As the uncertainty over the future of Walt Disney World’s Reedy Creek continues, Gov. Ron DeSantis is expecting there to be a special legislative session next week on the future of Walt Disney World’s Reedy Creek Improvement District.
DeSantis’ Press Secretary released a statement on Tuesday evening confirming that the Florida Governor “anticipates a special session next week on Reedy Creek and other items.”
The Governor’s Press Secretary didn't comment on what the other items would be.
DeSantis is focused on a state-controlled version of the special taxing district currently known as the Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID).
DeSantis has previously said that he wants Disney to pay the debts of the district despite there being no law requiring them to .
Walt Disney World and new CEO Bob Iger have remained largely silent on the issue, issuing no official statements on the crisis facing Reedy Creek Improvement District.
Rumours though, have indicated that Disney are in talks behind the scenes in an effort to retain the majority of the current RCID structure while allowing DeSantis to claim victory over what he see's as a woke culture at Disney.
The Reedy Creek Improvement District is a special purpose district created by state law in May 1967 that gives The Walt Disney Company governmental control over the land in and around its central Florida theme parks.
At the time, the land Walt Disney wanted to build his Kingdom on was little more than uninhabited pasture and swamp, but Orange and Osceola Counties did not have the services or resources needed to bring the project to life, so the state legislature worked with Disney to establish the Reedy Creek Improvement District.
This allowed Disney to get the money and resources needed to build Walt Disney World without constantly going through local governments, and turning the pastures and swamps into what we now know as Walt Disney World Resort.
Through the act, landowners within the district, including Walt Disney World, are solely responsible for paying the cost of providing municipal services. That is, local taxpayers do not have to pay for these services.
The district essentially acts as its own county government and encompasses the cities of Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista.
Disney currently has responsibility for providing municipal services like power, water, roads and fire protection – but are freed from dealing with legal red tape or paying taxes for services that benefited the broader public, until now that is.
