On Wednesday, Walt Disney World released a study that looked at the company’s economic impact in Central Florida in 2009.
Al Weiss, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts President, said “Our company generated more than $18 billion in total economic activity throughout the state in that one year.” Disney officials also said that their company was able to create more than 160,000 jobs in Florida during that same year, and that the revenue generated represents about 2.5 percent of the state’s overall gross domestic products.
Said Walt Disney World President Meg Crofton: “The numbers are impressive. We make a difference in Central Florida and the state, and we’re really proud of that.”
Despite the state of the economy, Disney continues to think long term by creating projects that are designed to provide hundreds of additional jobs for Florida locals. Most recently, the company has been hard at work undergoing the largest expansion in the history of the Magic Kingdom to date – the Fantasyland expansion.
Weiss, when commenting about the recent expansion, says “Anytime you do things like doubling the size of Fantasyland, families are going to want to come back and experience that and see that whether they’re local or coming from all across the world.”
Disney also recently announced their intention of donating $1.2 million in grant money to school districts in several Florida counties.
