Walt Disney World has settled six lawsuits with the Orange County Property Appraiser, and voluntarily dismissed five others regarding Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, and Disney’s Contemporary Resort.
Grand Floridian & Polynesian Property Tax Settlements
The settled lawsuits determined new just values for the Grand Floridian and Polynesian. Here are the newly determined just values for each year:
Grand Floridian
- 2015: $356,290,945
- 2016: $371,533,205
- 2017: $395,326,403
- 2018: $416,030,191
- 2019: $371,153,374
- 2020: $395,365,019
Polynesian
- 2015: $155,623,556
- 2016: $161,051,633
- 2017: $164,885,974
- 2018: $168,034,456
- 2019: $176,097,099
- 2020: $158,692,884
Assessed values remain unchanged.
Contemporary Resort Property Values
The suits also determined the just and assessed values for the Contemporary should not change.
With the revised values, the Property Appraiser (Amy Mercado) must issue a Certificate of Correction to the Tax Collector and Central Florida Tourism Oversight District within 30 days.
The Tax Collector and District will then recalculate the amount of taxes Disney owes based on these values. If additional taxes are owed, they will issue revised bills within 30 days of receiving the Certificate of Correction. Disney then has 30 days from receipt to pay without penalty.
If Disney is entitled to a refund, the Tax Collector and District will pay them via a check mailed to their attorney.
Five Lawsuits Dismissed
As for the five dismissed suits, they regard the property taxes of these three resorts for the years 2021, 2022, and 2023, plus just the Grand Floridian and Contemporary in 2024.
The lawsuits were voluntarily dismissed with prejudice, meaning Disney decided to have them dismissed and they cannot be reopened.
Disney files lawsuits against the Orange County Property Appraiser over hotel values every year. Several were settled this summer, including lawsuits over Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge and Disney’s Wilderness Lodge.
In July, members of the Orange County Classroom Teachers Association and Disney Cast Members represented by UNITE HERE delivered petitions calling on Disney to drop the lawsuits. Orange County Public Schools had set aside $119 million for any refunds that may be issued to Disney and superintendent Dr. Maria Vazquez said that any money left over from the lawsuits could go to teacher salaries.
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