Governor Ron DeSantis recently asked that Disney drop its federal lawsuit against him over the internal working of Walt Disney World. But rather than do that, it appears Disney’s plan is to double down. There are currently a pair of lawsuits between Disney World and Florida: one lawsuit brought by Disney World against DeSantis and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, and a state suit brought by the CFTOD against Disney. Now Disney has countersued at the state level, going after the board in a fairly interesting way.
In response to the Florida state lawsuit brought by the CFTOD, (available here) Disney World not only denies the various claims made by the District but also countersues the organization, claiming breach of contract and violations of the Florida state constitution. The suit itself focuses on the land use agreement that Disney World entered into with the Reedy Creek Improvement District, which was subsequently voided by the CFTOD after a new law transformed one into the other. Disney argues that, while the name of the District changed, it is ultimately the same organization from a legal perspective, and thus it must abide by the contract.
