Disney Spends Big on GOP

Walt Disney World has spent nearly $2.5 million on political candidates and causes in Florida so far this election cycle, according to an Orlando Sentinel review of state records, as the giant resort attempts to influence elections from the Keys to the Panhandle.

Disney's political spending in Florida has ballooned to unprecedented levels: It has spent nearly twice as much money as it had at this same point during the 2010 elections, and it has spent about six times as much as it did during the entire 2008 cycle.

The paper reports that most of its spending has gone to Republican candidates or Republican-leaning interest groups, though not necessarily because the so-called happiest place on earth leans GOP.

Rather, Disney is interested in advancing its agenda in a state with a Republican governor and a Republican-controlled legislature. Partisan considerations take a backseat to supporting candidates who oppose an expansion of casino gambling in Florida – a high priority issue for Disney.