ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Months after Disney and Gov. Ron DeSantis’ appointees agreed to finish a protracted authorized battle, the 2 sides are set to approve an settlement that would consequence within the firm investing $17 billion into its Florida resort and opens the door to a fifth main theme park at Walt Disney World.
The 5 DeSantis-appointed supervisors who oversee the Disney World district will vote Wednesday on a brand new growth settlement that either side had agreed to barter after a March settlement ended their state court docket lawsuits in opposition to one another.
The settlement between Disney and the Central Florida Tourism and Oversight District would final for the subsequent 15 years. The district offers municipal companies similar to firefighting, planning and mosquito management, amongst different issues. It was managed by Disney supporters for many of its 5 many years till it was taken over by the DeSantis appointees final yr.
Underneath the deal’s phrases, in the course of the subsequent decade or two, Disney can be accepted to construct a fifth main theme park at Disney World and two extra minor parks, similar to water parks. The corporate may increase the variety of lodge rooms on its property from nearly 40,000 rooms to greater than 53,000 rooms and enhance the quantity of retail and restaurant area by greater than 20%. Disney would retain management of constructing heights on account of its want to take care of an immersive setting.
In trade, Disney can be required to donate as much as 100 acres (40 hectares) of Disney World’s 24,000 acres (9,700 hectares) for the development of infrastructure initiatives managed by the district. The corporate additionally would wish to award a minimum of half of its building initiatives to corporations primarily based in Florida and spend a minimum of $10 million on inexpensive housing for central Florida.
The settlement in March ended nearly two years of litigation that was sparked by DeSantis’ takeover of the district from Disney supporters following the corporate’s opposition to Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Homosexual” legislation.
The 2022 legislation bans classroom classes on sexual orientation and gender identification in early grades and was championed by the Republican governor, who used Disney as a punching bag in speeches till he suspended his presidential marketing campaign this yr.
As punishment for Disney’s opposition to the controversial legislation, DeSantis took over the governing district by way of laws handed by the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature and appointed a brand new board of supervisors. Disney sued DeSantis and his appointees, claiming the corporate’s free speech rights have been violated for talking out in opposition to the laws. A federal choose dismissed that lawsuit in January, however Disney appealed. As a part of the March settlement, Disney agreed to placed on maintain the attraction of the federal lawsuit.
Earlier than management of the district modified palms from Disney allies to DeSantis appointees early final yr, the Disney supporters on its board signed agreements with Disney shifting management over design and building at Disney World to the corporate. The brand new DeSantis appointees claimed the “eleventh-hour offers” neutered their powers and the district sued the corporate in state court docket in Orlando to have the contracts voided.
Disney filed counterclaims that included asking the state court docket to declare the agreements legitimate and enforceable. These state court docket lawsuits have been dismissed as a part of the March settlement.
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Observe Mike Schneider on X, previously often called Twitter: @MikeSchneiderAP.
