Ron DeSantis Ends ‘Corporate Kingdom’ of Walt Disney World

By Rick Martin Feb 27 2023, 22:25 PM EST

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is continuing his war on "wokeness" as he is targeting Disney for its opposition to his restrictive laws regarding race and gender. In particular, he has now taken control of a special tax district surrounding Walt Disney World.

The Walt Disney Corporation has held that special tax district for around 50 years now, according to Reuters. Shortly after Florida took control of it, DeSantis released a statement, saying, "The corporate kingdom finally comes to an end."

Disney had been very public in its criticism of DeSantis's "Don't Say Gay" law, which restricts classroom instruction of gender and sexual orientation. The law had also drawn much flak from various LGBTQ and human rights groups, as well as Democrats.

Political observers have noted that this takeover was retaliation from DeSantis, who spoke with the company's then-chief executive officer, Bob Chapek, who had publicly expressed his disappointment at DeSantis's restrictive law.

Ron DeSantis Appoints Five-Member Board to Oversee Area Around Walt Disney World

The new law basically gives DeSantis the power to appoint every member of the special tax district's five-member governing body. However, these governing members are still subject to approval by the state Senate.

The Florida governor, who may be running for president in 2024 and challenging Donald Trump for the nomination, stated that Florida attorney Martin Garcia will serve as chairman of the governing body.

Many who will sit on the governing board will be conservatives, as The Hollywood Reporter pointed out. These include lawyer Brian Aungst Jr. and Christian Ziegler, who is the son of a former Republican mayor, as well as Bridget Ziegler, a conservative school board member and wife of the Florida Republican party chairman, Ron Peri.

DeSantis also appointed Michael Sasso to the board. He is a lawyer and the CEO of The Gathering USA Ministry. The board will now be known as the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District

However, Disney does still get to keep most of its perks over the area, as the company was allowed to self-govern the land where Walt Disney World was located for over five decades. It still retains almost all of its debt obligations and exemptions from a lot of regulations, taxes, and other fees as well. These include the issuance of bonds and the ability to provide infrastructure services on its land.

Disney CEO Bob Iger, a Very Vocal Opponent of Ron DeSantis's Ideology

DeSantis is releasing a new book titled "The Courage to Be Free: Florida's Blueprint for America's Revival." In that book, DeSantis claimed that Chapek's predecessor and eventual successor, Bob Iger, was a strong opponent of his controversial "Don't Say Gay" law.

The Florida governor noted that Iger said the bill would "put vulnerable, young LGBTQ people in jeopardy."

Several people within Disney have also been vocal against DeSantis's "Culture War" rhetoric, including bisexual actress Lilian Bowen. She stars in "Andi Mack," Disney Channel's first show to feature an LGBTQ character, and criticized the Florida governor's actions without explicitly naming him.