$17 billion Disney development deal in Orlando much closer to final

ORLANDO, Fla. — Editor’s note: This story is available as a result of a content partnership between WFTV and the Orlando Business Journal.

The Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) announced plans to invest $17 billion in Central Florida more than a year ago — something that has been attributed by some to a softening of relations between Disney and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight Board (CFTOD) which had been contentious since the creation of the governor-appointed board last year.

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CFTOD board members on June 5 reviewed a draft of a development agreement attached to that $17 billion. That number has been in play publicly since April 3, 2023, when, during a shareholder meeting, Disney CEO Bob Iger promised that investment as part of a $60 billion cash injection across its properties — at the same time asserting that DeSantis’s actions that created CFTOD were “anti-business” and “anti-Florida.”

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A year has passed, and Disney remains committed to the investment, but some, like State Sen. Linda Stewart (D-Orange County), attribute the development plan as being a sign of improved relations between Disney and state officials. Stewart said as much to the Orlando Sentinel last week.

Click here to read the full story on the Orlando Business Journal’s website.

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