UPDATE (5pm): The lawsuit has been filed in Orange County. Here’s a link to our article and the lawsuit. The original article continues below.
This morning, the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD) met to discuss a single agenda item – to authorize litigation counsel to defend the Board and district officials in the Disney v DeSantis lawsuit.
During the public comments section of the meeting, a Disney Vacation Club owner spoke and suggested that the Board completely resign. He spoke in favor of Disney World not only as an owner but as a Florida resident, noting that roadways and landscaping are immaculate compared to the rest of the state. The DVC owner said that DeSantis and the Board have overstepped.
Board Chair Martin Garcia then outlined all of the good that he says the Board has accomplished in its first few months. From updated contracts to new officials, Garcia argued that the Board is simply doing what the former RCID Board should’ve been doing all along. During his argument, Garcia said that Disney is “trying to roll time back to 1967”. The lawsuit from Disney World does seek to undo the creation of the CFTOD, arguing that their creation was the result of a First Amendment violation from DeSantis.
Garcia then tried to distance the Board from the legislation that created the CFTOD. “The Board didn’t make the laws and had nothing to do with making those laws. Our role is simply to follow the laws enacted”, Garcia said.
He quickly went on the offensive by saying they’ve been forced to defend themselves. “We didn’t sue Disney, Disney sued us. We have no choice now but to respond”, Garcia said.
He then turned his attention to “seek justice in State court here in Central Florida”. Garcia introduced a motion to sue Walt Disney World in State court in Central Florida. Garcia said that the lawsuit will seek to “uphold and enforce the Board’s April 26th, 2023 legislative findings”.
The motion to start the lawsuit passed unanimously.
For more on the legislative findings, check out our earlier article on the previous meeting.
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!
What an absolute waste of time and money to be fighting this fight. Meanwhile, kids are dying in schools. Jesus you republicans just do not know how to prioritize anything.
I agree! Anyways, Disney is going to wipe the floor with Ron DeSantis and at first I was in agreement with him. I agree with all these ridiculous Covid restrictions from the very beginning and one thing. I’m glad he didn’t do it. Stop all these Covid mandates but that’s where it ends. He’s overstepping message trying to destroy Disney I mean why they’re the biggest employer that they have in Florida and they bring in tons of taxpayer money if it wasn’t for them I mean nothing would look halfway decent in that state 75,000 employees and they can’t have their opinion and they can’t support the LGBTQ community. I mean that just sounds like DeSantis is trying to basically retaliate against them for having freedom of speech and however, you feel or whatever side that you were on as far as LGBTQ rights goes, if you believe in freedom of speech and freedom, and all that you’re not gonna do what he’s doing to Disney retaliating and trying to punish them are having a different opinion and that’s all he’s doing and it’s illegal and I hope he loses.
Disney pays for the lawsuit since it owns all properties in the district. Disney is wasting its own time.
So you shouldn’t fight government injustices, because it costs time and money??
A board of DeSantis toadies doing the bidding of their master. Pathetic.
Life long orlando resident. This board is an embarrasment and should resign. I agree with the man who spoke at the beginning. Government at its very worst. Joke of a political stunt.
Our Governor is NOT representing “the people.”
He politicizes everything to get his way, because he can’t do it on the up and up. He’s even resorted to name calling. We have a Governor that acts a bullyish, spoiled child – and it makes me nauseous. He’s not good enough to be a leader so he has to throw tantrums hire only loyalists and puts the fear of his God in them.Please go back to lawyering so we don’t have to put up with you. Seriously.
The board is DeSantis gophers. They will do what the dictator says just to be paid.
Disney is paying for all of it, both sides. Yes, Disney has first amendment rights, and they used them. However, when you get in bed with the government by having a special tax district with special rules, you changed the conversation . Don’t expect to get special treatment from someone/something and then criticize the thing that gave you the special treatment. What did Disney expect? I’m tired of corporations getting tax breaks and then complaining about the very government that gave it to them.
Everyone has freedom of speech!!!! Everyone suffers the consequences or benefits of that freedom! Freedom doesn’t come without responsibility!!!!!!!!
I hope when Desantis loses that Disney is awarded huge punitive damages so Desantis thinks twice before he pulls another hissy fit stunt like this one. The down side of this whole thing is we, the taxpayers are paying for Desantis hissy fit. He is completely incompetent and should be removed immediately. #Desantis is bad for Florida
DeSantis did not restrict Disney’s rights to comment, or promote, gay and Trangender issues. They only created a level field for taxation and control, relative to other parts of Floridsa vrs the former home of the mouse.
Then if it’s just to level the playing field then why isn’t he going after the roughly 200 corporations with similar deals…Nascar in Daytona, The Villages, etc…the answer is they’re big Republican voting blocks. This has nothing to do with the biggest taxpayer in Florida paying more, it’s strictly about Disney’s opinion in opposition to the far right Christian Republican nationalism Desantis is part of. It’s all about him getting himself nominated to run for president in 2024.
Give up Ron!
Your last name isn’t Reagan and it will never be equated with it either.
Bob Iger is going to win. If, for some twisted , dumb ass reason, he doesn’t, you better believe the voters will have the last say, as they vote to recall him. Disney will plan a prolonged, entire closure, for total refurbishment, while Ron D. gets creamed by the fallout of a failed Florida economy and thousands of people thrown onto the unemployment mess.
Florida legislators are wholly subsidiary of Ron DESANTIS, THESE SOLELY PASS BY DESANTIS MEN WITH ONE THING IN MIND TO PUNISHED DISNEY, STATE AND FEDERAL COURTS SHOULD VOID SUCH BOGUS LAW ,UNAMERICAN, THESE BOGUS LAW ONLY HAPPENS IN RUSSIA, VENEZUELA AND NICARAGUA, DESANTIS IS A TYRANT WANNABE FACISM, AND AMERICA VIKTOR ORBAN, TRUMP HAVE MORE SENSE MORE CLASS THAN DESANTIS, IF DESANTIS EVER BECAME PRESIDENT HE WILL ‘NATIONALIZED EVERY MAJOR COMPANIES WHO DOESN’T AGREED WITH HIM, WHAT DESANTIS MUST DO NEED TO GROW UP FIRST ,BE A MAN
Give it up deSantis. Time to move on. Tit for tat.. Largest employer and largest tax payer in Florida! Why don’t you move on and start something that will benefit the state. All you are doing is hurting yourself. You have lost support. Please grow up and show us what you can do other than penalize people.
Such political lapdogs! Next they’ll be all up in arms about who pees in which Disney restroom.
Wrong DeSandwich is going to have his ass handed him by a cartoon mouse.
How much is all this legal wrangling costing Florida residents? Lawyering doesn’t come cheap and I’m sure neither Ronny nor the board members are putting up any of the cash.
At this I would love nothing more than for Dinsey to close the parks in Florida, layoff all the workers in florida. Lets see what Florida does when millions of dollars vanishes. DeSantis would be toast.
This guy is either crazy or extremely stupid. He needs to let go of his EGO. And get the flock out of here. The taxpayers of Florida Do NOT support him or his s policies. Gtfout!