The board that was appointed by Governor DeSantis to the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District has asked the Florida Inspector General to investigate Disney perks that were given for years to the employees and board members of the Reedy Creek Improvement District. These “perks” include theme park passes, discounts, and other things. The district is looking to stop these benefits moving forward.
A release from the district said that, “for decades, the former Disney-run RCID used taxpayer funds to provide season passes and amusement experiences to its employees and their family members, cover the cost of discounts on hotels, merchandise, food, and beverages, and give its own board members VIP Main Entrance passes. In 2022 alone, it cost taxpayers over $2.5 million.”
“In addition to constituting unethical benefits and perks, the scheme raises significant questions regarding self-dealing as the board members were only permitted a maximum of $100 per month in compensation per the Reedy Creek Improvement District Act,” the district said.
The district also released a Disney invoice that was found that included a charge of $492,382 for “Q1 FY22 Tickets.” Other line items included $16,837 in merchandise discounts, $4,969 in food and beverage discounts and $3,764 in water park discounts. There were also employee hotel room discounts at the Disney Yacht Club Resort, Disney Caribbean Beach Resort and Disney Coronado Springs Resort.
The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District currently employs around 400 people. Disney and its affiliates are the main taxpayers within the district and account for about 86% of the property tax revenue for the district. The district said that in the future, the only access district employees will have to Disney properties will be for official duties. Jon Shirey, president of the Reedy Creek Professional Firefighters, indicated that the union is working on a statement about this development that will be released soon.
This most recent development comes as a feud between Disney continues to feud with Governor DeSantis, the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, and other Florida leaders about the future of the district. This comes after Governor DeSantis chose to dissolve the former iteration of the district after Disney spoke out against legislation he supported. Since then, Governor DeSantis has actively been attacking Disney verbally and also with the powers of the Florida State Government. This has led to Disney sueing the Governor and state leaders in federal court, followed by a countersuit from the district in state court. Most recently, Disney recently sued the district in state court as well.
The full press release from the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District can be read here:
REFERRAL MADE TO INSPECTOR GENERAL REGARDING SCHEME TO FUNNEL MILLIONS OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS TO DISNEY AS SEASON PASSES
Scheme that Funneled $2.5M Back to Disney Each Year Also Paid for Merchandise, Hotels, Cruises, and Food
Today, the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District has submitted a referral to the Florida Inspector General regarding millions of dollars’ worth of perks and benefits that the former Disney-controlled Reedy Creek Improvement District funneled back to Disney.
For decades, the former Disney-run RCID used taxpayer funds to provide season passes and amusement experiences to its employees and their family members, cover the cost of discounts on hotels, merchandise, food, and beverages, and give its own board members VIP Main Entrance passes. In 2022 alone, it cost taxpayers over $2.5 million.
In addition to constituting unethical benefits and perks, the scheme raises significant questions regarding self-dealing as the board members were only permitted a maximum of $100 per month in compensation per the Reedy Creek Improvement District Act.
The latest bill sent to CFTOD from Disney features a charge of $492,382.96 for “Q1 FY22 Tickets.” The scheme included the RCID government paying for “discounts” enjoyed by employees on all Disney purchases. Line items include government-paid handouts for “Merchandise Discount Usage” ($16,837.39), “Food & Beverage Discount Usage” ($4,969.52), and “Water Parks Discount Usage” ($3,764.48). It also includes employee handouts for hotel usage at the Disney Yacht Club Resort, Disney Caribbean Beach Resort, and Disney Coronado Springs Resort. The bill can be viewed here.
Immediately upon discovering the scheme, the CFTOD set in motion plans to eliminate it. All CFTOD employees who require access to Disney premises to perform their official duties will still be able to access them.
