What would happen to Florida if Disney closed?

The study adds, if it weren't for Disney, Florida would go from being the 21st state with the highest unemployment rate, to the 49th highest in the country.



If Walt Disney World were to close permanently, the state of Florida would face a catastrophic economic crisis. According to a 2022 Oxford Economics study, Disney generates a staggering $40.3 billion in annual economic impact and supports over 263,000 jobs—roughly 1 out of every 32 jobs in the entire state. In Central Florida (Orange and Osceola counties), Disney directly supports 1 out of every 8 jobs. The closure would result in a massive spike in unemployment and a multi-billion dollar deficit in state and local tax revenue ($6.6 billion annually), which currently funds schools, police, and infrastructure. Furthermore, Disney acts as the primary "anchor" for Florida's tourism industry; without it, thousands of surrounding "third-party" businesses, including hotels, restaurants, and transportation services, would likely fail as international visitor numbers plummeted. In 2026, Disney continues to be the state's largest single-site taxpayer and employer. Its absence would not just leave a hole in the theme park world; it would fundamentally destabilize the financial health and growth trajectory of the entire Florida peninsula for decades.

People Also Ask

It would certainly hurt the state of Florida. The government would lose all the tax revenue. People who work at Disney would lose their jobs. There are many companies that only exist because of Disney or that get a lot of their business because of Disney, like hotels near the park.

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Orlando and the surrounding area can't survive if Disney permanently close period. Most of Disney World is in Orange County which Orlando is in. The major facilities that operate Disney World are in Orlando or Orange County. Why are Walt Disney World and Disneyland considered expensive compared to other theme parks?

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nope. Honestly, this is a rumor that has spread multiple times in the Disney space, so we wanted to debunk the rumor. Disney is not planning to make a move to Texas or to build a theme park in Texas anytime soon.

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While Disney could pick up and move some of its businesses from Orlando to another state, Disney World and its other theme parks aren't going anywhere. Moving all the infrastructure, including hotels, restaurants and shops as well as transportation to move guests around, just wouldn't be feasible.

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Disney had plans to build a roughly $1 billion employee campus and relocate about 2,000 jobs from California to Orlando but then nixed it, citing “changing business conditions.” The company didn't explicitly say the canceled project was due to its ongoing legal fight for control of the Florida resort.

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Very roughly, it would take at the very least $12.3 billion in today's dollars to build out the Walt Disney World property to its current state. And note that this answer is roughly six years old. So even if they did decide to leave Florida, it would take them decades and billions to rebuild.

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Disney initially filed its lawsuit against DeSantis, a 2024 Republican presidential hopeful, in April, after DeSantis appointed a board made up of his political allies to oversee the special taxing district that contains Walt Disney World Resort.

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With space in California limited by the surrounding city, Disney bought a much larger parcel of land in Florida in 1965. Ringing in at a total of 43 square miles — or 27,520 acres — Walt Disney World is substantially larger than its older sibling. The park also has grown and it now covers 47 square miles.

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Operating all of Disney's parks and resorts cost $14.015 billion in 2019, according to the company's annual report. If the cost to operate was split evenly per park, that would amount to around $5.49 million per park per day.

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How much land does Disney own in Florida? The Walt Disney Company owns about 25,000 acres of land in Florida, which is approximately 39 square miles.

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Most people who go to the Walt Disney World Resort are not rich. On average, a family of four will spend $5,240 for their Disney World vacation. This includes their meals, a 4-night hotel stay, and 4 days' worth of theme park tickets.

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With costs so high, it's no wonder why many families find it difficult to afford a Disney vacation. A recent LendingTree survey found that 18% of Disney visitors have gone into debt for one or more of their trips to the destination. And among those with Disney debt, 8% say it will take more than a year to pay it off.

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Golden Oak at Walt Disney World® Resort Just four miles from Magic Kingdom® Park, Golden Oak offers resort-style living defined by legendary Disney Service, spectacular experiences, and access to Membership in the private Golden Oak Club.

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Disney World tends to be cheaper overall for stays of one night or more, largely due to Florida's lower hotel prices. But for some expenses, like tickets and food, Disneyland is cheaper.

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For a longer trip complete with luxury accommodation and visits to multiple parks, Walt Disney World in Orlando might be your best bet. If you live on or near the West Coast and you're looking for a short getaway teeming with nostalgia, Disneyland is the way to go.

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