Why Disney Ceded Control of Its Florida Empire to Gov. Ron DeSantis (Exclusive)

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Political pragmatism and an internal poll obtained exclusively by TheWrap led the company to cease its battle with the potential presidential candidate

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When Florida stripped Disney of its special tax zone around the company’s theme parks last week, it led many observers to wonder: Why would Disney cede this long-held ground?

What it would come down to is a cost-benefit-analysis decision after the entertainment giant, which is still trying to recover financially from the pandemic shutdowns of its theme parks and the expensive toll of building up Disney+, of having an enemy in Florida Gov. DeSantis — one who could go on to become president — and the results of an internal poll, obtained exclusively by TheWrap, showing they’re losing two important demographic groups central to Disney’s financial success.

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