Even if you’ve been deep inside Space Mountain for the past few weeks, you might have heard the intense rumblings emanating from the feud between Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and The Walt Disney Co, which the governor has blasted as a “woke corporation.”
Then again, you probably didn’t pay it much attention, just like the thousands of others queued ear-to-ear for Magic Kingdom fireworks on a Friday night, or waiting to meet a Disney princess, or trying to get a required park reservation at The Most Magical Place on Earth.
The iconic company’s four Orlando-area theme parks are teeming with guests. Additionally, vacationers board Disney Cruise Line’s two largest cruise ships — the Dream and the Fantasy — for sailings from Port Canaveral a total of three times a week.
“Disney is very much loved by people in this country. Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, the Seven Dwarfs and Cinderella are all part of Disney lore,” said Abraham Pizam, the founding dean of Rosen College of Hospitality Management at the University of Central Florida in Orlando.
“Disney has permeated our culture. It is an entertainment giant. If I were in the shoes of Disney, I would not be worried.”
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The rumble in a nutshell: This week, the Florida Legislature voted to repeal the Reedy Creek Improvement District, the governing structure for Disney’s Florida properties (which has about $1 billion of municipal bond debt), a move viewed as punishment against Disney for speaking out against the “Parental Rights in Education Act.”
The law limits instruction about gender identity and sexual orientation in grades K-3. Disney CEO Bob Chapek said the media giant was pausing political contributions in the state and working to overturn the law, dubbed by critics the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
“If Disney wants to pick a fight, they chose the wrong guy,” DeSantis said in a fundraising email.
The measure to strip Disney of its self-governing power was introduced in the Florida House by Brevard County Republican lawmaker Randy Fine. The change would take effect in June 2023.
The political battle has prompted considerable social media chatter on both sides — but it doesn’t appear to be impacting the Disney magic, judging by attendance.
Take as an example: Even if you’re a passholder with the top-tier annual pass and no blackout dates, reservations can be hard to come by. As of Wednesday, the last week of April had limited openings, and so did spots in May and early June.
And that’s also amid some non-political grumbling by consumers over ticket prices being higher than pre-COVID, and a halt on new passes that some in Florida complained favor visitors from out of state over residents and passholders.
Any financial impact from the Legislature’s action would likely come later, and be felt by local taxpayers and the company as Disney must navigate new rules to add attractions.
In discussing the political battle, for now, “I don’t see it changing guests’ habits,” said Scott Sanders, founder and operator of the Disney Cruise Line Blog — which is not affiliated with Disney.
Sanders — a Walt Disney World annual passholder who visits the theme parks with his family several times a month — doesn’t see any evidence that people are staying away from the parks. From his experience, the attractions, shops and restaurants are as busy as they’ve always been.
“It seems like Disney is too big to topple,” he said.
Is the magic still there?
If there’s a group of people talking Disney World online, you’ll often see someone add the four-word refrain: “The magic is gone.”
Feedback about changes over the past few years has been brutal and constant on Disney World-centric Facebook pages.
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Higher prices, and the loss of perks like free Fast Passes for quicker access to popular attractions at Walt Disney World, irked many people — and many see this news-grabbing political war as something Disney shouldn’t be involved in, period.
Does it mean they plan to cancel trips or boycott the company?
Karen Fernandez of Happy Trails in Kissimmee agrees with DeSantis’ stance when it comes to the Parental Rights law, saying she thinks kids in kindergarten through third grade “should be learning reading, writing, arithmetic. They should talk to their parents about the other stuff.”
But she sees Disney’s side, too, and says of the governing structure battle, “This whole fight is ridiculous.”
“It’s not going to stop me from going to Disney, even if they raise prices because of the Reedy Creek deal going off, if I can afford it,” said Fernandez, who was 4 on her first trip to Disney World in 1974.
“It’s my escape,” Fernandez said. “I go there to ride rides, to watch shows. I go there to meet family and friends. Nothing political or religious, if religion was brought into it, would stop me from going there. The magic some say is gone … it depends on what they feel the magic is. Is it getting free stuff, or enjoying yourself, watching shows, riding rides, laughing, eating delicious food? Things change. And people have to adapt to the new changes. Walt Disney was a very creative person. … Maybe he would have had a different approach, but things would have changed anyway.”
Pizam, who currently serves as professor and Linda Chapin Eminent Scholar Chair in tourism management at UCF, said he believes any efforts to boycott Disney for its stances could be offset by Disney supporters making a special effort to frequent Disney venues and buy Disney products and services.
Cruises sailing along
While the theme parks are one-of-a-kind, when it comes to cruises, consumers have a plethora of choices. That’s where an impact might be seen first. But there’s no indication yet that consumers are cooling on Disney.
During March, the Disney Fantasy had four sailings out of Port Canaveral, averaging 2,316 passengers per sailing, or about 93% of the ship’s double-occupancy capacity of 2,500. The Disney Dream had eight sailings out of Port Canaveral, averaging 2,209 passengers per sailing, or about 88% of its double-occupancy capacity of 2,500.
Passenger counts were up from February, when the Fantasy was averaging 1,775 passengers per sailing and the Dream was averaging 1,659.
But they are not necessarily at pre-pandemic levels, as cruise lines are seeking to limit their bookings to help in social distancing. Because of the large number of children on a Disney sailing, its ships have three of four passengers in many cabins, and the Dream and Fantasy can sail with as many as 4,000 passengers.
In March 2019, for example, the Fantasy was averaging 3,884 passengers per sailing and the Dream was averaging 3,764.
Melbourne resident Carolyn Perrine, who’s sailed with Disney 10 times, has taken two cruises already this year — one with her husband and one solo — and has another planned for September.
If anything, the political situation is making her more loyal to Disney, reinforcing her love of the brand and appreciation for what the company is standing up for, Perrine said.
“The fact they have not kowtowed to the Republicans, that they’re standing up for people without a voice. … I like that,” she said.
“They’re standing up for their employees, not just passholders. And I think all this talk of boycotts, all of that, is just noise. They’re still so busy, and I hope they continue to have that experience.”
Canaveral Port Authority Commissioner and Secretary/Treasurer Robyn Hattaway, a resident of Merritt Island, said she is not overly concerned about any efforts by cruise-goers opposed to Disney’s political stance to boycott Disney Cruise Line.
Hattaway — an attorney, who also is a Republican candidate for the Florida House of Representatives in 2022 — noted that there are four other cruise lines sailing from Port Canaveral, which is the world’s second-busiest cruise port, based on passenger volume.
Hattaway said someone not wanting to book a Disney cruise could always choose to sail on one of the other line’s ships that are based at Port Canaveral.
“I certainly respect people’s opinions,” Hattaway said.
Special district issues
Looking ahead, though, consumers might see some impact from the Reedy Creek decision.
Pizam said Disney could face potential roadblocks for getting approval for future expansion projects at its theme parks or other facilities. Such approval might be required to come from the county governments in Orange or Osceola counties.
Additionally, the two counties could be financially impacted by taking responsibility for the roads, other infrastructure and public safety within the current Reedy Creek boundaries.
“Unfortunately, the whole thing is not good for both sides,” Pizam said.
And the dispute has certainly seeped into discussions about Disney, which previously had seemed eager to be seen as above politics.
Caroline Marianek of Fleming Island loves Disney World, and has bought annual passes for herself, her husband and their son for most of the past 15 years.
But Disney’s failure to come out early against the so-called Don’t Say Gay bill left her infuriated, she said.
“Disney should be the ultimate place of inclusivity. Yes, I have read the bill. Just because it doesn’t say those words directly, it is still the spirit of the bill,” she said.
“As the proud mother of a gay son, I was so deeply hurt that Disney not only refused to come out against it, but that they financially supported candidates that proposed it. For a good 72 hours, I would have answered that there is no way I was renewing. I still say they did too little, too late.”
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When it comes time to renew in July, Marianek said, she’ll have a big decision to make.
Disney is not her husband’s thing, she said, and her son now is a college student in Texas.
Between higher prices and the loss of spontaneity due to the reservation system, Marianek would agree with many that “Disney has made it harder to want to continue being a passholder.”
“The amount of visit break-even point is getting harder to meet,” she said.
And yet, she won’t rule out future visits.
“With all that being said, the minute I pull onto Disney property and see those signs, the weight of the world is lifted off my shoulders,” she said.
“No matter what is going on around me, I am thrilled to be ‘home’ again.”
Contact Kennerly at bkennerly@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @bybrittkennerly.
Dave Berman is business editor at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Berman at dberman@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @bydaveberman.
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