The legal battle between Disney and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis presents a new chapter, as The Universal Orlando Resort company has received the special district benefit that was taken away from Mickey Mouse’s house a few months ago. The above can serve as a judicial argument in the lawsuit that Disney has launched against the Republican.
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Last October 10, The Orange County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the creation of the Shingle Creek Transit and Utilities Community Development District. This is a special tax district proposed by Universal Orlando Resort, which includes 290 hectares and encompasses Universal’s new Epic Universe theme park, which will be completed in 2025; plus five hectares for a new SunRail train station on Destination Parkway, reported WDW News Today.
“Today we take a step forward and we thank the mayor and county commissioners for approve our request to establish a community development district that can help realize the vision of expanding SunRail connectivity from the airport to the convention center,” said John Sprouls, managing director of Universal Destinations & Experiences, in a statement.
The special district board of supervisors is made up of Universal employees, such as Bradley Goeb, Bryan Julian, Erica Klostermeier, John Hanebrink and Teresa Crews. “With one stop and a new station at the convention center, we can bring more than 125,000 residents to their jobs and millions of visitors to our area’s world-class attractions,” Sprouls added.
How did the conflict between Ron DeSantis and Disney start?
The governor set his sights on the company founded by Walt Disney after on March 9, 2022, Bob Chapek, former CEO of the company, will publicly speak out against the governor’s Parental Rights in Education law, HB 1557, known to critics as the “Don’t Say Gay” law. It prohibits teachers from instructing or discussing sexual orientation or gender identity in Florida schools.
Days after, DeSantis signed a bill stripping Disney World of special district status, repealing the Reedy Creek Improvement District, which was created in 1967 and allowed the company to regulate the infrastructure and development of its 10,000-hectare property. Given this fact, the company filed a lawsuit against DeSantis, alleging that it was retaliation for exercising its right to free expression.
“DeSantis publicly called the repeal of the Reedy Creek special district an attempt to strip Disney of special privileges.“, Explain Streetso the assignment of the special district to Universal can serve as an argument in the legal battle of the Mickey Mouse company against the governor.
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