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Florida asks judge to dismiss Disney’s counterclaim over park land

The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District argues Disney's agreements are “null and void under state law.”

The ongoing battle between Disney and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis continues, as DeSantis’ team has now asked a judge to dismiss Disney’s counterclaim in the ongoing litigation over Disney’s Florida properties.

As reported by Deadline, the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD) has filed a motion in Orange County, Florida, in which they argue that agreements made with Disney were “null and void under state law.” CFTOD is a DeSantis-aligned, government-run entity that has replaced the Reedy Creek Improvement District, which previously held authority over Disney’s land. Most recently, Disney had pointed to a “royal lives clause” that would postpone the transition of power to CFTOD, and potentially give Disney time to further develop on their land. It is this clause that CFTOD has moved to dismiss, on the grounds of Florida law.

 

The following was originally published April 7, 2023: 

A land war between Disney and the government of Florida is heating up, with strategic moves being made on both sides. The Florida legislature passed a bill earlier in the year that would gut the leadership of the Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID), an entity that had government-like authority over the land that Disney’s Florida parks sit on. Florida’s passing of House Bill 9B would essentially dissolve the RCID in June 2023, replacing it with the government-run Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD).

Disney isn’t letting this go down without a fight, however, as the company last week used a “royal lives clause” that would supersede the implementation of the CFTOD by postponing the transition of power until “21 years after the death of the last survivor of the descendants of King Charles III, King of England….” Eagle-eyed Disney enthusiasts spotted  some additional verbiage in the filing also grants Walt Disney World Resort permission to build a fifth “Major Theme Park” for “Mixed Use Entertainment.”

See also: Disney layoffs begin this week, in what is to be the first of three rounds, according to CEO Bob Iger’s memo

This filing coincided with Disney CEO Bob Iger’s public statements against Florida’s government, and more specifically, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. In a report by CNN, Iger told shareholders, “The company has a right to freedom of speech just like individuals do…The governor got very angry about the position that Disney took, and it seems like he’s decided to retaliate against us… in effect to seek to punish a company for its exercise of a constitutional right.” Iger’s remarks refer to the fact that the government’s move to gut the RCID seemingly came in response to Disney’s public statement in opposition to the state’s “Florida Parental Rights in Education Act,” commonly referred to as the “Don’t Say Gay Bill.”

In response to the filing, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has continued his battle with Disney by sending a letter to Florida’s chief inspector general, with instructions to go through Disney’s political maneuvers with a fine-tooth comb to ensure no laws have been broken.

“These collusive and self-dealing arrangements aim to nullify the recently passed legislation, undercut Florida’s legislative process, and defy the will of Floridians,” DeSantis wrote in the letter.

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