Married to the Mouse: Walt Disney World and Orlando

by Richard E. Foglesong

Joined together in an “economic development marriage,” Walt Disney World and Orlando, Florida, have become the world’s most popular tourist destination. This intriguing book traces the evolution of the relationship between the Disney Co. and the surrounding community since it began in the 1960s. Like most close relationships, the Disney-Orlando union has involved conflict and compromise. Richard Foglesong shows that this evolving relationship validates the whom you marry affects what you may become.

Foglesong explains how Orlando leaders seduced the Disney Co. with big road projects, how the Disney Co. shielded its property from government regulation, and how the company has used the governmental powers it acquired. In short, Disney World has become a “Vatican with Mouse ears,” the author declares.

In a balanced and thorough analysis of the Disney-Orlando story, Foglesong offers a critical account of how Disney has used - and also abused - its governmental immunities from the beginning of Disney World to the present under chairman Michael Eisner. Orlando’s experience with its biggest local employer raises broad questions about urban development policy. Can local leaders resist the demands of global corporations? Do privatization and deregulation offer a viable strategy for economic development? And is it possible to escape the weight of previous economic development decisions that seem to lock in, for example, more tourism and low wages, while locking out other opportunities?

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Politics, Urban Studies, Urban Planning, Political Science, Business

274 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2001

Reviews

[Hannah Boehmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this after hearing about it on an episode of the Nice Try podcast, mostly because it sounded like an interesting mashup of my childhood spent at Disney World and my education in architecture and urban design. I think those factors made it a good read for me, but your mileage may vary.. it does get heavy into the county politics / taxes / etc.

Even though it gets into the weeds with road construction, it is still very readable - and personally, recognizing Orlando roads, having played soccer against Celebration High, and generally having a sense of amused delight when it comes to everything Disney earns it 4 stars from me. I can see how Disney critics will latch on to the maneuvering that Disney did and continues to do, but I think it is a good reminder of why regulation exists in our society (however cumbersome it may be).

I'd love an update on what has happened in the years since the book was written!

[Simone · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid 3.5 for me. This is clearly an academic book, written for an academic audience probably more versed in urban planning / tax codes. I'm not terribly familiar with a lot of that, so there were points when some of the nitty gritty of the book got a little dry for me. That being said, I thought it was immensely readable and very interesting. I read about this book in a New York Times article on one father's Disney experience, and after spending a few days in Orlando on Disney property but not in the Parks I decided to give this a read. I know a fair amount about Disney, but their development and cultivation of the land really interested me. The sheer size and buffer of the property there is something to behold (they own an area roughly twice the size of Manhattan - although much of that is still undeveloped). I knew the stories of Disney and Co. buying up Florida land under fake companies in the cover of night, parcel by parcel to keep prices low. I also knew they handle a lot of their own things "in Mouse." But I didn't know how the arrangements had come about. Enter this book.

"Disney and Co. got something special in coming to Florida: their own private government, a sort of Vatican with Mouse ears, with powers and immunities that exceed nearby Orlando's. The entertainment titan was authorized, among other things, to regulate land use, provide police and fire services, build roads, lay sewer lines, license the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages, even to build an airport and a nuclear power plant. And the list goes on. The story of how Disney managed to do this - mainly by taking advantage of Orlando's fledging 1967 economic, and managing to freeze conditions in a 1967 deal in perpetuity - is what this book focuses on.

Foglesong uses the metaphor of a marriage to describe the Disney - Orlando relationship. For better or worse, the two are stuck to each other now. As Fogleberg points out, the Orlando economy is based almost entirely on tourist dollars.

More importantly this book grapples with the idea of who should be making growth decisions, and to what ends? Anyone who has spent time inside the Florida Disney property, knows it's relatively well ordered, well marked, and much of it seems to flow. Every detail has been planned and arranged. It either comforts and soothes you, or freaks you out in a Stepford way. For me it's always a little bit of both. Of course, Disney is only capable of maintaing that Stepfordian sense through some of the 1967 era deals struck with Orlando.

Clearly this isn't a book for everyone. But if you plan on spending some time at the Mouse, or even in Orlando, it's worth a read.

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Man, this guy loves his analogy of an Orlando-Wdw "marriage". He frames the entire book in this analogy to describe how Orlando and The Walt Disney World Resort reached a relationship of Autonomy in 1967 and then continued relating from there.

First off, this book is more on the technical side. It seems like more of an academic book in the field of city planning than a book that tells a narrative story. So for those reading without interest in the jargon and style of an academic piece, I wouldn't skip the book per say, but I would keep this in mind.

I am an unabashed Disney fan. I worked there for half a year and have visited WDW upwards of 15 times in my life. So, to borrow from Foglesong, I too feel that I am married to the mouse. Foglesong brings up many ways that Disney abused their relationship with Orange County, Osceola county and the city of Orlando. While Foglesong doesn't go this far, I would say that the relationship seems abusive at time and paints government officials often as too timid to ask for the powers, and benefits that Foglesong thinks they should.

As a Disney fan reading this, it gives me pause when thinking of my former employer. I knew going into this book that Disney's business dealings were never entirely as magical as the magic their theme parks portray. This book didn't surprise me with any scintillating details or gossip on Disney and it's abuses. Nothing surprised me as outrageous or as out of character for the multinational corporation. But it did add another log onto the fire against them and helped play devils advocate for why Disney isn't always the perfect company we hope it is.

I don't think the book will change the way I view Disney too much. I've always acknowledged the proverbial Disney princess had her share of warts. But that said it allowed me with a clearer picture of the Walt Disney World story and it's relationship with it's neighbors.

I think any Disney World fans or fans of Disney History should pick up this book. It combines city planning, history, politics and the Walt Disney company and gives a thoroughly unbiased telling of their story.

[Garrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a book about Disney World. It is a book where Disney World is the lacuna. Instead, it is a book about the rise of Disney World and everything that happened around the park, with emphasis on state and local politics, tax law, bureaucracy, court cases, and local big-wigs. You will not find delightful trivia about the parks or hidden Mickey's. Instead, this is more of an academic treatment of how Disney World came to be, through the framework of Hirshmann's Exit, Voice and Loyalty. Fogleson also brackets his histories of local politics with larger sub-arguments that feel more like an academic treatise. With calibrated expectations this is a fascinating if wonky read on how large corporations manage relationships with towns, often wearing multiple hats (as Fogleson argues) and swinging between bullying tactics to bashful rapprochement. A true, hardcore Disney fan would want to know how the parks came to be, and why Disneyworld has its own municipal district and boundaries, to which this is a complete inventory of the backstory and history.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating, if sometimes academic book on the evol relationship between the Disney, its faux “governments (Disney created two cities and an “Improvement District” with governmental powers and no residents) and the surrounding community

"Disney and Co. got something special in coming to Florida: their own private government, a sort of Vatican with Mouse ears, with powers and immunities that exceed nearby Orlando's. The entertainment titan was authorized, among other things, to regulate land use, provide police and fire services, build roads, lay sewer lines, license the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages, even to build an airport and a nuclear power plant.”

The story is one of Disney deception and broken promises. EPCOT was to be the “City of Tomorrow” with actual residents. Disney finally built a community - Celebration, Florida that also has sadly betrayed its residents.

[Brentin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting and comprehensive look at the relationship between Disney and the Orlando area . The author has clearly done his research, and puts the events into simple narrative terms. A lot of the finer details of urban planning and policy are made understandable. My main critique is that he begins to beat a dead horse by the end of it. I would like to see a follow-up to this book, as it ends around the year 2000.

[Rachel Allburn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audience: those who are fascinated by the history of the Walt Disney World build, the Reedy Creek Improvement District, and Disney’s economic role in Central Florida over the last 50 years. This reads like a textbook. There were a number of pages I had to reread, because the first time it was through my eyelids. I understand the purpose of the book is not to entertain, but I could have used a chaser.

[Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read. Written well and tells a narrative. Not so dense it’s hard to read but full of information. Started reading it for an urban planning class, finished because I wanted to. Shows the abusive, conniving relationship between Disney and Orlando. The original vision for EPCOT is terrifying to think about.

[Dave Donahoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

The other side of Disney’s relationship with Orlando. Described using the metaphor of a marriage, is the private company or public partner the true bridegroom of Orlando? It’s both, and marriage counseling may be in order so the partners can benefit equally in the long run. An eye-opening look at how the happiest place on earth got that way and the true cost paid by Orlando.

[Nicole]

I loved this--using urban planning, growth, and politics to critique WDW? Perfect. I am so glad this book exists. I have told a lot of students to look into this book and now feel 100% justified in having done so. As others have noted, the marriage analogy is overplayed and sometimes simplifies what is otherwise is very carefully researched and nuanced project. What a rich resource.

[Klava Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this for school so obviously wasn’t a huge fan of being forced to read it. It was rlly hard to keep reading, but for someone interested in economics and urban planning, it was interesting to see the behind the scenes. I learned a lot of cool facts, but will probably never touch this book again :))

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating analysis of Disney’s efforts to hustle the state of Florida (plus various municipalities). In particular, the company’s refusal to support a high speed rail project from the airport to Disney World because it would allow guests to access off-property lodging and dining changed how I see ‘the most magical place on earth.’

[Amy Wren · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read about the creation of Walt Disney World and the defunct Reedy Creek Improvement District. Though two decades old at this point it still gives a good picture of the situation, both good and bad, that was the status quo until Ron DeSantis decided upon a vendetta against Disney.

[Andrew]

As heard of on Utopian podcast.

[Davey · Rating 2 out of 5]

NF - more like a position paper on Disney/Orlando, zoning and politics

[Adelbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding study in corporate and government relations.

[Allegra · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 rounded down. interesting from an urban planning perspective but fairly dry and i’m no longer at a point in my life where i have the patience for very academic texts

[Marlon Austin · Rating 4 out of 5]

very dry but interesting

[Eric Mccoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great content, the marriage analogy was very tacked on though.

[Jennifer Turchin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an interesting political dynamic. I loved learning more about how and why WDW can operate the way they do.

[Cortney Mycroft · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book follows the “relationship” of Disney World and Orange County. While I struggled to stay engaged at times, this book definitely illuminated how deals that help lure corporations can bite a local government in the long run. It was dry but interesting.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting and readable account of the maneuvers that the Walt Disney corporation has used in building and running Walt Disney World (WDW) in Central Florida and the reactions of the local Orange and Osceola County governments to the presence of Disney there. Fogelsong clearly parses out bond issues, charter agreements, and local subsidies of infrastructure benefiting WDW, and later Sea World and Universal Studios, and the effect of these on the local economy and workforce.

Fogelsong uses a metaphor of marriage throughout the book, dividing his chapters into epochs of the changing relationship between local government as illustrated by changes in a hypothetical marriage. This provides the narrative force of what might otherwise be a dry and technical microscopic look at local politics. Instead, the Disney/Central Florida case becomes an object lesson in urban planning whose lessons are applicable to every city that may look to large projects to draw in tourist dollars, even if the "tourist" may be travelling from one part of the city to another to visit a stadium, for example.

This is not a book for Disney fanatics. I've seen a number of bad reviews on Amazon by people who seemed to expect to find a panegyric to the Disney Corporation; this is not one of them. Nor is it a screed against it. Fogelsong speaks in a generally dispassionate voice that clearly hopes to bring difficulties to light and to stimulate a dialog concerning issues that arise between corporate and public interest in urban planning.

[Luis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was pretty good. It looked at the creation of DisneyWorld and how politics and power seduced the city of Orlando to agree to house the mouse! Th financial implications as Disney became its own municipalities and then competed with Orlando for state money. Disney's demands on the infrastructure of the surrounding areas and its refusal to contribute to its upkeep. A comprehensive look at how private development can create a space and its impact on public space that is unable to keep up with the pace of growth. A great book for planners who want to understand the relationship between politics and planning at the state and local level.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great reference book to how local and state government works. While the Disney case hasn't been replicated across the United States it's a great example of how private enterprise works with public entities.

While Richard E. Foglesong provides guidance and clear learnings from the things that happened between the 1950's and 2000 I found the details and stories spread throughout the book enlightening.

For the Universal side of me I also found the Universal Orlando stories and history interesting.

[Pnnyhansen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was for a geography class and so not read with much enthusiasm. But I will admit it was interesting. The amount of work needed, both on the up-and-up as well as on the sly, to plan, build, and manage the Walt Disney World project is astounding. This book seemingly tells it all. From underhanded land acquisition to negotiating deals with the local government, there is much to tarnish our idealization of the "Magic Kingdom".

[Alicedewonder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mickey Mouse is not as innocent as 600,000 tourists that visit him in Orlando believe him to be. Disney World is a self-serving kingdom that has turned Orlando into a slave/minimum wage wage state.
I not only recommend this book, I believe it should be a required text! To learn more about minimum wage go to http://alicedewonder.hubpages.com/hub...
Mickey Mouse, the CIA and other eye-opening adventures!

[Tom Olmsted · Rating 4 out of 5]

The state of Florida enters into a very one sided agreement with Disney granting them governmental powers. With those powers they get tax exempt government bonds and roads built to their complex courtesy of the tax payers in Orange County. Also shows how those free theme park passes to politicians have policy impact benefiting Disney and not the low wage earners in Orange County. Very eye opening how a large corporation manipulates politicians to get their way.

[Reverenddave · Rating 1 out of 5]

Really a book about urban planning it had some interesting information about the high handed way Disney operates but spent most of its time immersed in the bond issues and debt financing of city and county economic stimulus initiatives and highway construction.

Im sure thats interesting for some but I found it pretty forgettable.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a trip to Disney World, I went to my library's shelf to find a book to explain "what's up with that place?" This wasn't quite what I was looking for. It's a book about Orange County's zoning regulations, really. The fact that I finished and enjoyed a book about county zoning shows how surprisingly good the book is, and how weird Disney and central Florida are.

[Neal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is pretty much the book that started me on my fascination of the Reedy Creek Improvement District. The government (REAL not even quasi-government) Disney and the state of Florida has created is unique to my experience and would love to know if there are more like it or how governments and people work together to make things better and smarter for everyone around.