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

[Chip Chipperson]

We have another response:

'Buckle up': DeSantis escalates Disney dispute, eyes hotel taxes and road tolls

The DeSantis administration is also examining if a recent agreement approved between a Central Florida board that had been controlled by Disney and the company runs afoul of the state’s growth laws, according to senior administration officials.

www.politico.com

Edit: tagging in @lazyboy97o to get their take on it.

He's essentially begging Disney to sue the State. Absolutely disgusting.

 

[Kamikaze]

So many legal experts here. I got confused and thought I was in a message board for experts on legislation and law.

Perhaps it could be made easy for the moderator. Create two threads were all the people who are on the State of Florida's side go and have their little group think thread and those who don't like it go and have their little feel good thread. Since it's just the same boring argument over and over and over again.

Yes you don't like DeSantis, Yes you don't like Disney. It gets repetitive and dull.

Yes, lets not discuss one of the most important situations in the history of the WDW Resort on a forum dedicated to said resort. That makes perfect sense.

There are constant changes and new information - like Ronnie's 'threat' last night.

 

[tissandtully]

All @JohnD was doing is correcting the record. Another member claimed that "this was started by Ron," when in fact, DeSantis didn't just wake up one morning and say "you know what, I think it's time to go screw over the #1 tourism destination in my state, after nearly 55 years of status quo."

In reality, Disney threw the first punch. This is so blatantly obvious that even Iger conceded that. DeSantis punched back, albeit in a near-textbook example of chilling free speech, but that doesn't change the fact that Disney threw the first punch. Would I have liked to see DeSantis just say "Ok, groomers" to Disney and move on? Yes. Unfortunately, things escalated quickly and both he and Disney have gotten wounded in this battle.

As always, two things can be true at once: Disney started it, and DeSantis acted unconstitutionally.

Sounds like you’re OK with government attacking free speech.

 

[LAKid53]

The governor already advanced and signed legislation giving Floridians a relief on tolls charges. With that, and a SunPass transponder, tolls are already a “tax” that hits out of staters (read: non-voters) harder than residents.

For one year. Providing you have 35 eligible transactions on your account each month. Which could potentially benefit non-Floridians also, such as long haul truck drivers. The only requirement for the 50% credit is a Sunpass or other Florida interoperable account, like E Pass, and those 35 transactions each month. You'll still pay the discounted toll until you've got 35 transactions, at which point your account will be given the 50% credit at the end of the month.

 

[tissandtully]

Anyone still defending this low Rent clown?

There’s a couple in here

 

[Ayla]

Disney’s legal and PR teams are formidable, no doubt. The “opposition party” that went all in with Rebekah Jones and Charlie Crist is unserious.

Yeah, I don't think you want to discuss Rebekah Jones today, considering what DeSantis did to her child a couple days ago.

 

[Kamikaze]

He's essentially begging Disney to sue the State. Absolutely disgusting.

They would have to, if the legislature did void the agreement. But they have no legal standing to do so, and doing so would open all other such agreements to being void. They can't specifically say 'we only void the agreement Disney made'.

Legislatures aren't supposed to decide law, just enact them. The judiciary would see this as a clear overstep of their boundaries.

 

[tissandtully]

Yeah, I don't think you want to discuss Rebekah Jones today, considering what DeSantis did to her child a couple days ago.

Not to get off topic but RJ is not the most trustworthy source.

 

[ParentsOf4]

Did you miss the part where Iger recently said Disney plans to spend $17B at WDW over the next decade adding 13,000 new jobs or the news that Genie+ sold out with Spring Break crowds pushing the parks near capacity? Disney isn’t suffering because of this toddler temper tantrum. Disney too is progressing, entertaining and growing.

Domestic Parks & Resorts depreciation was $13.7B for the last 10 years. Take into account inflation for the next 10 years and most of what Disney is going to spend at WDW for the next 10 years is just upkeep.

It costs a lot of money to maintain WDW facilities.

As far as crowds, the room discounts and weak direct DVC sales point to Disney pricing people out of the full WDW experience. Rather than sacrifice their WDW trips, Guests are moving offsite in order to pay for higher theme park ticket prices and Genie+. As Iger has acknowledged, Disney increased prices too much.

 

[LAKid53]

I didn’t say they were connected, one way or the other. I just don’t think things are as rosy as you portray. Keep in mind a bunch of discounts have been announced in recent weeks, and suddenly APs are being sold again. Those are “levers” mentioned by Disney financiers to adapt to softening demand- adjusting the “unfavorable attendance mix.”

I do believe a spreadsheet exists somewhere which shows $17bn in outlays. How that’s composed (capex or operational) and whether that comes into existence is anyone’s guess. I think with certain economic headwinds the parks are going to have softening demand which has little to do with what the governor is doing/not doing, and everything to do with the increasing costs of a vacation.

Agree. I don't think the layoffs and operating expense cuts are in response to DeSantis and the new board. More positioning the company to weather an economic slowdown that will affect tourism, especially a location with Disney prices.

 

[Bocabear]

Disney was forced to respond...as a corporation that employs a huge number of LGBTQ people they needed to say something as a corporate leader in the state... I am sure they did not want to, but had to. So Bob was forced to defend his huge diverse workforce and DeSantis had to strike back for his base... It is all ridiculous and when i hear words like "groomers" bandied around on these boards it makes me sick.

 

[GoofGoof]

The roads that serve WDW are mostly owned and controlled by RCID and the new board would have to impose these tolls right? So wouldn’t the toll revenue go to the district and not the state? If the toll revenue went to the district and the district has to maintain a mostly balanced budget wouldn’t this actually result in a decrease in Disney’s tax bill?

As far as hotel taxes go for the local portion isn’t it the county that collects that tax? I don’t think the Governor can change that it would have to come from the county. Even if they add an additional local hotel tax collected by the district I think he has the same problem as tolls then. For the State portion of the hotel tax is it possible to only raise hotel taxes on specific hotels? Wouldn’t he need to raise state hotel taxes on all hotels in the state?

 

[tissandtully]

The roads that serve WDW are mostly owned and controlled by RCID and the new board would have to impose these tolls right? So wouldn’t the toll revenue go to the district and not the state? If the toll revenue went to the district and the district has to maintain a mostly balanced budget wouldn’t this actually result in a decrease in Disney’s tax bill?

As far as hotel taxes go for the local portion isn’t it the county that collects that tax? I don’t think the Governor can change that it would have to come from the county. Even if they add an additional local hotel tax collected by the district I think he has the same problem as tolls then. For the State portion of the hotel tax is it possible to only raise hotel taxes on specific hotels? Wouldn’t he need to raise state hotel taxes on all hotels in the state?

It’s like he’s just making stuff up

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

There’s a couple in here

Anyone with cognitive reasoning ability?

 

[Tha Realest]

Yeah, I don't think you want to discuss Rebekah Jones today, considering what DeSantis did to her child a couple days ago.

The Governor stole her kids phone and made death threats against his classmates?

 

[lazyboy97o]

What would the point be? They can't just create taxes and hold onto the money. They need a reason to tax and spend, and they can't run surpluses at the end of fiscal years.

Retribution and control.

They would have to, if the legislature did void the agreement. But they have no legal standing to do so, and doing so would open all other such agreements to being void. They can't specifically say 'we only void the agreement Disney made'.

Legislatures aren't supposed to decide law, just enact them. The judiciary would see this as a clear overstep of their boundaries.

They’ve already shown a willingness to ignore legal boundaries.

 

[LAKid53]

The roads that serve WDW are mostly owned and controlled by RCID and the new board would have to impose these tolls right? So wouldn’t the toll revenue go to the district and not the state? If the toll revenue went to the district and the district has to maintain a mostly balanced budget wouldn’t this actually result in a decrease in Disney’s tax bill?

As far as hotel taxes go for the local portion isn’t it the county that collects that tax? I don’t think the Governor can change that it would have to come from the county. Even if they add an additional local hotel tax collected by the district I think he has the same problem as tolls then. For the State portion of the hotel tax is it possible to only raise hotel taxes on specific hotels? Wouldn’t he need to raise state hotel taxes on all hotels in the state?

The Florida Constitution prohibits taxing one entity while not taxing other same entities without....a special district. Would OCTOD have the legal authority to impose a bed tax, above what Orange County imposes, on Disney hotels? Would doing that be within its purview?

I don't believe RCID owns most of the roads within WDW. The roads leading directly into the parks are private roads, though. And does the Florida Constitution allow a special district to create toll roads or is that only under the power of the Florida Legislature?

 

[lazyboy97o]

The roads that serve WDW are mostly owned and controlled by RCID and the new board would have to impose these tolls right? So wouldn’t the toll revenue go to the district and not the state? If the toll revenue went to the district and the district has to maintain a mostly balanced budget wouldn’t this actually result in a decrease in Disney’s tax bill?

As far as hotel taxes go for the local portion isn’t it the county that collects that tax? I don’t think the Governor can change that it would have to come from the county. Even if they add an additional local hotel tax collected by the district I think he has the same problem as tolls then. For the State portion of the hotel tax is it possible to only raise hotel taxes on specific hotels? Wouldn’t he need to raise state hotel taxes on all hotels in the state?

There are provisions in the reconstitution of the District that allow roads to be handed over to FDOT.

 

[lentesta]

If I'm reading the Florida Statues correctly, any additional toll revenue imposed on RCID/CFTOD roads would:

• First go to maintaining those roads
• Then to the county they're in

Am I reading this right? Because that sounds like it shifts the cost of maintaining the roads to taxpayers from Disney.

 

[Angel Ariel]

If he puts toll roads surrounding WDW
I’d be sure to leave a nice brochure in every single hotel room on property explaining where the Ronnie Road Tax came from. How long does this have to drag out before his term is up?

Unless the legislature changes the law for him, looks like DeSantis has to resign if he wants to run for President:

Florida leaders are considering a change to the 'resign to run' law to help Gov. Ron DeSantis

New House and Senate leaders want to consider changes to a "resign to run" law to clear the path for Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis to run for president without giving up his post.

news.wfsu.org