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☆ Disney struck a second secret agreement to mess up DeSantis’ power grab on the company, official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The board appointed by Ron DeSantis to oversee Disney said the company struck a secret agreement. A member of the board said Disney agreed a last-minute deal to set its own utilities rate. But Disney outmaneuvered DeSantis, striking a new deal for the land Disney World occupies back in March, shielding its status for the foreseeable future. According to the board chairman, it struck the utilities deal at the same time. DeSantis has claimed there are problems with the new land deal Disney struck, and he will seek to have it overturned.

☆ Ron DeSantis allies on Disney oversight board threaten company with taxes, rate hikes and affordable housing
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Steve Contorno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

“It really is shameful what Disney tried to do,” board chairman Martin Garcia said. However, Disney in February reached agreements with the outgoing board that seemed to render the body powerless to control the entertainment giant. Garcia said that the agreements went unmentioned by a representative for Disney when the two sides met soon after DeSantis appointed the new board. “Our board truly wished to work with Disney,” Garcia said. The board plans to vote at its April 26 meeting to void the previous agreements reached with Disney.

☆ DeSantis-picked board seeks new taxes and affordable housing at Disney after the company's 'blatant and hostile' grab for control
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

DeSantis' board overseeing Disney is considering new taxes, public transit, and housing. The board met for the first time since Disney's surprise maneuver. The five-member board met Wednesday for the first since Disney stealthily arranged a deal that would allow the theme park and resort to maintain control of its land, virtually in perpetuity. Much of the meeting made the legal case for the new board moving ahead, despite the maneuver Disney pulled last month. Firefighters who work for Disney's district said the previous board failed to give them the resources they needed to do their jobs, including new ambulances, even as Disney grew.

☆ DeSantis and allies ramp up Disney fight as more Republicans criticize his tactics
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

DeSantis ripped Disney repeatedly this week over its recent maneuvers to thwart the governor's efforts to seize some control of the company's Orlando parks and properties. Meanwhile, his handpicked board of supervisors overseeing Disney World's special tax district increased the pressure on Disney. The board took that step two days after DeSantis floated a range of possible actions against Disney World, including developing land nearby. That legislation, dubbed "Don't Say Gay" by critics, "should never have been signed" by DeSantis, Disney said in a March 2022 statement. The state's Republican governor and GOP-held legislature targeted the special tax district that has allowed Disney to essentially govern itself for decades.

☆ Bob Iger says that if Ron DeSantis wants to end his feud with Disney, they could just sit down and 'discuss all of this'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Disney CEO Bob Iger says there's a way for Ron DeSantis to settle his feud with Disney: Talk it out. Iger told Time he'd be happy to sit down with DeSantis to hash out their disagreements. "I do not view this as a going-to-mattresses situation for us," Iger told Time. Ron DeSantis to end his increasingly acrimonious feud with Disney: Come to the negotiating table and hash it out. On April 3, Iger said DeSantis' attempt to strip Disney of its tax status is "anti-business" and "anti-Florida."

☆ DeSantis' hand-picked board is trying to claw back 'superior authority' over Disney World after the previous board hamstrung its power
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ron DeSantis' board is trying to claw back its power over the Disney World special district. Disney had stripped its governing board of power in an attempt to render DeSantis' board powerless. DeSantis' hand-picked board has drafted a proposal that would give it "superior authority" over. Ron DeSantis' hand-picked board is trying to claw back "superior authority" over Walt Disney World after the company's previous board hamstrung its power, according to a proposal viewed by the Orlando Sentinel. And now, in his latest move, DeSantis filed a resolution dubbing his own board the "superior authority" over the entire Disney World district, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

☆ DeSantis says he's considering hotel taxes and highway tolls to hit back in his feud with Disney
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( Sarah Al-Arshani | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ron DeSantis and Disney have been at odds since the company opposed the "Don't Say Gay" bill. In February, the Florida legislature voted to strip Disney of its self-governing ability. Now, in response to moves by Disney, DeSantis says he's considering another approach: tolls and taxes. It is in this context that DeSantis has proposed new taxes and tolls in and around Disney. "They are not superior to the people of Florida," DeSantis said during a speech at Hillsdale College, a conservative liberal arts college in Michigan, on Thursday.

☆ DeSantis says he's considering adding new taxes and tolls at Disney World to punish the company over its power play
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Ron DeSantis acknowledged Disney had "tried to pull a fast one" over control in Florida. Ron DeSantis of Florida has pledged he isn't done with trying to control Walt Disney World. He pledged that the company, which had benefitted from a special carve-out for decades, would eventually pay its debts and taxes. DeSantis said the legislature would void Disney's actions and also consider taxes on hotels, new tolls, and developing properties. Ron DeSantis made at Hillsdale College.

☆ Inside Disney it's 'Revenge of the Creatives' and 'Shields Up!' against outside foes as returned CEO Bob Iger is taking no prisoners
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Since returning as Disney CEO, Bob Iger has vanquished foes and dumped many of predecessor Bob Chapek's hires. But it's a supercharged Bob Iger who is really taking command. "If I'm inside Bob's head coming back, after the downfall of Bob Chapek, this is all about taking no prisoners," said Will Schutte, a high-level executive coach. Disney World is scheduled to host a major conference on gay rights in September, according to the Miami Herald. Even if he wants to be the Bob Iger of old he can't be.

☆ DeSantis leaves everyone on a cliffhanger on his retribution over the Disney power play: 'Buckle up'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ron DeSantis acknowledged Disney had "tried to pull a fast one" over control in Florida. Ron DeSantis of Florida has pledged he isn't done with trying to control Walt Disney World. DeSantis didn't say what would come next in his battle with the family-favorite company, a feud that first began in early 2022. First DeSantis signed a bill into law in April 2022 to dissolve the Reedy Creek district that oversees Disney. On his book tour stops, DeSantis frequently boasts about taking on Disney over the Parental Rights bill, which he said was necessary to protect children.

☆ How Disney and DeSantis started feuding
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Ron DeSantis won praise from the right for retaliating against Disney for its CEO’s decision to (rather timidly) wade into the public discourse over a contentious state law. In that first round of Florida’s GOP vs The Walt Disney Company, DeSantis landed a body blow that ultimately cost Disney CEO Bob Chapek his job. DeSantis signed the bill into law, and then set his sights on punishing Disney for daring to challenge him. “This essentially makes Disney the government,” said Ron Peri, a DeSantis pick for the new board, last week. Last week, Iger announced Disney would lay off 7,000 people as part of a $5.5 billion cost-reduction plan.

☆ Disney CEO Bob Iger slammed Gov. Ron DeSantis' attempt to strip the company of its decades-long special tax status as 'anti-business' and 'anti-Florida'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Disney CEO Bob Iger says Gov. Disney and DeSantis have been embroiled in a bitter feud over a law known as "Don't Say Gay." Disney CEO Iger on Monday accused the Sunshine State's governor of retaliating against Disney and attempting to punish it by stripping Disney of its special tax status. Former Disney CEO Bob Chapek was initially slow to respond to the bill despite mounting pressure to denounce it, angering both the public and its staff who accused the company of side-stepping the issue. DeSantis has asked Florida's inspector general to look into whether Disney executives, staff, or agents had anything to do with the loophole.

☆ Ron DeSantis orders Florida's inspector general to see if Disney execs were personally involved with making the loophole to thwart him
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Rebecca Cohen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ron DeSantis wants Florida's inspector general to look into the loophole that a Disney-backed board used to thwart his plan. The last-minute agreement hamstrings DeSantis' board, keeping them from having any real power for decades. DeSantis asked the state's inspector general to specifically look into whether Disney's executives, staff, or agents were involved in the scheme. In a letter dated Monday, DeSantis called on Inspector General Melinda Miguel to look into the agreement, which he said was "designed to usurp the authority of the CFTOD board." Still, the feud between DeSantis and Disney is likely entering a new phase, as the governor declared last week that the fight against the entertainment giant wasn't over.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks during an event on his nationwide book tour at Adventure Outdoors, the largest gun store in the country, on March 30, 2023 in Smyrna, Georgia. Disney didn't immediately respond to a request for comment about DeSantis' desire for a probe. The agreement was signed on Feb. 8, the day before the Florida House voted to put DeSantis in charge. The Florida governor took aim at Disney after the company publicly balked at Florida's HB 1557 law early last year. HB 1557, dubbed by critics as the "Don't Say Gay" bill, limits early education teachings on sexual orientation or gender identity.

New York CNN —Disney CEO Bob Iger fought back against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ actions against his company, telling Disney shareholders that recent actions by the state were “anti-business.”The state of Florida has taken action to strip Disney of some of the powers it had over the land that includes and surrounds Disney World. Iger, asked about the fight at the company’s annual shareholders’ meeting, made his most public defense to date of the company’s actions, and the most direct criticism of Florida’s actions. It did so through a self-governing body known as the Reedy Creek Improvement District, whose board members all had close ties with Disney. “Disney is again fighting to keep its special corporate benefits and dodge Florida law,” DeSantis spokesman Jeremy Redfern said. As Governor DeSantis recently said, ‘You ain’t seen nothing yet.’”Redfern’s comments came before Iger made his comments at the shareholders’ meeting.

☆ Florida insiders react with shock, amusement, and dread after Disney outmaneuvers DeSantis to keep most of its power
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

It appears Walt Disney World won't be losing power over its land after all — at least not yet — following a high-profile battle with Republican Gov. "It was a pretty brilliant move by the outgoing board to basically take all the power away," one Florida-based lobbyist, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Insider. Ron DeSantis got married at Disney World in 2009. Aubrey Jewett, a political science professor at the University of Central Florida who co-authored the book "Politics in Florida," told Insider. The company told Insider in a statement that it was "discussed and approved in open, noticed public forums."

☆ Ron DeSantis' plan to take control of Disney's land backfired spectacularly because of a loophole in the agreement that may reduce his appointees to powerless functionaries
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Ron DeSantis gained control of Walt Disney World's oversight district board in February. Ron DeSantis' move to take over Walt Disney World's governing board in Florida may have backfired due to a prior obscure agreement that new governor-appointed board members argue stripped them of their power. Disney also had the authority to appoint district board members. But the new supervisors are now saying that previous board members entered an agreement that effectively stripped them of their powers. "All these board members very much would like to see the type of entertainment that all families can appreciate."

☆ DeSantis warns Disney World he'll take a third swing at them after the company wrote in a loophole that collapsed his takeover plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

DeSantis warned that Disney hadn't seen the last of their feud: "There's more to come." "There's a lot of little back and forth going on now with the state control," DeSantis said, the audience booing at the mention of Disney. The governor-appointed board is talking to lawyersIn his new book, DeSantis has a chapter about the dust-up with Disney and how he retaliated against the company. He even revealed that he and his wife, Casey DeSantis, got married at Walt Disney World — a fact first reported by Insider. "The media STILL doesn't realize that Governor DeSantis always thinks 10 steps ahead," Christina Pushaw from the governor's rapid response team wrote on Twitter.

☆ Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis taps ex-pastor to Disney oversight board who once said men are turning gay because 'there's estrogen in the water from birth control pills': report
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( Sarah Al-Arshani | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

One nominee, former pastor Ron Peri, previously said he thinks estrogen in water turns men gay, CNN reported. Ron DeSantis' appointee to the new Disney oversight board once claimed men were turning gay because of estrogen in tap water, CNN reported. One of his nominees was former pastor Ron Peri, who is also the CEO of The Gathering – a Christian ministry. In 2015, Jones asserted that "chemicals in the water" were "turning the friggin' frogs gay," The Texas Observer reported. The district will now be called the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District and Disney employees, owners, or operators will be prohibited from becoming board members.

☆ DeSantis strips Disney World of its self-governing power in Florida: 'There's a new sheriff in town'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

DeSantis has officially stripped Disney World of its self-governing status. DeSantis appointed political allies to the board, which have to be approved by the Florida Senate. Ron DeSantis abolished Walt Disney World's special authority on Monday, nearly 11 months after the company spoke out publicly against his controversial education agenda. Under the new law, board members cannot be employees, owners, or operators at Disney World. DeSantis said several times during the press conference that Disney World now had to follow the same rules as other Florida theme parks.

☆ Disney Special Tax-District Bill Is Approved by Florida Senate
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Arian Campo-Flores | Robbie Whelan | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Florida Senate on Friday approved a bill that would dramatically alter the governance of a special-tax district near Orlando that has allowed Walt Disney Co. to self-govern the land that houses its theme parks, sending the measure to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis , who is expected to sign it into law. The bill would rename the Reedy Creek Improvement District—which houses Walt Disney World Resort and other parks and has existed for more than 50 years—the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District. The measure would give Mr. DeSantis the authority to appoint members to its governing body, the five-member board of supervisors, which under current law is essentially handpicked by Disney.

☆ Florida to place leadership of Disney's special operating district under DeSantis' control
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Rob Wile | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

One of those procedures concerns the district's ability to raise taxes and issue bonds to build and maintain infrastructure serving the Walt Disney World Resort. And the district will be renamed: From the Reedy Creek Special Improvement District to the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District. "Until Governor DeSantis acted, the Walt Disney Company maintained sole control over the District," a spokesman for the governor said in a statement. Disney is monitoring the legislation, Jeff Vahle, president of Walt Disney World Resort, said in a statement. But construction still appears to be progressing on a Disney office campus in Lake Nona, roughly 20 miles east of Disney World.

☆ Florida governor assumes control over Disney district board
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Feb 10 (Reuters) - Florida lawmakers granted Governor Ron DeSantis effective control of the board that oversees development in and around Walt Disney Co's (DIS.N) central Florida theme parks, escalating the Republican's battle with the emblematic company. The board members will be confirmed by the Senate, and will have no involvement in the day-to-day operations of the theme parks. "Reedy Creek gifted extraordinary special privileges to a single corporation," DeSantis' spokesman Bryan Griffin wrote on Twitter. Disney World is the largest employer in central Florida with close to 75,000 employees, drawing 36.2 million visitors in 2021, according to the Themed Entertainment Association. The new bill preserves the Reedy Creek special district, though within two years it will be renamed Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.

☆ Florida governor gains control over Disney district board
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] Sunlight breaks through clouds near Disney World in Orlando, Florida, U.S. September 8, 2017. REUTERS/Gregg Newton/File PhotoFeb 10 (Reuters) - Florida lawmakers on Friday granted Governor Ron DeSantis effective control of the board that oversees development in and around Walt Disney Co's (DIS.N) central Florida theme parks, escalating the Republican's battle with the company. DeSantis' spokesperson Bryan Griffin said the prior system, under which the Florida legislature in 1967 gave Disney sole control over the district, lacked accountability. Disney World is the largest employer in central Florida with close to 75,000 employees and drew 36.2 million visitors in 2021, according to the Themed Entertainment Association. The new bill preserves the Reedy Creek special district, though within two years it will be renamed Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.

☆ Florida Lawmakers Move to Take Over Disney’s Special-Tax District
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Robbie Whelan | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Walt Disney Co.’s dominion over its magic kingdom in Florida may be coming to an end. The bill, sponsored by Orlando Rep. Fred Hawkins, would rename Reedy Creek as the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District and give Gov. Florida’s state Senate would have to approve any such appointments. Under the current state law, Reedy Creek’s board is essentially handpicked by Disney, which owns almost all the land and assets within the district. The district has wide latitude to approve new real-estate developments at Walt Disney World without having to seek approvals for environmental impact, drainage and other regulations from local authorities, as other landowners must.

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