ORLANDO, Fla. — Months after Disney and Gov. Ron DeSantis’ appointees agreed to end a long legal battle, the two sides will approve a deal that would allow the company to invest $17 billion in Florida resorts and open the doors to its fifth major theme park. The expected. At Walt Disney World.
The five DeSantis-appointed supervisors who oversee the Disney World district are scheduled to vote Wednesday on a new development agreement the two sides agreed to negotiate after a March settlement ended lawsuits against each other in state court.
The agreement between Disney and the Central Florida Tourism and Supervision District lasts for the next 15 years. The district provides municipal services such as firefighting, planning, and mosquito control, among other things. It was controlled by Disney supporters for 50 years until appointee DeSantis took over last year.
Under the terms of the deal, over the next 10 to 20 years, Disney would be approved to build a fifth major theme park at Disney World and two more smaller parks, such as water parks. The company could increase its hotel room count from about 40,000 to more than 53,000 and increase its retail and restaurant space by more than 20%. Disney maintains control over building heights because it needs to maintain an immersive environment.
In return, Disney must donate up to 100 acres (40 hectares) of Disney World’s 24,000 acres (9,700 hectares) for the construction of locally managed infrastructure projects. Additionally, the company must award at least half of its construction projects to Florida-based companies and spend at least $10 million on affordable housing in Central Florida.
The March settlement ended nearly two years of litigation triggered by DeSantis taking the district over from Disney supporters following the company’s opposition to a Florida law critics called “Don’t Say You’re Gay.”
The 2022 law bans classroom lessons about sexual orientation and gender identity for elementary school students and was backed by a Republican governor who used Disney as a punching bag in speeches until he suspended his presidential campaign this year.
As punishment for Disney’s opposition to the controversial bill, DeSantis took over the governing districts and appointed a new oversight board through legislation passed by the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature. Disney sued DeSantis and his appointees, claiming the company’s free speech rights were violated for speaking out against the bill. A federal judge dismissed the lawsuit in January, but Disney appealed. As part of the March settlement, Disney agreed to put its appeal of the federal lawsuit on hold.
Before control of the region shifted from Disney allies to DeSantis appointees early last year, Disney supporters on Disney’s board signed a deal that would transfer control of Disney World’s design and construction to the company. The new DeSantis appointee claimed the “11th-hour deal” gutted their authority, and the district sued the company in state court in Orlando to invalidate the contract.
Disney filed a counterclaim, including asking a state court to declare the contract valid and enforceable. That state court lawsuit was dismissed as part of the March settlement.
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