ORLANDO, Fla. (NewsNation) — Continuing his ongoing feud with Disney, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is set to reveal new measures against The Walt Disney Company on Monday, according to an exclusive report by The New York Post.
The feud took a wild turn last month when the new board controlling the special district that oversees Disney World said it was stripped of nearly all its powers through an agreement made before the state took control of the district from Disney.
In February, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law stripping the entertainment giant of its control over the Reedy Creek Improvement District, a special tax district and governance jurisdiction that had been controlled by Disney since 1968. The new law changed the district’s name to the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District and gave the governor power to appoint a new board of supervisors.
During a legal presentation Wednesday, the board was informed by its special counsel that before the state’s takeover, the previous board had approved a series of agreements to transfer nearly all the district’s powers to Disney for the next 30 years.
How did we get here? Here’s a timeline of all the events that have led to the unexpected move by Disney:
DeSantis vs. Disney Timeline
May 12, 1967: Reedy Creek Improvement District established
Florida’s legislature established the Reedy Creek Improvement District, a private government controlled by Disney World. The district was set up to provide government services such as zoning, fire protection, utilities and infrastructure.
March 22, 2022: Disney employees protest the “Don’t Say Gay” bill
Disney employees in Florida held a walkout in protest of a controversial legislation dubbed as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which bars instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through third grade. Disney said it would support organizations working to oppose the new law and suspend political donations in the state.
March 28, 2022: DeSantis signs “Don’t Say Gay” bill into law
DeSantis signed into law as HB 1557.
April 6, 2022: Disney announces new affordable housing development
Disney announced that the company will designate 80 acres of land for a new affordable housing development — available to qualifying applicants including Disney park workers. DeSantis has said he doesn’t support special privileges for companies just because they wield power.
April 19, 2022: DeSantis announces the state will consider stripping Disney of self-governing power
DeSantis announced the state will consider stripping Disney of its self-government power during the Florida state legislature’s special session.
“They also will be considering termination of all special districts that were enacted in Florida prior to 1968 and that includes the Reedy Creek Improvement District,” DeSantis said.
Some, however, believe DeSantis’ proposal is political retribution, punishing Disney for speaking out against the governor’s “Parental Rights in Education” law.
April 21, 2022: Florida lawmakers vote to strip Disney’s self-government
Florida lawmakers gave final passage to a bill that would strip Disney World of its self-government power, handing DeSantis a win in his feud with the entertainment giant. The bill would dissolve the special district June 1, 2023. The bill passed by the legislature does allow for the districts to be reestablished, leaving an avenue to renegotiate their future.
President Joe Biden mocked DeSantis for “going after Mickey Mouse” during a speech at the Democratic National Committee.
April 22, 2022: DeSantis signs bill dissolving Disney’s self-government
DeSantis signed into law the bill that will strip Disney of its private government.
April 28, 2022: DeSantis’ Disney plan leads to legal swamp, higher costs
Disney says a clause in its original contract leaves Florida responsible for its $2 billion bond debt. Those bonds funded the expansion of Disney World Resort and were seen as a safe investment at the time. But now that debt falls on taxpayers from two Florida counties — who are on the hook for an extra $2,800 each.
May 10, 2022: Senator floats bill to strip Disney’s copyright protections
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) introduced legislation that would strip “woke corporations like Disney” of special protections enabling companies to hold copyright material for decades. The measure is the latest Republican attack on Disney.
July 2022: “Don’t Say Gay” Bill Takes Effect
The “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which forbids instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade, goes into effect.
Nov. 21, 2022: Disney announces ex-CEO Bob Iger to return, set strategy
The Walt Disney Company tapped its former CEO Bob Iger to return to head the company for two years, firing his successor Bob Chapek in a move that stunned the entertainment industry.
Dec. 6, 2022: Florida lawmakers consider special district status for Disney
With the return of Iger at the helm of Disney, Florida lawmakers reportedly considered keeping a special tax designation in place for Disney World, an incentive that was revoked earlier in the year by DeSantis.
Feb. 6, 2023: New bill would shift authority from Disney to DeSantis
Republican legislators filed a new bill that would dramatically overhaul the governance framework of the Reedy Creek Improvement District, or RCID.
Under the new legislation, DeSantis would appoint the five members who make up the supervisory board overseeing the district. The Florida State Senate would then have to approve those appointments. Previously, those members had been chosen by Disney-controlled entities.
If the proposal is passed, the RCID would be renamed to the “Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.”
March 1, 2023: DeSantis signs law ending Walt Disney Co.’s self-governing status
DeSantis signed a law ending Walt Disney Co.’s self-governing status. The law removes Disney’s right to self-govern the 43 square miles that make up Disney World.
DeSantis called Disney’s special arrangement “an indefensible example of corporate welfare,” saying the corporation had undue influence over politics and culture in Florida.
March 8, 2023: DeSantis’ new Disney World board hints at future controversy
The first meeting of the new board of Walt Disney World’s government dealt with the rote affairs any other municipal government would handle: calls for better firefighter equipment, lessons on public records requests and bond ratings.
But the five board members appointed by DeSantis hinted at future controversial actions they may take, including prohibiting COVID-19 restrictions at Disney World.
The board also approved hiring the same law firm that advised the governor’s office in making changes to the governing district to help interpret the new legislation.
March 22, 2023: DeSantis to expand what critics call “Don’t Say Gay” law
The rule change would ban lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity from grades 4 to 12, unless required by existing state standards or as part of reproductive health instruction that students can choose not to take.
March 29, 2023: DeSantis’ board says Disney stripped them of power
Board members picked by DeSantis to oversee the governance of Disney World said that their Disney-controlled predecessors pulled a fast one on them by passing restrictive covenants that strip the new board of many of its powers.
The current supervisors of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District said at a meeting that their predecessors last month signed a development agreement with the company that gave Disney maximum developmental power over the theme park resort’s 27,000 acres in central Florida.
Under the terms of the agreement, the district is prohibited from using the name “Disney” or any symbols associated with the theme park resort without the company’s permission, nor can it use the likeness of Mickey Mouse, other Disney characters or other intellectual property in any manner. The company can sue for damages for any violations, and the agreement is in effect until perpetuity, according to the declaration.
If the agreement is deemed to violate rules against perpetuity, it will be in effect until 21 years after the death of the last survivor of the descendants of England’s King Charles III, the declaration said.
In a statement, Disney said all agreements were above board and took place in public.
April 17, 2023: DeSantis to reveal new moves in fight against Disney
DeSantis, per The New York Post, will announce a plan to void the move by Disney “that effectively stripped his oversight board of authority.”
“What they tried to do is an embarrassment,” a senior administration source told The Post. “The narrative the left is spinning is that Gov. DeSantis was outmaneuvered. But this is far from over, and he’s going to have the last laugh.”
Other plans the governor reportedly has for the corporate giant are making its monorail and transportation systems subject to external inspections — something they had previously been exempt from.
NewsNation has reached out to DeSantis’ office and Disney for comment.
The Associated Press, NewsNation affiliate WFLA and Cassie Buchman contributed to this report.