A Disney property tax dispute in Central Florida has expanded into a broader community debate involving Walt Disney World employees, teachers, and local officials.
The dispute centers on lawsuits filed by Walt Disney World challenging property tax assessments from Orange County. Disney argues that some assessments placed values on its properties that exceed their market value and do not follow Florida appraisal requirements.
Labor groups representing Disney employees and members of the Orange County Classroom Teachers Association have criticized the lawsuits. They argue that successful challenges could reduce tax revenue available for public services, including education.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios, “Looking down Hollywood Blvd., a perfect illusion of the Golden Age of Hollywood … except, y’know, for the giant Mickey Sorcerer Hat” Lake Buena Vista. Photo Credit: Flickr user: Dave Hill and Margie Kleerup, aka Flickr user “The Consortium” Centennial, Colorado https://www.flickr.com/people/the-consortium/, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
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Disney has maintained that it is using a legal process available to property owners. The company argues that property taxes should be based on accurate valuations and that it has the right to challenge assessments it believes are incorrect.
UNITE HERE Locals 362 and 737 Join Opposition Campaign
The campaign against Disney’s tax lawsuits includes members of UNITE HERE Locals 362 and 737, two unions representing thousands of Walt Disney World workers.
The unions joined with the Orange County Classroom Teachers Association to collect petition signatures asking Disney to withdraw its property tax lawsuits. Organizers said they gathered more than 5,000 signatures from community members opposing the appeals.
The Walt Disney World Monorail – Photo Credit: That Park Place
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The groups also organized outreach efforts in Orange County. Organizers reported that union members went door-to-door to discuss the lawsuits and their possible effects on local funding.
Teachers involved in the effort connected the dispute to ongoing concerns about school finances. They argued that any reduction in property tax revenue could create additional pressure on Orange County Public Schools.
Why Disney Is Challenging Property Tax Assessments
Florida property owners can challenge tax assessments if they believe their properties have been valued incorrectly. The process allows businesses and individuals to seek reviews of their tax bills through legal proceedings.
Disney has filed multiple lawsuits against the Orange County Property Appraiser’s Office over assessments for its theme parks and resorts.
Interior of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge – YouTube, Disney Parks
The company’s legal arguments focus partly on how properties should be valued under Florida law. Disney has argued that assessments should focus on taxable real property and should not include certain intangible factors connected to the company’s business operations.
Disney has won in some property tax challenges, leading to reductions in the assessed values of certain properties. In one case involving the 2015 tax year, assessments for Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge and Wilderness Lodge were reduced by nearly $44 million combined.
The Legal Process Continues
The Disney property tax dispute remains unresolved. The lawsuits will continue through the legal system, where courts will review evidence from Disney and Orange County officials.
The final outcomes could determine whether some property assessments are changed and whether Disney receives adjustments related to past tax payments.
For Disney employees, teachers, and local officials, the dispute represents more than a disagreement over property values. It has become a discussion about how major businesses contribute to the communities where they operate and how local governments fund public services.
What do you think of the current property tax dispute? Let us know your thoughts about it in the comments below.
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