Florida lawmakers have approved a bill to give Florida Governor Ron DeSantis control of Walt Disney World’s special governing district.
The bill, which will now go to DeSantis for signing, would give him the ability to appoint a board to run Disney’s Reedy Creek Improvement District.
Last year, the Florida Senate passed a bill that would dissolve Disney’s special district in the state. The district lets the media and entertainment conglomerate self-govern in its theme park area.
Instead of eliminating the district, the new legislation would give the governor authority over who runs it. It would also rename it the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.
The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District will be run by a five-member board named by DeSantis and confirmed by the state Senate.
Disney will not fight the bill, which passed both houses of the Florida Legislature. Jeff Vahle, the president of Walt Disney World, said in a statement released on Friday (10 February):
“For more than 50 years, the Reedy Creek Improvement District has operated at the highest standards, and we appreciate all that the district has done to help our destination grow and become one of the largest economic contributors and employers in the state.
“We are focused on the future and are ready to work within this new framework and we will continue to innovate, inspire and bring joy to the millions of guests who come to Florida to visit Walt Disney World each year.”
Disney will not fight the legislation
The bid to eliminate the special district came after Disney’s decision to oppose Florida’s controversial ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, formally called the ‘Parental Rights in Education’ bill.
“Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill should never have passed and should never have been signed into law,” the Walt Disney Company said in a statement in March 2022.
The Reedy Creek Improvement District was granted by a state law in 1967.
Images: Disney
