Walt Disney World sign at Orlando airport – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by Adam McCullough
As it fights Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his appointees over their takeover of the district that oversees the entertainment company’s huge theme park resort in central Florida, Disney released a study estimating its economic effect in the state at $40.3 billion on Tuesday.
An Oxford Economics research, commissioned by Disney, found that 263,000 employees in Florida were directly related to the company, more than three times the number of employees at Walt Disney World. The study covered the fiscal year 2022. The research linked the company’s multibillion-dollar impact to indirect factors including the supplier chain and employee spending, in addition to direct employment and spending.
The jobs are sustained by visitor spending off Disney World property in addition to jobs held by Disney employees. In addition to Disney World outside of Orlando, Disney Cruise Line has locations in Port Canaveral, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami, as well as a resort in Vero Beach, employing 82,000 people in Florida.
According to Oxford Economics, the company directly supports 1 in 8 employment in central Florida, and for every direct job, there are 1.7 indirect jobs in the state.
The study’s time frame predates DeSantis and his appointees’ takeover of Disney World’s governing district earlier this year, following Disney’s outspoken opposition to a state law that forbade teachings on gender identity and sexual orientation in elementary schools. DeSantis, a candidate for the GOP presidential nomination in 2024, supported the legislation.
Disney officials announced last year that the corporation intends to invest an extra $17 billion in central Florida over the next ten years, possibly resulting in the creation of 13,000 new jobs. Nonetheless, the business has indicated that it is prepared to reduce its Sunshine State investment.
Disney canceled plans earlier this year to move 2,000 workers from Southern California to work in finance, product development, digital technology, and other areas. The move was anticipated to cost $1 billion.
On 25,000 acres (10,117 hectares), Disney World already includes four theme parks, over 25 hotels, two water parks, and a retail and dining area.
In federal and state courts, Disney is fighting DeSantis and his appointees over the takeover of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, which was renamed after DeSantis’s appointees took over. The district was formerly known as the Reedy Creek Improvement District. Up until early this year, the district, which was established by the Florida Legislature in 1967 to manage municipal services like garbage collection, road repairs, and firefighting, was under the authority of Disney supporters.
The Disney backers on its board made agreements with Disney giving the firm power over design and construction at Disney World before DeSantis appointees took over the district. The district filed a lawsuit against the corporation in an Orlando state court, requesting the contracts be void, on the grounds that the new DeSantis appointees’ “eleventh-hour deals” undermined their authority. Disney has counterclaimed, requesting that the agreements be deemed binding and legitimate by the state court.
The company has filed a lawsuit in federal court in Tallahassee against DeSantis, a state agency, and DeSantis appointees on the district board. The company claims that its free speech rights were infringed upon when the governor and Republican lawmakers singled it out for opposing the law, which its detractors had dubbed “Don’t Say Gay.”
Disney reported lower operating income at its Florida theme park resort last week, citing costs associated with closing its immersive Star Wars-themed two-night experience and lower visitor spending due to lower hotel rates, even though its theme parks worldwide saw year-over-year increases in operating income.
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Born and raised in South Florida, Krystal is a recent graduate from the University of Miami with professional writing experience at the collegiate and national news outlet levels. She’s a foodie who loves all things travel, the beach, & visiting new places throughout Florida.