- Disney World and Florida have settled their legal dispute.
- The feud began after Disney execs opposed DeSantis’ so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
- Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had appointed his own board members to oversee Disney’s land.
The beef between Disney and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ allies is over.
The board of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District — which DeSantis hand-picked to take control of the park’s special district — agreed on Wednesday to settle the state lawsuit brought by Disney.
The feud between DeSantis and Disney began in 2022 after Disney executives publicly opposed the governor’s bill that restricted discussions of gender and sexuality in state classrooms, dubbed “Don’t Say Gay” by critics.
DeSantis responded by signing a new law that allowed him to appoint board members to oversee Disney’s land, resulting in a nearly two-year-long battle for control of the special district.
At the tourism board’s meeting on Wednesday, Vice Chair Charbel Barakat praised the settlement.
“With this settlement, which is complete and significant, we are eager to work with Disney — I’m certainly eager to work with Disney and all other businesses — to make the country’s tourism destination famous for a second reason, which is: good government,” Barakat said.
In a statement, Walt Disney World Resort President Jeff Vahle said the deal “opens a new chapter of constructive engagement with the new leadership of the district and serves the interests of all parties by enabling significant continued investment and the creation of thousands of direct and indirect jobs and economic opportunity in the State,” according to the Associated Press.
