Disney Drops Lawsuits Against Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, Concedes Last-Minute Deal Void
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
D isney has withdrawn its lawsuits against the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District and acknowledges that the development agreement made at the last minute is invalid and unenforceable.
Disney's Reedy Creek Improvement District was replaced with the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD), a citizen-accountable entity, after Governor DeSantis signed House Bill 9-B into law in February 2023.
“There is a new sheriff in town, and accountability will be the order of the day,” DeSantis said during a bill-signing event at the Reedy Creek Fire Station #4 in Lake Buena Vista in February.
The law removed parts of the district’s authority, such as the power to potentially construct a nuclear power plant, airport, and stadium.
Mainstream media outlets celebrated Disney's move with headlines such as "Out-negotiated by Mickey Mouse," “Ron DeSantis' Board Rages Against Disney World After Legal Humiliation,” and “Disney struck a second secret agreement to mess up DeSantis’ power grab on the company, official says.”
"As usual, the media were wrong," said Florida Governor DeSantis' Communications Director Bryan Griffin Wednesday.
"Today’s settlement also includes acknowledgement from Disney that the last-minute Development Agreement is “null and void… hav[ing] no legal effect or enforceability” and stipulates the same to other similar restrictive covenants and comprehensive plan amendments made prior to CFTOD," said Griffin.
In the settlement agreement reached Wednesday, Disney has agreed to dismiss multiple active lawsuits against CFTOD.
"We are glad that Disney has dropped its lawsuits against the new Central Florida Tourism Oversight District and conceded that their last-minute development agreements are null, void, and unenforceable. No corporation should be its own government. Moving forward, we stand ready to work with Disney and the District to help promote economic growth, family-friendly tourism, and accountable government in Central Florida," said Griffin.
During a press conference Wednesday, DeSantis said, "Everything we've done has been in the best interest of the State of Florida, and we have been vindicated on all those actions. Going forward, we're going to continue to govern with the best interests of the State of Florida. So I'm glad that they were able to do that that settlement."
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I'm surprised our DeSantis beat hadn't covered this already. Contrary to the obsessive and dishonest cheerleading of left wing media that passes as reporting these days, the Mouse did not in fact win. A tough day for those cheerleaders for a billion dollar multinational with all sorts of labor law abuses who couldn't believe a state government would dare to maintain any oversight oversight over a corporation.
Iger surrendered as he faces a shareholder revolt over his meddling in politics rather than paying attention to the bottom line.
I just got on NT and saw your article, good work Sean after so many losses it must feel good to see that he finally won one.
That shareholder, the one that wants to know why there is an all-women cast and all-black cast..OK, Peltz back to the 1950s for you when it was all white casts.
The vote is going to be interesting, to say the least.
Just had a chance to look up other versions of the article rather than the Hollywood reporter.....It seems to differ with the Hollywood reporter..
Disney lost every substantive point.