Disney lawyers have asked a Florida state court to dismiss the lawsuit that the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District brought against the company. Disney says that since the Florida state legislature and governor created a law that basically does the same thing, the lawsuit is irrelevant. Both the lawsuit and legislation focused on the nullification of a development agreement that Disney and the former Reedy Creek Improvement District made before it became the current Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.
In the filing, Disney argues that the legislation does what the board for the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District is asking the court to do. The Governor’s move “makes any order this Court could issue — in either party’s favor — legally irrelevant,” Disney’s lawyers wrote.
This lawsuit comes as another lawsuit continues in a Federal court that was brought by Disney against the Florida Governor and other leaders including the district board. Regardless of that lawsuit, Disney believes that the bill the Governor signed makes this lawsuit pointless no matter which way the court decides. If the court determines that the development deal is valid, Disney argued that “the board would still be prohibited from complying with them under the new state statute.”
On the other side, if the court determines that the board’s argument is the right one then its ruling this way would also “be pointless because the contracts would already be void under the new state statute,” Disney wrote.
“In short, any declaration about the contracts’ enforceability, voidness, or validity — either way — would be an advisory opinion with no real-world consequence. Trial courts in Florida are forbidden from issuing advisory opinions, and this case should be dismissed,” Disney concluded.
This move by Disney comes as conflict continues to swirl around the former Reedy Creek Improvement District. Since Disney came out against a “Don’t Say Gay” bill in 2022, Governor DeSantis and other Florida leaders have been out to challenge what it calls “woke Disney” and what the Governor calls the company’s self-governance. No matter what happens with this case, there will still be a second case that will be determined one way or another at the Federal level as well.
Daps Magic will continue to follow this story and provide updates as they become available.
