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About Central Florida Tourism Oversight District

Central Florida Tourism Oversight District formerly known as, Reedy Creek Improvement District (the “District”) is a local government entity, created in 1967 by a special Act of the Florida Legislature, the purpose of which is to support and administer certain aspects of the economic development and tourism within District boundaries. In April of 2022, Governor Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 4-C into Law to dissolve Reedy Creek Improvement District effective June 1st 2023. In February of 2023, Governor DeSantis signed House Bill 9-B establishing a new state appointed board renaming RCID to Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.  With an administration office located on Hotel Plaza Boulevard in Lake Buena Vista, the District encompasses approximately 25,000 acres in both Orange and Osceola counties, servicing 24 landowners, including Walt Disney Co. and its wholly-owned affiliates.

Click here to view the District Charter

The District is responsible to oversee land use and environmental protections within the District, and provide essential public services ( e.g.  fire protection, emergency medical services, potable water production, treatment, storage, pumping & distribution, reclaimed water distribution, chilled water systems, wastewater services, drainage and flood control, electric power generation & distribution, and solid waste and recyclables collection & disposal) and operate and maintain all public roadways & bridges.  The District operates on a fiscal year, beginning on October 1 st  and ending on September 30 th ; and funds its operations, services, and capital improvements by assessing taxes and fees to the landowners and lessees, within the District, and by issuing ad valorem and utility revenue bonds.

Click here for a map of the District boundaries

SERVICING the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District & OTHER AREAS

One of the busiest places in America, the District’s boundaries include:  4 theme parks, 2 water parks, 1 sports complex, 179 lane miles of roadway, 67 miles of waterway, the cities of Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, an environmental science laboratory where the continuity of water quality is monitored, an electric power-generating & distribution facility, a natural gas distribution system, a chilled water distribution system, water and wastewater collection & treatment facilities, a solid waste and recyclables collection & transfer system, plus over 40,000 hotel rooms and 100’s of restaurants and retail stores.

The District is governed by a five-member Board of Supervisors, appointed by the Governor. Their goal is to support the economic viability of all venues and businesses within the District, while never sacrificing Central Florida’s remarkable wildlife and ecological environment.  Through the creation and effective operation of the District, 38.5 square miles of remote and largely uninhabited pasture and swamp land was developed into a world-class tourist destination that welcomes millions of visitors every year.

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Board of Supervisors Meeting Agenda Link to CFTOD YouTube Channel…

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These are the 5 people Gov. DeSantis appointed to former Reedy Creek district’s board

Members subject to confirmation by florida senate before entering into office.

Anthony Talcott , Digital Journalist

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – On Monday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced his appointment of five members to the new Central Florida Tourism Oversight District — formerly the Reedy Creek Improvement District.

State lawmakers passed a bill earlier this month that renamed the Reedy Creek district after state officials sought to take authority away from the Walt Disney Company, which previously owned and operated the district.

The newly dubbed Central Florida Tourism Oversight District features a governing body with members appointed by DeSantis and confirmed by the state Senate.

Since then, the following five members have been appointed to the board, according to a release on Monday by DeSantis’ press office.

[TRENDING: Woman runs into record books, beats entire field at Disney Princess Half Marathon | US Supreme Court denies Crosley Green’s petition in murder case | Become a News 6 Insider ]

Martin Garcia

Garcia has previously served as a partner in two law firms, as well as owned and operated his own private equity investment firm while serving on the board of a NASDAQ and three New York Stock Exchange companies, the release says.

DeSantis announced during a news conference on Monday that Garcia would be appointed as the chairman of the board.

Bridget Ziegler

According to the press office, Ziegler has served on the Sarasota School Board and acted as the director of school board programs at The Leadership Institute, a grassroots nonprofit that focuses on teaching conservatives how to succeed in politics, government and media. Also a cofounder of Moms for Liberty.

Ziegler has had more than a decade of experience in commercial insurance, working with two of the largest global risk and insurance brokerage firms, the release shows.

Brian Aungst, Jr.

Aungst has been an attorney and shareholder that the Macfarlane Ferguson & McMullen law firm alliance, the release states.

Press office officials said that Aungst has also previously served as the chairman of the Pinellas County Commission Redistricting Committee, and he has a growing land-use law practice that has gotten approval for hotels, condominiums, affordable housing developments and the redevelopment of the Clearwater Marine Aquarium.

Michael Sasso

Sasso has acted as the managing partner of Sasso & Sasso law firm in Winter Park, which focuses on election law and business litigation, press office officials announced.

In addition, Sasso was appointed to the Ninth Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission and soon after elected as the commission’s chair. He now serves on the Sixth District Court of Appeal Judicial Nominating Commission, the Public Employees Relations Commission and as a trustee of Valencia State College, officials revealed.

Peri is the chairman and CEO of The Gathering USA, an outreach Christian ministry that offers men tools for worship and faith-based guidance.

According to state officials, Peri was also the founder, chairman and CEO of Radixx International, Inc., an airline software company. Prior to that, he served as the vice president and chief technology officer of AirTran Airways, officials said.

While the appointments were announced on Monday, the selected members are still subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate before they can enter into office.

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About the Author

Anthony talcott.

Anthony, a graduate of the University of Florida, joined ClickOrlando.com in April 2022.

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Tourism | guilty: trump becomes first former u.s. president convicted of felony crimes, subscriber only, tourism | disney plan calls for investing up to $17b in orlando, desantis-backed district says.

The district’s board will take up the plan on Wednesday, addressing a key source of contention between Gov. Ron DeSantis and Disney.

“With Walt Disney World’s substantial investments, we anticipate economic growth, job creation, and support for local businesses, alongside environmental stewardship and workforce housing initiatives, benefitting Central Florida’s community,” Stephanie Kopelousos, administrator of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, said in a prepared statement.

In the 15-year agreement, Disney pledges to fund at least $10 million in affordable housing projects and create a local business hiring program that would award a minimum of 50% of the value of all construction work to Florida-based businesses.

District officials say they have agreed to continue providing infrastructure to support Disney’s growth. Both parties would have to consent to changes to the plan, according to the district.

Disney did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

The agreement covers about 17,300 acres owned by Disney, according to a legal announcement. It authorizes a maximum of five major theme parks, one more than Disney operates in Central Florida now. Company officials have not announced a fifth theme park.

It also allows a maximum of five minor theme parks, such as a water park, nearly 1.3 million square feet of office space, 1.7 million square feet of restaurant/retail space and 53,467 hotel rooms.

The proposed plan comes after Disney and the district agreed in March to settle a lawsuit in state court over development issues.

The settlement said development agreements and covenants approved by a Disney-friendly board shortly before a state takeover in February 2023 are null and void.

The district agreed to “consult with Disney” while reviewing and amending a 2020 plan, according to the settlement.

Disney recently announced it will invest $60 billion into its cruise lines and theme parks around the world, setting off speculation that the entertainment giant could be eyeing a fifth Orlando theme park. Disney’s competitor, Universal Orlando, is set to open a new theme park, Epic Universe, in 2025.

After the settlement, both sides signaled they were ready to work together on economic development.

The proposed plan seems to be a positive for Central Florida, said Richard Foglesong, a Rollins College professor and author of the book “Married to the Mouse” on Disney World’s origin story.

“We’re possibly seeing CFTOD [Central Florida Tourism Oversight District] starting to do what they’re supposed to do: building things, not just complaining about things,” he said. “Central Florida will be better off for it.”

State Sen. Linda Stewart, a critic of the district, said her concerns have lessened as of late, and the development agreement appears to be another sign of improved relations between Disney and state officials.

“Things have been a little smoother over there,” the Orlando Democrat said. “The board hasn’t decided on their own without consultation we are doing this and that. That’s not what is happening now. There is more cooperation.”

The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District has played a starring role in DeSantis’ nationally watched battle with Disney. Formerly known as the Reedy Creek Improvement District, Disney used it for decades to effectively self-govern its Central Florida theme parks and resorts. A 1967 arrangement allowed Disney to elect the district’s five-member board, giving it control.

The Disney-DeSantis feud started in 2022 when the company opposed what critics called the “don’t say gay” law, which limited classroom instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation.

DeSantis attacked Disney as a “woke” corporation and vowed to end what he called “special privileges” the company enjoyed in Florida. Disney vowed to work to get the law overturned and paused its political giving in Florida.

Last year, the Legislature upended that arrangement and gave the governor the power to appoint the district’s board members. In February 2023, DeSantis replaced Disney loyalists on the board with Republican allies.

When the new DeSantis-aligned board members took over, they discovered their predecessors had approved agreements and covenants limiting the new board’s authority over development. That sparked a power struggle and led to the lawsuit seeking to undo the agreements.

A separate lawsuit filed by Disney against DeSantis and state officials is pending in federal court. Disney asked an appeals court for a delay in that case to “facilitate” negotiations.

The deadline to file an opening brief was pushed back from April 17 to June 17.

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DeSantis District Limits Disney World Developments for the Next 10 Years

in Disney Parks , Walt Disney World

A new agreement has been made between Disney and the state of Florida.

Related: Disney Clears Theme Park Entirely, Beloved Offering Axed Effective Immediately

Walt Disney World and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD) have reached a new agreement regarding development plans for the next 10 years at the Florida resort. This new agreement sets limits on Disney World’s developments over the next decade and encompasses over 17,000 acres.

Per a filing in the  Orlando Sentinel, the development was redrawn as part of the settlement reached between Disney and the CFTOD. Under this agreement, the CFTOD will drop its own development plans and partner with Disney to draft all future projects.

Related: Disney Shares Update After EPCOT Location’s Permanent Closure

To briefly recap, in 2022, it was revealed that The Walt Disney Company backhandedly supported Florida’s controversial Parental Rights in Education Act , or as it is more commonly known, the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. This legislation prohibits instruction about sexuality and gender at school for all minors between kindergarten and third grade.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis championed this bill, claiming gender orientation and LGBTQ+ education had no place in public schools.

In recent years, Disney has made great efforts to be as welcoming and supportive to all people groups as possible, but the fact that the company supported sponsors of this bill seemed to conflict with Disney’s inclusivity efforts.

As a result, The Walt Disney Company faced a mountain of controversy and backlash. This continued for quite some time until former Disney CEO Bob Chapek issued a statement, one that would prove to be just as controversial.

Disney publicly denounced this new bill entirely, prompting outrage from Republicans, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who threatened Disney with legal action. DeSantis attacked Disney from every angle, threatening to kick Walt Disney World out of Florida and strip Disney of its special protections.

DeSantis also threatened to raise hotel taxes, alter the resort’s Monorail systems, and build a new state prison right next to the Walt Disney World Resort . Eventually, DeSantis and the state of Florida were successful, with Disney losing control of its Reedy Creek Improvement District, a special ruling that had allowed the theme park resort to act as its own form of limited government for decades.

The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District was formed, with DeSantis hand-picking department heads and chiefs to control what Disney could and could not do. This marked a massive shift for Disney and was one of the most high-profile battles the company had ever seen.

Related: Disney Shares First Look Inside Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Weeks Early

Today’s new agreement lists limitations on how much the Walt Disney World Resort can expand over the next 10 years. In the agreement, Disney World is limited to a total of 54,467 hotel rooms, 1,732,887 square feet of retail and restaurant space, and 1,258,564 square feet of office space.

The new agreement also includes details regarding theme park development, limiting Disney to five “major” theme parks and five “minor” theme parks. While this may look exciting on paper, it does not mean that The Walt Disney Company is currently planning on opening a fifth theme park. It simply means that Disney could  build a fifth theme park in the next ten years, as allowed by the CFTOD.

This new development agreement will be presented for a reading after this summer on June 5 during a Board of Supervisors meeting.

Stay tuned here for all future Walt Disney World news updates. 

Over 30 Employees Leave DeSantis' Central Florida Tourism Oversight District Due to 'Toxic Workplace,' 'Bridge Burning,' and 'Incompetent' Leadership

M ore than 30 employees have resigned from Governor Ron DeSantis’ Central Florida Tourism Oversight District due to an “uncomfortable,” “stressful,” and “toxic” work environment, according to a report by Jason Garcia for Seeking Rents . Garcia interviewed former employees and obtained several exit surveys that paint a bleak picture of the behind-the-scenes operations of the current District.

Employees Leaving CFTOD in Droves

Governor DeSantis took control of what was previously known as the Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID) after The Walt Disney Company publicly denounced the controversial Parental Rights in Education law, colloquially called the “Don’t Say Gay” law, which suppresses classroom instruction and discussion about sexual orientation and gender identity. RCID became the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD) with a new board of supervisors appointed by DeSantis.

In the nine months since Governor DeSantis took control, more than 30 employees with a combined 350 years of experience have quit. These employees include nearly half of the RCID senior leadership team, District Administrator John Classe , the chief financial officer, building official, district clerk, and Fire Department Chief Richard LePere . Public works, procurement, and facilities department heads are gone, as well as key managers who were involved with employee training, fleet maintenance, and fisheries management.

“It is a toxic workplace right now,” Eulabel Vargas Maldonado said in an interview with Garcia. Maldonado was an accountant with RCID for almost three years before quitting in September.

Exit surveys obtained by Seeking Rents in a public records request say things like, “Since the new board has been in place and John Classe has been replaced, the morale and overall feeling of the district has taken a turn. Not a good one.” That survey by a former executive assistant goes on to say, “The legacy of this special district is being destroyed by those who have been placed in power here,” and adds that the Board and new District Administrator Glen Gilzean are “bridge burning” rather than bridge building.

Another exit survey reads, “With the departure of more than 3 dozen employees the district is no longer functional. Honesty and integrity are core values that no longer exist in the district.”

A former manager who worked with Reedy Creek for more than 30 years wrote that the Board of Supervisors “show a severe lack of trust for employees” and made his work “uncomfortable,” “stressful,” and “demoralizing.”

A manager who spent more than 20 years with the District said that the transition has been “very negative.”

A department director called the new leadership “unqualified and incompetent.”

Some former employees note their good experiences with RCID before it became CFTOD. “My experience with RCID was amazing,” writes one employee. “This has been the best place to work. There was an amazing culture and you could see the employees really, really happy. This changed when the new board and administration was appointed.”

The Board of Supervisors appointed by Governor DeSantis includes chairman Martin Garcia, vice chair Charbel Barakat, Briant Aungst Jr., Ron Peri, and Bridget Ziegler. Peri made headlines upon his appointment after CNN KFile uncovered him calling homosexuality “evil” and claiming it was caused by tap water . Ziegler is a co-founder of the right-wing Moms for Liberty.

District Administrator Glen Gilzean, Jr. replaced John Classe. DeSantis had appointed Gilzean to the Florida Commission on Ethics in 2019, then again in 2020 and in 2022. Gilzean remained a chairperson of the ethics commission after he was hired as District Administrator — until it was discovered having both positions violated the rules of the commission . He ultimately resigned from the Florida Commission on Ethics , choosing to keep his District salary of $400,000 per year.

Other new hires include Chief of Staff Paula Hoisington, who previously worked with Gilzean on the Central Florida Urban League and was a member of DeSantis’ transition team when he was elected governor in 2018. Ronald “Rocky” Hagg was hired as Gilzean’s executive assistant. He was previously the legislative aide to Representative Fred Hawkins (R-St. Cloud), who sponsored the legislation for DeSantis to take over the District. DeSantis recently positioned Hawkins as president of South Florida State College. New Director of External Affairs Brandy Brown was previously the director of strategic initiatives for Governor DeSantis.

The District has also contracted various DeSantis allies. We recently shared news of the District making a deal with Freddie Figgers for a new system to improve 911 calls. Figgers is another DeSantis appointee to the Florida Commission on Ethics.

In March, the Board hired a law firm whose partners include Adam Laxalt — DeSantis’ former roommate and chair of the Never Back Down Super PAC, which supports DeSantis’ presidential campaign. The Board also contracted Leonard Leo’s Tallahassee firm. Leo, a Federalist Society organizer, has previously advised DeSantis on judicial appointments.

No CFTOD leaders responded to Seeking Rent’s request for comment.

The District replaced the Walt Disney World Annual Pass benefit for their employees with an annual stipend , calling the benefits a “scheme” and “handouts.” District firefighters said the decision was a “low blow” against them.

According to Jason Garcia, the District recently posted five job openings on LinkedIn for its facilities department. Current openings are for an elevator inspector and construction project manager .

Garcia writes that Reedy Creek “used to be the best-run government in central Florida,” citing his experience attending Reedy Creek board meetings when reporting on Disney for the Orlando Sentinel.

“There was plenty that was problematic about the old Reedy Creek,” Garcia writes, “which was essentially a one-of-its-kind economic development incentive that Walt Disney himself demanded from the state of Florida. […] But Reedy Creek also did its job really well. Though Disney dictated their elections, board members still scrutinized projects in greater detail and asked deeper and more probing questions than the vast majority of city councilors, county commissioners and state legislators I’ve covered over the years.”

Garcia points out just how much people loved working at RCID.

“This was the best place I’d ever worked,” Maldonado told him. But “things were getting worse as the months passed by.” She added that leaving “made me sad.”

For the latest Disney Parks news and info, follow WDW News Today on  Twitter ,  Facebook , and  Instagram .

The post Over 30 Employees Leave DeSantis’ Central Florida Tourism Oversight District Due to ‘Toxic Workplace,’ ‘Bridge Burning,’ and ‘Incompetent’ Leadership appeared first on WDW News Today .

Central Florida Tourism Oversight District vs. Disney World

The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD) board members who were appointed by Governor DeSantis announced they’ll be suing Walt Disney World. This post covers developments from today’s meeting of the CFTOD that authorized this litigation, how it differs from Disney’s lawsuit filed last week, and more.

To quickly bring you up to speed, the new CFTOD board asserted that Development Agreements between Disney and Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID), which made national news for use of the “King Charles Clause” and other fanciful expressions, rendered them powerless to offer any oversight over Walt Disney World’s tourist district, effectively undermining their very name.

CFTOD has repeatedly called these eleventh-hour, last-minute, or clandestine covenants that were made unlawfully. It is worth noting that RCID gave public notice of the Development Agreements twice, in January and February 2023, and openly discussed them at two different public board meetings, both of which offered periods for public comment. CFTOD and the governor have also categorized the agreements as being a subversion of the will of Florida voters on countless occasions. However, “should the state get in a costly legal battle with its biggest employer and tourism engine, y/n?” was not a question on Florida’s midterm election ballot.

Fast-forward to last week at the normal meeting of the CFTOD, which which the new district’s Board of Supervisors declared that the Development Agreement and Declaration of Restrictive Covenants entered into by and between the (former) Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID) and Walt Disney Parks & Resorts was void and unenforceable. Consider this analogous to yelling “ I DECLARE BANKRUPTCY ”  on the floor of your office. Just because you loudly and forcefully proclaim it, doesn’t make it legally so.

Anticipating precisely this move, the company had a complaint ready to go, and Walt Disney World sued Governor DeSantis and the CFTOD board members in their official capacities in federal court within a few hours. In response to that, the CFTOD called a meeting for May 1, 2023 to discuss a single agenda item: “board discussion and direction to litigation counsel and authorization to defend District officials sued in official capacities.”

The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District meeting started out amusingly enough, with a public commenter who is a Disney Vacation Club member and, to put it bluntly, was mad as hell . He tore into the board, letting them know he always wanted to retire to the great and free state of Florida, that he was for DeSantis as president “until he started this stupid war” that is “destroying us.”

The commenter offered praise for Walt Disney World’s management of its property and infrastructure, asserting that roadways and landscaping on-property are exceptional as compared to the rest of Florida. He contended that DeSantis and the CFTOD have overstepped. “Raising taxes to pay for your defense is wrong; if you take any of our money, it’s wrong. You’re spending our money? You’re taxing us?!” He called on the CFTOD board to resign, stop, or starting doing what’s in the best interest of the district, not what’s in the best interest of the governor.

This follows last week’s meeting, when board chairmain Martin Garcia told Disney Springs business owners that the board would need to raise taxes to pay legal fees. Those Disney Springs operating participants had pleaded with the CFTOD to de-escalate due to their actions also harming them–many of whom are small business owners. Garcia saying the board would need to raise taxes occurred before any lawsuits had been filed. (It’ll be interesting to see if the CFTOD “loses” the firefighters–the one group that had supported them on the promise of pay raises and more resources.)

Following comments, the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board voted unanimously to sue Walt Disney World in Central Florida state court. Garcia attempted to justify the move by saying that the board “has no choice now but to respond” since the Walt Disney Company sued them. He went on to say that the CFTOD plans to “seek justice in our own backyard” where both they and Walt Disney World reside.

Garcia also stated what the new CFTOD board has achieved in its short time since taking over from the Reedy Creek Improvement District. The veritable laundry list of achievements related to reviewing documents, hiring lawyers, consultants, and engaging others to fight Disney. To their credit, these are mostly things that RCID never managed to “accomplish.”

He also claimed that the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board is modernizing Walt Disney World. “Disney sued this board to stop us from improving the district and its operations. Disney is asking a federal court in Tallahassee to turn back the hands of time to 1967, but this board is instead bringing the district into the 21st century.” I’m surprised they didn’t take credit for TRON Lightcycle Run finally opening, because  why not?

Before turning to commentary, the key distinction here is that Disney filed its lawsuit in the Northern District of Florida federal court, as opposed to state court. The simple explanation for why the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board is filing its own lawsuit against Walt Disney World–instead of answering the existing suit and making counterclaims–is because state court in Central Florida has a higher likelihood of a favorable outcome for the board, governor, and their allies.

In offering his reaction to the lawsuit last week, Governor DeSantis hinted at this. “I don’t think the suit has merit. I think it’s political. I think they filed in Tallahassee for a reason, because they’re trying to generate some district court decision, but we’re very confident on the law. The days of putting one company on a pedestal with no accountability are over in the state of Florida.”

DeSantis’s remark about filing in Tallahassee for a reason is a reference to the complaint being filed in the Northern District of Florida, where the case has been assigned to Chief U.S. District Judge Mark E. Walker. This draw sets the company up for success, as Walker has extensive experience with First Amendment cases and his recent rulings suggest a high likelihood of success for Disney.

In striking down key provisions of Florida’s Individual Freedom Act, Judge Walker called the state’s approach “positively dystopian” and invoked Stranger Things  in (mind)flaying the law. “In the popular television series Stranger Things , the ‘upside down’ describes a parallel dimension containing a distorted version of our world. See Stranger Things (Netflix 2022). Recently, Florida has seemed like a First Amendment upside down.” That was the opening salvo to Walker’s 44-page opinion .

“Normally, the First Amendment bars the state from burdening speech, while private actors may burden speech freely. But in Florida, the First Amendment apparently bars private actors from burdening speech, while the state may burden speech freely.” The remainder of the opinion is a potential partial sneak peek at Walker’s ruling on Disney’s First Amendment claims.

It may thus appear to make sense for the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board to forum shop to find a more friendly judge and secure a more favorable decision. But it doesn’t work like that. The outcome of the federal case will preempt the outcome of the state case, effectively superseding or rendering moot the state court decision. It will be a hollow victory, totally meaningless in the bigger picture.

So why bother wasting (taxpayer) money to file a separate suit in state court? For like the thousandth time, this is wholly a matter of political theater. The show where everything’s made up and the points don’t matter.  My guess is that the CFTOD board figures it has a good shot at winning in state court while the federal case is still pending. Politicians and board members will then tout that dubious decision while declaring “victory” and “Florida beating the California company” and whatnot during television appearances in the immediate aftermath of the case.

In today’s news cycle, being first is often more important than being accurate, so headlines about the board and governor winning could carry a certain amount of weight when it comes to public opinion, fundraising, poll numbers, etc. All of that is what matters most to them. The goal here is not governance, it’s “owning” the opposition in the culture wars.

If and when the federal case is decided in Disney’s favor, the CFTOD can still point to the state court win in public, and offer that as the basis for arguing they’ll prevail in front of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. (Of course, all of this presupposes that the CFTOD will actually win in state court, and that Disney will win before Judge Walker.)

Regardless of the legal outcomes, through the prism of political theater, an early win here could be “important” for the governor. Other Republicans have started distancing themselves from DeSantis on this issue, or smelling blood in the water ( several 2024 candidates who have commented thus far ). Our commentary on two different past posts ( here  and  here ) largely revolved around that angle of the battle, questioning whether DeSantis has overplayed his hand, or made a miscalculation in continuing to push this once Iger returned. As always, it’ll be interesting to see how it plays out from here.

Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our  Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews  page. For where to eat, read our  Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews . To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our  Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets  post. Our  What to Pack for Disney Trips  post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our  Walt Disney World Ride Guides  will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our  Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide  for everything you need to know!

YOUR THOUGHTS

Thoughts on the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District suing Walt Disney World in state court in Central Florida? Think it’s a savvy move, or a waste of tax dollars that could be better spent elsewhere? Any other reactions to the latest season of the RCID/CFTOD drama? Hope this escalating battle starts to de-escalate soon so we can focus again on the fun of the parks? Keep the comments civil, and avoid personal attacks or perpetuating pointless culture wars. Respectfully debating the change is totally fine, but don’t attack others or troll for controversy. That’s why Facebook was invented.

Written by Tom Bricker

It’s worthwhile to examine the complaint that the CFTOD has filed. There are many issues with the RCID/Disney development agreement and the procedure with which they tried to implement it. I suspect that the federal case will be stayed until the state case is resolved. If it can be shown that the process by which the development agreement was created is invalid, what standing does Disney have at that point? Legal Mindset on youtube has published many videos which cover this. Of particular interest are his older videos where he explains what he thinks will happen and why. The suit was filed in the Circuit Court of the 9th Judicial Circuit, Orange County, Florida on May 1, 2023 if you want to search it up.

On one side you’ve got a couple of prestigious law firms representing Disney, and analysis on many reputable legal blogs like Harvard Law School attesting for the strength of their case, and on the other a guy using a fake name on YouTube selling access to videos explaining how to get out of DUI charges.

This “attorney’s” twitter says he’s located in Korea, and his youtube videos are titled “pimpcast”. Zero credibility.

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• News / Orlando / The Walt Disney Company / Walt Disney World

Disney Is Probably Spending $17 Billion at Disney World

by David Mumpower · May 29, 2024

Nobody has signed anything official yet, but the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD) will soon meet to debate a new development plan.

Disney fans should pay close attention to that meeting because it might bring tons of joy to tourists.

Central Florida Tourism Oversight District

Disney and the CFTOD have reportedly hammered out a new developer agreement for the next 15-20 years.

Presuming this plan comes to fruition, Disney is probably investing $17 billion in Orlando. Here’s what we know.

How We Got Here

Let’s not relitigate the past couple of years of unpleasantness between Florida officials and Disney.

What matters is that Disney and the CFTOD agreed earlier this year to let bygones be bygones.

Central Florida Tourism oversight district

Disney agreed to drop all its state lawsuits against Florida officials and pause federal litigation.

Meanwhile, Florida removed Glen Gilzean as District Administrator of the CFTOD.

Photo: Florida Voice

Also, longtime Disney critic Martin Garcia left his position as a member of the CFTOD board, and there’s some debate whether the choice was his.

Photo: Orlando Business Journal

In place of Gilzean, the state of Florida hired Stephanie Kopelousos. This seems like a good time to mention that Kopelousos had previously worked as a lobbyist for the Walt Disney Company.

We perceived this hiring as an olive branch from Florida officials to arguably their biggest rainmaker.

Sure enough, we’ve almost gotten whiplash by how quickly the parties have worked together to find common ground.

Disney will not drop its federal lawsuits without a new developer agreement, and the CFTOD knows this.

Photo: Florida Chamber of Commerce

So, the previously acrimonious parties are currently working together on an equitable solution. Until then, the terms have reset to 2020, a time before all this nonsense began.

Thus, we have the same old, same old, for Walt Disney World’s land. However, that situation cannot last forever.

Photo: WESH

So, the parties are currently trying to negotiate a long-term agreement.

The New Agreement

Let’s start by acknowledging that all of this is theoretical until both parties sign on the dotted line.

As such, nothing is set in stone yet, and given the previous tension between the two parties, I’m not taking anything for granted here.

Still, the Orlando Sentinel is reporting that the CFTOD will hear arguments on an updated agreement.

Should this proposal pass, Disney and the CFTOD will have an agreement that covers at least 15 years.

Here are the pertinent details.

Disney will invest $17 billion at Walt Disney World over the next 10 to 20 years.

More importantly, Disney promises to invest $8 billion in capital expenditures over the next decade , an average of $800 million annually.

Emphasizing the point, we’re discussing expenditures at Walt Disney World alone.

Spaceship Earth in EPCOT

This whole turn of events is remarkable, given that Disney has spent the last three years negotiating DisneylandForward with Anaheim officials.

Now, the CFTOD has used that as a baseline to craft its own agreement.

Spaceship Earth

As a reminder, with DisneylandForward, Disneyland Resort guaranteed it would spend a minimum of $1.9 billion over ten years, possibly as much as $2.5 billion.

The new development agreement between Disney and the CFTOD would secure three to four times as much in Orlando.

Another salient point is that Disney officials have indicated they’ll spend $42 billion on theme park expansion.

Depending on how you look at it, this modified agreement would guarantee that somewhere between 19 and 40 percent of that money goes to Disney World alone.

Photo: Disney

And yes, Disney could ostensibly build a fifth theme park with $17 billion.

Again, none of this is guaranteed, and I’m speaking theoretically.

More About the Agreement

EPCOT continues to get new infrastructure.

As part of the proposed 15-year agreement, Disney also promises to spend at least $10 million on affordable housing in Orlando.

In addition, the company will create a local business hiring program that ensures 50 percent of all construction work goes to Florida-based businesses.

CommuniCore Hall at EPCOT

Overall, this agreement would cover about 17,300 acres of Disney World land, and the wording specifically allows for “a maximum of five theme parks.”

Disney obviously hasn’t announced a fifth theme park, but the so-called King Charles III agreement from 2023 also entitled Disney to build a fifth theme park.

This proposal feels like an extension of Disney’s previous legal filing.

As a reminder, the February 2023 agreement was nullified when Florida officials rewrote the rules.

So, if Disney wants a fifth gate, it does need a development agreement that allows for that possibility.

We’re still awaiting clarity on the timeline for the $17 billion in investments, as reporting suggests it could take up to 20 years.

However, the developer agreement, as stated, would last 15 years.

The other noteworthy part of the proposal under consideration is that both parties must consent to any changes to the plan.

That aspect alone allows Disney to control its own fate with the former Reedy Creek land once again.

So, the two parties have not just achieved détente but also appear to have negotiated a long-term settlement that ensures the growth of Walt Disney World.

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