The Governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, announced actions he and the Florida Legislature plans to take regarding their ongoing feud with The Walt Disney Company.
- This afternoon, DeSantis held a press conference in Lake Buena Vista to discuss some plans and possibilities for the Walt Disney World area as he seeks to nullify the agreement Disney made with the outgoing Reedy Creek Improvement District Board before it was replaced with the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.
- While large theme parks are currently exempt from state inspection, DeSantis says they plan on adding theme parks within special districts to be subject to exams from the Department of Agriculture.
- Despite claims that he wants a level playing field, this expansion would not include theme parks outside of districts such as Universal and SeaWorld.
- They also plan on the legislature voiding the development agreement Disney entered into with the district before the governor took control of the Board.
- The governor also expects that the Central Florida Tourism Oversight Board will determine the agreement is void at their next meeting on Wednesday.
- Ron DeSantis also floated other proposals such as building a prison, amusement parks, or other parks on land owned by the district.
- Of note, DeSantis repeatedly mentioned that Disney self appraises their property values. However, this is inaccurate as the property is assessed by Orange and Osceola counties. In fact, Disney has often sued Orange County Property Assessor’s office in the past, winning one such suit in 2021.
- Previously, DeSantis also said he was “looking at taxes on Disney’s hotels and imposing tolls on roads that serve its theme parks.”
- The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District Board is scheduled to meet this Wednesday after postponing a meeting last week.