Disney Suggests Mediation in Federal Lawsuit, DeSantis Does Not Believe Mediation ‘Would Be Productive’

According to a recent court filing in their lawsuit against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District Board of Supervisors, Disney suggested the groups seek mediation instead of going to trial. But DeSantis’ legal team rejected the idea.

In the filing, Disney said that “early mediation may be beneficial in this case.” They suggested a November 1, 2023 deadline for mediation.

DeSantis’ team, however, stated they “do not believe mediation would be productive in this case.”

In the same filing, DeSantis requested a court date after the 2024 presidential election, while Disney asked for one in July 2024.

The Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger previously said he would “be glad” to meet with DeSantis to talk about the ongoing feud.

“I do not view this as a going-to-mattresses situation for us,” Iger said in an interview with Time. “If the governor of Florida wants to meet with me to discuss all of this, of course, I would be glad to do that. You know, I’m one that typically has respected our elected officials and the responsibility that they have, and there would be no reason why I wouldn’t do that.”

Judge Allen C. Winsor has taken over the lawsuit Disney filed against DeSantis and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District Board of Supervisors. The CFTOD Board filed a countersuit and a hearing date is set for July 14

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