The war of words between Disney World and the Ron DeSantis’ appointed Central Florida Tourism Oversight District continues. This time, it's in the form of a new report issued by the District that audits the 56-year history between Disney World and the Reedy Creek Improvement District, the special district that had been in place until the battle between Disney and DeSantis led to the change. The report calls the previous arrangement the “most egregious exhibition of corporate cronyism in modern American history,” but that’s not exactly a shock considering the source, and Disney has already fired back.
The phrase “corporate cronyism” had already been used by the CFTOD’s Chairman in reference to the Disney World/Reedy Creek relationship. While the committee that put this report together was technically not part of the district itself, it was overseen by the district. The fact that it even uses the same language makes it clear that the new report is pushing a particular narrative.
In a statement to Fox 35, Disney calls the report “revisionist history,” claiming that the report is not objective and ultimately immaterial since it doesn’t change the fact that the replacement of the RCID with the CFTOD was still part of a plan to punish Disney World for the parent company’s exercising of its First Amendment rights. This is the core of the federal lawsuit Disney has brought against Governor Ron DeSantis.
What’s more, there doesn’t appear to be much in the report that wasn’t already common knowledge. While there’s no argument that Reedy Creek and Disney World have a unique relationship, that certainly worked to the benefit of Disney World, which was the point when the district was founded. While Disney World has gained a great deal from the arrangement, so has the state of Florida, as the district employs hundreds of people.
The audit itself was apparently a legal requirement according to University of Central Florida political science professor Aubrey Jewett, who spoke with Fox 35. Regardless, one expects the audit will probably be used as evidence in both the federal and state lawsuits Disney World is currently involved in with Florida. In addition to the federal suit against Ron DeSantis, Disney World is suing, and being sued by, the CFTOD regarding a land deal that it made with the old Reedy Creek Improvement District prior to it being replaced.
A Florida State Senator recently introduced a law that would undo the district changes and revert things back to the old Reedy Creek. While it's unlikely anything will come of it, what is clear is that the fight is far from over. Motions to dismiss both lawsuits are currently in front of their respective judges, though it seems unlikely at this point that will happen in either case.
