$50 grand a year plus a catered meal is pocket change for political donations. Clearly, it wasn’t enough to buy a bit of favor.
The money opposing casinos, on the other hand, is some significant dough. But that has a serious business purpose. The theme parks are Disney’s crown jewels. They crank out money in good times AND in bad. Casinos in FL would compete for the entertainment dollars that are so important to Disney. They’d also tarnish the family friendly atmosphere that Disney maintains in their parks.
While there is an arguable culture component to opposing casinos, it makes more sense for it to be a business issue for Disney.
—Peter