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Credit: ITM Over the last few months, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has made it very clear that he wants the government to take over the Reedy Creek Improvement District, the special ruling that allows Disney to act as its own form of government.
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This desire to strip Disney of its self-governing status stems from The Walt Disney Company’s stance on Florida’s controversial Parental Rights bill, more commonly referred to as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
Reedy Creek is overseen by a Board of Supervisors, with five members on the board. Disney, as the primary landowner, can select who sits on the board. Additionally, this district is comprised of Disney World and surrounding areas. It has the power of a county government entity, and it can levy taxes, issue tax-free bonds, oversee the use of land and environmental protections, as well as provide necessary public services, such as fire department and police.
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We just learned that Florida Legislators had filed a new bill that would allow the state to take over Disney’s Reedy Creek. As we said, this comes nearly a year after Disney’s original statement regarding the bill, a statement that drew a lot of criticism from both fans and opponents of Disney.
Disney has now responded to this new bill, with Walt Disney World President Jeff Vahle issuing the following statement:
“We are monitoring the progression of the draft legislation, which is complex given the long history of the Reedy Creek Improvement District. Disney works under a number of different models and jurisdictions around the world, and regardless of the outcome, we remain committed to providing the highest quality experience for the millions of guests who visit each year.”
Only time will tell what actually comes from this, but at the moment, it’s looking like Florida will, in fact, takeover Disney’s special district.
It was originally planned for Reedy Creek Improvement District to be dissolved entirely, but the bill filed earlier Monday morning details more of an overhaul rather than total dissolution.
Stay tuned here at Inside the Magic for more updates as they become available.