Disney has officially canceled plans to move Walt Disney Imagineering and other Disney Parks, Experiences and Products employees to Lake Nona in Orlando.
What’s Happening:
- In 2021, Disney announced its intention to move Walt Disney Imagineering and other Disney Parks, Experiences and Products employees from California to Lake Nona, FL.
- This move was met with some backlash from Imagineers who did not want to relocate to Florida.
- As recently as January 2023, we reported on filings made by the company for their proposed 1.8 million square-foot corporate campus.
- Today, in a letter from Josh D’Amaro, Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, he revealed that plans to relocate Imagineering are no longer going ahead.
- D’Amaro attributed the decision to considerable changes that have occurred since the project’s announcement, including new leadership and changing business conditions.
- He went on to state that “this was not an easy decision to make, but I believe it is the right one.”
- Employees will no longer be asked to relocate, and those that have will be spoken to individually, including the possibility of being moved back.
- D’Amaro then interestingly noted Disney’s plans to invest $17 billion and create 13,000 jobs over the next ten years in Florida, while saying “I hope we’re able to do so.”
- Disney CEO Bob Iger recently implied that Disney may pull its planned investments in Florida, due to the ongoing feud and lawsuit with Governor Ron DeSantis.