DeSantis surrogates move to regain power over Disney’s Reedy Creek

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ appointees to Disney World’s governing board are escalating the fight with the Mouse House over control of the Orlando resort, according to a report.

The DeSantis-appointed board members floated a resolution that says they have “superior authority” over all land development decisions for the 27,000 acres (42 square miles) that make up Disney World and two Disney-controlled cities, Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, in the contested Reedy Creek district, the Associated Press reported Wednesday.

The board is set to vote on the resolution next week. Disney did not respond to requests for comment.

The move comes two weeks after the newly appointed board members claimed their Disney-controlled predecessors pulled a fast one on them by stripping them of most of their powers before they took over.

The five new board members were appointed by the Republican governor after Florida lawmakers overhauled the Mouse House’s Reedy Creek tax district — retaliation for the entertainment giant publicly opposing the state’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” legislation banning school instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade.

The proposed resolution is likely a prelude to future legal battles between the new board and Disney, according to Richard Foglesong, a Rollins College professor emeritus who wrote a definitive account of Disney World’s governance in his book “Married to the Mouse: Walt Disney World and Orlando.”

“A key question will be whether a board created by the legislature and appointed by the governor can rescind the constitutionally granted authority of democratically elected local governments,” Foglesong told the AP.

The new supervisors replaced a board controlled by Disney for the previous 55 years. Among its last decisions in February was Disney control over design and construction at the theme park resort.

Reedy Creek board members also banned their successors from using the name “Disney” or any symbols associated with the theme park without the Mouse House’s permission, and prohibited the new board from using the likeness of Mickey Mouse, other Disney characters or other intellectual property.

Earlier this week, DeSantis said he is looking into the possibility of imposing fresh taxes on Disney hotels and property developments and tolls on roads near its facilities in Florida.