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Walt Disney World –
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The great\u00a0Disney World vs. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis War<\/a>\u00a0has seen plenty of twists and turns, but here\u2019s one that invokes the British Royal Family.<\/p>\n In February, the Florida House of Representatives\u00a0passed a bill<\/a>\u00a0to take control\u00a0Disney<\/a>\u00a0World\u2019s special tax district, ending decades of Walt Disney Corp. operating the park under a self-governance status. However, according to the\u00a0Orlando Sentinel,<\/a>\u00a0on February 8 \u2014 the day before the legislature would install the DeSantis-appointed \u201cCentral Florida Tourism Oversight District\u201d \u2014 the board of the Disney tax district executed a power move worthy of\u00a0the House Tyrell<\/a>.<\/p>\n It approved a 30-year development agreement that effectively renders the CFTOD powerless, according to its attorneys. Under the agreement, Disney can build high-density projects and buildings of any height and sell or assign development rights, all without board approval. It even bans the board from using the Disney name or \u201cfanciful characters such as Mickey Mouse.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGame of Thrones\u201d<\/a>\u00a0is a fantasy show (and one that doesn\u2019t belong to Disney), but the studio went so far as to bring in real-life royalty into its plan with a clause that declares the agreement valid until \u201c21 years after the death of the last survivor of the descendants of King Charles III, king of England.\u201d In lay terms, the CFTOD board would need to wait out the lifespans of King Charles, his sons William and Harry, five grandchildren, and any other progeny \u2014 and then wait 21 years \u2014 for the agreement to expire.<\/p>\n Is the Royal Family\u2019s bloodline Disney\u2019s very bizarre way of nodding to the Magic Kingdom and its lucrative Disney Princesses? Maybe! (Disney did not respond to an email seeking comment.)\u00a0The Royal Lives clause is a contractual clause that dates back to 1692 Britain<\/a>, and is most often used in the UK; in the states, it\u2019s more often utilized as the Presidents\u2019 Lives clause.<\/p>\n It\u2019s most commonly seen in trusts as a way to avoid rules against perpetuities in common law. The \u201c21 years later\u201d timeline comes from the stipulation that legal documents transferring property ownership are void 21 years after the death of its primary recipient. The Royal Lives clause lets attorneys establish a window of time that would never expire.<\/p>\n According to an unsigned statement from Disney obtained by the Sentinel: \u201cAll agreements signed between Disney and the district were appropriate and were discussed and approved in open, noticed public forums in compliance with Florida\u2019s Government in the Sunshine law.\u201d<\/p>\n Disney\u2019s development agreement is certainly a creative way to block DeSantis and his board, but they are not amused. According to the Sentinel, the district\u2019s lawyers gave a legal presentation March 29 announcing that they would bring legal action against Disney.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re going to have to deal with it and correct it,\u201d board member Brian Aungst Jr. said during the presentation, according to the Sentinel. \u201cIt\u2019s a subversion of the will of the voters and the Legislature and the governor. It completely circumvents the authority of this board to govern.\u201d<\/p>\n The legal spat between Disney and Florida began a year ago when Disney\u2019s then-CEO Bob Chapek criticized the DeSantis\u2019 Parental Rights in Education Law, which forbids discussion of sexual orientation or gender identity in schools. Chapek initially stayed silent on the so-called \u201cDon\u2019t Say Gay\u201d bill and only publicly opposed it after employees staged walkouts. The reversal led DeSantis to repeal the act that permitted DisneyWorld\u2019s self governance, which was first established in 1967.<\/p>\n Disney didn\u2019t retain all of their rights. According to the Sentinel, Disney will no longer be able to tax itself to cover park services \u2014 the primary point of contention in DeSantis\u2019 bid to seize control of the district. Even royal intrigue has its limits.<\/p>\n ___ <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Disney Just Pulled a \u2018Game of Thrones\u2019 Move on DeSantis with a Bizarre Royal Mortality Clause House Tyrell would be proud: As Gov. DeSantis attempts to strip Disney World of self-governance, he’s thwarted by a document that invokes the Royal … Continue reading
\nhttps:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/2023\/03\/disney-world-ron-desantis-royal-lives-clause-1234824230\/<\/a><\/p>\n