Reedy Creek – A Walk With The Mouse

Disney vs. DeSantis: Case DISMISSED

Posted on February 1, 2024February 1, 2024 by Mathew Corn Uncategorized

Nearly two years ago, now ex-Disney CEO Bob Chapek spoke out against Florida’s Parental Rights in Education bill. The bill was championed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Shortly after Chapek spoke out against the bill, Governor DeSantis began his crusade against the House of Mouse.

Mr. DeSantis and the Republican-led state legislature quickly dissolved the Reedy Creek Improvement District, which stripped Disney of its right to self-govern. They then voted to move Disney’s monorail system under state inspection control. The Governor appointed his own loyalists to lead the district formerly known as Reedy Creek. That new board is now having its own issues with the company.

After more than a year of dealing with the Governor, Disney officially filed a lawsuit against DeSantis. The company claimed that Mr. DeSantis had violated its First Amendment rights to free speech when he targeted them. Disney claimed that the governor had waged a campaign of retaliation against them, simply because they said something that he did not like.

Now, a judge has sided with the controversial Governor. Disney’s case against Ron DeSantis has officially been dismissed.

District Judge Allen Winsor said that Disney did not have a claim of retaliation because the laws DeSantis created that targeted the company are “facially constitutional.”

DeSantis’ lawyer had made that claim earlier when asking the judge to dismiss the case. The governor’s legal team said that it “didn’t matter” if DeSantis punished Disney, because the laws he passed looked constitutional. Because the laws appeared constitutional at face value, it doesn’t matter if it was created for a retaliatory reason.

The judge also determined that Governor DeSantis had every right to dissolve Reedy Creek and then appoint a board of his own loyalists.

Disney, however, highly disagreed with the judge’s ruling. Shortly after the ruling, a Disney spokesperson released a short statement:

“This is an important case with serious implications for the rule of law, and it will not end here. If left unchallenged, this would set a dangerous precedent and give license to states to weaponize their official powers to punish the expression of political viewpoints they disagree with.”

Disney has not said yet if it plans to appeal the judge’s ruling, but its statement appears to indicate such a move.

The ruling is relatively surprising, considering that Governor DeSantis admitted multiple times to going after Disney because they spoke out against him. He even admitted to retaliation in his new book. Many constitutional law experts said that Disney had a very strong case.

Reedy Creek Firefighters Will No Longer Answer Calls For Help From Disney World

Posted on January 29, 2024January 29, 2024 by Mathew Corn Disney Parks

Reedy Creek firefighters will no longer answer calls for help from staff members and guests at the Walt Disney World Resort property.

In yet another change brought about as a result of a public feud between Disney and Florida lawmakers, Gov. Ron DeSantis has taken strides involving the Disney World governing board once again.

In 2023, Gov. DeSantis moved to replace Disney’s Reedy Creek board with the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFOTD) board–a governing body staffed entirely by DeSantis appointees. On Thursday, the CFTOD board announced that the Reedy Creek Fire Department will no longer be the ones who respond to calls for help from Disney World.

On Thursday morning, the CFTOD board announced it’s doing away with the “Reedy Creek” name when it comes to the fire department that serves the residents of the district and the cast members and guests at the Walt Disney World Resort.

Instead of the Reedy Creek Fire Department, the entity will be renamed the “District Fire Department,” and a rebranding campaign will follow.

The rebranding of the fire department is part of the collaborative efforts of the district administration and the leadership team with the former Reedy Creek Fire Department.

“The transformation to ‘District Fire Department’ marks a significant moment for district public safety personnel and the entire District team, symbolizing a renewed commitment to excellence through service,” said Glenton Gilzean, Jr., CFOTD administrator. “I thank Acting Chief Ferrari for his steadfast leadership throughout this period of immense growth.”

The decision to rename the department, removing the “Reedy Creek” name, was made in an attempt to “foster visual cohesion, contributing to the safety and operational efficiency of the Fire Department,” per a news release from the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.

Throughout the process, leaders from the district administration and the fire department welcomed the creative input from department team members, as well as various stakeholders.

“Today isn’t just any day,” said acting Fire Chief Eric Ferrari. “It’s a turning point that will be etched in our department’s history. Change is challenging, especially in the fire service, where tradition and valor bind us closer than any oath. Yet today, we embrace change with the same determination we face with every call for service.”

According to fire department leaders, the newly announced transformation is another example of the new board’s dedication to continually improving services and other elements of the district, as well as to serving taxpayers. Leaders also said that a complete rebranding of the fire department could take as long as 24 months–and that firefighters’ uniforms would be the first major change in the department that would be noticed by anyone.

reedy creek fire department building at disney world

According to Orlando’s WKMG, the rebranding of the fire department that serves the Walt Disney World Resort is the first step in a “comprehensive plan,” and additional changes and improvements will be announced and executed at a later date.

The fire department’s rebranding represents the initial step in a comprehensive plan, with additional developments to be executed and communicated in the future.

Disney Gets a Big Break in Bringing Back Reedy Creek

Posted on January 8, 2024January 8, 2024 by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Uncategorized

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.

Reedy Creek to be Dissolved Sooner Rather Than Later

Posted on February 6, 2023February 6, 2023 by Mathew Corn Uncategorized

Via DisDining.com

Governor Ron DeSantis has been at war with Disney ever since then CEO Bob Chapek spoke out against the Parental Rights in Education Act (dubbed the “don’t say gay bill ” by critics) early last year. Despite warnings from DeSantis against Disney getting involved, Chapek even went so far as to say the company would overturn the law.

In a retaliatory act, DeSantis made good on his promise that Disney would regret involvement and declared that Disney’s special tax district, Reedy Creek would be dissolved. The date given for the dissolution was originally June 2023, but it looks like it may happen sooner rather than later.

A bill is currently being written to overturn Disney’s special status and DeSantis says he expects the matter to be addressed in a special session of the legislature next week.

“We’re not going to have a corporation controlling its own government,” DeSantis said at a news conference in Tallahassee. “That’s going to be reverted to the state. I’d rather it be the local [governments], but I don’t think that they’re prepared for it. So the state is going to have a board to run it.”

This is in line with previous statements from the Governor’s office that stated an intention for state control over Disney property. A spokesperson previously said, “The corporate kingdom has come to an end. Under the proposed legislation, Disney will no longer control its own government, will live under the same laws as everyone else, will be responsible for their outstanding debts, and will pay their fair share of taxes.” It seems that they meant what they said.

In an interview this week, DeSantis reiterated much of what he has been saying all along, saying, “make sure that there are no special legal privileges and that they’re abiding by the same laws. That will be in the bill. And then making sure they’re paying their fair share of taxes and paying the debt.”

DeSantis insists this will not raise taxes on citizens and will not increase costs. Currently Disney pays for all of Reedy Creek’s upkeep and maintenance related costs (such as Fire Services, and its 911 call center). When the new law dissolves the special district, the state will be one responsible for those costs, unless as DeSantis hinted above there are provisions made for Disney to continue paying for these services themselves, which would likely result in a legal dispute.

Florida Governor Planning to Ban Disney World From Enforcing Certain Rules In Its Parks

Posted on January 23, 2023January 23, 2023 by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Uncategorized

For months, The Walt Disney Company and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis have been at each other’s throats.

The trouble began when now-fired CEO Bob Chapek spoke out against Florida’s Parental Rights In Education bill. DeSantis pushed back in full force, signing the bill into law and then passing legislation to dissolve the Reedy Creek Improvement District, which allowed Disney to function as its own government for years.

Reedy Creek is set to be dissolved this June, but that doesn’t mean that the fight is over. In fact, Governor DeSantis may just be heating things up. According to reports, DeSantis is looking at passing legislation that would make it illegal for businesses to have mask mandates or vaccinations ever again. Even private businesses are allowed to set their own rules.

ABC News reports:

The legislation would specifically prohibit COVID-19 vaccine passports in Florida; prohibit vaccine and mask requirements in Florida schools; prohibit masking requirements by businesses; and prohibit employees from being hired or fired based on whether or not they have received a COVID-19 vaccine.

“When the world lost its mind, Florida was a refuge of sanity, serving strongly as freedom’s linchpin,” DeSantis said in a statement. “These measures will ensure Florida remains this way and will provide landmark protections for free speech for medical practitioners.”

When Walt Disney World Resort opened back up after its pandemic closure, all Guests and Cast Members were required to wear masks, as well as social distance. This mask requirement did not sit well with some Guests, who insisted that Disney could not tell them what to do. Disney, in turn, removed Guests who refused to comply, as they are a private company that can set its own rules. U.S. Disney Parks never had vaccine mandates.

DeSantis’ mask and vaccination requirement ban is in its early stages, so we don’t know if and when the legality of the bill will be questioned. Disney has not commented on the possible permanent ban.