Governor one step closer to victory over ‘Corporate Kingdom’ as Senate votes to make Reedy Creek state-run
- Florida lawmakers on Friday approved legislation on the Reedy Creek district
- Gives DeSantis authority to appoint five supervisors to run the district
- Since 1966, Disney has run the theme-park zone as an independent fiefdom
- But DeSantis sought control after clashing with Disney over its ‘woke’ politics
Florida lawmakers have granted Governor Ron DeSantis effective control of the board that oversees development in and around Walt Disney’s central Florida theme parks.
The new bill, which received final legislative approval Friday, is the latest blow in DeSantis’ war with the Magic Kingdom, which began last year when the company voiced opposition to the state’s so-called ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill.
It gives the governor the authority to appoint five supervisors to run what is now known as the Reedy Creek Improvement District, a quasi-government entity with oversight of the 25,000 acres surrounding the Walt Disney World resort.
The board members will be confirmed by the state’s Republican-controlled Senate, but will have no involvement in the day-to-day operations of the theme parks, which have operated in Disney’s self-governing district since its creation in 1966.
‘Reedy Creek gifted extraordinary special privileges to a single corporation,’ DeSantis’ spokesman Bryan Griffin wrote on Twitter. ‘Until Gov. Ron DeSantis acted, Disney maintained sole control. This amounted to an unaccountable Corporate Kingdom. This is over, and we are beginning a new era of accountability and transparency.’
Disney World is the largest employer in central Florida with close to 75,000 employees, drawing 36.2 million visitors in 2021, according to the Themed Entertainment Association.
The legislature voted last year to dissolve the special district, which for more than a half-century had provided Disney with the autonomy to govern itself, providing such government services as fire protection, water, sewer and waste removal services and infrastructure.
The action, seen as retaliation for Disney’s then-Chief Executive Officer Bob Chapek speaking out against a state law limiting classroom discussion of LGBTQ issues, came with unintended consequences.
Tax experts and legislators warned that eliminating the district in June 2023 would leave county taxpayers liable for nearly $1.2 billion in bond debt.
The new bill preserves the Reedy Creek special district, though within two years it will be renamed Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.
It will have the authority to collect revenue, pay off debt and provide a range of government services. The district is prohibited from operating its own airport or building nuclear power plants.
The legislation also expressly prevents anyone with ties to the theme parks over the past three years from serving on the board.