Disney's Decade-Long Tax Fight Hits the Streets as Union Members Knock on 40,000 Orange County Doors
Disney union members are canvassing Orange County to spotlight the company's long-running property tax lawsuits, which they argue threaten funding for public schools. With Orange County Public Schools setting aside $119 million for a potential payout and town halls drawing hundreds, a dispute dating back to 2015 has become a public flashpoint.
Disney cast members are taking the company's long-running property tax battle door to door, knocking on tens of thousands of Orange County homes to argue that the litigation is hurting public schools. The campaign — led by the union UNITE HERE and the Orange County Classroom Teachers Association — has turned a decade-old legal fight into a very public confrontation just as Florida's schools face mounting financial pressure.
Key Details
- The Fight: Disney has sued the Orange County Property Appraiser to lower its tax assessments every year since 2015
- The Campaign: UNITE HERE and the Orange County Classroom Teachers Association canvassing 40,000+ doors and hosting town halls
- At Stake: Orange County Public Schools has set aside $119 million for a potential payout
- Estimated Impact: Tax Collector projects roughly $40 million total if Disney cases settle; higher if they don't
- Upcoming Town Halls: June 2 at 1020 Webster St., Orlando; July 2 at the Renaissance Senior Center, 3800 S. Econlockhatchee Trail
Union Members Take the Fight Door to Door
Disney workers are taking leave from their theme park jobs to canvass neighborhoods, having already reached more than 40,000 doors. The reception is mixed — some residents are surprised to learn Disney has been challenging its taxes at all, while others react with anger.
"Don't take, but give," said Diego Henry, a union leader who works at Animal Kingdom's Pandora, in a message aimed at his employer. "Be the magic that you emulate." For Anne Rose, a cook at Epcot, the work is personal: "Sometimes it's raining, but every single day I have the same motivation because I want things to change." The effort has also drawn backing from U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost, a progressive Orlando Democrat.
A Tax Dispute Dating Back to 2015
Since 2015, Disney has sued the Orange County Property Appraiser's Office to lower the assessed value of its theme parks, hotels, and behind-the-scenes operational areas. Each year, the company files a fresh round of lawsuits. Disney has defended the practice as routine: "The increases in the assessments of our property are unreasonable and unjustified," the company said in a 2017 statement. "Similar to other property owners in Orange County, we have no choice but to take action to dispute these errors by the property appraiser." Disney did not respond to requests for comment for the original report.
What's at Stake for Orange County Schools
Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) has set aside $119 million — a figure that grows every year — to brace for the financial hit if Disney prevails. "OCPS is preparing for the outcome," said school spokesman Michael Ollendorff, though he noted it's unclear whether the district's privately run charter schools have done the same.
The timing is fraught. Florida schools are absorbing enrollment losses from falling birth rates and the expansion of taxpayer-funded vouchers, with the Legislature appropriating roughly $4.5 billion for vouchers in its latest budget. Orange County recently closed seven low-enrollment schools. Lawmakers, meanwhile, are weighing property tax cuts in a special session; one proposal could cost OCPS an estimated $277 million annually, though legislators appear inclined to shield school taxes if voters approve a constitutional amendment in November.
Settlements Already on the Table
The Property Appraiser's Office, led by Amy Mercado — who inherited the Disney fight when she took office in 2021 — has settled a handful of cases. Ana Torres, Mercado's General Counsel and Chief Deputy Property Appraiser, said the office is "diligently reviewing each case, including the financial data for each property involved in litigation." Settlements so far include a 3% market-value reduction on Disney's Art of Animation Resort for 2015–2021 (2% for 2022–2023), and a 10% reduction on Animal Kingdom and Disney's Wilderness Lodge for 2015–2020, with no change for 2021–2025.
Orange County Tax Collector Scott Randolph estimated the roughly 30 recent settlements could land below $4 million in impact, and projected the broader Disney-related cases "closer to $40 million total" if negotiations stay productive — but "considerably higher" if they collapse and an appeals court issues a broad ruling. Notably, Disney isn't alone: Randolph said the company represents only about half of the large-property-owner litigation, with another $50 million tied up in disputes from hotels, apartment buildings, and other commercial owners.
Why This Matters
For a company whose Orlando theme park division posted a 5% jump in operating income to $2.6 billion in its latest quarter — even with softer attendance — the optics of a tax fight against local schools are exactly what the unions are betting on. More than 300 people turned out for the most recent town hall, with two more scheduled through the summer. Whether the remaining cases settle quietly or escalate through the appeals courts, the outcome will ripple across Orange County classrooms for years. For Disney fans, it's a reminder that the magic of Walt Disney World sits inside a very real community — one now watching this dispute closely.