In yet another move in the Disney vs. DeSantis drama, Disney is now asking a Florida judge to dismiss the Central Tourism Oversight District Board’s lawsuit against the Walt Disney Company. Their motion to dismiss was filed in Florida’s 9th Judicial Circuit Court for Orange County today, May 16, 2023.
The suit by the new board was filed after they alleged Disney made a deal with themselves, given that the Walt Disney Company allegedly controlled the Reedy Creek Improvement District Board Emails also surfaced that indicated that Walt Disney World’s chief counsel drafted the agreements and changed their name out for the RCID attorney to make it appear that the district drew it.
In their lawsuit, the new Board claimed:
“…Disney covertly cobbled together a series of eleventh- hour deals with its soon-to-be-replaced puppet government. Disney hoped to tie the hands of the new, independent Board and to preserve Disney’s special status as its own government in the District for at least the next thirty years. These agreements reek of a backroom deal drafted by Disney with the acquiescence a lawyer who represented both Disney and the District, set for hearing without proper notice, and hustled through a compliant Disney-controlled Board that Disney knew would not dwell long on the issue.”
Disney is arguing that since Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed bill SB 1604 into law, which allowed Disney’s agreement with Reedy Creek to be nullified, there is no reason to continue this claim as the restrictive covenants that Disney signed with the Reedy Creek Improvement District would be void.
“The legislature has forbidden [the district] from complying with the contracts, rendering them immediately void and unenforceable. In the Governor’s own words, they ‘are revoked.’ This court accordingly cannot provide meaningful relief to either party.”
Of course, Disney still wants to pursue their lawsuit against the Florida governor, the members of the new board, and other legislators.
Given that they are now being sued over Disney+, one can understand why they want not to waste time on the Board’s suit and tick one lawsuit off their list.
Now we wait for the next “play” in this game that grows more tedious by the day.
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