Is Gov. Ron DeSantis now the boss of Disney World? What to know about changes in Florida

The Florida Legislature has given Gov, Ron DeSantis control over Walt Disney World’s governing body.

So what does that mean? Will the governor lead the Magic Kingdom parades? Appear at theme park attractions? Rename it DeSantis World?

It’s not as glamorous as that. But the reins do come with power.

What will DeSantis be controlling? And what is the Reedy Creek Improvement District anyway?

Here’s a look:

What the Florida Legislature did

The state Legislature voted to give the governor power to appoint the five-member Reedy Creek Improvement District and change the name to the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District. New members of the board must be Florida residents and not worked for a theme park the past three years. Originally, the Legislature approved a bill dissolving the district, which could have complicated financial obligations and put basic services in the hands of surrounding counties.

What the Disney governing body can still do

The district still can handle the basics of governing the Disney area: levy taxes and sell bonds, provide fire-rescue service, and oversee water and sewer services.

What the body can no longer do

The district can no longer build a nuclear power plant, airport or stadium, or acquire land outside its boundaries through eminent domain. There hadn’t been plans to do those things before the transfer of power to the governor..

What triggered the takeover?

The Disney district was initiated last year when the company publicly opposed the so-called “don’t say gay” bill, which outlaws instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity issues in kindergarten through third grade. The DeSantis moved to penalize the company, directing lawmakers to dissolve the district.

What is Reedy Creek?

▪ Reedy Creek is not a county but it was created by state lawmakers in 1967 and encompasses about 25,000 acres in Orange and Osceola counties. It has two cities — Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, where Walt Disney World Resort is located.

▪ Reedy Creek has its own garbage pickup and fire-rescue and other emergency medical services. The district maintains roads, levies taxes and has its own wastewater treatment plant.

▪ Reedy Creek contracts for police services from Orange and Osceola counties.

▪ The district was granted the right to issue bonds, assess taxes and enforce its own safety codes.

▪ The name Reedy Creek is taken from a stream that crosses Disney’s property.

What Disney parks are in Reedy Creek boundaries?

Disney’s four theme parks in the Orlando area — Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios — and its two water parks Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon are in the boundaries of Reedy Creek.

Why was Reedy Creek started to run Walt Disney World?

▪ Walt Disney’s brother, Roy, pushed Florida lawmakers to create the Reedy Creek Improvement District because the company needed independence from local governments so it could build its Experimental Prototype Community of tomorrow, also known as Epcot. Walt envisioned Epcot as an actual city, but after his death in 1966, plans changed and Epcot turned into a theme park. Epcot opened in 1982.

▪ It was also an incentive to entice the Disney company to open a major tourist attraction in Florida. Walt Disney already operated the popular Disneyland theme park in Anaheim, California, since 1955. Walt Disney World in the Orlando area opened on Oct. 1, 1971.

▪ On May 12, 1967, Governor Claude R. Kirk, Jr. signed a charter creating the Reedy Creek Improvement District that helped seal the deal.