Is Disney moving to Georgia? DeSantis v. Disney feud sparks online rumors

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ feud with Disney seems like a tale as old as time to Floridians who have been riding the yearlong rollercoaster full of twists and turns. The latest of which is a rumor that the House of Mouse would be packing its bags and heading to Georgia.

The rumor sparked after an April 8 satire story reported that the Walt Disney Company announced that it would be relocating its Disney World theme park after it purchased a 1,000-acre parcel of land in Atlanta, Georgia.

The story also indicated that the new park would include many of the original’s iconic attractions plus new ones “tailored” to the Atlanta area like a new “Gone with the Wind” ride, a Coca-Cola World exhibit and an Atlanta Braves baseball experience.

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Never mind that the land Disney World sits on is spread out over 39 square miles, nearly 25 times larger than the 1,000-acre parcel the company allegedly purchased, the story went on to say that a groundbreaking ceremony was scheduled for August 2023.

The story was published on Medium, an online publishing platform founded by Twitter and Blogger co-founder Evan Williams that allows anyone — amateurs and professionals alike — to self-publish writings and other documents.

So, is Disney leaving Florida for Georgia? Put succinctly: No. The story making its rounds on Twitter and other social media platforms is satire.

What many sharing the story failed to see was the “Parody” tag label at the bottom of the 300-word story. According to the author’s bio, Matt Ryan Allen is a screenwriter, producer and amateur futurist known for the comedy “Four Christmases” and “Block Party.”

Fact-checking website Snopes also pointed out that Disney has made no such announcement, and if it had, the announcement’s seismic impact would send ripples impossible to ignore via reputable news reports, the inevitable social media frenzy and — of course — fans.

Why is DeSantis fighting Disney?

The feud between DeSantis and Disney began in March 2022 after he signed the Parental Rights in Education Act, also dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill by opponents.

The bill prohibited instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in Florida classrooms. It originally targeted kindergarten through third grade, limiting similar discussions in higher grades to what is “age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.”

However, the Florida State Board of Education on April 19 voted to expand the law to all grades.

Soon after, Disney, who is one of Florida’s top employers, came under fire from the Florida Democratic Party and its LGBTQ employees who staged a walkout due to the company’s silence on the issue.

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Disney relented and became a target after then-CEO Bob Chapek began to lobby against the legislation.

"I called Governor DeSantis this morning to express our disappointment and concern that if legislation becomes law it could be used to target gay, lesbian, nonbinary and transgender kids and families," Chapek told Disney shareholders in a March 2022 meeting.

Afterward, DeSantis lashed out at Disney to a group of supporters in a video obtained by Fox News Digital. "You have companies like a Disney that are gonna say and criticize parents' rights, they're gonna criticize the fact that we don't want transgenderism in kindergarten and first grade classrooms,” he said. "If that's the hill that they're gonna die on, then how do they possibly explain lining their pockets with their relationship with the Communist Party of China?”

How much land does Disney own in Florida?

The Walt Disney Company owns about 25,000 acres of land in Florida, which is approximately 39 square miles. Around half of that land is still undeveloped.

Disney owns so much land that then-Florida Governor Claude R. Kirk. Jr. signed legislation called the Reedy Creek Improvement Act, which formed the Reedy Creek Improvement District and allowed Disney to build the necessary infrastructure for further development.

What is the Reedy Creek Improvement District?

The Reedy Creek Improvement District was created by state law over 50 years ago to exempt 39 miles of land Disney owns from most state and local regulations and allow Disney to collect taxes, follow its own building codes and provide emergency services for its six theme parks and resorts.

At the time it was created, neither Orange nor Osceola counties had the services to provide power and water to the remote 25,000-acre property where the Walt Disney World Co. proposed building a recreational development.

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In 1967, the Florida Legislature, working with Walt Disney World Co., created a special taxing district — called the Reedy Creek Improvement District — that would act with the same authority and responsibility as a county government, according to the district's website.

The district provided typical municipal services, such as power, water and wastewater services, roads, fire protection, emergency medical services, drainage and flood control, and solid waste and recyclable collection and disposal.

The Reedy Creek district was led by a five-member board made up of senior employees of Walt Disney Co.  With DeSantis' new change, the governing board would be led by a five-member board essentially hand-picked by the governor.

What did Disney do to DeSantis' new board?

On Feb. 8, the day before the Florida House voted to establish the new board, Reedy Creek and Disney quietly discussed and approved a developmental agreement that puts control over a lot of what Reedy Creek used to handle under Disney's control for the next 30 years.

Under the terms of the pacts and covenants, Disney avoids what is essentially a hostile takeover by the state and retains maximum control over development of the theme park resort’s 27,000 acres in central Florida, including future development, vesting development entitlements, confirming current and future public facilities commitments, and maintaining protection of valuable wetlands and conservation lands within the district.

DeSantis' new district also 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.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Disney moving to Georgia? DeSantis v. Disney feud sparks rumors