In a meeting of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District held today, board chairman Martin Garcia took several minutes at the end of the public session to lambast Disney over its relationship with what was formerly known as the Reedy Creek Improvement District, as well as its lawsuits against Governor Ron DeSantis and the CFTOD board itself.

CFTOD Board Lambasts Disney Again

At the end of the meeting, Garcia made a number of statements regarding the federal lawsuit between Disney and CFTOD, specifically regarding how Disney amended the suit to remove complaints related to the development contracts for the former Reedy Creek Improvement District, and how that harms Disney’s case legally.

Garcia called this a “major tremor” legally, and that it was an “extraordinary concession” on Disney’s part. He claims that by doing this, Disney is “effectively conceding that it never should have filed the four federal causes of action against this board in federal court.”

He goes on to emphasize that the dispute between Disney and CFTOD involves only contracts between the Disney and RCID, and that it has nothing to do with Disney and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ ongoing battles.

Disney knew full well that these are two independent matters. But having suddenly found itself on its heels this past spring, it desperately desired a national forum to lash out. In turn, it dragged this board into federal court in Tallahassee. That decision was not only an insult to the people of Florida, but also to the taxpayers of this district, who are incurring the legal costs of that unnecessary battle.

Martin Garcia, CFTOD Board Chairman

Garcia goes on to say that Disney’s federal charges against CFTOD were “bogus,” and the filing of which equates to a “repugnant” publicity stunt. Garcia also spoke to “how we arrived at this point,” regarding Disney and its relationship with the former RCID.

Disney exploited the generosity of the people of Florida over the years through the 1967 Reedy Creek Improvement Act. What worked in the early years to spark economic development in Central Florida later proved to be an urban planning quagmire with horrific governance practices.

A light was finally shined on the problem, and Disney got caught. Disney used the 1967 act to establish footing in Central Florida to minimize, if not eliminate, all hurdles in its campaign to mow the district to serve the best interests of Disney at the expense of the public good […] The Reedy Creek Improvement District could have been described as a, quote: ‘public-private partnership.’ In reality, in terms of scope and scale, it became one of the greatest examples of corporate cronyism in modern American history.

Martin Garcia, CFTOD Board Chairman

This isn’t the first time that Garcia has made comments toward Disney and its ongoing battles with the DeSantis-approved board and the Florida Governor himself. In a letter to the editor at the Orlando Sentinel sent last month, he said that Disney “still holds too much sway” in the district.

The Disney-DeSantis Feud

This is the latest installment in the overall, long-running feud between Disney and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who hand-picked members of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board when the Reedy Creek Improvement District was dissolved.

The Florida Governor and Walt Disney Company initially clashed over the corporation’s opposition to a much-debated and controversial Florida law regarding classroom instruction and discussion on sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools, alongside various other recent state laws and proposals in a similar vein.

Bob Chapek was Chief Executive Officer at the time and initially remained silent and passive on the issue — until massive internal criticisms from Cast Members, the LGBTQ+ community, and controversy over Disney’s practice of making hefty political contributions to campaigns and individuals allegedly against their own stated human principles came into focus.

In an apparent act of retribution over Chapek’s expression of dissent, the Governor moved forward with various verbal and legal assaults on Disney, including the dissolution of the Reedy Creek Improvement District and eventual transfer of power directly under his control. DeSantis argues he is attacking an incredibly vague perception of something he calls “woke politics,” allegedly invading the state — frequently stating his intention to put the people of Florida first through these actions and the newly-formed Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board:

Disney has gotten away with special deals from the state of Florida for way too long. It took a look under the hood to see what Disney has become to truly understand their inappropriate influence.

Every member of this governing body has been a handpicked ally of the Governor thus far, including a Christian nationalist and lawyer who donated $50,000 to the DeSantis gubernatorial campaign, among others. In May, an administrator for the district (Glen Gilzean) was also appointed, with a significantly increased $400,000 salary directly related to ongoing DeSantis-led legal fights regarding Disney and several other issues around the state. The legal expenditures made by the Governor are being funded by Florida taxpayers.

DeSantis has previously argued he is attacking a vague perception of something he calls “woke politics,” allegedly invading the state — frequently stating his intention to put the people of Florida first through these actions and the newly-formed Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board:

Disney has gotten away with special deals from the state of Florida for way too long. It took a look under the hood to see what Disney has become to truly understand their inappropriate influence.

DeSantis said in a CNBC interview that he has “moved on” from his battles with The Walt Disney Company, and wants the whole issue to be dropped.

Central Florida Tourism Oversight District Administrator Glen Gilzean Jr. resigned from his position as chairperson of the Florida Commission on Ethics last month, after it was discovered he had violated a rule of the Commission by taking the District job.

At the end of August, it was revealed that CFTOD had already ended the Walt Disney World Annual Pass program for their employees with no notice.

Disney is expected to foot both sides of the bill in its battles against CFTOD and DeSantis, as Disney and its affiliated properties pay about 86 percent of the district’s property taxes, from which is where the funds for its legal expenses are pulled.

CFTOD filed a motion in early September to dismiss Disney’s countersuit at the state level, stating multiple times in a supporting document that Disney has “unclean hands.”

Most recently in the ongoing battle between Disney, DeSantis, and the CFTOD board, new documents surfaced regarding why the board eliminated their diversity contracting programs, citing high costs and the programs being “un-American.”

What do you think about Garcia’s new comments about Disney and the federal lawsuit against CFTOD? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.

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