Dreams of Disney World Airport in Jeopardy with State Takeover

When Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signs the bill that will allow the State Government to take control over the Reedy Creek Improvement District, The Walt Disney Company will lose much more than the ability to hand-pick the people who serve on the governing Board of Supervisors.

An “Airport of Tomorrow” had been intended to be built on Disney’s Central Florida land since Walt initiated “The Florida Project” in the 1960s. As part of his dream of an Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, Guests would be able to take a high-speed monorail train straight from the airport to the EPCOT city center and the Magic Kingdom Theme Park.

Read More: Why Doesn’t Walt Disney World Build Its Own Airport?

As the years progressed, some aspects of Walt’s latest and greatest dream did come true as the Walt Disney World Resort became a reality. He got an East Coast Disneyland and a monorail system which served as a legitimate form of transportation far better than the quasi-attraction he built in California. But like an actual EPCOT city, an airport never came to be, and up until now, Disney’s special district’s charter, The Reedy Creek Improvement Act, provided the ability to build one.

While many Disney fans probably held out hope for the creation of a Disney World Airport, those chances are most likely coming to an end.

Related: Kingdom Conquest Complete? Disney World Will NOT Fight State Takeover

Section 8 of the Takeover bill, which concerns “Powers of district” and begins by stating, “In addition to and not in limitation of the powers and authorities of the district under chapter 298, Florida Statutes, and amendments thereto, the district shall have the following powers,” Florida lawmakers address Disney World transportation as a whole by stating:

“To own, acquire, construct, reconstruct, equip, operate, maintain, extend, and improve common, private, or contract carriers, buses, vehicles, railroads, monorails, airplanes, helicopters, boats, and other transportation systems and facilities as may be determined from time to time by the board of supervisors to be useful or appropriate to meet the transportation requirements of the district and activities conducted within the district.”

Click here to read the full bill for yourself.

For nearly 60 years, that Board of Supervisors was hand-selected by the district’s landowners, which was essentially entirely The Walt Disney Company. Now that the Board of Supervisors will consist of appointees from the Governor and approved by the Senate and who are to act in the best interest of the entire Sunshine State rather than just the company, infrastructure additions like a Walt Disney World Airport are suddenly at risk of being struck down completely.

It should also be noted that at this time, there are no plans to build a Disney World Airport, and Orlando International Airport and Orlando Sanford International Airport remain the closest entry points for all out-of-state Guests, with access to one’s Disney World Hotel via Sunshine Flyer or rental car.