Would Walt Disney World move to North Carolina? State senator proposes bill with initiation

Could Walt Disney World exist outside of Florida? A few state senators from North Carolina – perhaps cheekily – have filed a bill to invite the mega theme park operator to move its theme parks up the east coast.

Three North Carolina State Senators filed the "Mickey's Freedom Restoration Act" on Wednesday, aimed at bringing Disney's popular theme parks to the state.

If passed, the bill would create a study commission to develop a plan to attract family-friendly amusement parks to North Carolina. It cites the state as a "stable and vibrant environment for businesses, both large and small, to flourish."

"North Carolina is a great place to do business," Sen. Michael Garrett said in a tweet. "Politicians who put their economy at risk to boost their own political ambitions are a liability."

It appears that Sen. Garrett was referring to the ongoing battle between Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and The Walt Disney Company.

Disney CEO Bob Iger accused Gov. DeSantis of retaliating against the company after it publicly voiced concerns over the state's then-proposed "Parental Rights in Education Act," which has since been signed into law and restricts discussion about general identity and sexual orientation in schools.

Gov. DeSantis and the state Legislature passed a law ousting the former Reedy Creek Improvement District board, which governs most of the land that houses Walt Disney World. The law renamed the district to the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, and allowed DeSantis to appoint new members to the board.

The drama escalated again after the new board accused the previous board of signing a new development agreement with Disney, which limited the power of the new board. In response, the state legislature has proposed a bill that would essentially revoke that agreement.

All three senators who sponsored the bill are leaders in the North Carolina Senate Democratic Caucus.