food IS a theme park
Disney has been the subject of a few lawsuits lately, and now another has hit the Company.
Disney Pride Decoration
We’ve already seen a lawsuit filed regarding Magic Key Passes and the Park Pass system in California, Annual Passes and the Park Pass system in Florida, and the Genie/Genie+ system. Now, another lawsuit has hit the Mouse, and it comes from an investor.
Okay, let’s do the Sparknotes version of allllll the political battles Disney has found itself in lately when it comes to Florida and Governor Ron DeSantis.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis ©Deadline
After initially refusing to make a statement, Disney (under Bob Chapek’s time as CEO) made comments in opposition to Florida’s Parental Rights in Education law (what critics call “Don’t Say Gay”), indicating that the law should never have been passed and that Disney would work for its repeal.
Following this, in what many have seen as an act of retaliation, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Legislature passed/signed a bill that will dissolve Disney’s Reedy Creek Improvement District — the special taxing district Disney has operated under for years that gives them a large amount of control over their land in Orlando.
Now, Bob Chapek is out of the Disney CEO position, and Bob Iger is back. We’ve already talked about what this could mean for Reedy Creek and Disney’s relationship with DeSantis, but now we’ve got a response from the Governor himself when it comes to Disney and Florida politics.
Bob Iger has returned as Disney’s CEO, Bob Chapek has left the position, and some big changes have already been made in the Company.
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We’ve already taken a look at some of the massive challenges Iger will have to face as the returning CEO and the big things fans want him to tackle. One of the challenges on that list is addressing the situation with the dissolution of Disney World’s Reedy Creek Improvement District. Here are the latest updates on that district and what Bob Iger’s return could mean for Disney’s relationship with Florida politicians.
Something that is critical to the way Disney World currently functions is plagued with uncertainty right now.
Welcome to Disney World
For years, Disney World has had a large amount of control over the land on which it operates in Florida thanks to the Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID). Essentially, the RCID has allowed Disney to (in many ways) function as its own county government. Through the RCID, Disney has imposed and collected taxes on its land, issued bonds, and made all kinds of other decisions without some of the typical oversight that hinders other developers. But all of that is about to change.
If you’ve been keeping up with Disney World news over the past several months, then you’ve likely heard at least a little of the drama with the Reedy Creek Improvement District.
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The Reedy Creek Improvement District was first established in 1968, allowing Disney World to operate as its own government, giving the property things like its own fire department, special taxing laws, and more power over the land it controls. After Disney spoke out against Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Law (what critics called the “Don’t Say Gay” bill), a bill was introduced and quickly signed into law that will dissolve the Reedy Creek Improvement District in June 2023 unless a resolution is reached before then. So if Reedy Creek is abolished, what happens next?
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.
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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.”
For over 50 years, Disney World’s land has all been subject to the control of a special district called the Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID).
Welcome to Disney World
This district has essentially allowed Disney to act as its own county in many ways, giving it huge amounts of control over decisions regarding the land on which it operates in Florida. It also provided taxing authority and other powers to Disney. But, in 2022, a law was passed by the Florida legislature (and signed by the Florida governor) that will DISSOLVE the RCID by June of 2023, unless a new agreement is reached. The clock is ticking and 2023 is rapidly approaching, so what’s the status of the RCID right now? Here’s what we know.
Ever since Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a law to dissolve Disney’s Reedy Creek Improvement District, Florida residents and Disney fans alike have wondered what will really happen in June 2023 when that law goes into effect.
Reedy Creek Sign in Disney World
Gov. DeSantis has not given much information about what the dissolution of the special district will look like, generally stating that more details will come soon. Now, we have another update on this controversial topic. [Read more…]
The drama continues between Disney World and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Here’s a quick recap in case you missed this story: When Gov. DeSantis signed the Parental Rights in Education Bill — commonly called the “Don’t Say Gay” bill — into law, The Walt Disney Company denounced the legislation. Seemingly in retaliation to Disney’s comments, Gov. DeSantis introduced new legislation to repeal the Reedy Creek Improvement District, which is a governing body that essentially allows Disney World to function as its own government.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis ©Deadline
This bill was signed into law, and it states that the district will be dissolved in June 2023. Since the bill passed, some Florida residents have filed lawsuits against Gov. DeSantis in protest. Now, we have an update about the current status of those lawsuits. [Read more…]
Disney’s future in Florida has been difficult to predict. Following Disney’s public critique of Florida’s Parental Rights Bill (otherwise known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill), Florida Legislators pushed back with the proposal to dissolve Disney World’s Reedy Creek Improvement District.
Cinderella Castle in Magic Kingdom
The dissolution of Reedy Creek will remove expansive and operational freedoms for Disney, and risks placing the burden of municipal costs on local taxpayers. So, once Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the bill to dissolve Reedy Creek, many were left wondering what this would mean for the future of Disney World and its surrounding counties. Here’s what we know.
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