food IS a theme park
When Florida Governor Ron DeSantis turned Disney World’s Reedy Creek Improvement District into the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, he appointed a new board of directors to oversee the land.
Reedy Creek Improvement District
Since then, we’ve seen the board make some major decisions regarding the land where Disney World resides. There have been a few board member changes since the beginning, but now, the board will be getting a brand-new administrator.
We’re all pretty used to hearing about Disney in the media.
©The Walt Disney Company
Disney gets lots of attention due to it being a massive entertainment company and having multiple divisions that it controls. In the past year or so, Disney has been in the headlines over the lawsuits they’ve filed against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, claiming he has retaliated against them for speaking out against a bill he approved. DeSantis most notably dissolved the Reedy Creek Improvement District and appointed his own governing board– the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.
Now, Disney has filed a new lawsuit against this DeSantis-appointed district board.
Disney brings billions of dollars to the economy of Florida through its several theme parks and tourist experiences.
Cinderella Castle
According to Adam Sacks, President of Tourism Economics, “Disney is also vital to the funding of public services, as it generated taxes of $6.6 billion in 2022, including state and local taxes of $3.1 billion.” Through direct or indirect means, such as employee spending, the local economy is strengthened by Disney World. However, Disney believes they have been overcharged on their property taxes for 2023 and they’re fighting back.
A lot is going on in the political world of Disney this week.
Reedy Creek
This is the week of the federal lawsuit hearing between Disney and Florida Governor, Ron DeSantis. We may finally be nearing the end of the feud.
Also this week, the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD) board (which was completely appointed by DeSantis) was scheduled to have its final board meeting of the year. But it seems, amidst all that is going on, that has now changed.
Ever since Florida Governor Ron DeSantis first attempted to take control of Disney World’s Reedy Creek Improvement District, there have been two very opposing sides.
Disney vs. DeSantis
DeSantis was eventually able to replace the Reedy Creek Improvement District with the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, giving the area a new governing board. Since then, the board’s decisions have been controversial and not everyone has been pleased by the proceedings. Currently, some lawmakers are seeking to repeal DeSantis’s takeover…but there may be some obstacles in the way.
Since Florida Governor Ron DeSantis appointed the new Central Florida Tourism Oversight District Board (CFTOD), we’ve seen multiple changes in the district that governs Disney World.
©Central Florida Tourism Oversight Board Livestream
Reports have come from within the district that it is no longer functional after a mass exodus of employees left their positions. But now, one DeSantis appointee is saying that’s not the case — here’s what we know.
Ever since Florida Governor Ron DeSantis changed the Reedy Creek Improvement District to the new Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD), we’ve been following along with the updates.
Reedy Creek Improvement District
Ever since the board members were named for CFTOD, we’ve seen multiple changes for the district that governs Disney World. But one of the most recently publicized decisions involved a member of the Florida Ethics Commission, who was awarded a large contract by the board. In the aftermath of that decision, CFTOD may be facing some problems.
The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (formerly the Reedy Creek Improvement District), has been enforcing some changes lately.
©Central Florida Tourism Oversight District
Earlier this month, the governing district held a board of supervisors meeting that resulted in the removal of a long-held benefit for its employees. That benefit granted employees free access to the Disney World parks (essentially a Disney World Annual Pass). Now, following backlash from that decision, the board has decided to put in place a new system to benefit its employees.
The DeSantis-appointed Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD) Board is not backing down from its fight against Disney, according to new details revealed at the recent meeting.
©Central Florida Tourism Oversight Board Livestream
The board is engaged in legal battles against The Walt Disney Company — they announced a lawsuit against Disney in May of this year, and Disney recently filed a countersuit against the board. These lawsuits don’t come cheap, as is evident in the Board’s budget plan for fiscal year 2024.
UPDATE: According to WESH 2 News, Glen Gilzean resigned from his position on the Florida Commission on Ethics in favor of keeping his job as the District Administrator of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (formerly the Reedy Creek Improvement District).
There’s been a new development in the drama between Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD) board, and Disney.
Disney vs. DeSantis
The trio are already involved in a number of lawsuits, with Disney suing Gov. DeSantis (claiming the governor violated the company’s free speech rights) and the Board suing Disney because of agreements the company made with the previous Reedy Creek District board. The Board is now claiming that some perks Disney gave to previous Reedy Creek District employees are “unethical,” calling them a “scheme” that “raises significant questions regarding self-dealing.” [Read more…]
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