Could Disney be panicking a little after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said plans were being made to effectively undo the “fast one” Disney pulled on the State before turning over the reigns to Reedy Creek?

Earlier this afternoon, WDW Public Relations sent out an email to undisclosed media recipients regarding some of the issues DeSantis brought up during his press conference. Among the “talking points” Disney seemingly wanted the media to spread were how much business Disney brings to Central Florida, how they don’t decide what to pay in taxes, and how safe their attractions are (no mentions of the monorails, however, which were mentioned specifically by DeSantis and are in notoriously bad condition.)

Here is how the communique began…

Good afternoon,

We are following up regarding inquiries about the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (formerly known as the Reedy Creek Improvement District).  Please see the below information for background purposes only for use in your reporting on this topic.

The email would go on to link to the July 17, 2022 State of Florida approved Comprehensive Plan upon which the current Development Agreement was based.

Regarding attraction safety, Disney says…

Disney has been a leader in safety and continues to develop procedures and best practices that are leveraged across the industry.

In 2001, Walt Disney World along with other industry leaders was instrumental in helping lead efforts with the State of Florida to develop a Memorandum of Understanding requiring quarterly reporting of any serious guest injuries occurring on amusement rides and immediate reporting of those resulting in fatalities.

The MOU also provides for biannual site visits, consultations and reviews of the safety programs at Florida’s permanent amusement facilities.

DeSantis’ team is said to be zeroing in on Disney’s monorails which have a well-documented history of safety issues and are years past their recommended replacement date. It was rumored that the aging fleet was to get a replacement in 2018. But the years came and went, and the monorails continue to degrade.

Regardless of where you are politically on the DeSantis vs. Disney issue, most Disney fans can agree the monorails must be replaced, and soon. Maybe this will finally light a fire for Disney to do so?

The real question is, if the State comes down harder on inspecting Disney’s attractions will they ramp up inspection of Universal and Sea World attractions as well? Or will Disney be alone with this “special status” as well?

Regarding taxes, Disney says…

All property in the district, including all Disney property is assessed annually by the Orange County tax assessor or the Osceola County tax assessor, as applicable.

Disney does not assess our own property.

The Orange County tax assessor assesses all property in Orange County including Disney, Sea World and Universal. In other words, the same government official that assesses Universal and Sea World also assesses Walt Disney World.

While Disney doesn’t assess their own taxes, they do have a long history of using loopholes and legal battles to avoid paying their fair share.

Disney claims its the largest single taxpayer in Central Florida, paying over $1.146 billion in 2022.

Disney touts that it’s building affordable housing, despite the company constantly coming under fire for underpaying its workers and many Cast Members being left to fend for themselves during the pandemic…

In 2022, Walt Disney World announced it would be contributing nearly 80 acres of land into more than 1,300 units of attainable housing for Central Florida. Walt Disney World has played an active role in building a stronger community for more than 50 years, and we will continue to find and support creative solutions that make a meaningful impact.

The email then proceeds to rattle off a bunch of stats to support how important Disney is to Central Florida and its economy, as well as highlight its charitable giving.

But what does that have to do with the issue at hand? That Disney did have a special tax status and effectively was its own government? Nothing, really, other than to back up what Disney CEO Bob Iger essentially said: that Florida owes Disney.

It’s still too early to tell just what the fallout of this situation will be. But neither Ron DeSantis or Disney CEO Bob Iger can back down now without looking weak in the eyes of their supporters.

Grab that Figment popcorn bucket, folks. We’re in for a long show.