Disney’s “Self-Governing” District Caught In Woke “Mouse Trap”

In the 1960’s Walt Disney had a dream of building the world’s first destination theme park. He chose Orlando, Florida as its location. Unfortunately, a year after making the announcement to build it, Disney died in November of 1966, leaving his brother Roy to complete his dream. The dream was realized on October 1, 1971, when Disney World opened.

When negotiating with the state, Disney told officials that he wanted to build a community of tomorrow.

“It will be a community of tomorrow that will never be completed,” Disney said, “but will always be introducing and testing and demonstrating new materials and new systems.”

In order to build this “community of tomorrow,” Disney asked for and received extraordinary authority over the new property that straddled two Florida counties. The state legislature and Governor Haydon Burns, agreed to give the Disney company the powers of a municipality. The agreement included authority over police, fire, water, sewer, even the power to build a nuclear power plant or an airport, and at that time they were granted immunity to external regulation.

Disney was given total control of all planning and building codes, which allowed it to complete construction of the Magic Kingdom in only 18 months. However, after Disney’s death, plans for a city of tomorrow were shelved and planning for a second theme park began. That planning resulted in EPCOT, which opened 11 years after Disney World on October 1, 1982.

Disney World brought growth and jobs to the area, but over the past five decades, Orlando and other communities in central Florida have seen the downside. State officials have squared off with Disney over costs for roads, police and other services associated with the growth it helped generate.

The amount of power that Disney was given was unprecedented, and in spite of some conflict, Disney maintained that power until “woke smut” erased the luster of the “not so Magic Kingdom.”

Like many companies that have chosen to ignore the majority and bow to far left liberal propaganda, Disney is paying a price. Many of their recent movies have been unsuccessful at the box office and a their television cartoon series has drawn heavy criticism for racist and biased content. In spite of a recent rally, Disney stock has fallen some 42 points over the last year.

However, Disney’s biggest mistake was backing the disgusting filth that the left wants to poison our children’s minds with. Yesterday, Disney learned the high cost for their repulsive and baffling stance.

Last year, Governor Ron DeSantis introduced the Florida Parental Rights in Education Act. Legislation that bans instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade, and all lessons designated as non-age appropriate.

Disney immediately became a very loud and public opponent of the bill. Their protest, combined with disagreements in the past, prompted the Governor to begin the dismantling of Disney’s cushy position in the state.

DeSantis directed lawmakers in the Florida legislature to dissolve Disney’s self-governing district and yesterday he signed a bill into law that did just that.

The bill gives DeSantis control of the district. He is required to appoint a five-member board to oversee all government services that Disney provides in its parks. At the news conference announcing the bill, DeSantis named Tampa attorney Martin Garcia as Chairman, Brian Angst Jr., an attorney and son of a former two term mayor of Clearwater, Mike Sasso, also an attorney, Ron Peri, head of The Gathering USA Ministry and Bridget Ziegler, a school board member and wife of Florida Republican Party Chairman Christian Ziegler.

The new law changes the district’s name from the Reedy Creek Improvement District to the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District and subjects it to oversight by the state.

The law is structured so the district’s financial abilities, as well as its debt obligations remain intact. It also prohibits people that have contracted or worked with a theme park in the past three years from serving on the new board.

At the bill signing DeSantis declared:

“Today the corporate kingdom finally comes to an end. There’s a new sheriff in town, and accountability will be the order of the day.”