Staff Reports
Disney’s decision to nix plans for a massive office complex in Orlando has been set straight by Governor Ron DeSantis’ office, which noted that “nothing ever came of it” despite the project’s announcement years ago. It turns out that the project was first announced in 2021, but considerable changes have taken place since then, including new leadership and changing business conditions. Josh D’Amaro, Disney’s theme park and consumer products chairman, sent an email to employees on Thursday informing them of the decision to not move forward with the project.
DeSantis’s Office Sets the Record Straight on Disney’s Development Decision in Florida https://t.co/4Ni3VUmATV
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) May 19, 2023
The New York Times, however, decided to take a more partisan view of the story, emphasizing Disney’s sour relationship with Governor DeSantis and citing two unnamed sources who claimed that the feud “figured prominently into Disney’s decision to cancel the project.” How convenient for the liberal media to try and paint conservative Republicans in a negative light, even when there is absolutely no evidence to support their claims.
4) The project has already been delayed to 2026 at the earliest. The DeSantis feud makes a good pretext for killing it, but that's all it is. It might've been the final cut, but it wasn't the fatal one.
— Varad Mehta (@varadmehta) May 18, 2023
Just a few weeks ago, Igor announced $17 billion investment in Disneyworld.
6 days ago, Disney announced poor earnings. https://t.co/00c5lXKNXp
Today Disney cut back the announced investment by 5.8%.
This isn’t about DeSantis – it’s about business. https://t.co/uhny750oxk https://t.co/Tx0roey8HM
— FugitiveMama (@fugitivemama) May 18, 2023
This consistent "poor @Disney" framing is the media running PR for a gigantic, multinational corporation that is fighting to keep special privileges & circumvent legislative action. It's unreal—and speaks directly to the times we live in. @GovRonDeSantis is right in this fight. https://t.co/BnKUOgZT4p
— Bryan Griffin (@BryanDGriffin) May 18, 2023
Governor DeSantis’ deputy press secretary, Jeremy Redern, pointed out that nothing ever moved forward on the project after it was announced. Given the company’s financial difficulties, falling market cap, and declining stock price, it is unsurprising that they would restructure their business operations and cancel unsuccessful ventures. Disney is also in the midst of cutting $5.5 billion in costs as it seeks to improve profitability, pay down debt, and restore its dividend.
Disney’s failed project, which was estimated to cost $1.3 billion, would have relocated 2,000 jobs from Southern California to Orlando. But as it turns out, the project was championed by former CEO Bob Chapek, who was fired last year, while current CEO Bob Iger was less enthusiastic about it from the start. Iger has been systematically reversing Chapek’s decisions and shutting down his projects since returning to the company, including a 50-person metaverse project that Chapek had started.
Leave it to the liberal media to try and spin a story to make it seem like conservatives are the bad guys. But the truth is that Disney’s decision had nothing to do with Governor DeSantis, and everything to do with their own mismanagement and poor financial decisions.
