ORLANDO, Fla. — Disney World says it’s monitoring the legislation that would restructure its Reedy Creek Improvement District.


What You Need To Know

  • HB 9B, filed Monday, proposes changes to Disney World's Reedy Creek Improvement District

  • Disney World president Jeff Vahle issued a statement after the bill was filed, saying Disney is "monitoring" it

  • The bill would change how the district's board of supervisors are picked; the district would also be renamed "Central Florida Tourism Oversight District"

Under the measure, filed Monday as part of a special session of the Florida Legislature, the governor would have the power to appoint all the district’s board members. The bill, HB 9B, would also rename Reedy Creek the “Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.”

“We are monitoring the progression of the draft legislation, which is complex given the long history of the Reedy Creek Improvement District,” Walt Disney World president Jeff Vahle said in a statement. “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.”

Established in 1967, the special taxing district gave Disney control of services such as fire protection and utilities for the land around its Florida parks and resorts. That special status came under scrutiny amid a public feud between Disney and Gov. Ron DeSantis after the company, under then-CEO Bob Chapek, opposed the state’s Parental Rights in Education measure, which critics called the “Don’t Say Gay” law.

In April, Florida lawmakers voted to dissolve the Reedy Creek Improvement District. However, according to proposals in the bill filed Monday, the district wouldn’t be dissolved but rather reestablished with changes.

In addition to taking away district landowners’ ability to pick its board members, the 189-page bill also puts restrictions on who can serve on the board. It says anyone who has worked for or with a theme park or entertainment complex in the last three years would be ineligible.

The bill also makes clear that Orange and Osceola county taxpayers would not be responsible for Reedy Creek’s $1 billion debt under the proposed changes.

The bill is expected to be discussed Wednesday during a State Affairs Committee meeting.

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