Florida Legislators file bill to restructure Disney's Reedy Creek Improvement District

Feb 06, 2023 in "The Walt Disney Company"

Posted: Monday February 6, 2023 2:00pm ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

The bill to radically change the structure of Disney's Reedy Creek Improvement District has now been filed with the Florida House of Representatives.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has previously said that the legislation will result in Reedy Creek board members being appointed by the Florida Governor and Disney paying upwards of $700 million in Reedy Creek debt.

Notably, the bill says that the following are ineligible to part of the Reedy Creek board - "Any person who, within the past 3 years, has been an officer, owner, director, employee, agent, contractor, or subcontractor of, or has had a contractual relationship with a business entity that owns or operates a theme park or entertainment complex."

Reedy Creek Improvement District, Orange and Osceola Counties: Reenacting, amending & repealing chapter 67-764, Laws of Florida, relating to district; provides for continuation of authority for revenue collection & powers to meet outstanding obligations; renames district; provides boundaries; revises manner of selection of board of supervisors; provides term limits; revises board member compensation; revises powers of board; revises powers of district; provides for transition; provides for continued effect of stipulation between district & Orange County; provides exception to general law.

Effective Date: upon becoming a law
Last Event: Filed on Monday, February 6, 2023 1:41 PM

You can read the full text of the 189 page Reedy Creek bill here.

The action by DeSantis comes in retaliation to Disney's public opposition to the parental rights law, which took place under the ex-CEO Bob Chapek.

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GimpYancIent22 minutes ago

The only people that walk away with anything tangible from this legal squabble are the attorneys.

flynnibus31 minutes ago

But he’s the one who keeps speaking his as fact - not opinion

MandaM1 hour ago

It’s not about interpretation. The poster claimed that DeSantis said things he did not. That’s a matter of fact. At no time did he ever say he was willing to settle.

Stripes5 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.

Bullseye19675 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.

GoneViral5 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!

Bullseye19675 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.

GoneViral6 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!

GoneViral6 hours ago

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

Tom P.6 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'sParents6 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.

Chi849 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.

WoundedDreamer9 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.

Dcgc289 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.