Florida chief financial officer invites Disneyland executives to the Sunshine State

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - As Disney World welcomes visitors with open arms, Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis is extending the invitation to Disneyland in California, which has been closed since last March.

Patronis made a plea on FOX & Friends.

"Gavin Newsom is non-responsive. Businesses are fleeing his state. Disney already has a proven track record here. We’d just like to allow them to grow and expand their business," he said.

With no income tax in the State of Florida, Patronis says Florida is the perfect place to relocate, unlike California with a 13% income tax rate and the majority of businesses shut down, including Disneyland.

"It’s the hub of a 51-acre studio in Burbank. They’ve got an investment and relationship there, but eventually, when you’re not appreciated, hopefully, enough’s enough."

We talked to FOX News Contributor Gary Kaltbaum about how that would affect Central Florida.

"Business benefits, the consumer benefits, the housing industry benefits. It is a total win-win situation when more people flock from other states to put their flag down and live here," Kaltbaum said.

He says even though Disney’s theme parks have struggled during the pandemic, their streaming services through Disney+ have exceeded expectations.

"The fact that they made money for the quarter is just amazing. They expected it would take about four years to get to 90 million subscribers. They got there in 15 months, and now they’re talking about a quarter-billion subscribers in the next three years. So the greatest film to be shot, maybe one about Disney itself, it's an amazing story. It tells you they’ve got game and once we’re open up, only great things to come," Kaltbaum said. 

A Disney spokesperson wouldn't comment on any relocations but says the company is always looking for opportunities to grow.