Bob Iger Stays Silent on Disney District Takeover

It has been two days since it was announced that legislation for a government takeover of The Walt Disney Company’s Reedy Creek Improvement District was put before Florida’s House of Representatives. If passed, the “Disney vs DeSantis” debacle will end with the special district in Central Florida which houses the Walt Disney World Resort staying intact, and relatively the same, but now falling under the State Government’s direct control.

Read More: Ron DeSantis Will NOT Dissolve Reedy Creek, But MAJOR Changes Are Coming

Disney’s Reedy Creek will be renamed the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, and its Board of Supervisors will no longer be appointed by Disney, but by Governor Ron DeSantis himself, and approved by a vote in the State Senate.

Disney remained eerily quiet after the news was released from the Special Session of Florida’s Congress, with the only response coming from Walt Disney World President Jeff Vahle, who said,

“We are monitoring the progression of the draft legislation, which is complex given the long history of the Reedy Creek Improvement District. Disney works under a number of different models and jurisdictions around the world, and regardless of the outcome, we remain committed to providing the highest quality experience for the millions of guests who visit each year.”

Read More: Disney Responds to Florida’s Reedy Creek Takeover Bill

Today, Disney CEO Bob Iger discussed The Company’s Fiscal First Quarter 2023 Financial Results with investors, but the situation with the special district in Orange County and Osceola County was completely passed over both in the initial presentation and during the investor Q&A session.

It should be noted that just before the Earnings Call began, Florida’s House Committee approved the Reedy Creek Takeover Bill to go before the full House of Representatives. The State takeover legislation of the Reedy Creek Improvement District must first pass in both the House of Representatives and the Senate before reaching Governor DeSantis’ desk to sign. Once completed, though, the change in leadership is supposed to take immediate effect. There is a lot of speculative pushback that suggests The Mouse House will fight Tallahassee’s plans. But is still too early to say at this time, however, if such an easy transition will come to fruition.