www.businessinsider.com: The yearlong beef between Disney's CEO Bob Iger and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is over.
The board of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District — which was DeSantis hand-picked to take control of Disneyworld's special tax district — agreed on Wednesday to settle the state lawsuit brought by Disney.
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Disney is such an interesting company to think about. I mean I'm no expert but their success as a company has essentially allowed them to become one of the most influential businesses, especially for families with children, and also for people who have grown up with Disney. And it has always interested me how they have attempted to stay out of “politics” for the sake of protecting their business and for the most part succeeded. When Disney spoke out against Desantis and the “Don’t say gay” bill I was surprised mostly because I feel like you do not often see Disney do that. But I was also sort of surprised because while I do enjoy the occasional Disney film I do not think of them in my mind as a company or business (or whatever you want to call it) that likes to stick its neck out into the world of politics. Overall pretty interesting article, but i do wonder how they were able to settle the way they did.
There are times when it is beneficial for companies as big as Disney to step into politics and assert their opinions in the public’s social commentary. However, when this happened back in 2022 I was outraged that such a lawsuit was taking up so much of the press. Yes, the importance of free speech is incredibly important, and standing up to many of the Florida laws. However, the outcome seems quite anti-climatic compared to the original reactions that were present when the first lawsuit happened. I am glad that they finally came to a settlement, but it seems as though it was something that could have been avoided altogether. And much like it says in the article Disney is a large part of the economy in Florida and this lawsuit just seems to jeopardize all that Disney stands for, represents, and contributes to the economy and community in Florida. It’s almost comical how circular this lawsuit has become, and it’ll be interesting to see how the press continues to cover it as it evolves over the coming year.
As someone who was raised in Florida and has spent many 3 day weekends and school breaks going to Orlando and visiting the Disney Parks I remember when they made the announcement of condoning the Don’t Say Gay bill and I was in awe. I think many organizations are scared to talk out about bills even if they have such a huge impact on the world around them. This settlement is honestly a bit expected because both of the parties end up with some sort of benefit. Disney is still going though with their lawsuit against DeSantis and DeSantis hand picked committee has some control over Disney. It is honestly a bit ridiculous that DeSantis tried to threaten Disney with putting a prison next to Disney and making a competing theme park when Orlando is literally known for Disney and the amazing experience that you get going. This settlement I do not like affects many tourists going to Orlando at this moment because of how many people are unaware of DeSantis’s plans.
I remember hearing about this a while ago and I didn’t really process until reading this article that this has been a continuous thing for so long. Ron DeSantis’s legislation in Florida has been such a hot take for people of the public and it was very interesting and amusing to see Disney’s response to that, seeing as one of their biggest campuses, Disney World, is in Florida. I was very happy to see that Disney was taking a stand against his Dont Say Gay bill that he was implementing but I thought it was really funny trying to see DeSantis’s ego get bruised when Disney was refusing to let him overtake them. It is also a running joke that Disney legal is something you never want to mess with, and this equally proves it. Although, I don’t necessarily enjoy the idea that a large corporation can out withstand it’s government generally, Ron is such a ridiculous narcissistic person and in this case so happy that’s what’s happening.
This case fascinates me and has fascinated me since it first became an issue. On the one hand, I’m all for anyone or any company that goes up against Ron Desantis. He has done so many things during his career that harm people not just in Florida but across the country. In this case, it’s very clear that his actions were at least partially a power grab that had no real motivation behind it other than to hurt Disney for going against him. On the other hand, I also firmly believe that Disney has gotten to the point where it is so large, influential, and powerful that it’s almost dangerous. The influence and power that they have over millions if not billions of people is stunning and I believe that any person or company that has that much power is a cause for concern. At the end of the day, I am interested to see what comes next and how this case will play out in the end.
I wonder if this Disney settlement will set a dangerous precedence. I understand exactly why Disney had to allow the DeSantis appointees to be appointed to the board, but in doing so, there is a much higher chance of politically motivated sabotage. I am surprised that the suit that Disney put forward was dismissed by a federal appointee, and I'm interested in seeing how that continues to grow and change, but to me at least it couldn't be more clear that this attack on Disney was motivated by DeSantis and his Presidential aspirations. I think that there are some things that the government should either support financially, or stay out of. I don't think it's good that the government of Florida can have a say in what Disney does, whilst also not providing any sort of financial backing. It also seems to me there is so many bigger fish to fry in the sea- attacking corporations like Disney makes me sad to see all of this effort focused on something that is so ultimately meaningless in the face of the struggles that a lot of Americans have to live with every day.
I can't say I'm happy Disney is doing well I don't like Disney I never have like Disney at least as a company the stuff they make is pretty good but to say like Disney as a company couldn't be further from the truth however sometimes Disney says things or does things that granted are entirely for their own self-interest but it happen to help other people than Disney that actually matter Or and sometimes more fun get in the way of people that are trying to do bad things. For instance Ron DeSantis and his desire to be the biggest prick he possibly can. Ron’s feud with Disney has been no less than hilarious to watch And I'm a little sad that DeSantis isn't doing worse off than he currently is because previously it seemed like Disney was gonna walk away with everything as they usually do in lawsuits and for the first time I'm sad they didn't.
I continue to hate Florida. I also continue to love Disney. These two truths coexist, as I live in Florida and am a very active Disney adult. Ron DeSantis is one of the worst people ever and I hate him. I found this article an interesting dive into the specifics of the Disney v DeSantis argument and it provided lots of insight on the situation. I can't help but wonder what it must be like going to school in Florida now, as I was one who escaped! The “Don’t say gay” bill is something that is truly disgusting and saddening and I'm embarrassed to say that I am from Florida when I think of it. This quote alone: “DeSantis proposed building a competing state theme park or a prison near Disney, or taxing the hotels and placing road tolls around the amusement park. Meanwhile, Iger called DeSantis "anti-Florida" and painted him as vengeful” is literally so disturbing I am truly speechless. He is the worst person that is all.
This was a really interesting article to read that I had put off reading for a while. I was scared about what it was going to say so I just held off. But now as I sit in the car driving back to Florida after finishing my first year in the DP program I feel that it is only fitting that this be my last news quiz article of the year. I am currently writing this in South Carolina on the drive from Pittsburgh to Tallahassee, Florida. WHich in case you did not know, is the capital of Florida. In fact, my high school was right down the street from where Ron Desantis does all of his gooning. I also taught his kids at the local non-profit youth theatre that I worked at and had to interact with their secret service detail. This was right when he was starting all of his anti-gay bull shit and so it was ironic that he sent both of his children to a theatre summer camp, and then also tried to fight Disney for all of that insanity.
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