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☆ Disney has bigger problems than Ron DeSantis
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

But there are problems with spinning off ESPN, even if it would raise cash and allow Disney to trim debt. Labor painsUnionized rank-and-file workers at Disney World last week voted 96% against a contract offer from Disney that would have given them raises of at least $1 a year over the next five years. The company called the rejected wage proposal a “very strong offer.”But the last thing that Iger or Disney needs is to upset the strong demand for travel to Disney World or other park locations. Political battles in FloridaThe political culture wars are yet another headache for Iger, as Disney faces the possible loss of the powers it has to operate as a government-like entity for the land on which Disney World operates. “We are monitoring the progression of the draft legislation, which is complex given the long history of the Reedy Creek Improvement District,” said Jeff Vahle, president, Walt Disney World Resort.

☆ Disney's strategy to win its battle with DeSantis is to just wait until he runs for president, says a top Florida Democrat
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Disney will sue Florida for dissolving its self-governing status, predicted Democratic state Sen. Jason Pizzo. Florida lawmakers are deciding Disney's financial fate this week. Ron DeSantis will be to simply run out the clock, a top Florida Democrat predicted Monday. Other areas state lawmakers will consider would allow Florida to transport migrants from other states and to give the state more power to prosecute election fraud. Today, more than 40 lobbyists represent Disney before the Florida legislature, according to an Insider review of lobbying disclosures.

☆ Disney Tax District Shores Up Development Plans Amid Florida Tensions
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Robbie Whelan | Arian Campo-Flores | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Florida legislature in April passed a law eliminating the Reedy Creek district, which has permitted Disney to manage its theme parks and resorts in Florida with little red tape. City officials from the special tax district in Florida controlled by the Walt Disney Co. moved to make changes that would allow Disney to build new theme parks and additional hotel rooms at Walt Disney World, steps that come as the state is trying to rein in the company. At a meeting Wednesday officials from the two cities that make up the Reedy Creek Improvement District, Lake Buena Vista and Bay Lake, Fla., approved a resolution to consider changing land-use regulations to accommodate the district’s comprehensive plan, which serves as a 10-year road map for development at Walt Disney World, according to minutes of the meeting and a spokeswoman for Reedy Creek.

☆ 'Don't Say Gay' feud advances with new proposed legislation
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

The notice serves as a procedural step in what has become a closely watched process between Disney and Florida. DeSantis and statehouse Republicans slammed Disney, saying the entertainment giant had become a purveyor of so-called woke ideologies that are inappropriate for children. The squabble marked a rare moment of discord between the state and Disney, one of Florida’s largest employers and a major political donor. It also provided another front in an ongoing culture war that has made DeSantis one of the nation’s most popular Republicans. Having a separate government allows the company to provide zoning, fire protection, utilities and infrastructure services on its sprawling property.

Ron DeSantis will seek to bring Disney's special governing district under direct state control in a bid to end the entertainment giant's multi-decade arrangement with the Sunshine State. In a document posted to the website of Osceola County, which also borders Orange County and Reedy Creek, notice was given that the proposed legislation would leave no current aspect of Reedy Creek untouched. Florida legislators already voted in a special session last year to dissolve all special districts like Reedy Creek in Florida by June 2023. In response, DeSantis and his allies in the Florida legislature announced they would seek to end the privileges Disney had enjoyed through the special district. “The state of Florida has been very important to us for a long time, and we have been very important to the state of Florida,” Iger said last month.

Ron DeSantis denied a report Friday that the state was considering reversing its decision to dissolve Disney's special governing district near Orlando. "We will have an even playing field for businesses in Florida, and the state certainly owes no special favors to one company. Earlier Friday, the Financial Times reported Florida lawmakers considered keeping in place the special governing district that encompasses Disney World as Disney CEO Bob Iger returned to lead the company. But according to the FT report, state lawmakers are now working on a compromise that would allow Disney to keep the special district in place, with a few modifications. “What I can say [is] the state of Florida has been important to us for a long time and we have been very important to the state of Florida,” Iger added.

☆ Disney CEO Bob Iger addresses 'Don't Say Gay' fallout, importance of LGBTQ inclusion in stories
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Following criticism of its past handling of LGBTQ issues, Disney CEO Bob Iger on Monday told employees that inclusion and acceptance are among the "core values" of the company's storytelling. Disney's recent inclusion of unambiguously gay characters in animated films has also drawn criticism from anti-LGBTQ activists. On Monday, Iger told employees that he is still getting up to speed on the upcoming dissolution Reedy Creek district. On Monday, Iger pointed to films like "Black Panther" and "Coco" as examples of Disney projects that "changed the world for good." Iger said that the company's creative decisions won't make everyone happy, but that its studios will not lessen their core values.

☆ Bob Chapek’s tenure marked by political missteps inside and outside of Disney
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Now he’s saying “Goodbye, Disney (DIS).”Chapek’s rocky two-and-a-half year tenure at the head of the entertainment giant had a few wins. But Disney made the surprise announcement Sunday that its revered former CEO Bob Iger is making a return as the head of the company. Disney employees began staging walkouts, saying Chapek’s statements “utterly failed” to grasp the threat to LGBTQ communities. DeSantis quickly ripped Disney after Chapek’s public condemnation, calling the company a “woke corporation” with questionable business interests in China during a private event. Investors celebrated Iger’s return as CEO, sending Disney shares up nearly 7% Monday after dropping roughly 38% this year.

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