Florida threatens Disney World with new toll roads and hotel taxes, DeSantis feud continues

The entrance to parking at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. Photo / Jphn Raoux, AP

The ongoing legal feud between Disney World and the Governor of Florida has just changed gears.

At the end of last week, Ron DeSantis promised a fresh raft of punitive measures against the owners of the Orlando-based theme park after a recent bid to strip Disney’s special tax status was stymied by the entertainment company’s lawyers.

The Governor said that the state was looking at new toll roads and hotel taxes that could not be so easily navigated by the parks and their visitors.

The DeSantis’ accused Disney of “trying to pull a fast one” on Thursday, after it emerged that cheeky “royal clause” had been slipped into the new contract for the special administrative region.

It was a cause for some embarrassment after it was reported that district had signed a new agreement without reading the small print, stating that the Magic Kingdom would retain much of its self-governing powers, until “21 years after the death of the last survivor of the descendants of King Charles III, king of England”

The politician told the Midland County Republican Party of Michigan that he would be using the state’s powers to tax the theme park outside of Reedy Creek, the special administrative zone.

“That story’s not over yet. Buckle up. There’s more coming down the pike,” he told Midland County.

In a public speech by the Governor at the Hillsdale College, reported by Politico, DeSantis said Disney’s days of special treatment were over.

“So come hell or high water we’re going to make sure that policy of Florida carries the day. And so they can keep trying to do things. But ultimately we’re going to win on every single issue involving Disney I can tell you that.”

Walt Disney announced they would be making several changes at its US theme parks in order to improve public perception of its business. Photo / Ted Shaffrey, AP

DeSantis’ feud with Disney’s magic kingdom

The Orlando-based theme park has been in an ongoing feud with the Florida Governor since February, last year after the company opposed the state’s “Parental Rights in Education Bill”.

The controversial law, dubbed the “don’t say gay” bill, bans the discussion of same sex marriages in schools.

Walt Disney Resorts, one of Orlando’s largest employers, said it would work to repeal the law.

Since then the state has sought to dismantle Reedy Creek Improvement District self-governing status, which it has enjoyed since 1967.

Having dissolved the special tax status this year, efforts to appoint a new state-friendly board to Reedy Creek were stymied by the new contracts.

In a media statement the park said “all agreements signed between Disney and the District were appropriate, and were discussed and approved in open, noticed public forums in compliance with Florida Government in the Sunshine law.”

Last week, Disney’s chief executive told shareholders that the measures taken by Florida against Reedy Creek were retaliatory, “anti-business” and “anti-Florida.”