Disney trolls Ron “Don’t Say Gay” DeSantis with “Pride Nite” tweet & the reactions are just too good

Ron DeSantis continues his losing streak in his personal war against Mickey Mouse.

The Florida governor and likely 2024 Republican presidential candidate continues to threaten the Walt Disney Company, which also happens to be his state’s largest employer and tourism attraction. Disney employs 75,000 people and attracts 50 million visitors annually.

On Monday, DeSantis said Florida would override Disney’s attempts to sidestep additional state oversight of its parks, and publicly mused about taking punitive actions against the corporation–such as building a state prison nearby.

Later Monday, Disney announced it will host a special “Pride Nite” at its California theme park, Disneyland, in June. The event will feature a dance parties, a Pride cavalcade and character experiences, according to Disney.

The epic troll job didn’t go unnoticed.

It’s fitting that Disneyland is trolling DeSantis from its park in the Golden State, given California governor Gavin Newsom’s own roiling of his conservative contemporary. He’s positioned himself, and California, as the anti-thesis of DeSantis’ Florida.

DeSantis’ grudge against Disney dates back to 2021, when then-Disney CEO Bob Chapek spoke out against the state’s “Don’t Say Gay” law, which curbs discussions of LGBTQ+ topics in schools.

At first, DeSantis threatened that Florida would just take over Disney’s self-governing district, but then recanted when it became known that neighboring counties would inherit the district’s estimated billion-plus in bond debt.

But the governor wasn’t deterred. Earlier this year, he stripped Disney World of its self-governing power, signing a bill that gives the state government control over the Reedy Creek Improvement District.

Back in 1967, the Florida legislature basically turned Disney’s 25,000-acre resort and theme park into its own county, giving Disney control over its fire protection, police force, road maintenance, and, most importantly, development planning.

DeSantis made it so he will be able appoint his own oversight board for the district, giving his office direct power over the iconic entertainment institution.

The only problem: Disney’s old board is still in control until the new law goes into effect. And as one of its final actions last month, the board passed a new development agreement that severely curtails the oversight board’s authority.

DeSantis has since vowed to investigate Disney for its shrewd maneuvering, but the company maintains the board’s actions were legal and transparent as the action was done in open public forums.

This episode is yet another setback for DeSantis’ unofficial president campaign. Over the last few days, it’s been reported the governor’s key donors are starting to question his viability.

After he recently signed a new six-week abortion play, a top GOP donor said he was putting “himself on hold.”

DeSantis, who won reelection last November by nearly 20 points, has been leaning heavily into the culture wars as he considers a run for president. The state is also now banning books in schools that cover LGBTQ+ themes. Despite all this, Donald Trump continues to build his lead on DeSantis in Republican presidential polls.

It seems like DeSantis has bigger problems than Mickey Mouse to worry about.

Check out some of the best responses to Disney’s clap back below…

beautiful — Bruno J. Navarro (@Bruno_J_Navarro) April 17, 2023

LETS GO!!!! pic.twitter.com/ke9XoqZV9B— Pixelkitties (@pixelkitties) April 17, 2023

Thank you from a Floridian! Keep up the good fight against DeSantis! pic.twitter.com/hnCj1WFwUp— Melissa_FSU (@MelissaB_FSU) April 17, 2023

pic.twitter.com/H2myqMFk08— Will Noonan (@willnoonan) April 18, 2023

— Lisa Guerrero (@4lisaguerrero) April 17, 2023