Disney and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District settle a lawsuit over the powers of the special body that controls the land Walt Disney World sits on.
Walt Disney Co. has settled a lawsuit with the Gov. Ron DeSantis-appointed board that governs the area encompassing Walt Disney World in Florida, drawing to a close a particularly acrimonious battle between the Burbank entertainment giant and the one-time presidential candidate.
The feud began in 2022, when Disney criticized Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” anti-LGBTQ legislation. DeSantis struck back against the company by overtaking the special district that governs land development in and around the Walt Disney World resort, replacing a board that was essentially controlled by Disney.
The entity, formerly known as the Reedy Creek Improvement District, was renamed the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District and populated by DeSantis allies, but in the final hours of the previous board’s tenure, Disney executed an agreement that would essentially allow the new district powers over only the most basic infrastructure.
