Tag: Reedy Creek Improvement District
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Orange County Lawmakers Begin Process to Repeal Central Florida Tourism Oversight District Bill and Return to Reedy Creek
Lawmakers from Orange County, Florida met on Wednesday to put together legislation to repeal the bill the dissolved the former Reedy Creek Improvement District and replaced it with the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District. This is one step towards a return to the structure that governed the district, where most of Walt Disney World Resort…
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New Study: Disney Generates $40 Billion in Annual Economic Impact in Florida and Over Quarter of a Million Jobs
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (Nov. 14, 2023) – Walt Disney World Resort, one of the world’s most visited vacation destinations, generated $40 billion in economic impact across the state and more than a quarter of a million total jobs in fiscal year 2022, according to a new study from Oxford Economicsannounced today. The study found that Disney,…
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Central Florida Tourism Oversight District Hearing Delayed After District and Governor DeSantis Drag Feet
A judge has ruled that the hearing for a lawsuit will be moved from December 2023 to March 2024 after Disney filed a motion for continuance. Disney said that it filed this motion “because the district has not yet produced vital discovery [and] the current date deprives Disney of the opportunity to ‘present facts essential…
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Others Will Be Punished for “Disfavored” Views if Governor DeSantis Wins in Lawsuit Disney Says
Disney has issued another warning about the stakes of a lawsuit it is embroiled in with Governor DeSantis and other Florida leaders regarding the future of the former Reedy Creek Improvement District. In a filing on Monday, Disney claimed that its free speech was violated and that if Governor DeSantis wins this lawsuit, the company…
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Disney Says Central Florida Tourism Oversight District is Dragging Feet on Document Delivery
As the feud continues between Disney and Governor DeSantis, there is no shortage of controversy. The most recent has to do with documents that Disney has requested from the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District for a state lawsuit that is one of two lawsuits that could determine the future design and development decisions for the…
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Central Florida Tourism Oversight District Files Motion to Dismiss Disney Countersuit
The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District has filed a motion to dismiss a countersuit that was brought against the district and Governor DeSantis by Disney. This comes as the feud over the former Reedy Creek Improvement District continues to wage on at both a state level and federal level in the courts. This motion to…
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Central Florida Tourism Oversight District Votes to Replace Disney Pass Perks With $3,000 Stipend
The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District voted on Wednesday to replace perks that employees and retirees of the district received previously with a larger paycheck instead. The district board voted on a $3,000 stipend instead of Disney passes and Disney discounts that were once offered. This new offering last for two years before it is…
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Central Florida Tourism Oversight District Reconsiders its Plan to Elminate Annual Pass Perks for Employees
The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District is reconsidering its plan to eliminate annual pass perks for its employees. At a meeting on Wednesday night, district administrator Glen Gilzean shared that the district is looking for an alternative solution for its employees Walt Disney World Annual Pass benefits. This update comes after Gilzean emailed employees last…
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Central Florida Tourism Oversight District Plans to Cut More Than $3 Million on Walt Disney World Area Road Maintenance
The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District is cutting more than $3 million on road maintenance for Walt Disney World Resort. This cut comes as legal fees continue to rise for the district. The news comes from a proposed budget for the district for 2024. The new budget notes that “Repairs and maintenance services decreased due…
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Florida District Agrees to a Narrowing of Focus in Disney’s Federal Lawsuit Against It
Recently Disney filed a motion to sharpen the focus of its lawsuit against Governor DeSantis and other Florida leaders, including those on the board of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District. This would remove a portion of the lawsuit that is being decided by a state court from this federal lawsuit. Instead of focusing on…
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Disney Moves to Sharpen Focus in Lawsuit Against Governor DeSantis
Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida recently called on Disney to drop its lawsuits against him. The Governor said he had moved on and Disney should as well. However, Disney did just the opposite. The entertainment company sharpened the focus of its lawsuits at both the state and federal level. Along with sharpening the focus of…
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Governor DeSantis’ District Board Wants Florida Inspector General to Investigate Disney Perks
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…
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Disney Countersues Central Florida Tourism Oversight District in State Court
Disney has countersued the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District. This comes shortly after the district asked for a summary judgement backing its agenda on its lawsuit against Disney. It also comes after Governor Ron DeSantis told Disney that it should just drop its lawsuit and the he had “moved on.” Apparently Disney hasn’t moved on…
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Ethics Commission Lawyer Says Central Florida Tourism Oversight District Administrator Must Resign From One of His Two Posts
Glenton “Glen” Gilzean has been getting questions of the ethics involved in his roles as both the administrator for the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District and also his role as the Chair for Florida’s Commission on Ethics. According to Florida law, this isn’t ok for anyone who is on the Commission on Ethics. Policy for…
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Board Appointed by Governor DeSantis Requests Ruling Against Disney Without Trial
The board for the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, which was appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis, has requested that a state judge rule against Disney without a trial. In a filing on Tuesday, the board asked a state judge for a summary judgment that would rule in their favor on five of the nine counts…
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Central Florida Tourism Oversight District Administrator Faces Ethics Questions
Glenton “Glen” Gilzean, the administrator for the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District that governs most of the land where Walt Disney World Resort is found, is facing ethical questions in the state of Florida. The questions come up over his current role as both the administrator for the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District and also…
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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Urges Disney to Drop Lawsuit
He has fought Disney in the courts, in the state legislature, at the local district, and now in the media. Governor Ron DeSantis continued his feud with The Walt Disney Company in an interview with CNBC. In this interview, he urged Disney’s CEO Bob Iger to drop the lawsuit that the company has against him.…
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Former Governors and Lawmakers Say Governor DeSantis’ Disney Retaliation Hurts Florida
A collection of former governors, lawmakers, and even White House officials have come together against Governor DeSantis’ retaliation against Disney. The group of mostly Republican former officials said that DeSantis’ actions are like the autocratic actions of the governments of both Russia and China. They also said that the Governor’s decision to take over the…
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Central Florida Tourism Oversight District Board Chair Speaks Out Against Disney
Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board chairman, Martin Garcia, has made it clear that he views Disney as an adversary. In a letter to the editor that was sent to the Orlando Sentinel, Garcia said that the board on which he sits “recognizes that it is up against a corporate behemoth.” The letter to the…
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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Programs Cancelled by District Governing Walt Disney World
The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, where the bulk of Walt Disney World Resort is found, has cancelled progams for diversity, equity, and inclusion. This echos moves by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis at a state level. Governor DeSantis has been cutting these types of initiatives in high education and other places. The board for the…
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The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press Voices Concern About Actions of Governor DeSantis Against Disney
The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press have voiced concern over the actions that Governor DeSantis has taken against Disney that led to Disney suing the governor. The legal advocacy group for journalists has filed a friend-of-the-court brief regarding Disney’s lawsuit against Governor DeSantis. The big picture reasoning is that a win by Governor…
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Former Reedy Creek Administrator John Classe Parts Company With Central Florida Tourism Oversight District
The former administrator for the Reedy Creek Improvement District has ended his employment with the now Central Florida Tourism Oversight District. John Classe, who was the administrator for the Reedy Creek Improvement District for seven years had stayed on as an advisor after the new district hired for the role in May. In May when…
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Florida Judge Refuses to Dismiss Lawsuit Against Disney
A Florida judge denied a motion made by Disney to dismiss a lawsuit filed against the company by board members appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis in the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District. Formerly known as the Reedy Creek Improvement District, the new district sued Disney after the company sued Governor DeSantis and other Florida leaders,…
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Central Florida Tourism Oversight District Lowers Walt Disney World Property Taxes
The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District voted for tax cuts on property taxes for the district and its businesses. This includes the largest business, Walt Disney World Resort. The board for the district adopted a reduction to the millage rate (tax rate) during its public meeting on Wednesday. “We heard from constituents loud and clear…
