It’s a small world, after all, and for employees of the Walt Disney Company based in California, it might be getting even smaller.
Disney is in talks to move some of its office divisions from its Burbank complex in California to Lake Nona, a master-planned community undergoing expansion near the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, according to the Orlando Business Journal, which cited sources familiar with the matter.
“As the largest employer in Central Florida, we are always exploring opportunities for additional locations within the vicinity of our theme park, but there is nothing concrete,” a Disney spokesperson said.
The potential move comes as Disney has suffered an increasingly frayed relationship with the state of California, which has been aggressive in its statewide shutdowns designed to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The entertainment giant expects to lay off 32,000 employees and incur $1 billion in additional costs in order to comply with COVID-19 safety regulations. In its announcement of the layoffs, “the happiest place on Earth” noted that California’s business climate has had an “adverse impact on [its] businesses.”
While Disney World in Orlando was able to reopen in July, California-based Disneyland has remained shut down throughout the pandemic. On Dec. 3, Gov. Gavin Newsom placed California under a regional stay-at-home order that has continued indefinitely.
“Our ICUs are climbing quickly toward their capacity. Our death rate is rising,” Newsom tweeted upon implementing the order. “To slow the surge of #COVID19 and save lives, CA is introducing a Regional Stay-At-Home Order.”
Our ICUs are climbing quickly toward their capacity. Our death rate is rising.
To slow the surge of #COVID19 and save lives, CA is introducing a Regional Stay-At-Home Order.
Regions where ICU capacity⁰fall below 15% will be placed into this Stay-at-Home Order ⁰for 3 weeks.
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) December 3, 2020
In contrast, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has vowed to keep his state open despite the possibility of viral transmission.
“The governor will not lockdown and hurt families who can’t afford to shelter in place for six weeks,” a spokesperson for DeSantis said.
Florida, which ranks as the second-most business-friendly state in the nation, has celebrated similar relocation efforts in the past. In January 2020, DeSantis applauded the decision of Made in Space, a space manufacturing company, to move its corporate headquarters from California to Florida.
“I’m proud to announce that @MadeInSpace has decided to relocate their corporate headquarters from the highly-taxed, highly-regulated state of California, to the business friendly environment of Florida,” DeSantis tweeted after the announcement.
I’m proud to announce that @MadeInSpace has decided to relocate their corporate headquarters from the highly-taxed, highly-regulated state of California, to the business friendly environment of Florida. pic.twitter.com/5y3dbw45ua
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) January 17, 2020
Tavistock Development Company, the developer for the Lake Nona community, declined a request for comment.
CORRECTION: In a previous version of this article, the Washington Examiner reported that Disney is looking to move some of its offices to the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. It has been corrected to say that the plan is to move operations near the resort. The Washington Examiner regrets the error.
