Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has put Walt Disney in his sights in 2023. Although the company contributes billions of dollars to his state and is its largest single-site employer, paying well above the state's minimum wage, The Republican presidential candidate tried to tear down the Mouse House.
The right-wing governor made Walt Disney (DIS) – Get a free report its replacement for all companies that have made diversity and inclusion part of their business model. He has also made repeated unfounded claims about Disney content.
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At a July campaign event in Nevada, DeSantis reiterated his claim that Disney was “supporting the sexualization of minors.”
“It's been very disappointing to see what this particular company has done in advocating for things like the sexualization of children,” she said.
Disney CEO Bob Iger responded to DeSantis for those claims during a television appearance.
“I don't really want to get into the details, except to say that it's not our goal to engage in a culture war,” Iger responded. “Our goal is to continue to tell wonderful stories and have a positive impact on the world. You know, we're a preeminent artist in the world. And we're proud of our track record there.”
In reality, DeSantis' feud with Disney dates back to comments former CEO Bob Chapek made in opposition to the governor's so-called “Don't Say Gay” legislation. After Chapek took that stance, DeSantis went to war with Disney, stripping it of its Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID) and trying to paint Disney World as a distressed property.
Image source: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Disney World had a great Christmas season
During the Fourth of July weekend, Disney World suffered from poor attendance. There were a few reasons for this, as flights were more expensive than normal in July and temperatures were over 100 degrees.
Comcast (CMCSA) – Get a free report Universal Studios also had fewer crowds than expected that weekend. But in both cases, while overall attendance was down slightly year over year at both companies' parks, the reality is that people were there, they simply chose to hang out at the pool or inside air-conditioned spaces.
DeSantis has reveled in Disney's struggles, and at the box office, the company (along with every other movie company) faces some real problems. Its theme parks, however, have been a continued source of strength.
Disney World has been a continued source of strength, although it faced a difficult year of competitions for a reason.
“Experiences operating income increased more than 30% compared to the prior-year quarter, with year-over-year growth across all international sites, Disney Cruise Line, Disney Vacation Club and Disneyland Resort. At Walt Disney World, we continue to manage against wage inflation and challenging year-over-year comparisons as we celebrate the 50th anniversary,” the company shared in its earnings report.
It's been a challenging year for Disney World, but the property has answered any questions about its health during the holiday season.
Disney World is sold out
Disney World has basically sold out all available tickets at its four Florida theme parks from Christmas through New Year's Day. When you check the company's website for tickets or park reservations, sometimes it doesn't show availability at any park and sometimes it shows available tickets at Animal Kingdom or Epcot. .
Through January 8, Disney World guests need a ticket and reservation to visit Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios or Animal Kingdom.
Capacity has changed meaning under Disney World's current admission system.
“So while the old term 'at capacity' would have meant the park would turn people away at the gates, the new definition of 'at capacity' means that no more Disney Park Pass theme park reservations will be distributed. Of course , there may be very regular availability if you update during the middle of the day, but you'll have to be lucky.” mickey blog shared.
A week's vacation, no matter how successful, doesn't tell the whole story. Disney has been honest in saying that Disney World 2023 was weaker than 2022, but that weakness was relative given comparisons to the post-pandemic year, where pent-up demand and the 50th anniversary drove traffic to record levels.
Disney World may have occasional weak periods, but it seems unlikely that DeSantis' “woke war” against the company has had a significant impact.
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