Thoughts on Disney/ Florida Legal Battle News

[CBMom01]

Yes but the RCID was basically a phoenix reborn as the CFTOD, still a rubber stamp for Disney as long as they bent the knee. DeSantis wasn't going to bite the hand that feeds - he needed a win for his base, but Disney did too - that's why Chapek made that fateful decision/announcement to begin with that sent all this spinning.

Disney was fooling themselves if they ever thought for one second that their bonds would be dissolved or folded into the counties. That was never an option.

Disney was the one that stepped in the gum on the floor to start all this.

I don’t think so. The board appointed by DeSantis is, at best, laughingly unqualified and at worst a bunch of barely literate morons who thought they’d been put in charge of Disney World.

As a shareholder, I’d feel in my rights to sue the Disney BOD if they didn’t fight a politically motivated attempt by a state executive to run WDW into the ground

 

[mz-s]

I don’t think so. The board appointed by DeSantis is, at best, laughingly unqualified and at worst a bunch of barely literate morons who thought they’d been put in charge of Disney World.

As a shareholder, I’d feel in my rights to sue the Disney BOD if they didn’t fight a politically motivated attempt by a state executive to run WDW into the ground

There is no evidence that anybody in Florida wants to run WDW into the ground. That is all knee-jerk emotional read, and not the response of a reasoned shareholder. All the evidence I read was the CFTOD was nothing more than the RCID by another name, a cheap-and-easy way for both sides to score a political "win" while also doing nothing to the ceteris paribus until Disney swept in at the 11th hour and invoked what could be best described as mutually assured destruction.

The problem for Disney is, as much as people here like Ryno hate to admit it, the Florida governor has broad support in his state and can afford to run out the clock for Bob Iger as he did for Chapek without spending a portion of his political capital. Most of the squeaky wheels are from out of state, not his constituents.

 

[Starport Seven-Five]

Yes but the RCID was basically a phoenix reborn as the CFTOD, still a rubber stamp for Disney as long as they bent the knee.

I don't think that is a reasonable expectation considering the comments the governor/board have made regarding Disney content. This board had zero interest in discussing roads or water runoff.

Disney was fooling themselves if they ever thought for one second that their bonds would be dissolved or folded into the counties. That was never an option.

Everyone that followed this didn't think it was going to happen but we also weren't the ones making the claims it was. If rational thought was present the idea of dissolving RCID would have never been proposed.

From what I can tell, Disney prepped a myriad of strategies and we're seeing them play out as the board and state government makes moves.

 

[JustSayin]

There is no evidence that anybody in Florida wants to run WDW into the ground. That is all knee-jerk emotional read, and not the response of a reasoned shareholder. All the evidence I read was the CFTOD was nothing more than the RCID by another name, a cheap-and-easy way for both sides to score a political "win" while also doing nothing to the ceteris paribus until Disney swept in at the 11th hour and invoked what could be best described as mutually assured destruction.

The problem for Disney is, as much as people here like Ryno hate to admit it, the Florida governor has broad support in his state and can afford to run out the clock for Bob Iger as he did for Chapek without spending a portion of his political capital. Most of the squeaky wheels are from out of state, not his constituents.

Respectfully, It is demonstrably untrue that the CFTOD was simply a newly formed RCID.

DeSantis filled the CFTOD board with religious leaders and other people directly involved with the bill on which Disney had the nerve to express disagreement.

https://www.tampabay.com/news/flori...well-connected-republicans-reedy-creek-board/

They had a stated purpose of not only controlling RCID concerns, but also reigning in Disney content.

https://www.newsweek.com/ron-desantis-disney-board-florida-reedy-creek-1784261

Franky you are correct. DeSantis does have broad support. That should be a chilling thought. The fact that so many people in a US state are just fine with using the full power of government to go after a corporation for nothing more than having the nerve to stand up and say "We don't agree" is pretty frightening. We know this was done for no other reason than punishing Disney because DeSantis was really clear about it. They never would have touched RCID if they weren't going after Disney for speaking up. It was a good deal for Disney, the local community, and the state. There was no other impetus to change anything.

How can you argue in good faith that a group of people with the stated purpose of punishing Disney for speach and controlling future content is just "RCID by another name"?

 

[OKW Lover]

DeSantis does have broad support.

I agree that he at least had broad support when he was elected. I'm wondering if that support is still as high.

 

[JustSayin]

I agree that he at least had broad support when he was elected. I'm wondering if that support is still as high.

Good point.

I haven't seen any indication 1 way or another what the public response has been to DeSantis's actions.

I sincerely hope that there are reasonable people in both parties who are upset.

I can say personally that I was actively working toward retiring early in Florida. That plan has changed, and I have stopped looking at real estate for both investment and retirement. I cannot move somewhere that the government has shifted so far into what I think is a patently dangerous direction. And it has all happened so fast. I am truly disappointed that I have been forced to make this change as we were really looking forward to being close to parks and cruises.

 

[BroadwayHermione5]

I agree that he at least had broad support when he was elected. I'm wondering if that support is still as high.

You bring up an excellent point. Look at recent polls. Especially up against Trump or in Trump v. Biden versus DS v. Biden.

My towns school board went through some chaos a couple years ago (how the human was ever elects in the first place multiple times I’ll never know). They then got in trouble and cost the taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars. And then ran on a cutting cost and budget agenda.

They get kicked off and now they can legally run again (and they are please it makes my blood boil I can’t wait to NOT vote for them). The amount of people no longer supporting them is a lot higher than I thought. And it’s because those people realized what their tax dollars were wasted on.

Don’t be surprised when it comes to money.

 

[jimmymc]

Some big news: Disney has cancelled the relocation of approximately 2000 jobs from southern California to Lake Nona, FL. https://www.wdwinfo.com/news-stories/disney-officially-cancels-lake-nona-fl-relocation-project/

 

[Gary Stocker]

Bye bye Hotel Ishtar (as Pete would say).

 

[glamdring269]

It’s a little strange to me that someone can speak so authoritatively about RCID vs CFTOD being a fair compromise and simultaneously believe that they are basically the same thing under a different name.

 

[AliceAnn]

In Andrew Warren’s federal suit, the judge agreed with Warren but threw the suit out because he didn’t have the authority over the state to give Warren his position back. Could something similar happen with this case?

 

[OKW Lover]

Today (5/22) the parties in this suit entered into a stipulation agreement. In anticipation that the defendants (Governor & board) will make a motion to dismiss, the following schedule has been set:
Defendant's motion(s) due June 22,
Plaintiff response due July 26
Defendant's reply due August 9

I understand it is common practice for the defendant to move for dismissal at the start of any proceeding. All today's stipulation does is establish a timeline for that process.

As you can see, it's going to be a long time before much happens.