Restaurant owners at Walt Disney World voice concerns about threats of raising taxes by the new governing district

Apr 26, 2023 in "Reedy Creek Improvement District"

Posted: Wednesday April 26, 2023 9:52am Et by WDWMAGIC Staff

Third party operating participants spoke at today's Central Florida Tourism Oversight District meeting, voicing concerns about the potential impacts of the new Ron DeSantis board taking over from Reedy Creek Improvement District.


Steve Schussler, who has spent thirty years as an operating participant at Walt Disney World, creating Rainforest Cafe, T-REX, Yak and Yeti, and The BOATHOUSE, spoke first about his concerns of impacts created by the new district.

Gibsons Restaurant Group, a partner with Schussler, said during the meeting that The BOATHOUSE at Disney Springs paid $3.9 million in taxes last year. The group has voiced concerns that talk of raising taxes on business within the district could drastically impact third-party operating participants at Walt Disney World.

Schussler volunteered to act as part of an advisory group to present the viewpoints of businesses operating within the district.

Also speaking at today's meeting was George Miliotes of Wine Bar George. He expressed concerns about the welfare of his 90 employees that depend on his business's success.

Representatives from Splitsville, Homecoming, Everglazed, Basin and EPCOT's Mexico pavilion restaurants also spoke, voicing the same concerns as Schussler and Gibsons, including tax rises and more regulation.

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Stripes2 hours ago

The delay in the federal suit also makes it much more likely that DeSantis will be gone when the ruling is overturned and there won’t be any political willpower to take Disney on again.

Bullseye19672 hours ago

It also happened right before a couple other things. You may want to check your calendar. You do realize those depositions were not that day, but had been postponed a few days previous because of court filings? I love the smell of pixie dust! It is obvious to all that the mouse forced the state of Florida to capitulate on every point and forced them to win on almost everything they wanted. I don't blame Disney for settling because they needed to move on., but as far as what they were looking for in state court, they got a tiny portion. Sometimes you make the best of what you can get.

GoneViral2 hours ago

And that somehow happened the day before they would force the involved parties in the Florida government to testify under oath. What remarkable timing!

Bullseye19672 hours ago

It is his interpretation. Who made you in charge if it is reasonable or not? He agreed you have a difference of opinion. Not taking a side here, and I know your experience, but he is entitled to think what he wants. There are no hard cold facts in this exchange, because none of us know what happened behind the scenes. He took one take from Ronnie's statement and you took another.

GoneViral2 hours ago

These posts are amazing satire! Well done! You take the grifter side whose ethics commissioner got busted for grifting on an ethics violation and act like they're totally clean. Then, you take the side who just opened every document and came back clean. Then, you argue that it's suspicious how clean-cut the good people are, so they must be up to something. I think you're officially ready for your Wrestlemania moment! Tell that goody-goody Codie Rhodes that you're not falling for his nice guy act!

GoneViral2 hours ago

Yes, people are always saying that about...Ron DeSantis?! Seriously, I busted up at this.

Tom P.3 hours ago

Disagree. But I can't to much farther without veering away from the Disney discussion and going straight into politics. Suffice it to say, I think you are wrong.

Batman'sParents3 hours ago

This is spot on. I would also add even that absent TWDC preceeding with the suit that allows for restoration of the original legislation, this settlement is the most realistic to settle the lawsuit. The only ways that RCID gets restored is via an act of the legislature or restoration from the courts. While both shouldn't be ruled out, the first one is highly improbable and has it's own tangled web of issues and the second one, is time consuming. Working out a direct settlement that requires little legislative input with CFTOD and can offer immediate remedies to the district, state, and the TWDC was the most pragamatic path.

Chi845 hours ago

But what you’re proposing isn’t a reasonable interpretation. It’s reading way too much into “Yeah, yeah. No, I would” when asked if he would talk to Iger. The interviewer didn’t ask about or even mention the lawsuit or negotiations in his question.

WoundedDreamer5 hours ago

Yeah, but doesn't that run counter to the "he refuses to talk to Iger" narrative? And what would they talk about? It had to be over a settlement agreement. He was already willing to talk and move forward back in August of 2023. I guess it's a difference in interpretation.

Dcgc285 hours ago

Honestly it’s going to be business as usual moving forward. Florida needs Disney and Disney needs Florida. It was inevitable that it would pass in some sort. The real winners here are the state of Florida and Disney because they’re going to go back to printing money with each other. Oh and I guess the people who lean politically with Desantis. But they only win vicariously. They’re still getting robbed by the state and companies involved in the situation.

Chi845 hours ago

No. Politicians, especially ones who are lawyers, are very good at limiting their answers to only the question asked. He was asked if he had spoken with Iger and said no. He was asked if he would talk to him and he said “Yeah, yeah. No, I would” There’s reasonable no way that answer can be stretched out to become an offer to engage in settlement negotiations regarding the lawsuit. Maybe he meant he would talk to Iger to tell him there’s no way he would ever settle the lawsuit so Disney should just give up.

WoundedDreamer6 hours ago

What would Iger and DeSantis talk about other than a settlement and moving on? It does sound like an awkward phone call, though. 🤔 🤣

WoundedDreamer6 hours ago

You're not wrong about this. I do think of the RCID as having a been a vestigial organ of sorts. At the time it was important to Walt Disney World's success, but as things have evolved it became less important. That doesn't necessarily justify its removal, but I'm optimistic about Disney's ability to navigate things moving forward.