Recently, a lot has been going on with Disney World’s system of self governance, and something major just happened.
Walt Disney World Resort entrance
The Florida Senate and House recently passed a bill that would dissolve Disney World’s Reedy Creek Improvement District, which essentially allows Disney World to act as its own county, and now, the bill has taken another step forward.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed the bill to dissolve the Reedy Creek Improvement District, according to the Associated Press.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis ©Deadline
The law eliminates the 55-year-old district as well as a few other similar districts in Florida by June of 2023. The districts can be reestablished in the future, though.
The passing of the bill comes after Disney CEO Bob Chapek spoke out against the Florida Parental Rights in Education Act, which critics call the “Don’t Say Gay Bill.”
Magic Kingdom
The bill started as just an idea from a Florida representative. Then it eventually gained the support Governor DeSantis. This led to it being added to a special legislative session. Then, the Florida Senate and House of Representatives passed the bill, sending it to the desk of the Governor to be signed.
©Fox10 News | Florida Governor Ron DeSantis
The bill says in part that “any independent special district established by a special act prior to the date of ratification of the Florida Constitution on November 5, 1968, and which was not reestablished, re-ratified, or otherwise reconstituted by a special act or general law after November 5, 1968, is dissolved effective June 1, 2023.”
The Reedy Creek Improvement District was established in 1967, so it qualifies as a district that will be dissolved.
Cinderella Castle
The Reedy Creek Improvement District essentially allows Disney World to act as its own county, making key decisions and governing the land it operates on in Disney World. Reedy Creek can establish its own building regulations and provides certain services to Disney World, like emergency services.
When the Reedy Creek Improvement District is dissolved, control over 40+ square miles of land owned by Walt Disney World should go back to the two counties the land is in — Orange and Osceola. The counties will then have to provide emergency services and more to the area Reedy Creek currently services.
Reedy Creek Fire Department ©Reedy Creek
But, the counties would have to provide these emergency services with the same amount of tax money they have now.
As Dr. James Clark, a political analyst and senior lecturer in the University of Central Florida Department of History, explained to us, Disney’s special district of government doesn’t exempt them from paying property taxes, so these counties will now have to pay for these services without any real expanded income.
EPCOT
Disney is Central Florida’s largest taxpayer, paying nearly $300 million per year in property taxes to Orange and Osceola counties, as well as about $250 million in other state taxes. Since establishing the Reedy Creek Improvement District 55 years ago, Disney has built its own roads and infrastructure throughout their resort with their own money.
Disney World Main Entrance
To learn more about how this change could impact local residents, click here.
Click here to read more about how this could impact local residents
This change could also impact how Disney gets approval to build certain projects, because now it will have to seek approval from the local governments. In short, as Political analyst Jim Clark once said, the repeal could “be a disaster for Disney.”
EPCOT
To find out more about how this bill could impact Disney World and others, check out our posts below:
- The Single Change That Could Equal Disaster for Disney World
- BREAKING: Threat Against Disney World’s Self Governance Becomes More Real
- Analysts Say Florida Stripping Disney World’s Power Could Cost Residents and Counties
- Lawmaker Calls Reedy Creek Vote a Smokescreen in Tallahassee
Stay tuned to DFB for more Disney World news and updates.
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As Sea World and Universal don’t have special districts like the RCID, this seems quite reasonable.
Following
Disney Corp has no business getting political. Your sole purpose is to entertain and take your comsumers mind out of the real world so they may recharge and relax.
Corporations have the same 1st Amendment rights as individuals when it comes to free speech. The government cannot take something away from me or you just because we say something it doesn’t like as long as it’s protected speech.
Don’t back down Disney. The one with the biggest megaphone doesn’t always win.
Resubscribing to Dis+ and renewing wife and I’s AP when the time comes.