The battle over the fate of Disney’s Reedy Creek District is officially coming to a close.

Currently, the Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID) gives Disney a substantial amount of control over the operations of the land it sits on — it has worked that way for 50+ years. As of last night, however, the Florida state legislature has made a decision that will likely drastically affect the way the district operates. In the aftermath of some friction between Disney and Florida Governor Ron Desantis over Disney’s reaction to Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Bill, the Florida legislature and DeSantis signed a bill into law that will dissolve RCID in June of 2023. But now, Florida has taken further steps to strip Disney’s power.

This past week, House Bill 9B was filed as a means to make further changes to the plans for the District. In doing so, it would reverse the previous law that would have dissolved RCID in June. Instead, this new bill would keep the district intact, but give it a new name– The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, as well as redistribute power to governor-appointed members of the board. The bill had already been passed by the Florida House of Representatives earlier this week, but as of Friday, February 10th, the Florida Senate has passed the bill with a vote of 26 yeas and 9 nays. Let’s take a look at what this means for the future of Disney and the district.

First, this bill will take effect upon becoming law. While it has yet to be signed by DeSantis, he will likely sign it into law soon. However, the district will still be allowed to continue doing business as the RCID for two years after the bill goes into effect so that they have time to make necessary changes to legal and financial documents, physical assets, and other locations where the district’s name is used.

Next, the Governor will be able to appoint all five members of the Board of Supervisors for the District, but his selection must be confirmed by the Senate. While the effective date of the bill would end the term of all current members of the board, they are permitted to continue serving until a successor is appointed and qualified. While these new board members aren’t required to live in the Orlando area, they must be Florida residents, and they are not permitted to serve more than three consecutive terms.

From the effective date of the bill, current board members and employees of the district are not permitted to sell, dispose of, transfer, or expend any assets of the district — except in the case of the ordinary course of business, until new board members are appointed and confirmed.

The bill also strips the District of some powers, like the power it has to potentially create a nuclear power plant (which has not been seriously considered, according to the Orlando Sentinel), and imposes new requirements on the district mostly relating to reporting.

While is a pretty big change, an important thing to note is that the District is not getting dissolved as previously decided. The restructured district will retain many of the powers it previously held.

The President of Walt Disney World Resort previously commented that “Disney works under a number of different models and jurisdictions around the world, and regardless of the outcome, we remain committed to providing the highest quality experience for the millions of guests who visit each year.” While these changes will likely happen soon, assuming DeSantis signs the bill into law, the evolution of this district has gone through a few changes — we’ll continue to keep an eye out for any new updates.

Disney Responds to Looming Reedy Creek District Changes

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The post Disney World’s Reedy Creek Has DIED — Here’s What Happens Next first appeared on the disney food blog.