Disney World firefighters speak out against DeSantis' CFTOD stripping employees and retirees of their Disney annual pass benefits

Aug 23, 2023 in "Reedy Creek Improvement District"

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Posted: Wednesday August 23, 2023 10:00am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Firefighters at Walt Disney World are speaking out this morning against Central Florida Tourism Oversight District plans to strip employees and retirees of their Walt Disney World Annual Pass benefits.

Reedy Creek Improvement District overview

Earlier this week, CFTOD CEO Glen Gilzean announced that the district will immediately suspend Walt Disney World Annual Pass benefits to its employees, including firefighters.

One firefighter speaking in the public comments of today's board meeting said, "This benefit is intangible and generational. We have retirees, some of them here today, that work their entire careers and work and earn this benefit for the rest of their lives. This allows me to bring my children to the parks and eventually my grandchildren." He continued, "When the district changed hands last year, we were told that our jobs and our benefits were safe."

Another Firefighter said, "It seems that this current board is doing everything possible to dismantle what has already been agreed upon for the current employees. And the what was earned by the retirees."

In response, CFTOD chairman Martin Garcia said that the Walt Disney World annual pass benefit was unfair to other taxpayers in the district and that the board would pay employees $1425 instead of the Disney passes. He admitted that some employees may be better off on the new scheme, and others with large families who used the passes, will be worse off.

According to the CFTOD, Disney's latest bill was for almost $500,000 to cover tickets used by Reedy Creek Improvement District employees in Q1 FY2022.

Theme park benefits are common among many organizations in the Central Florida area, with Disney providing group rates and other discounts for employers to make access to the parks a perk of their employment.

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castlecake2.07 days ago

Yes

Stripes7 days ago

Has Disney/CFTOD continued to replace the purple direction signage with the new blue color scheme since CFTOD took over?

mkt7 days ago

You're right. The new document will be different. It will be "different" in the way that Chris Gaines was "different" from Garth Brooks or how the drummer from Nirvana is "different" from the singer of the Foo Fighters.

Unbanshee7 days ago

Both are effectively picked by the Governor, just not technically. Look no further than the communications "strategy" with the replacement of Gilzean of the Governor's office getting out ahead of every single step of the process

lazyboy97o7 days ago

The settlement acknowledged the “need” to change the comprehensive plan, which undermines this idea. So too does the lack of an agreement, as the 2032 Comprehensive Plan wasn’t that different than the again in force 2020 Comprehensive Plan.

Brian7 days ago

That's understandable for sure. I just felt inclined to make the distinction due to the ongoing conversation, as the district administrator is selected by the board, while the board is selected by the governor.

mkt7 days ago

The new agreement will be functionally the same as the one Disney was sued over.

pdude817 days ago

You're right. This has been going on so long I just lumped all the antagonists together.

Brian7 days ago

Not to nitpick, but Gilzean was district administrator, not a board member.

pdude818 days ago

A bigger risk than keeping Garcia and Gilzean on the board as active disruptors? I don't agree with their decision to stall the federal lawsuit, but I understand why they saw the status quo as a risk to growth over the next few years.

lazyboy97o8 days ago

You don’t think dropping your bargaining power in the middle is the best strategy in a negotiation?

flynnibus8 days ago

Again… we know nothing except both sides have shown signs of positive attitude and certainty of successful outcomes. What does that mean? None if us know. All we can speculate is… they know a lot more than they have said publicly… and obvious things like "desantis is not perpetual…" were clearly obvious to them when they made these choices.

UNCgolf8 days ago

That seems wildly optimistic.

flynnibus8 days ago

“Right now…” Yes, we all know this. But again, we don’t know what back room deal they have setup. Who knows… it could even include new legislation promises… Or Disney is just rolling with the hand they are dealt… maybe they have accepted that the time to sunset their advantages of rcid is here… none of us can tell what their true intentions are right now.