The recent feud between Disney and Governor Ron DeSantis has led to the company pulling the plug on a new office complex in Orlando, which would have brought over 2,000 jobs to the region, with an average salary of $120,000. The project, known as Lake Nona Town Center, was supposed to cost $864 million, but cost estimates have been closer to $1.3 billion. The relocation of a department known as Imagineering, which works with Disney’s movie studios to develop theme park attractions, was also included in the plans.

However, Florida officials have repeatedly pointed to the Lake Nona development as an example of economic vibrancy in Orlando, which suffered significantly during the pandemic. Despite this, the company and governor have been locked in a bitter dispute over a special tax district that includes Disney World, which started when the company criticized a Florida education law that opponents labeled “Don’t Say Gay”. Governor DeSantis, feeling angered by this, has vowed payback, and has since targeted Disney--the state’s largest taxpayer--with a variety of hostile measures.

In its statement about the cancelling of Lake Nona, Disney made reference to its ongoing investment in Walt Disney World, saying "growth... would create an estimated 13,000 jobs." Disney and Governor DeSantis have been feuding for over a year, with many Florida legislators targeting the company through a series of hostile measures. In February, they ended Disney’s ability to self-govern its 25,000-acre resort by giving Governor DeSantis control over government services at the resort. Disney's efforts to void development contracts resulted in dueling lawsuits.

The recent feud between Disney and Governor Ron DeSantis has led to the company pulling the plug on a new office complex in Orlando, which would have brought over 2,000 jobs to the region, with an average salary of $120,000. The project, known as Lake Nona Town Center, was supposed to cost $864 million, but cost estimates have been closer to $1.3 billion. The relocation of a department known as Imagineering, which works with Disney’s movie studios to develop theme park attractions, was also included in the plans.
However, Florida officials have repeatedly pointed to the Lake Nona development as an example of economic vibrancy in Orlando, which suffered significantly during the pandemic. Despite this, the company and governor have been locked in a bitter dispute over a special tax district that includes Disney World, which started when the company criticized a Florida education law that opponents labeled “Don’t Say Gay”. Governor DeSantis, feeling angered by this, has vowed payback, and has since targeted Disney--the state’s largest taxpayer--with a variety of hostile measures.
In its statement about the cancelling of Lake Nona, Disney made reference to its ongoing investment in Walt Disney World, saying "growth... would create an estimated 13,000 jobs." Disney and Governor DeSantis have been feuding for over a year, with many Florida legislators targeting the company through a series of hostile measures. In February, they ended Disney’s ability to self-govern its 25,000-acre resort by giving Governor DeSantis control over government services at the resort. Disney's efforts to void development contracts resulted in dueling lawsuits.

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