Disney, DeSantis-backed board reach settlement agreement

Disney and the state of Florida have reached a settlement agreement in their lawsuit about who controls Walt Disney World’s governing district, the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board announced Wednesday.

Members of the board approved the settlement agreement, ending the nearly two years of litigation that were originally sparked by Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R) “Don’t Say Gay” law.

Disney and DeSantis have been engaged in a feud since the company publicly opposed the law and DeSantis stripped Disney of the special status it had for decades, which gave it self-governing power over the Reedy Creek Improvement District.

DeSantis signed a bill in February 2023 ending Disney’s self-governing status and allowing the district to be controlled by the state. The governor’s office then could appoint a five-member board to govern the district.