It’s Been A Year of DeSantis’ Disney District, With No End in Sight

This month marks one year since Florida Governor Ron DeSantis stripped Walt Disney World of the Reedy Creek Improvement District and replaced it with the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District. And while this month will mark one year, there does not appear to be an end in sight to the feud between Governor Ron DeSantis and the Walt Disney Company.

Related: DeSantis Cronnies Are Scoring Huge Paydays Thanks to His Disney District

Just this week, Federal Judge Allen Winsor dismissed the First Amendment case the Walt Disney Company brought against Mr DeSantis. But that won’t be the end of it. Disney immediately filed an appeal, so this feud will continue for the foreseeable future.

But how did it come to this? Beyond that, what has happened to the former Reedy Creek Improvement District since it was turned over to the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District? And what does the future hold for Walt Disney World? So, let’s take a look at the CFTOD after its first year.

How We Got Here?

Almost two years ago, former Disney CEO Bob Chapek spoke out against Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Act, known by its critics as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. Florida Gov Ron DeSantis worked with the Florida Legislature to pass a bill stripping Disney World of its self-governing District and replacing it with the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.

However, just before the CFTOD took over, Disney World reached a series of deals with the Reedy Creek Improvement District to strip the new Board of most of its power. Known as the “King Charles III” clause, the Walt Disney Company would retain control over most of the District until the last living relative of King Charles III died.

The King Charles III  clause was a significant embarrassment for Gov Ron DeSantis and his new Board. So, the Governor returned to the Florida Legislature to pass another law making those agreements null and void. And that’s when the lawsuits began.

The Walt Disney Company sued Governor DeSantis and the Board of his appointees for violating its First Amendment Rights, Government retaliation, and the Constitution’s Contract Clause. Those lawsuits were separated into separate suits, with Disney suing the Governor over violating its First Amendment rights in Federal Court and suing the new Board in State Court.

While Disney suffered a first-round loss in Federal Court, an appeal is pending, and this case will most likely end up in front of the Supreme Court when it’s all finished. The CFTOD has asked the State Court judge to dismiss Disney’s case and is still awaiting that decision.

But the court decisions aren’t necessarily the end of the story. While the legal wrangling continues, the Board of DeSantis appointees have been running the District that oversees the Walt Disney World Resort, and one year of DeSantis’ Disney Board has been rocky, at best.

One Year of DeSantis’ Disney District

To fill the new Board, Governor Ron DeSantis chose people loyal to him rather than those who understood the size and scope of the former Reedy Creek Improvement District. Board member Micahel Sasso resigned last May, shortly after Governor DeSantis named his wife to the Florida Supreme Court. 

His replacement wasn’t someone with experience in real estate or governing; DeSantis chose Charbel Barakat, a former Jeopardy champion and member of the Federalist Society. DeSantis also put Bridget Ziegler, a founding member of Moms For Liberty, on the new Board. She has since been involved in a controversy involving an alleged rape and a threesome with her husband, who was the Chairman of the Florida Republican Party.

To be the District’s Administrator, DeSantis chose Florida Ethics Commission member Glen Gilzean to be the District’s Administrator. For his new job, Gilzean got a tremendous raise to $400,000. However, accepting a job as a public employee violated the rules of the Florida Ethics Commission. Gilzean resigned from his position on the commission.

But Gilzean wasn’t the only DeSantis ally to receive a massive payday from the new Board. To represent them in their case against the Walt Disney Company, the CFTOD chose Cooper & Kirk from Washington, D.C. One of the partners at the law firm is DeSantis’ Navy roommate and former Chairman of DeSantis’ Super PAC, Never Back Down, Adam Laxalt. Shortly after his law firm received the contract to represent the CFTOD, Laxalt resigned from DeSantis’ Super PAC.

Beyond just the money paid to DeSantis loyalists, the former Reedy Creek Improvement District has seen a brain drain. Since the new Board took over, 44 employees, or 12 percent of the total workforce, have left the District, taking more than 400 years of collective experience with them. Those who have left cite the low morale among District employees since the CFTOD took over. 

The Board also angered employees when they cut perks to Walt Disney World. Under the Reedy Creek Improvement District, employees received free season passes to Disney World and discounts on food, merchandise, and hotel rooms.

The new Board accused Disney of attempting to steal taxpayer money after receiving a bill for more than $2 million. But the employees, including the Reedy Creek firefighters, passionately defended the perks as a well-earned benefit of working for the District. 

Pete Simon, a Reedy Creek firefighter, made a powerful statement during today’s CFTOD meeting about the impact of removing generational benefits for families.

“This week marks the first brick being pulled in the dismantling of the district … my only question is, what’s next?” pic.twitter.com/bzt8tW5fc8

— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) August 23, 2023

The Board voted to replace the perks with a check for $3,000, which does not cover the cost of a season pass at Disney World.

At this point, the former Reedy Creek Improvement District has been completely erased. The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District has taken over the website and removed Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista from the District, forcing them to find their public services.

There is no mention of Walt Disney World on the new CFTOD website or the history of the District. So, with Disney controlling the District since its inception in 1971, it appears that they never existed.

Although they are still the District’s largest taxpayer. But what will come next for the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District?

The Future of the CFTOD

So, even after a year, nothing seems to have been decided. Now that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is no longer running for the Republican nomination for President, can he and Disney CEO Bob Iger sit down and settle this? That seems unlikely at this point.

Perhaps a year ago, when Iger first returned to the Walt Disney Company, there was too much water under the bridge at this point.

Disney’s best hope within the state of Florida is that in 2026, the state will elect a new governor who is friendlier to Disney’s plight. But that, too, seems unlikely in Florida. Either way, DeSantis is out of office after the 2026 election.

But at this point, Disney’s best option will be through the court system. One or both of its cases will eventually land in the Supreme Court. But that could take a decade.

So, with one year in the rearview mirror, it appears that the feud between the Walt Disney Company and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will continue for the foreseeable future.

We should prepare ourselves for this long legal battle.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments.