When Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed away Disney’s self-governing district earlier this year, he did so without giving any indication of what might come next.
©Spectrum News 13
And, now that it’s looking more likely that a successor district could be established, many are left wondering what exactly that means for Disney World and its surrounding areas. But, is the dissolution of Reedy Creek really better for Florida and its taxpayers, and if not, what’s the reason for all of this? According to one state official, the Governor followed an old playbook — here’s how DeSantis treated Disney like the “biggest kid on the playground.”
The future of Disney World self-governing district has been uncertain lately, after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law dissolving the Reedy Creek Improvement District Earlier this year. The district has been operating since 1968 and has its own fire department, taxing laws, and law enforcement contracted from the surrounding area.
Reedy Creek Sign in Disney World
When Gov. DeSantis signed the bill dissolving Reedy Creek, he didn’t announce a plan for what was going to come next. This left many wondering if this was all just for show — was the Governor acting in retaliation to Disney’s response to his other bill, Florida’s HB 1557?
This other bill, also known as the Parental Rights in Education Bill (or the “Don’t Say Gay” Bill by critics) “prohibits instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity from kindergarten to third grade and in later grades if not ‘age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students.'”
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis ©Deadline
At first, Disney didn’t respond to the proposed law or make any sort of statement about it. According to Vanity Fair, it wasn’t until Steve Knox, a drag performer from Nebraska, tweeted a Disney Pride logo and mentioned that the company had been “quiet about Florida’s Don’t Say Gay Bill” that the conversation about Disney’s silence began.
Disney Pride Decoration
This created a bit of a PR nightmare for Disney, who then made an initial statement and later announced a more formal stance on the topic, but not before Disney employees walked out in protest of the company’s response to the bill. Then, when the bill was signed into law, Disney put out its most staunch statement yet, saying, “Florida’s HB 1557, also known as the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, should never have passed and should never have been signed into law.”
©ABC
It’s because of this response from Disney — condemning a bill supported by DeSantis — that many have accused the Governor of dissolving the Reedy Creek Improvement District as a political move, and a bold one at that. As Florida State Sen. Jason Pizzo remarked, it seemed like DeSantis was following “an old playbook” as the new kid in school by finding “the biggest kid on the playground” and punching him.
©WFTV 9
In a recent speech, DeSantis all but confirmed his status as the new big kid in school by saying, “If you’re going to commit yourself to wanting gender ideology in elementary school, we’re not going to hold you up on a pedestal any longer.”
The Governor went on to say, “Disney is no longer going to have its own government. They’re going to live under the same laws as everybody else. And they are going to pay their fair share of taxes in the state of Florida.”
Cinderella Castle
After the dissolution vote passed, DeSantis announced that the state would most likely be taking control of Reedy Creek and that taxpayers wouldn’t assume the debt, but no clear plan was provided. Now, it’s looking more likely that a successor district will be formed that would assume most of the powers Reedy Creek held that allowed Disney to perform municipal functions.
Jon Shirey, President of the Reedy Creek Firefighters Association | ©Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel
What does that mean for the district’s debts? Well, they’d be transferred to the new district as well, and would not be Disney’s responsibility. Not only that, but the successor district would also include state-appointed board seats — meaning that government-appointed personnel could serve alongside representatives from Disney.
No, Mickey and Minnie will probably not be state-appointed representatives.
But, the playground squabble might not be over yet, as Florida could decide to fight back by filing a First Amendment lawsuit — which could last for years. Right now, there’s no indication that the company plans on doing that, but Disney hasn’t made any sort of announcements about Reedy Creek one way or another lately.
Reedy Creek Trash Cans
As for now, the dissolution of Reedy Creek and what that means for Disney World remains unclear — but either way, it looks like Disney will have to share power with Florida. State Rep. Daniel Perez recently shared that he thinks Disney and the state will “reach a solution sometime soon.”
We’re not sure what that solution might be, but we’ll be keeping an eye out for more updates on Governor DeSantis, Disney, and the dissolution of Reedy Creek.
Click Here to Read More About the Dissolution of the Reedy Creek Improvement District
Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!
What do you think will end up happening with the dissolution of the Reedy Creek Improvement District? Let us know in the comments.
Our handy (and portable!) ebook guides make sure you get the best deals and can plan a vacation of a lifetime.
DeSantis and Florida Republicans allowed their ego to take precedent over good policy. What did the citizens of Florida get from this action? So much for freedom of speech when Ron can’t stand some minor criticism.
If DeSantis is re-elected, Floridians only have themselves to blame for whatever happens.
This has NOTHING to do with big kids or little kids! This has everything to do with morals. Young children should NOT Be taught any of gender they’ll decide on their own and all in do time. Please don’t take their childhood and innocence away from them at this early age. They will grow up soon enough!
This article leaves out one very important part. Specifically, that the Walt Disney Company said that it would fight the law and see that the law was reversed.
It is my opinion that a private company should not be endorsing or opposing appropriate legislative policy. And they keep calling it the “don’t say gay“ law. That is totally incorrect. By far the vast majority of Floridians do not feel that children in third grade or below should be taught about choosing their gender identity in public schools. Now there may be a group of people who are very vocally against this, but it doesn’t usurp the will of the voters and specifically the will of parents.
The Walt Disney Company should’ve chose their battle more carefully.
Seems to me that Disney has the responsibility for this mess. Parental rights are non negotiable. And
Disney made the choice to dig in. This one is on you, directly. What a shame.