Walt Disney World Archives - The Florida Capital Star

Florida Judge Declines to Toss Lawsuit Challenging Disney’s Last-Minute Effort to Maintain Self-Governing Status

July 30, 2023July 29, 2023 Florida Capital Star Staff

A Florida state judge declined to toss a lawsuit challenging Disney’s last-minute effort to skirt the state legislature and maintain its self-governing status through an agreement it made with the prior board overseeing Walt Disney World.

Disney entered into agreement with the Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID), which had authority over the park, on Feb. 8, 2023 — just days before the state legislature approved a bill reforming RCID’s structure to strip Disney’s self-governing status. The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District sued May 1 over the agreement, which would allow Disney to maintain control, calling it a “backroom deal” that is “not even worth the paper” it is printed on.

Report: Disney Set to Lay Off Thousands This Week in Latest Round of Job Cuts

April 25, 2023April 24, 2023 Just the News

Disney is reportedly expected to lay off thousands of people this week in its largest round of planned layoffs yet as the company looks to cut corporate costs.

The company will cut 4,000 jobs through Thursday, as it looks to lay off 7,000 workers overall, according to multiple media reports.

Florida’s DeSantis Seeks New Legislation to Curb Disney Autonomy

April 18, 2023 The Center Square

Gov. Ron DeSantis wants the Florida Legislature to enact new legislation to ensure that Walt Disney World loses its self-governing status.

DeSantis held a news conference in Lake Buena Vista on Monday to give an update on the Reedy Creek Improvement District, which is home to Disney World.

DeSantis Signs Bill Ending Disney’s Special Self-Governing Status

February 28, 2023February 27, 2023 The Center Square

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday signed a bill ending the Walt Disney Company’s special self-governing status.

“Allowing a corporation to control its own government is bad policy, especially when the corporation makes decisions that impact an entire region,” DeSantis said in an announcement about the new law, which came largely in response to Disney’s advocacy against Florida’s Parental Rights in Education bill, called the “Don’t say gay bill” by critics.

Florida Legislature Headed to Special Session to Deal with Disney Status

February 6, 2023February 5, 2023 The Center Square

Disney’s autonomous status and several other projects will be tackled by the Florida Legislature in a special session starting Monday and scheduled to end on Feb. 17.

House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, and Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, issued the proclamation on Friday.

Florida’s DeSantis Wants Special Session to Address Disney’s Status

February 4, 2023February 3, 2023 The Center Square

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday he’s calling a special session that will deal with Disney’s autonomy and other issues “in a week or two.”

He made the announcement during a news conference in Milton concerning broadband infrastructure grants through the Department of Economic Opportunity for rural areas.

Disney Issues Warning to Park-Goers after Fights Increase Among Guests

January 2, 2023January 1, 2023 ADN America

Disney reminded its guests to be on their best behavior and show “common courtesy” to other guests in the parks after there has been an increase in fights among visitors.

Disneyland and Walt Disney World added courtesy sections to the “Know Before You Go” section on their website, reminding guests that any unruly behavior could get them kicked out of the park.

“We ask all who come to this happy place to treat others with respect, kindness, and compassion. To help guests have a safe and enjoyable experience, we regularly update our Disneyland resort rules,” reads the Disneyland website.

Sheriff’s Office Says Disney Worker Arrested in Child Sex Crackdown

June 19, 2022June 18, 2022 Admin

A Florida sheriff’s department says it arrested a Disney employee as part of a larger sting in which it nabbed a dozen suspects in a child sex crackdown.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release on Friday that in early June it “conducted a two-week-long undercover operation ‘Operation Child Protector II’ during which detectives posed as children on social media platforms, mobile apps, and online dating sites to investigate those who prey upon and travel to meet children for unlawful sexual activity.”

Behind the Scenes of Christopher Rufo’s ‘Drop Disney’ Campaign

May 10, 2022May 9, 2022 Florida Capital Star Staff

Disney is known as the “happiest place on Earth.” Manhattan Institute senior fellow Christopher Rufo could not disagree more.

Rufo, who has done extensive reporting on Critical Race Theory (CRT), launched the “Drop Disney” campaign against the company earlier this month over the company’s opposition to Florida’s Parental Rights in Education law, as well as its CRT trainings and promotion of gender ideology in children’s programming. Rufo’s goal is to instruct conservatives to “stop giving money to people who hate you,” and involves boycotting the company’s services and products.

Disney Says ‘Goal’ Is to Get Florida Anti-Grooming Bill Repealed

March 30, 2022March 29, 2022 Peter D'Abrosca

Walt Disney world has officially condemned Florida’s new anti-grooming legislation, and says it will do its best to fight against the new law.

“Florida’s HB 1557, also known as the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, should never have passed and should never have been signed into law,” the company said in a Tuesday statement.

Polk County Sheriffs Arrest Several Disney World Employees in Child Sex Sting

August 5, 2021August 4, 2021 Peter D'Abrosca

Detectives from the Polk County Sheriff’s office, in conjunction with several other law enforcement entities, ran a sting operation to catch child sex predators between July 27 and August 1.

Dubbed “Operation Child Protector,” law enforcement posed as 13 and 14-year-old girls online, and made contact with several suspect online. When the suspects attempted to meet up with the “girls,” they were taken into custody.

Three Major Florida Corporations Change COVID-19 Policies to Match CDC Guidelines

August 1, 2021July 31, 2021 Casey Owens

Major Florida Corporations, Publix, Disney World, and Universal Orlando, have updated their COVID-19 policies to coordinate with the new Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines.

The new CDC guidelines have reversed course due to the surge in delta variant cases across the nation, with Florida being responsible for one-fifth of those cases.