Disney lashes out at DeSantis-appointed board in new suit, saying the group is holding back on public records

• Disney is getting increasingly frustrated with the oversight government for Walt Disney World.
• The Ron DeSantis-appointed board failed to release records, per a new suit.

Disney has filed a lawsuit claiming that the oversight government for Walt Disney World, which was taken over by appointees of Gov. Ron DeSantis earlier this year, has failed to release documents and properly preserve records in violation of Florida public records law.

The suit is the latest in a growing list of legal disputes and administrative skirmishes between the oversight government and the theme park conglomerate.

Disney said in the lawsuit filed Friday that the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, often referred to as CFTOD, has been so slow in fulfilling its public records duties that it has failed to respond completely to a request the company made seven months ago when it paid more than $2,400 to get emails and text messages belonging to the five district board members appointed by DeSantis.

Disney, DeSantis, and the DeSantis appointees are already battling for control in two pending federal and state court lawsuits.

The public records lawsuit asks a judge to review any documents the district claims are exempt from being released, declare that the district is violating state public records law, and order the district to release the documents that Disney has requested.

"CFTOD has prevented Disney from discovering the actions of its government through public records requests, in violation of Florida law," said the lawsuit filed in state court in Orlando. "The Court should grant Disney relief."

An email was sent to the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District seeking comment.

The new lawsuit claims that the district is failing to follow public records laws in other ways, such as allowing the DeSantis-appointed board members to use personal email addresses and texts for district business without a process for making sure they are preserved and failing to make certain board members don't auto-delete messages dealing with district business.

The feud between DeSantis and Disney started last year after the company publicly opposed the state's so-called don't say gay law, which bans classroom lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity in early grades. The law was championed by DeSantis, whose faltering bid for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination is lagging far behind former President Donald Trump's.

In retaliation, DeSantis and Republican legislators took over the district Disney had controlled for more than five decades and installed five board members loyal to the governor — but not before the outgoing board signed a last-minute agreement that essentially stripped the new board of power.

"This essentially makes Disney the government," Ron Peri, a board member, said during a meeting on March 29. "This board loses, for practical purposes, the majority of its ability to do anything beyond maintain the roads and maintain basic infrastructure."

The power move seemed to have triggered a batch of proposals from DeSantis in response, including an idea to build a prison near the theme park.

In April, Disney sued the governor, alleging DeSantis and his office tried to "weaponize government power" over the company.

The district board countersued in state court, asking the court to render Disney's stealth agreement "void and unenforceable."

Meanwhile, as the drama plays out in court, the area is experiencing an economic impact. For instance, Disney's decision to scrap a $1 billion campus in Orlando could leave many surrounding development projects in the area scrambling.

Around 50 out of about 370 employees have left the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District since it was taken over in February, raising concerns that decades of institutional knowledge and a reputation for a well-run government are departing with them.