‘Woke’ Fight Could Cost Disney its Legislative Bubble in Florida

Have you ever wondered how The Walt Disney World Resort maintains such defined seclusion from the outside world? Well, part of that situation is thanks to the creation of what is called the Reedy Creek Improvement District–and it looks like Florida’s Legislature might finally bring it to an end.

Florida State Representative Spencer Roach shared on Twitter to share that he and fellow legislatures will meet to discuss ending The Walt Disney Company’s special treatment.

He said,

Yesterday was the 2nd meeting in a week w/fellow legislators to discuss a repeal of the 1967 Reedy Creek Improvement Act, which allows Disney to act as its own government. If Disney wants to embrace woke ideology, it seems fitting that they should be regulated by Orange County.

Yesterday was the 2nd meeting in a week w/fellow legislators to discuss a repeal of the 1967 Reedy Creek Improvement Act, which allows Disney to act as its own government. If Disney wants to embrace woke ideology, it seems fitting that they should be regulated by Orange County. pic.twitter.com/6sj29Gj6Wz

— Spencer Roach (@SpencerRoachFL) March 30, 2022

According to Reedy Creek’s website,

“Reedy Creek Improvement District (the “District”) is a progressive form of government, created in 1967 by a special Act of the Florida Legislature, the purpose of which is to support and administer certain aspects of the economic development and tourism within District boundaries.  With an administration office located on Hotel Plaza Boulevard in Lake Buena Vista, the District encompasses approximately 25,000 acres in both Orange and Osceola counties, servicing 19 landowners, including Walt Disney Co. and its wholly-owned affiliates…

...A five-member Board of Supervisors, elected by landowners, governs the District.  The goal of the Board, together with the District’s staff, is to ensure the economic viability of all venues and businesses within the District, while never sacrificing Central Florida’s remarkable wildlife and ecological environment.”

In other words, Walt got what he wanted after dealing with the encroachment of outside businesses on his original Theme Park, Disneyland. The Florida legislature created a special district specifically for The Walt Disney Company–the original Disney Bubble–and for almost 70 years, Reedy Creek has been able to streamline development activities without the political red tape that comes with building Theme Park and entertainment offerings in an area under the supervision of the County like Universal Orlando Resort.

Readers should remember what Disney World was supposed to be in the first place–the home of an Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow that would supposedly offer a much broader demographic of residents and voices that is seen today. It was going to be a city of the future that, by association, would propel the Sunshine State to the very forefront of innovation and commerce. However, that would not come to pass. While Disney created two cities within the district–Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista–they are cities in name only. This special treatment has earned Walt Disney World the nickname “The Theme Park Vatican City.”

It should be noted that The Walt Disney Company has done arguably well on its part to maintain the property and overall district. A significant portion of the land is devoted to ecological preservation, the infrastructure has been touted as some of the greatest urban planning feats in America, and it is self-sustaining.

But one has to wonder: if Disney is working so hard to flex its corporate media and financial influence to overturn laws passed by the State’s democratically-elected government, why would they expect to continue to receive such special treatment?

After passing both the State Senate and House of Representatives, The Parental Rights in Education Bill was signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis. The law prohibits all sex education and gender theory lessons for kids in Kindergarten through Third Grade, ensuring that parents have control over such conversations rather than teachers and school boards. But, convinced that the law is intended to suppress LGBTQ+ rights, corporations like Disney have taken a stand against it. Disney even released a statement that its goal is to fund the means necessary to get the bill repealed. 

Gov. DeSantis later addressed members of the press, saying that Disney “crossed the line” and made it clear “they do not control this state.” This news that Disney could lose its special district comes only a few days after he made that statement.

At this point, only time will tell whether or not Tallahassee will move forward with popping the Disney legislative bubble. We at Disney Fanatic will continue to update our readers on Disney news as more information comes to light.