Back in April 2023, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis officially dissolved the Reedy Creek Improvement District. The special district had been around since 1967 and allowed Disney to function as its own form of government. DeSantis and the Republican-led Florida legislature voted to dissolve Reedy Creek after DeSantis and Disney began locking horns in March 2022.
As part of Reedy Creek’s dissolution, the embattled governor announced that the state would also be taking over the inspections of Disney’s most iconic transportation option — the monorail. Prior to the dissolution, Disney was able to have its own inspectors come in and make sure the monorail was operating safely. However, DeSantis said that that would no longer be acceptable, so he would send in state inspectors to do the work.
It’s been eight months, but that promise has finally come to fruition. According to Click Orlando — a local news site — the Florida Department of Transportation has begun the process of regulating the Walt Disney World monorail.
“Being that this is the first time that the State has had oversight, FDOT is doing its due diligence to thoroughly complete the review while ensuring the safety of travelers,” said FDOT District Five Public Information Director Cindi Lane.
FDOT’s Structures Maintenance Office, which inspects hundreds of bridges and other structures across the state, has begun conducting field inspections of Disney’s monorail structure.
As part of that process, Disney has provided FDOT with safety manuals and other existing monorail documentation, Lane said.
While it may not seem like a big deal to have state inspectors looking at the monorail system, they actually hold immense power. FDOT inspectors can choose to suspend Disney World monorail service while they are doing their inspections. We do not know how long they could keep the monorails down. Thankfully, that has not yet happened.
Since the state’s takeover of Walt Disney World Resort and the Reedy Creek District, things have gone from bad to worse between Disney, Governor DeSantis, and his new board running Reedy Creek.
The board has tried to force Disney to dissolve its Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion program. The head of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District — Glen Gilzean — called the program “unAmerican.” However, just two years ago, he was praising Disney and its DEI program for all the positive work it was doing in the area.
The district has also lost dozens of employees, some of whom worked for Reedy Creek for decades. No member of the CFTOD board has any experience working in the theme park industry. Those who have left said that morale is at an all-time low and called the board “unqualified and incompetent.”
Disney is currently suing the CFTOD for violating its First Amendment Rights, as well as breach of contract.
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All the way back in April 2023 — which seems like a lifetime ago — Florida Governor Ron DeSantis officially dissolved the Reedy Creek Improvement District. Reedy Creek had been in place since 1967 and essentially allowed Walt Disney World to function as its own government. Reedy Creek would pay its taxes, but they would not have to go through the red tape for things like permits and construction. They were also in charge of Disney World’s electrical grid, internet, first responders, and more.
After dissolving Reedy Creek, DeSantis hand-picked a new board and renamed the area The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.
Since then, things have not gone well for DeSantis’ new board. Things with Disney have gone from bad to worse, with the two locked-in dueling lawsuits. Then, there are the mass resignations that are happening within the CFTOD. In less than a year, dozens of qualified employees — some of whom have been there a long time — have quit. They have reported that morale is at an all-time low, calling the CFTOD board members “unqualified and incompetent.”
Since its dissolution, thousands have been fighting to end the CFTOD and reinstate Reedy Creek. The first big attempt to legally bring back Reedy Creek was made in November 2023, but several Republican lawmakers walked out of the meeting. That meant that a vote on Reedy Creek could not take place.
But now, things have changed.
On Friday, January 5, Orange County legislators backed a proposal to bring back Reedy Creek. Orange County is one of the counties where the Walt Disney World Resort is located. State Senator Linda Stewart said that Reedy Creek is essential to the area, because the new CFTOD board is not being “transparent” and they have broken the way the district should operate.
While this is a big win for Disney in its fight against DeSantis and the CFTOD, the repeal is still a long way off from becoming a reality. Orange County is one of the most liberal areas in the state. So, it makes sense that Orange County legislators would back it. However, the deal has to pass through the State House of Representatives and the State Senate.
Both the state House and the state Senate are Republican-controlled, with many of the legislators supporting the dissolution of Reedy Creek. Legal experts think that it is unlikely that they would vote for the reinstatement of Reedy Creek.
Is Disney losing the rights to Mickey Mouse? That seems strange. Well, sadly, it is true Mickey Mouse will be returning to the public domain.
2024 will mark a significant milestone in the world of copyright and intellectual property as Mickey Mouse, the beloved and iconic character created by Walt Disney, is entering the public domain in the United States. This means that anyone, including individuals, artists, and creators, could now use the Steamboat Willie version of Mickey Mouse as a character in their works as long as he resembled the 1928 incarnation.
This may leave fans wondering if Disney is losing the rights to beloved Mickey: Who will be the next character to go? The most popular FAB 5 character that will be returning to the domain soon is Pluto, first seen in 1930 and projected to enter the public domain in 2025. Mickey’s girlfriend Minnie Mouse came alive in 1928 and is projected to enter the public domain in 2024, as well, alongside Mickey. Well, at least this early version of Minnie Mouse.
Last but not least, Donald Duck became a lovable, funny character in 1934, which means Disney will be letting him go in 2029.
Globaltoynews shared a list of the next characters who will be entering to the public domain. The amount of characters that will soon be heading into the public domain is astounding, and includes Superman, Daffy Duck, Batman, The Flash, Captain America, James Bond, Aquaman, and several other characters that will be heading towards the public domain by 2036.
While these characters may go into the public domain, they may be trademarked and protected. Such as Disney may still hold trademarks on the name Mickey Mouse and his distinctive image, which includes his red shorts, large yellow shoes, and white gloves. This means that while you can use the character, you may need to be cautious about how you use his name and likeness to avoid infringing on Disney’s trademarks.
Since Mickey Mouse going into the public domain means creators can only recreate his image from 1928 this means Mickey will most likely look like the 1928 version of Steamboat Willie, which was the first image of Mickey Mouse.
Mickey Mouse was created in 1928 and saw multiple copyright extensions, leading to his entry into the public domain in 2024. However, the rules are different for characters created later, such as Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, and other Disney characters.
Every year, millions of fans find a peaceful refuge at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. There, families feel that they can relax and escape the horrors of the regular world. Unfortunately, no amount of Disney magic can completely disguise the potential dangers of the world outside.
This week, we reported that police solved a “12-year-old mystery” when they discovered the body of a missing Florida woman outside Walt Disney World Resort. This tragic incident has shaken the Orlando community as police reveal more information about what happened to this mother.
The body of a Florida mother, who went missing in 2012 under mysterious circumstances, is believed to have been discovered in a pond just outside the renowned Walt Disney World Resort. The shocking revelation has sent shockwaves through the community and reopened the investigation into her disappearance. Now, just days after the body was discovered by police, the public is learning more about how the ongoing search for one Florida mom came to an end on a fateful December day. While numerous online groups have spread information about the incident, the police have just recently fully revealed what many believed to already know about this discovery.
The woman, who is believed to be Sandra Lemire, vanished without a trace nearly a decade ago, leaving her loved ones and authorities perplexed. For years, her family tirelessly searched for answers after she disappeared after leaving a restaurant in Kissimmee.
It was an astonishing twist of fate that led to the grim discovery. Divers from Sunshine State Sonar found the body and car after roughly a year and a half of searching for her in 63 bodies of water around Florida. They looked in this particular body of water, which was a retention pond just by the Walt Disney World Interstate 4 exit, because of a tip from the Orlando Police.
As of January 2, 2024, we now know that this tip was given because an Orlando detective was able to trace Sandra’s last call to a cell tower near Walt Disney World Resort.
On Saturday, December 30, the minivan belonging to Sandra Lemire was discovered submerged by divers. Soon after, the remains of a woman, presumed to be Sandra, were discovered as well.
As the investigation into Sandra Lemire’s disappearance and death unfolds, the Orlando Police Department, in conjunction with other relevant authorities, will leave no stone unturned to bring clarity and closure to this long-standing mystery.
