Richard Foglesong, a renowned Disney World scholar, recently shared further insight into the current happenings in the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (formerly known as the Reedy Creek Improvement District).

While the more dramatic aspects of the Disney-DeSantis battle have certainly calmed down, the question still remains about how the issue will be resolved and, more importantly, what the future holds for the (not-so-special) district that houses the Central Florida Disney resort, the former Reedy Creek Improvement District.

Related: Victory on the Cards: Locals Slam DeSantis’s “Ridiculous” Feud, Want Reedy Creek Returned to Disney

The Vatican with Mouse Ears

Historian Richard Foglesong spoke with Inside the Magic recently and discussed the ongoing conflict between the CFTOD board and the Walt Disney Company. During the interview, Professor Foglesong shared many interesting perspectives on how this current situation has come to pass.

Related:  No One Is Coming To Save The Walt Disney Company

For one, the historian highlighted that rather than “corporate cronyism” or “bribes” as Disney is being accused of presently, a more notable issue that exists with how the self-governing Reedy Creek Improvement District came to be was its false promise of the “City of Tomorrow where 20,000 people would live and work and play.”

In acquiring this self-governing status, Disney has then grown to have “excessive powers and exemptions,” unlike other businesses in the area. Foglesong dubs Disney a “Vatican with Mouse Ears” due to its special status.

Related: Ron DeSantis, Rick Scott Benefitted From Disney’s “Bribes”

On the future of Disney and DeSantis’s CFTOD board, Foglesong shared, “Disney will outlast DeSantis; his successor will make concessions to earn peace; CFTOD will learn the need to work w[ith] Disney, which they don’t presently do; and Disney, under pressure, will give way on affordable housing, impact fees, mass transit, and more.”

Ultimately, Foglesong argues that Disney will outlast Governor Ron DeSantis, and one of the reasons for this is that “Disney’s business success compared with DeSantis’ flagging presidential campaign suggests that they know their market better than he knows his.”

And any Disney fan knows this to be true. Disney is thorough in its research and the Mouse House is not in the habit of leaving any stone unturned.

It’ll certainly be interesting to see how prophetic Professor Foglesong’s words turn out to be!