MIAMI: Florida’s governor seized control of Walt Disney World’s self-governing district on Monday, hailing the end of the “corporate kingdom” as he effectively punished the entertainment giant over its “woke” opposition to his political agenda.

The bill allows Republican Ron DeSantis to appoint his own board to oversee the services provided in the theme park by Disney, which attracted the governor’s ire last year after it criticised a law banning school lessons on sexual orientation.

“Today the corporate kingdom finally comes to an end,” said DeSantis, who is widely expected to join the race for the White House next year, as he signed the bill.

“There’s a new sheriff in town, and accountability will be the order of the day.”

The move is seen as part of a broader effort by DeSantis to reform institutions which he believes have been hijacked by “woke” progressive activists and addresses criticism that the arrangement gave Disney an unfair advantage over rivals.

But critics have voiced fears that the arrangement will make Disney beholden to DeSantis and much less likely to feel able to speak out against his policies.

Walt Disney World, near Orlando, is the largest theme park in the world and has been governed since it opened in the 1970s by the Reedy Creek Improvement District, an independent authority with broad local management autonomy that exempted it from most state regulations.

The 39-square-mile (101-square-kilometre) park operated largely unnoticed by the state government until it opposed the “Don’t Say Gay” law enacted last year, which bars instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade.

Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2023