Walt Disney World has canceled the plans to build a billion-dollar Florida campus in Lake Nona that would have brought 2,000 of its animation jobs, mostly from California.
That word came Thursday from Walt Disney World Resort Jeff Vahle, in a letter that was released by the company.
“Since we first announced this project, several dynamics have changed, including a change in company leadership and evolving economic and business conditions,” Vahle wrote in the letter. It also noted the company’s, “desire is to continue investing in our core business in an effort to attract and welcome millions of visitors to Walt Disney World and Central Florida each year so they can enjoy the kind of hospitality our region is known for around the world.”
The letter noted the company’s position as “the region’s largest taxpayer, we paid and collected over $1.1 billion in state and local taxes during last year alone.”
Vahle’s letter also touted its place as the region’s largest employer and community efforts, like a donation of land to create more affordable housing and philanthropic efforts.
Disney had originally announced the move of the thousands of jobs back in 2021, with the plan to start bringing them, mostly from California, by the end of this year. Land was identified for a work campus, to be built in 2024, but last year Disney pushed back the planned completion to 2026. As of February of this year, published reports out of Disney said the move was still a go.
It’s been a tense relationship over the last few months between Disney and the state of Florida, particularly from Gov. Ron DeSantis. After the company expressed opposition to the state’s Parental Rights in Education Act — the so-called, “Don’t Say Gay” Bill — DeSantis emphatically responded by dismantling the Reedy Creek Improvement District, the framework Disney used to maintain its infrastructure. That sparked a series of actions and litigation about the legality of those actions.
As soon as the decision was made public, state and federal-level elected officials began to chime in, like state Sen. Linda Stewart, D-Orlando, whose district includes Lake Nona.
"While I wish the determination was different, I believe Florida’s political atmosphere caused this reorganization to occur," she said. "However, this move should not be viewed as a reflection on Lake Nona. The additional jobs and housing would have been a great boost to our community, but I’m confident that Lake Nona will continue to be a key location for future investment from the Walt Disney Company.”
U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost said, "Disney’s project in Lake Nona should have been a win for Florida, a win for our economy, and a win for working people in the Orlando area. This $1 billion development would have employed thousands while positively impacting our tourism industries. (DeSantis is) more interested in running for President than running the state of Florida and Floridians are paying the price of his campaign.”
