ORLANDO, Fla. — Free Walt Disney World passes and discounts given to employees of the former Reedy Creek Improvement District are now being targeted, claiming that the benefits funnel money back to Disney at the expense of the district.
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The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board members, who Gov. DeSantis appointed announced Monday a referral has been submitted to the Florida inspector general claiming that “perks and benefits that the former Disney-controlled Reedy Creek Improvement District funneled back to Disney.”
In a prepared statement, the board members claimed that the perks and benefits given to employees and their families in the past year totaled around $2.5 million and amounted to “unethical behavior.”
“For decades, the former Disney-run RCID (Reedy Creek Improvement District) 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,” the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District said in a news release Monday.
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The move came amid a battle between the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District and Disney, which long benefited from the former Reedy Creek district. State lawmakers and Gov. Ron DeSantis this year created the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District to replace the Reedy Creek district amid a feud between DeSantis and Disney over the company’s opposition to a 2022 law nicknamed “Don’t Say Gay” that restricted instruction about gender identity and sexual orientation in schools.
“Allowing a corporation to control its own government is bad policy, especially when the corporation makes decisions that impact an entire region,” DeSantis said in a statement at the time. “This legislation ends Disney’s self-governing status, makes Disney live under the same laws as everybody else, and ensures that Disney pays its debts and a fair share of taxes.”
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