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Disney is making headlines by supposedly outsmarting Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
Reedy Creek
Did they really outmaneuver his takeover of Disney World’s Special District? Or has this legal battle just begun?
If you’ve been following along with the situation between Disney and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, then you know that a LOT has happened in the past year.
Magic Kingdom
After Disney spoke out against the Parental Rights in Education Bill (also known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill), DeSantis took steps to dissolve the Reedy Creek Improvement District, which is the governing body that oversees Disney World directly. After a long battle back and forth, the district has been renamed and new regulations have been outlined going forward…including a changing of the board members.
The battle surrounding Disney’s Reedy Creek District has only just begun.
©Governor Ron DeSantis Website
The Reedy Creek Improvement District (now called the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District — “the District”) previously gave Disney a substantial amount of control over the land it sits on — it worked that way for 50+ years. But now things have changed. In the aftermath of the friction between Disney and Florida Governor Ron Desantis over Disney’s reaction to Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Bill, the Florida legislature and DeSantis signed a bill into law that was going to dissolve RCID in June of 2023. Plans later changed and while the District itself has continued, it now has a new Board appointed by the Governor (not voted in by Disney) and is subject to new rules. But that’s not the end of the story.
The drama surrounding Disney World’s Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID) and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis might come to a head soon.
Reedy Creek
Earlier this week, a spokesperson for Gov. DeSantis indicated that he is expecting the Florida legislature will hold a special session next week regarding the “proposed state takeover” of the RCID. Now, we have the confirmed date for this special session. [Read more…]
If you’ve been in tune with Disney World news in the past few months, then you probably know about the Reedy Creek Improvement District saga.
©WFTV 9
For many years, Disney World has had its own government, known as the Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID), but in 2022 after a feud with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, the governor made a move to dissolve the district. Since then, we’ve been watching to see what comes next for Disney, and now we’ve got an update.
It’s the season of change for The Walt Disney Company, and since it was announced that Bob Iger would be taking over as CEO and Bob Chapek would be stepping down, those changes have only continued.
©Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images
We’ve gotten a glimpse into the thought processes behind the decision, what Iger should do as his first move, what changes he could bring as the newly returned CEO, and more. But one question remains: Will Bob Iger reverse Bob Chapek’s legacy?
Bob Iger recently held his first Town Hall meeting as the newly returned CEO of The Walt Disney Company.
Bob Iger ©New York Post
In the meeting, we learned how Iger felt about the Park Pass Reservation System, that the previously announced hiring freeze would continue, and that no, Disney would not be merging with Apple. Now, it looks like Iger is sharing his thoughts on a few of the controversies that have surrounded the company in recent years.
In 2022, we saw a BIG surge in crowds at Disney World. Disney executives said that the parks were more in demand than ever, and they weren’t wrong. In fact, only recently have we seen a glimpse of the normal ebb and flow of crowds that we’re used to seeing throughout the year.
Crowds
Now that 2023 is here, we’re wondering if this trend will continue or if there will be a drop-off in crowd levels. As popular as Disney World is, we have some very good reasons why crowd levels may drop this year. Let us tell you why.
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.
©WFTV 9
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.
©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.”
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