Florida Agenda

ORLANDO – A detailed analysis of state records by the Orlando Sentinel reveals that Walt Disney World (WDW) has spent almost $2.5 million in contributions to political candidates and causes in Florida. The Central Florida entertainment giant has spent almost twice as much as it did at this point during the 2010 election—and approximately six times as much as during the entire 2008 cycle.

ts biggest beneficiary is the Florida Republican Party, with the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, et al, donating $650,000 to the state party thus far (totaling around three times as much as the $220,000 given by Disney to the Florida Democratic Party). In addition, the Sentinel found that about 90 cents of every dollar spent by Disney this election on campaigns in the Sunshine State has gone to Republican candidates or conservative groups.

According to the analysis, the largest increase in “Mouse money” was spent on fundraising committees controlled by individual legislators. The so-called “committees of continuous existence (CCE)” permit state Senators and House members to raise unlimited amounts. In the 2010 election, WDW spent less than $100,000 to support CCEs. So far this year, Disney has given nearly $900,000 to such groups.

Among these is the Florida Conservative Leadership Fund, a committee controlled in part by state Rep. Mike Horner (R-Kissimmee), who dropped his re-election bid after he was named as a client of a prostitution ring.

Horner’s committee received $105,000 from Disney.

TAMPA – The Florida Family Association (FFA) is calling the upcoming “Gay Days” event “offensive” and has condemned those parks and facilities that welcome the LGBT tourists who will be attending.

The Tampa-based conservative organization’s Web site asks “How would you feel if you entered the Magic Kingdom anticipating a normal day of fun with your family only to witness thousands of same-sex couples holding hands, hugging, kissing and wearing tee-shirts that promoted their lifestyle?”

Walt Disney World does not participate officially in Gay Days, which began in 1991 and will be held this year from May 29 through June 4. Since 2010, organizers say that more than 20,000 participants attend the weeklong schedule of parties and events at Central Florida area theme parks and hotels. FFA’s Gay Days warning alerts supporters that “ust like activists’ attempt to gain access to youthful minds through LGBT characters in video games, they also want to impact a captured audience of tens of thousands of children during the first Saturday of Summer Break.”

As it did last year, the organization is trying to raise money to rent a banner plane to fly over the Magic Kingdom and “warn families about this offensive event before they [arrive] at the park on Saturday.” The group claims that last year’s “banner influenced mainstream family attendance at Disney during Gay Day to DROP between 50 percent to 60 percent.”

“We believe this aircraft banner warning to families SPARED TENS OF THOUSANDS of children from the unexpected exposure to this coming out party,” the Web site warns. Among the things FFA hopes to prevent by the campaign is to help prevent parents from exposing “their children to same-sex revelry.” The group says they have raised about half of the $8,400 cost to fly a banner plane around the park.