Florida’s Governor Robert DeSantis made an attack on Disney, more specifically Disney World after the company made a public statement against the “Don’t Say Gay Bill”, which DeSantis signed into law. Governor Desantis and the Florida government have voted to dissolve the agreement that has allowed Disney to run as its own private government since 1967. 

When the land was bought for Disney World in 1965, the Disney company and Florida worked out an agreement known as the Reedy Creek Improvement District. This agreement allows Disney to operate as a self-governing district, which allows Disney to be in charge of things such as roads, sewage, building permits, and even liquor licenses. 

The reason that Florida is revoking Disney’s private district is most likely due to the rising tensions growing between Florida’s conservative government policies and Disney’s progressive stance. The Disney CEO’s beliefs seem to directly oppose that of Governor Disantis and the majority of Floridians both in and out of power.

It is widely speculated that Governor Desantis is trying to “teach Disney a lesson” about sticking its nose in politics. Republican Representative Randy Fine said “Disney is a guest in Florida. Today we remind them.”

Political scientist and historian Richar Foglesong has also come out to say that dissolving the district will come at a great cost to taxpayers in Orange County, who will now have to help pay taxes for all of the municipal services in Disney World. Although the effects that dissolving the districts are widely unknown, it is not going to be pretty.