Back in April 2023, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis requested an investigation into the Reedy Creek Improvement District (a special district that managed various government services for Disney World) and The Walt Disney Company amid a public political battle. Over a year later, Florida officials concluded the probe. According to WKMG, the members of the former Reedy Creek Improvement District Board of Supervisors did not break any criminal laws.
Magic Kingdom
The investigation was led by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, which ended the probe “due to a lack of a criminal predicate,” according to a memo obtained by the Orlando Sentinel.
The investigation centered around the Reedy Creek Improvement District’s rules, procedures, internal communication, tax records, and more. Ultimately, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement noted that Disney and the Reedy Creek Improvement District had a close relationship, pointing out a “blurring of the lines” in some cases. For instance, the chief inspector general reported that one attorney worked for Disney and the Reedy Creek Improvement District. Disney also reportedly benefited financially from the district’s purchase of theme park passes, per the Orlando Sentinel. That said, the investigation found that no laws were broken.
Disney World
What prompted this investigation? On February 8th, 2023, The Walt Disney Company and the Reedy Creek Improvement District struck up an agreement that “set in stone” Disney’s developmental rights over the next 30 years. This move came just before Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill attempting to change key aspects of the Reedy Creek Improvement District. Disney’s last-minute development agreement prompted DeSantis allies to criticize the deal, calling the agreements “unusual,” “suspect,” and “unlawful.” A few months later, DeSantis requested an investigation focusing on civil and criminal laws, ethics requirements, and the “involvement of Walt Disney World employees and agents” regarding that development agreement.
©Governor Ron DeSantis Website
After DeSantis became involved in 2023, he replaced the Reedy Creek Improvement District employees with Republican allies. The new Republican-backed board took away Disney discounts and theme park pass perks that were previously given to Reedy Creek employees, such as firefighters and project managers. The new board also changed the name of the Reedy Creek Improvement District to the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.
©Central Florida Tourism Oversight Board Livestream
The political conflict started in 2022 when Disney publicly opposed Florida’s Parental Rights in Education law, known by critics as the “don’t say gay” law, which limits instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in schools. DeSantis then appointed the new Central Florida Tourism Oversight District to take over the Disney-controlled Reedy Creek Improvement District, which eventually resulted in Disney and DeSantis filing lawsuits over the district’s development agreements. The court battles were ultimately settled in 2024.
This latest update signals the end of the political conflict, but we will continue to look for updates.
NEWS: Gov. DeSantis Says He Has “Moved On” from the Disney Conflict
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Such a stupid waste of time and money for Florida taxpayers over the governor not liking Disney’s opinion on a bill which was also a waste of time and money.