News Reedy Creek Improvement District and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District

[Casper Gutman]

Which is why it's absolutely HYSTERICAL that Chapek keeps volunteering to be his punching bag.

Because the best way to deal with tyrants is to back down, cower, and let them do whatever they want. That will make them go away.

 

[AEfx]

I would be more than happy to consider it if it’s wasn't for a pr/fundraising stunt coming from criticism directed toward another stunt…but that’s “adulting”

That's what's interesting. Had this come up in another manner, I really think a lot of folks would be presenting different opinions.

To think that getting rid of Disney's special little fiefdom is some new idea hasn't long been in the minds in certain circles of Florida government would be silly. If it wasn't for the "Darth DeSantis" narrative, I think a lot more people would be saying "it's about time".

 

[Disstevefan1]

As a tactic couldn't Disney shut down WDW? Sure they would lose revenue but they have all of their other entities that will continue to being them the money. The real losses in that case would be Florida as Disney is the main reason Florida is an attraction state.

The pandemic already proved that TWDC can survive without both theme parks in the US, so they could close one.

 

[JohnD]

The vote tomorrow is meaningless. The legislature can't just scrap the district on their own. The residents of the district have to vote to dissolve it. All the residents are Disney employees. It's not going to happen. And if DeSantis tries and end run to get around the requirement of having the residents vote, it will be stopped in court. There is a 0% chance of RCID going away.

Read the bill: "Notwithstanding s. 189.072(2), any independent special district established by a special act prior to the date of ratification of the Florida Constitution on November 5, 1968, and which was not reestablished, re-ratified, or otherwise reconstituted by a special act or general law after November 5, 28 1968, is dissolved effective June 1, 2023."

Statute:
(2) OTHER DISSOLUTIONS.—
(a) In order for the Legislature to dissolve an active independent special district created and operating pursuant to a special act, the special act dissolving the active independent special district must be approved by a majority of the resident electors of the district

i.e. "Notwithstanding" actually means something. The statute language doesn't apply. Do you really think the Legislators would be that stupid? They use "notwithstanding" frequently. Just look at the General Appropriations Act (annual state budget). There is another bill that goes along with it colloquially called the "Implementing Bill". Do you know what's in it? An entire bill using "notwithstanding" to negate Florida Statute language in order to implement the budget.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Disney's assessed property tax value is artificially low because of the existence of the District.

Magic Kingdom is assessed at $504 million. Magic Kingdom's actual value is probably closer to $10 billion.

I never claimed that RCID means Disney pays no county taxes. I claimed that Disney pays much less county taxes than it otherwise would if not for the existence of the District.

You made ALL that up.

There’s no way to assess a value like that.

What is it “zoned”? How do you
Run it without 25,000 employees at a huge overhead cost.

Real estate “value” is based on functional potential. In this case…how would a “buyer” use it without the intellectual property of the Walt Disney company?

It has the value of splendid China unless Disney runs it.

That’s the beauty of it…

 

[coldasice880]

The pandemic already proved that TWDC can survive without both theme parks in the US, so they could close one.

Exactly my point.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

What about Reedy Creek makes the value artificially low?

Corruption, mostly.

What evidence do you have of this? The property is assessed by county assessors.

Yeah and every year Disney sues those assessors when the assessors try to raise the assessed value to something more closely resembling reality.

 

[mkt]

So the folks cheering this on - or even just shrugging their shoulders about it - are completely OK with blue states using legislation to penalize Fox News and Salem Radio, right? Those are the rules of the game, after all.

Major differences:

Salem Radio was penalized by the federal government after 3 years of due process, and Fox News was penalized as the result of a 3 year investigation.

What the legislature in Florida has done took a few months and was done haphazardly without thinking of consequences to the citizens of the affected areas.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

The pandemic already proved that TWDC can survive without both theme parks in the US, so they could close one.

You might want to check the history on why that worked again…not “normal” circumstances.

 

[Irish_Mike]

Read the bill: "Notwithstanding s. 189.072(2), any independent special district established by a special act prior to the date of ratification of the Florida Constitution on November 5, 1968, and which was not reestablished, re-ratified, or otherwise reconstituted by a special act or general law after November 5, 28 1968, is dissolved effective June 1, 2023."

Statute:
(2) OTHER DISSOLUTIONS.—
(a) In order for the Legislature to dissolve an active independent special district created and operating pursuant to a special act, the special act dissolving the active independent special district must be approved by a majority of the resident electors of the district

i.e. "Notwithstanding" actually means something. The statute language doesn't apply.

Would it then not go to the courts to be litigated (and appealed) with a pretty strong case for "voters in the district"? One could argue their voices are being curtailed given that they were promised a say in any dissolution of the special district.

 

[Casper Gutman]

This could have been avoided if Disney (or any other Big corporations) just stay out of politics!

Yes, the company that built EPCOT and makes movies about Captain America should stay out of politics.

There is no such thing as non-political art. If you think a piece of art is non-political, its likely because its politics align with yours.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Disney's assessed property tax value is artificially low because of the existence of the District.

Magic Kingdom is assessed at $504 million. Magic Kingdom's actual value is probably closer to $10 billion.

I never claimed that RCID means Disney pays no county taxes. I claimed that Disney pays much less county taxes than it otherwise would if not for the existence of the District.

You are making things up. Universal’s parks are also valued at a few hundred million dollars.

 

[GimpYancIent]

The pandemic already proved that TWDC can survive without both theme parks in the US, so they could close one.

CA would be devastated if DL was closed!

 

[mikejs78]

That's what's interesting. Had this come up in another manner, I really think a lot of folks would be presenting different opinions.

To think that getting rid of Disney's special little fiefdom is some new idea hasn't long been in the minds in certain circles of Florida government would be silly. If it wasn't for the "Darth DeSantis" narrative, I think a lot more people would be saying "it's about time".

I'd be open to entertaining something like this - if it were done in a thoughtful manner with a proper plan and arguments as to why it was better at this point to remove the district. And if it wasn't done in retaliation for speech.

But this is being done in retaliation for speech, in a rushed manner with no plan and no concept of what the consequences will be.

Corruption, mostly.


Yeah and every year Disney sues those assessors when the assessors try to raise the assessed value to something more closely resembling reality.

That's quite a charge. Where's your evidence? You've resorted to making stuff up to try to prove your point because you're losing the argument.

 

[Tom P.]

Read the bill: "Notwithstanding s. 189.072(2), any independent special district established by a special act prior to the date of ratification of the Florida Constitution on November 5, 1968, and which was not reestablished, re-ratified, or otherwise reconstituted by a special act or general law after November 5, 28 1968, is dissolved effective June 1, 2023."

Statute:
(2) OTHER DISSOLUTIONS.—
(a) In order for the Legislature to dissolve an active independent special district created and operating pursuant to a special act, the special act dissolving the active independent special district must be approved by a majority of the resident electors of the district

i.e. "Notwithstanding" actually means something. The statute language doesn't apply.

I would be curious to see how a court would rule on that. I suspect that the legislature would not be able to get away with tossing the "notwithstanding" provision in and that's that. The RCID was instituted under a statute that said the residents had to approve its dissolution. Which is the assurance and assumption that the property owners in RCID have operated under. Now the legislature is going to say, "oops, just kidding," and refuse them that decision-making power. I can't see that holding up to court scrutiny.

 

[coldasice880]

You might want to check the history on why that worked again…not “normal” circumstances.

The point here is Disney can survive without Florida. Florida can't survive without Disney.

 

[JohnD]

I would be curious to see how a court would rule on that. I suspect that the legislature would not be able to get away with tossing the "notwithstanding" provision in and that's that. The RCID was instituted under a statute that said the residents had to approve its dissolution. Which is the assurance and assumption that the property owners in RCID have operated under. Now the legislature is going to say, "oops, just kidding," and refuse them that decision-making power. I can't see that holding up to court scrutiny.

See my next post. Every year the Legislature passes the annual budget and another bill colloquially called the "Implementing Bill". It is mostly just "notwithstandings" that negate FL Statute language in order to implement the budget. They do this every year.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

The point here is Disney can survive without Florida. Florida can't survive without Disney.

You can't be serious.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Uber and Lyft popped the on-property bubble. Disney shutting down Magical Express was their surrender.

Dumping magical express was Eliminating a small cost Scott free that they new their customers would pay…also giving more money to local businesses and residents that a portion of will funnel back into Disney’s coffers everyday.

Not much more complicated than that

 

[Ghost93]

DeSantis isn't a tyrant, he's a troll. And he's winning.

He has mastered the Trumpian art of provoking his opponents into overreacting about absolutely everything, and then ridiculing the overreaction. But unlike Trump, he's not an idiot, so he's even better at it.

Eh, I don't think his opponents are overreacting. DeSantis running the country would be terrifying. Especially for the LGBTQ community.

As much as I think Chapek is an incompetent fool, I really hope Disney wins this battle against DeSantis.