Skip to main content

Disney's War With Ron DeSantis Might Finally Be Winding Down

Photo: AaronP/Bauer-Griffin (Getty Images)

Nearly two years after a highly public feud kicked off between the Walt Disney Company and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis—involving the takeover and subsequent renaming of of Disney’s Reedy Creek Improvement District as the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District—a settlement has been reached.

What began as DeSantis’ retaliation for Disney standing against the state’s “Don’t Say Gay” law, which bans talk of sexual orientation and gender identity in elementary schools, led to a court battle about whether the state was imposing on the company’s First Amendment rights by stripping Disney Parks’ long-standing municipal development rights over its land. Essentially, DeSantis sanctioned state figures to act as roadblocks for future development in case Disney continued to step out of line.

After extensive back and forth there’s now a resolution. The AP reports that DeSantis’ allies and Disney “reached a settlement agreement Wednesday in a state court fight over how Walt Disney World is developed in the future following the takeover of the theme park resort’s government by the Florida governor.”

This means that DeSantis’ appointees are not beholden to the last-minute adjustments to the plan that Disney slid in place just before the takeover. It also means that the development agreement and restrictive covenants that were installed after the takeover are not valid either. Both parties have now agreed that a comprehensive plan dating back to 2020—i.e., before this whole conflict began—will be used as a template until the DeSantis-backed board and Disney come to a new development agreement.

Jeff Vahle, president of Walt Disney World Resort, released a statement to the AP saying “this agreement opens a new chapter of constructive engagement with the new leadership of the district and serves the interests of all parties by enabling significant continued investment and the creation of thousands of direct and indirect jobs and economic opportunity in the state.”


Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Only Version of Return of the King Worth Watching Missing From Max After Streaming Bug

Screenshot: Warner Bros. Bad news for Max subscribers who’ve made re-watching The Lord of the Rings extended editions an annual New Year tradition: the third film in the trilogy, The Return of the King — which just celebrated its 20th anniversary! —is only available to stream in its theatrical version. No ancient evil is to blame, thankfully; it’s an unspecified “tech issue,” according to a Max spokesperson who responded to a comment request from Vulture after the issue was noted by dismayed fans on Reddit . The fact that The Return of the King extended edition is merely temporarily unavailable is actually good news given Max’s track record for removing content in the past, and the explanation makes sense considering The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers remain available in both their theatrical and extended editions. The Max spokesperson assured Vulture that The Return of the King extended edition will be, ah, returning soon to the service, though as of this writing i...

Unicorn Jerky Is Not Only the Perfect Name for a CBD Candy Edible, It's Also 20% Off, and Proceeds Go to The Trevor Project [Exclusive]

Unicorn Jerky CBD Candy | $24 | Sunday Scaries | Promo Code UJSUPPORT20 Unicorn Jerky (Subscribe & Save) | $19 | Sunday Scaries | Promo Code UJSUPPORT20 Read more...

You Can Visit Freddy Fazbear's Pizza in Hollywood

Image: Universal Pictures Just in time for Halloween and for the release of Blumhouse and Universal Pictures’ Five Nights at Freddy ’s fans can visit a pop-up location of the fictional franchise from the game and film. That’s right, a Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza has mysteriously appeared in Hollywood. Like in the game and upcoming film, it’s a run-down spot that’s been closed down due to some mysterious activity within. Unfortunately, you can’t actually go in unless you’re hired as a security guard (kidding)—it’s just a facade for photo-ops you can visit. Check out the video captured by deadboifilms on TikTok below at the location on Sunset Blvd in Hollywood (near the Chateau Marmont Hotel). If you want to encounter the animatronic band of fuzzy and totally friendly creatures from the game, you’ll have to visit Universal Studios Hollywood Halloween Horror Nights, there’s a walk-through in the DreamWorks theater lobby that’s been taken over by Blumhouse which features the real Jim ...