Don't you love it when theme parks compete?
Typically, theme park competition means matching one new attraction with another. When multiple parks compete in the same or nearby markets, no park can afford to fall behind when another expands to draw more visitors. But theme park competition can extend beyond the ride line-up. Case in point? Look at what the Walt Disney World Resort just announced today.
Disney announced that it will "earmark" nearly 80 acres of land on its property in southwest Orange County for an affordable housing project. The project, which would be built by an undisclosed third-party developer, would include more than 1,300 units.
"We are invested in working together with our community to solve complex issues," Walt Disney World Resort President Jeff Vahle said. "The lack of affordable housing is affecting many people across our country, including right here in Central Florida. With this initiative, we're lending a hand to make a real and meaningful impact in our community by tapping into the best of our company's strengths. This is the right opportunity and the right time to take action."
Universal Orlando has donated 20 acres of its land near International Drive for the Catchlight Crossings affordable housing project, which is being developed by Wendover Housing Partners. Disney's announcement means that the theme park capital's top two theme park companies now are working on affordable housing projects for the Central Florida community.
Disney's press release said that "[t]his initiative has been in the works for quite some time," perhaps to dissuade any thought that Disney is taking this action in response to Universal's move. But external relations initiatives such as these almost always happen within a political context. In Universal's case, local officials asked to approve a road extension in support of Universal Orlando's new Epic Universe theme park were getting heat from the community over a lack of attention to affordable housing. Universal's donation helped address that criticism.
And Disney right now is the target of a PR attack by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and his Republican allies, who are riling their base over Disney's after-the-fact opposition to their so-called "Don't Say Gay" eduction law. Perhaps it is worth noting that the only public official that Disney mentioned in its press release is Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings, a Democrat and the husband of U.S. Rep Val Demings, who is the leading candidate to take on Republican U.S. Senator Marco Rubio this fall.
Disney said that it will release more details about its proposed housing project at a later date. But it noted that the community would be open to "qualifying applicants from the general public, including Disney cast members."
"The development will offer residents a variety of home choices that are affordable and attainable, located in close proximity to schools and the new and expanding Flamingo Crossings Town Center retail and dining complex. It will offer a variety of amenities to foster a strong community," Disney said.
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If anyone believes that this announcement by Disney, at this moment, is not inherently political, you truly live in Fantasyland.
Ignoring the politics here would be to ignore the truth in this story. We cover theme park news here at Theme Park Insider, and government plays an important role in the theme park industry. Politics drives government. So theme park companies play politics ALL THE TIME. You can't cover news in this industry without addressing politics now and then.
If you want to avoid this kind of news, please avoid this website and our social media posts. It's just that easy. You can find plenty of other sources out there covering theme parks that are happy to avoid the reality off stage and behind the scenes.
I got to support Robert here. Whenever he writes a political story on this site, he turns off the comment section, so he doesn't have to hear a possibly opposing opinion or different perspective. He left the comments option on, which clearly does not make it a Theme Park Insider Political Article.
Big Fan !!!
Politics in the theme park industry must be new. After all, it was a subject rarely seen on this website before the pandemic shutdown the industry for a while and bloggers like Robert discovered he could earn money by preying on the political differences of his readers.
Of course this is political, as is Disney’s most recent statements against the Parental Rights in Education bill in Florida. However, don’t be surprised to see Disney donating to conservatives once the first week of June passes (Gay Days at WDW) and the mid term elections near.
It also doesn't help that DeSantis & Co. are mulling over putting the kibosh on Reedy Creek, which could be another reason why they are doing this.
I know i've been sounding like the grumpy old mechanic on this site lately but this is literally the exact same thing that happened with Universal. The Orlando Sentinel runs a front page story about how Disney paid the legislatures to write the laws, literally word for word, exactly how they wanted it. And then when that becomes a PR nightmare all of a sudden they find it in their heats to announce they are donating land for affordable housing?
I have no doubt that skyrocketing rent is a huge issue for WDW and UO because tens of thousands of hospitality jobs in a high cost of living area does not compute and they won't be able to fill the spots - but damn.
@the_man the plans for the Universal project came across my desk at work weeks and weeks before anything was announced. I didn't even realize the project had anything to do with Universal until the press announcement. The plans I had made no reference to where the project was located, other than saying Orlando. That project was in the early stages of development long before a PR issue arose. With that being said, the timing of the announcements on both of the projects certainly may have been moved up to counter bad press.
The Sentinel had been running the story for months and riled up a lot of opposition to the funding for the road, and the donation of land for the affordable housing was announced literally the night before the commissioners voted on the road funding. The value of the land they donated was $9.5 mil and they got $125mil (out of $300 mil) from Orange County for the road.
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/orange-county/os-ne-universal-pledges-20191216-fxsrt2cutreabc6gxlb777bnqe-story.html?msclkid=4c8345c1b66e11ec9fafd4f1750f1453
Like many, I have my doubts on what Disney terms "affordable." But as Robert says, politics has always been something with the parks, not helped by now dealing with someone so wrong on so many things like DeSantis is.
MikeW opened the door. What has DeSantis been wrong on?
Um from handling pandemic to a bill trying to "fix' an "issue" that doesn't exist and blatantly anti-LGBT.
the county ponied up a ton of money to improve a road that primarily benefits resorts owned by companies that want complete autonomy from local governments (except when they want I-4 expanded, of course). so now, the resorts are giving back land originally sold at a bargain so that private companies can build housing for poor people.
I mean, there's a real dark comedy to all of this.
MikeW, ah, conjecture. I’ll play!
Wrong, wrong and wrong.
I’m looking forward to the Desani’s Duma approval for parents to sue over immunizations because polio and small pox are fake news and it’s a parents right to let their children suffer as well as the requirements to pledge allegiance to the confederate flag - they must protect those parents rights to have their children to do so - hell maybe they’ll bring back smoking for the kids too, everyone knows big tobacco was railroaded by the leftist
I miss the days when people could have different political opinions but not resort to childish name-calling and fantastical emotional arguments. The histrionic ramblings of Tiptop show us that those days are long gone. Robert - I’m interested to get your opinion about the potential ramifications for Disney if Reedy Creek Act is revoked by the Florida legislature. I really wish they would have just stayed neutral rather than kowtow to the loudest crazies on Twitter.
Tiptop22, speculative. The sky is not falling.
There is zero chance of Reedy Creek being dissolved, when pressed on that Desantis said he was going to defer that decision to the legislature (where like 2 out of 160 people support doing that). And then when asked if he was going to take away Disney's tax deal on Lake Nona he said no.
So basically he was flapping his gums to make himself look tough to his supporters and isn't actually going to do anything.
Well, as Governor, he can’t unilaterally rescind a law. Of course it would have to be done through the legislature. But I would venture to guess that most Florida citizens never knew about the Reedy Creek Act. It’s been quite lucrative for Disney for decades and the more they appear to be pushing an agenda, the constituency for its repeal will grow.
lmao he has no interest in touching Reedy Creek and you could tell by how he reacted when asked the question, he was like "yeaahhh...uhhh...maybe that's something the legislature could look at" and wanted to move onto the next question. Like I said 2 out of 160 people in the legislature have expressed interest in looking into that. There is absolutely zero chance of it happening.
In my opinion, I feel Disney is painting itself into a corner and opening itself to more criticism. They definitely are playing politics while trying to offset the court of opinion. It’s interesting to see a major corporation that obviously looks to be conservative with regards to profit building and financial strength and work to be progressive socially as well. At the same time, they are battling the court of public opinion which has not been exactly been overwhelmingly positive. The problem with playing politics is that regardless of what side you fall on, 50% is not going to agree and will start popping off. Nevertheless I’m curious to see how much real effort will be put into this initiative by both parks. I think this can be really positive if the proper resources are put forth and give those that need help an opportunity to make some good things happen. With Epic universe specifically there will be many new jobs and tied in with this can be quite the win. Let’s see
Add me to the list of what Disney considers affordable. I literally would like to know so I can say, “pfft…that’s not affordable!”
Samclaugh - you mean like the governor has done over the last few years ? Heck Key West voted to reduce no. of cruise ships to better their living experience and guess who intervened with that ! Not to mention the Covid hysterics, Fauci demonization, the arrogance to Covid deaths by the governor or voting restrictions or personal freedom limits or school board petty vengeance legislation and now bigotry in the classroom because of another set of legislation where a problem didn’t exist but now one does ! So the duma threatens to take vengeance on Disney for standing against bigotry - call it like it is not like you want it to be,!
Boy David, It sure is strange how schools counseling kids on things like gender identity wasn’t really a problem until one parent of a transgender child got the ear of the Florida GOP; then suddenly it became this huge issue the state government has crack down on. It’s almost as if it’s a manufactured problem, created by Republicans, that exists solely for people like you to get outraged over.
TipTop, now you’re projecting. You’ll never understand someone with opposing views if you first don’t understand yourself. Or maybe you don’t want to.
TheOldCream, if it wasn’t a problem before and it was manufactured as you say, then what’s the harm in this bill now? Why all the outrage over the bill? Maybe because what you said didn’t exist really does, otherwise why get all worked up over nothing.
I figured this post would fire up the political debate over things not associated with Theme Parks. Well done, Robert!
Ok snider - or maybe you’re guilty of what u accuse others of - bigotry can be blinding
I’m with Robert - of course this announcement’s politically and public relations motivated, and given that housing costs are skyrocketing everywhere, you can’t help but wonder how many of the units will be available at a price that’s truly affordable for a hourly cast member of either Universal or Disney. Given that one political group in Florida is practically accusing Disney of enabling and encouraging pedophilia by coming out against the Legislature’s bill, Disney could use a little positive PR.
As far as the likelihood that the RCID is on the chopping block, don’t be too sure that DeSantis is bluffing. There have been more than “one or two”Florida legislators that have felt for a long time that Walt and Roy took them for a ride when the RCID was approved, but realized that repealing it when Disney didn’t deliver on EPCOT the city would be seen as biting the gloved hand that fed Florida tourism. These days, politics has gotten so tribal that nothing’s off limits when there’s a chance to score political points. DeSantis’ pronouncement was a warning shot across the bow to Disney that they should shut up and stay out of Florida culture war politics, or else.
Desantis is bluffing with regards to RCID. As Disney is Florida's largest employer, come election time they will contribute to whomever candidate who will protect their best interests which includes preserving RCID. Does Desantis really want to give away resources his adversary for governor of Florida??
Is there a more Woke US corporation today than Disney? I guess this is a nice PR ploy for folks whom will never be able to afford to attend their highly overpriced theme parks.
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My concern is what Disney is going to consider affordable.
You snuck that in there even though it had no reason to be in this article. Just can’t get away from politics, even on a theme park site. The left is alway so good at this. We will say the bill is “don’t say gay” and people will see how mean it is. The bill never says gay and is on of the most common sense things from government in a while. Doesn’t go far enough if you ask me. K-12 would be ideal.