During the post-lockdown wave back to the office, the Walt Disney Company planned on relocating employees from its theme parks and experiences Imagineering division in Southern California to a new campus in Lake Nona, Florida. Those plans are now canceled, as reported by the New York Times, with Disney effectively striking a blow back against Governor Ron DeSantis by not bringing more jobs and construction dollars to Florida.
Let’s take it back to the initial plans for the move, set in motion during the rocky tenure of former CEO Bob Chapek. Disney employees cited concerns with the growing threat against LQBTIA+ families as Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” legislation was being put in place. The company’s initial reluctance to take a stand was not well-received, and neither was the expectation that 1,000 employees and their families would relocate somewhere that could potentially endanger loved ones.
About 200 employees and families have since made the move to Florida; as the Times reports, Disney Parks chair Josh D’Amaro sent an email to employees saying the company will explore “the possibility of moving you back.” He also explained the Lake Nona plans are being terminated due to “changing business conditions.” Originally, the move was meant to cultivate Disney’s relationship with Florida through the construction of a $1 billion office complex, which would have brought 2,000 jobs to the region—before DeSantis decided against the best interest of his state’s economy and people.
Sure, all of this is a part of a bigger political game at play, but thankfully it benefits individuals and families who might have had to leave California—where LGBTQIA+ civil rights are protected—for a state rife with legislation that actively threatens marginalized groups. We’ll call this a win for the voices that expressed their concerns under Iger. To top it off it’s sort of divine retribution too, as the news comes so soon after the May 17 birthday of the late Howard Ashman, Oscar-winning Disney composer and LGBTQIA icon.
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