ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Months after Disney appointees and Gov. Ron DeSantis agreed to end a protracted legal battle, the two sides are poised to approve a deal that could lead to the company investing $17 billion at his Florida resort and opens the door to a fifth major theme park at Walt Disney World.
The five supervisors appointed by DeSantis who oversee the Disney World district will vote Wednesday on a new development deal that both sides agreed to negotiate after a settlement in March ended their lawsuits against each other.
The agreement between Disney and the Central Florida Tourism and Oversight District would last for the next 15 years. The district provides municipal services such as fire fighting, planning and mosquito control. It was controlled by Disney supporters for most of its five decades until it was taken over by DeSantis appointees last year.
Under the terms of the deal, Disney would be allowed to build a fifth major theme park at Disney World and two more smaller parks, such as water parks, over the next ten years. The company could increase the number of hotel rooms on its property from nearly 40,000 rooms to more than 53,000 rooms and increase the amount of retail and restaurant space by more than 20%. Disney would maintain control over building height due to the need to maintain an immersive environment.
In return, Disney would have to donate up to 100 acres of Disney World’s 24,000 acres for the construction of infrastructure projects managed by the district. The company would also have to award at least half of its construction projects to Florida companies and spend at least $10 million on affordable housing in central Florida.
The March settlement ended nearly two years of litigation sparked by DeSantis’ takeover of the district from Disney supporters, following the company’s opposition to Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law .
The 2022 law bans classroom lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity in early grades and was championed by the 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 law, DeSantis took over the governing district through legislation passed by the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature and appointed a new board of supervisors. Disney sued DeSantis and his appointees, claiming the company’s free speech rights had been violated for speaking out against the legislation. A federal judge dismissed that lawsuit in January, but Disney appealed. As part of the March settlement, Disney agreed to stay its appeal of the federal lawsuit.
Before control of the district transitioned from Disney allies to DeSantis appointees early last year, Disney supporters on the board signed agreements with Disney, shifting control of design and construction at Disney World to the company. DeSantis’ new appointees claimed the “eleventh-hour agreements” had neutralized their powers, and the district sued the company in state court in Orlando to have the contracts annulled.
Disney has filed counterclaims, including asking the state court to declare the agreements valid and enforceable. These lawsuits in state courts were dismissed as part of the March settlement.
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