DeSantis' new Disney World board holds first meeting, hints at big changes including eliminating cities
DeSantis appointed the five board members after backlash from Florida's "Don’t Say Gay" bill
Disney in negotiations with unions to represent 43,000 employees at Walt Disney World
The company is planning mass layoffs as a result of COVID-19 shutdowns.
Walt Disney World’s new governing board held its first meeting on Wednesday, with members hinting at potentially political actions in the future.
DeSantis previously directed lawmakers to dissolve the original board, the Reedy Creek Improvement District, for challenging Florida's falsely called "Don’t Say Gay" law last year. The legislation bars instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity for children in classes below fourth grade.
The new board, which is called the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD), includes conservative school board member Bridget Ziegler, The Gathering USA head Ron Peri and attorney Mike Sasso. It also includes Brian Aungst Jr., son of a former Republican mayor.
Wednesday's meeting mostly consisted of discussing bond ratings, firefighter equipment and public records requests.
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Gov. Ron DeSantis holds a press conference to sign the Disney Reedy Creek bill, on Monday, Feb. 27, 2023. (Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images / Getty Images)
There was also talk of potentially prohibiting COVID-19 restrictions at Disney World. The board recommended eliminating the two cities that were created after the Florida Legislature approved Disney World's self-governance in 1967.
The board also approved hiring the same law firm that advised the governor’s office in making changes to the governing district to help interpret the new legislation.
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In this handout photo provided by Walt Disney World Resort, guests walk down Main Street, U.S.A. at Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort on July 11, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. (Kent Phillips/Walt Disney World Resort via Getty Images / Getty Images)
But the board's new chair emphasized that the CFTOD's goal is to represent workers and residents of surrounding communities instead of a single company.
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"You didn’t elect us, but the people of Florida elected a governor who appointed us," Chair Martin Garcia said. "I see there will be much broader representation."
LGBTQ employees and their supporters walkout of Disney Animation protesting CEO Bob Chapek's handling of the staff controversy over Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill, aka the "Parental Rights in Education" bill, on Tuesday, March 22, 2022, in Burbank, C ((Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) / Getty Images)
The Associated Press contributed to this report.