
four hudson square disney

Disney and ABC understood the need for security features in and around the new build as well. Four Hudson Square will feature sidewalk bollards all around the property. There will be minimal Disney and ABC signage, and Disney is forgoing any street-level, glass-walled TV studios.

The new structure will be completed sometime in 2024.

Walt Disney Co. Has a New Lead Spokesperson

Posted on by Mathew Corn Uncategorized

Disney has officially hired a new Head of Global Communications — Kristina Schake, former special assistant to President Barack Obama and Communications Director for First Lady, Michelle Obama. Schake could not come into the company at a more crucial time, as Disney struggles to get back in the good graces of thousands of Cast Members and Guests. Disney has been in hot water since its response to Florida’s Parental Rights In Education Bill, which was signed into law in March by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Schake will be an Executive VP and will report directly to Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Geoff Morrell.

In confirming Schake’s new position, Morrell made the following statement:

“I could not be more pleased to welcome Kristina to Disney and to have her leading communications for the company. Her experience in the public and private sectors, in political and corporate campaigns, make her ideally suited for this important role and to help me integrate communications with government relations, public policy, and corporate social responsibility into a new Corporate Affairs team. Together with the exceptional professionals at Disney, we will help the world’s greatest storytelling company engage even more effectively with our many stakeholders around the world.”

After Morrell released his statement, Schake made a statement of her own. In it, she voiced her excitement about joining the Disney family. Schake said:

“As Disney approaches its 100th anniversary, I’m excited to lead the company’s global communications work at this pivotal moment of growth and transformation, The magical stories and experiences Disney creates enrich the lives of countless people around the world and it’s an honor for me to be a part of that, helping Bob Chapek, Geoff Morrell, and the talented teams throughout the company tell the story of Disney as it begins its second century.”

Bob Chapek

Schake began her political career in her home state of California, where she worked as a Communications Strategist for Maria Shriver — the ex-wife of former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger — the Women’s Conference, and the California Endowment’s Building Healthy Communities Initiative. She is also one of the co-founders of American Foundation for Equal Rights.

Just prior to joining Disney, Schake led the national COVID-19 vaccine education campaign for the Biden administration. She is also the former Communications Director for Instagram. In addition to working for both President Obama and President Biden, Schake has also worked for Hilary Clinton’s 2016 Presidential campaign as its Deputy Communications Director.

Gov. DeSantis: Disney’s “woke ideology” may cause the company to lose its “special privileges” in Florida

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Uncategorized

The culture war rages on between the State of Florida and Disney, and there seems to be no sign of white flags of surrender waving in the breeze anytime soon.

On Thursday, Governor Ron DeSantis responded to the suggestion that Florida should repeal a 55-year-old state law that essentially lets Disney govern itself on Disney World property. The suggestion has been made in response to Disney’s loud opposition to House Bill 1557, the Parental Rights in Education Bill.

“What I would say as a matter of first principle is I don’t support special privileges in law just because a company is powerful and they’ve been able to wield a lot of power,” DeSantis said during a press conference West Palm Beach, Florida on Thursday.

OSNow PODCAST: DeSantis calls for end to Disneys 'special privileges' and Florida Trail thru-hikers share tales (Ep. 819) - Orlando Sentinel

For weeks, Disney’s CEO was silent about the bill, which prohibits classroom instruction on “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” with children in third grade or younger, “or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.” But it does not prohibit casual discussion about those topics.

Despite its being branded the “Don’t Say Gay” bill by critics of the legislation, the bill does not ban the word “gay” in any school setting whatsoever. It doesn’t ban casual discussions about sexual orientation or gender identity in the classrooms. Further, it does not require schools to notify parents if a student identifies as gay or transgender.

But CEO Bob Chapek spoke out against the bill, and since that time, Disney has been in a war of words with Florida Republicans. On Monday, Governor Ron DeSantis signed the bill into law, much to the frustration and dissatisfaction of some, including some of Disney’s employees.

Don't Say Gay' bill signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis | AP News

But according to a current Disney employee and Congressional candidate, the majority of Disney’s employees are in favor of the bill. Jose Castillo says that Disney’s only listening to the small group who opposes the bill.

“Disney and similar corporations listen to the loudest voices in the crowd,” Castillo explained. “That is why I am standing up for our shared conservative values; to show other conservative Cast Members like me that we need to speak up and stand strong.”

“I think what has happened is there’s a lot of these special privileges that are not justifiable, but because Disney had held so much sway, they were able to sustain a lot of special treatment over the years,” DeSantis explained.

Don't Say Gay' bill signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis - Winnipeg Free Press

Gov. DeSantis went on to say that Disney has “lost a lot of the pull that they used to have” over the company’s opposition to the Parental Rights in Education bill. The governor said it’s his opinion that it’s a “good thing for our state because the state should be governed by the best interest of the people.”

“I would say any special privileges that are in law I would like to get rid of generally,” DeSantis added. “I think in this particular case with Disney, I just don’t think you have very many people in the legislature anymore who are going to be able to defend a lot of what has been done over many years to really have them almost govern themselves in some of these things. That was probably never appropriate to start.”

DeSantis says it’s “certainly not appropriate now at this point” for Disney to self-govern.

In response to Disney’s recent opposition, Florida State Representative Spencer Roach has already met with lawmakers about repealing the law that allows Disney to govern itself.

“Yesterday was the 2nd meeting in a week w/fellow legislators to discuss a repeal of the 1967 Reedy Creek Improvement Act, which allows Disney to act as its own government,” Roach tweeted. “If Disney wants to embrace woke ideology, it seems fitting that they should be regulated by Orange County.”

On Monday, Disney released a statement after the school-related bill was signed into law.

“Florida’s HB 1557, also known as the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, should never have passed and should never have been signed into law,” Disney said in the statement. “Our goal as a company is for this law to be repealed by the legislature or struck down in the courts, and we remain committed to supporting the national and state organizations working to achieve that. We are dedicated to standing up for the rights and safety of LGBTQ+ members of the Disney family, as well as the LGBTQ+ community in Florida and across the country.”

In response to Disney’s criticism, DeSantis said on Monday that Disney had “crossed the line.”

“This state is governed by the interest of the people of the state of Florida,” said DeSantis. “It is not based on the demands of California corporate executives. They do not run this state. They do not control this state.”

Why is #BoycottDisney Trending?

Posted on by Mathew Corn Uncategorized

Unless you have been staying completely clear of news and social media for the past few weeks, then you know that The Walt Disney Company and the state of Florida have been in a heated battle. Florida recently passed the Parental Rights in Education bill, dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, and Disney has been outspoken in its opposition. Disney has even said that they will work with Florida politicians and lawyers to help ensure that the bill is repealed if and when it goes to the courts.

Disney’s objection to the bill has not sat well with those who believe Disney should stay out of politics. There are also those who believe that Disney is moving far away from the wholesome, family-friendly entertainment the company is known for. They are also upset with Disney executives claiming that their content in the coming years will feature a lot more characters who are minorities and members of the LGBTQ+ community. Disney’s detractors have also accused Disney of being “woke” and believe it will be the downfall of the company — which led to the popular phrase “Go woke, go broke.”

All of that anger at Disney has led to the hashtag #BoycottDisney to trend on Twitter.

The Daily Wire media company founder Ben Shapiro believes that it is Disney’s job to protect children and by opposing the bill, they are not doing so. Shapiro tweeted:

Your goal as a company should be to preserve the innocence of children, not fight against it on behalf of a small, radical group of employees who need the validation of having their choices validated by kindergarteners

Disney’s stock has been seeing a downward trend recently — which has happened in the past before big rebounds. However, some think that Disney’s drop has to do with them losing a large number of conservative people who used to support them.

Twitter user @WonderWoman4USA tweeted that she believes certain things should not be taught to younger children, which is why she is boycotting.

In response to Disney’s stance on the Parental Rights in Education bill, Ben Shapiro has also announced that The Daily Wire will be spending more than $100 million in creating conservative children’s content for those who feel as if they do not want to support Disney. Disney, meanwhile, has remained committed to its LGBTQ+ Cast Members and continues to say that it will fight the bill for as long as possible. Disney has also said that it will form a task force to fight these types of bills from passing in other states as well.