On Friday, a state judge denied Disney’s request to dismiss a state lawsuit challenging a “backroom deal” that sought to prevent the state from ending the park’s unique autonomy.
Disney was unsuccessful in having a lawsuit brought against it by the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District dismissed by Judge Margaret Schreiber of Florida’s 9th Circuit Court.
Disney’s last-minute attempt to overturn the state’s takeover of the long-autonomous theme park district earlier this year has the district board filing suit.
Disney’s attempt to block the state takeover was voted down by a board appointed by Republican governor Ron DeSantis.
Separate from this case, Disney is also suing the DeSantis administration for “weaponization of its powers to inflict political punishment.”
State legislation prohibiting the teaching of LGBTQ and other “woke” curricula in public schools has become a public battleground between Disney and Mr. DeSantis.
When the bill was signed into law, Disney executives publicly pledged their intention to undo the law and asked him to veto it.
As a result, Mr. DeSantis terminated the Reedy Creek special district and replaced the board members with his own appointees.
Disney used a legal loophole and a vote by the Reedy Creek District Board to avoid the takeover.
Disney was sued for the move, and the DeSantis-appointed tourism board later nullified the earlier vote.
Since 1967, Disney had been part of a unique taxing and governing district. Walt Disney requested the district from the state of Florida so he could expand his theme park business without having to worry about getting permits from individual municipalities.
For a long time, the district in Orange and Osceola counties had exclusive control over 39 square miles, which included the Disney resorts and parks, as well as more than 170 miles of roads and the cities of Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista.
Also Read: Disney faces tolls and taxes from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis
Mr. DeSantis, who is currently polling second in the Republican presidential primary, has made his fight with Disney a central part of his campaign, casting it as a battle against “woke culture.”
In a statement released to The Washington Times on Friday, the governor’s office expressed its satisfaction with the verdict.
Rather than having the corporate press spike the football on their behalf, “we are pleased to see that Disney will have to defend themselves on the merits,” a DeSantis spokesman said. To have its own government and special privileges is not within Disney’s rights. There will be a level playing field for Florida businesses under Governor DeSantis.
