Fact Check: Did Ron DeSantis Get Married at Disney World?

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Tom Norton is Newsweek's Fact Check reporter, based in London. His focus is reporting on misinformation and misleading information in U.S. public life. He has in-depth knowledge of open source-intelligence research and the global disinformation industry. Tom joined Newsweek in 2022 from Full Fact and had previously worked at the Health Service Journal, the Nottingham Post, and the Advertising Standards Authority. He is a graduate of Liverpool and Nottingham Trent University. You can get in touch with Tom by emailing t.norton@newsweek.com or calling 646-887-1107. You can find him on X @tomsnorton, on Instagram @NortonNewsweek. Languages: English.

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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is facing mounting pressure over his feud with Disney, with the corporation filing a lawsuit against him for steps he has taken to limit the expansion of its Disney World resort in the state.

On Wednesday, Florida Republican senators doubled down in their action against Disney, voting in favor of a new bill—SB 1604—that would nullify development agreements between the entertainment company and the Sunshine State.

Despite the heated battle, one claim shared online this week suggested that the Florida governor had a rather important personal history attached to Disney that he is trying to curb.

Ron DeSantis, Disney, Florida
Disney has filed a federal lawsuit against Ron DeSantis over the Florida governor's alleged improper retaliation against the entertainment giant. In spite of the legal battles, it's been claimed that DeSantis got married at Disney... Getty Images

The Claim

A tweet by Scott Dworkin, posted on April 26, 2023, viewed 319,500 times, claimed that DeSantis "got married at Disney World" in Florida.

Dworkin said: "Disney filed a lawsuit against Ron DeSantis in federal court today saying he waged a "relentless campaign to weaponize government power." It was "anti-business" & "unconstitutional."

"Maybe DeSantis had a horrible time when he got married at Disney, and this is his retaliation.

"That's right. DeSantis got married at Disney World. And now he'll probably never be welcome back. And likely will lose to Disney in court. Fantastic."

The Facts

Despite the animosity between the Florida governor and Disney, it is indeed true that DeSantis was married at the corporation's park in Florida.

DeSantis' marriage license shows that he got married in 2009, listing the location as Lake Buena Vista, Florida, the mailing address for Disney World.

Insider reported that DeSantis exchanged vows with now-wife Casey DeSantis at "the Grand Floridian's wedding pavilion, a chapel with arched windows overlooking Cinderella's Castle and the Seven Seas Lagoon."

DeSantis later confirmed in an interview that the report from Insider was correct, adding: "In looking forward to what we ended up doing as governor and some of the face-offs that we had with some major institutions in Florida, it's kind of ironic."

In a memoir released in February 2023, DeSantis said that he didn't want any Disney characters to be a part of his wedding.

"When Casey first broached the idea of getting married at Disney World, I was surprised because I did not know people even got married there," DeSantis said.

"As it turned out, Disney World has a nice wedding chapel attached to the Grand Floridian, the Victorian-themed hotel close to the Magic Kingdom."

As DeSantis' crusade against Disney continues, a number of Republicans, including House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, are urging him to end the feud.

McCarthy said during a Thursday interview on CNBC's Squawk Box that DeSantis should attempt to "sit down and negotiate" with Disney instead of attempting to wage a legal battle against the company.

The Ruling

True

True.

While not known widely until relatively recently, it's true that DeSantis got married at Disney World in Florida.

An investigation by Insider tracked down his marriage certificate that showed that it was registered at the park's address. DeSantis later confirmed the findings in a podcast and a memoir.

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About the writer

Tom Norton is Newsweek's Fact Check reporter, based in London. His focus is reporting on misinformation and misleading information in U.S. public life. He has in-depth knowledge of open source-intelligence research and the global disinformation industry. Tom joined Newsweek in 2022 from Full Fact and had previously worked at the Health Service Journal, the Nottingham Post, and the Advertising Standards Authority. He is a graduate of Liverpool and Nottingham Trent University. You can get in touch with Tom by emailing t.norton@newsweek.com or calling 646-887-1107. You can find him on X @tomsnorton, on Instagram @NortonNewsweek. Languages: English.

Writers Page

Tom Norton is Newsweek's Fact Check reporter, based in London. His focus is reporting on misinformation and misleading information in ... Read more