Disney World Transferring to Nashville Attributable to 'Ongoing Battle' with DeSantis?

A rumor that Walt Disney World Resort was shifting to Nashville, Tennessee, circulated online in September 2024. Based on the claim, the transfer was instantly associated to an “ongoing battle” with Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida, the place the park is positioned.

Several customers posted concerning the rumor on social media, together with one one that asked (archived) the Walt Disney World’s X account whether or not it was true. On Sept. 8, a Fb person additionally wrote (archived): “DISNEY WORLD IS MOVING TO NASHVILLE!!”

One other particular person requested buddies in the event that they’d heard the information, posting (archived): “Disney World is shifting from Florida to Nashville, Tennessee. Anybody else heard that?”

On X, one particular person said (archived): “In a large blow to the @GOP, @Disney has introduced its plans to maneuver to Nashville, citing the hostilities from @RonDeSantis and the @GOP. It is solely getting began, and now @RonDeSantis has screwed over 1000’s of Floridian voters.”

In brief, some readers appeared to interpret rumor as a factual recounting of real-life occasions. Nonetheless, Disney World was not shifting to Nashville or anyplace else.

Relatively, the rumor about Disney World shifting originated with Mouse Lure Information — an internet site that described its output as “satire and parody.”

Its “About” page said, partially: “Mouse Lure Information is the world’s greatest satire and parody web site. We write faux tales about Disney Parks stuff. From Disney Park bulletins to Disney Lodge and resort information to made-up Disney partnerships, you could be assured that something you learn right here will not be true, actual, or correct, however it’s enjoyable.”

The article printed by Mouse Lure Information on Sept. 5 started:

Breaking information, Disney World is formally shifting to Nashville. Beginning on the finish of September, Disney World will begin closing a part of their theme parks with a view to transfer them to Nashville, Tennessee.

Disney is doing this due to the continuing battle with Governor DeSantis. To do that, they are going to transfer your complete theme park piece by piece and reconstruct it simply outdoors of downtown Nashville the place Disney has been secretly shopping for 1000’s of acres of land.

The method will probably be carried out in a method the place friends can nonetheless get pleasure from their parks, whereas they transfer them. For instance, they are going to begin by shifting rides which are at present closed or closing quickly like Check Observe and Dinosaur.

The fictional story additionally unfold through a well-liked video on the Mouse Lure Information TikTok account, the place it had acquired greater than 300,000 views as of this writing.

There was no evidence Disney World was shifting from Florida to Nashville, nor had been there any credible news outlets reporting such a narrative, which might have been eminently newsworthy if true.

In 2023, The New York Times reported that DeSantis’ previous efforts to restrict the autonomy of Disney World “have been broadly seen as retaliation for Disney’s opposition to laws” that DeSantis signed in 2022 that “[prohibited] classroom instruction and dialogue about sexual orientation and gender id in some elementary college grades.”

Snopes has addressed related satirical claims previously, equivalent to an merchandise printed by the Uncle Walt’s Insider web site that stated Disneyland was moving to Texas.

For background, right here is why we alert readers to rumors created by sources that decision their output humorous or satirical.