Reedy Creek Improvement District
The
Reedy Creek Improvement District in
Florida is the immediate governing jurisdiction for the land on the
Walt Disney World Resort.
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A map showing the Walt Disney Company's land holdings and the current boundaries of the District |
On
March 11,
1966, several landowners, all fully-owned subsidiaries of what is now
the Walt Disney Company, petitioned the Circuit Court of the Ninth Judicial Circuit, which served
Orange County, Florida, for the creation of the
Reedy Creek Drainage District under Chapter 298 of the Florida Statutes. After a period during which some minor landowners within the boundaries opted out, the Drainage District was incorporated on
May 13,
1966, as a public corporation. Among the powers of a Drainage District were the power to condemn and acquire property outside its boundaries "for the public use". It used this power at least once to obtain land for Canal C-1 (Bonnet Creek) through land that is now being developed as the
Bonnet Creek Resort, a non-Disney resort.
However, Disney knew that their plans for the land would be easier to carry out with more independence, and they petitioned the Florida State Legislature for the creation of the
Reedy Creek Improvement District, which would have almost total autonomy within its borders. Chapter 67-764 of the Laws of Florida was signed into law by Governor
Claude R. Kirk, Jr. on
May 12,
1967, creating the District. On the same day, Governor Kirk also signed the incorporation acts for two cities inside the District:
Bay Lake (Chapter 67-1104) and
Reedy Creek (Chapter 67-1965). (The City of Reedy Creek was renamed to the
City of Lake Buena Vista around 1970.)
According to a press conference held in
Winter Park, Florida, on
February 2,
1967, by Disney Vice President
Donn Tatum, the Improvement District and Cities were created to serve "the needs of those residing there", and the company needed its own government to "clarify the District's authority to [provide services] within the District's limits" and because of the public nature of the planned development. The original city boundaries did not cover the whole Improvement District; they may have been intended as the areas where communities would be built for people to live.
The Improvement District has far-reaching powers. Through the District, Disney could construct almost anything within its borders, including a
nuclear power plant (which it never built, opting instead for a more traditional plant that supplements power from outside the District). The District, as with any municipal corporation, can issue tax-free bonds for internal improvements. This became a point of contention when a 1985 law limited the amount of tax-free bonds in Florida. The eligible bonds were chosen randomly, causing the District to beat out
Orange County, which had planned to build low-income housing, in 1989.
In addition to the power of
eminent domain outside the District, the one other power that the District was given (that it would not have had if it were simply the two Cities) was the power to ignore any laws, including state laws, about zoning and land use. When the state later established the
Development of Regional Impact study process, Disney, through the District, was able to avoid the paperwork and streamline the process to build theme parks and other attractions. On the other hand, county taxes, including property and sales taxes, still apply within the District.
The planned residential areas never came (though part of the plans for
EPCOT did come through), due in part to the fear of losing control of the District, causing some to cry foul. Most notably,
Richard Fogelsong argues in his book,
Married to the Mouse: Walt Disney World and Orlando, that Disney has abused its powers by remaining in complete control of the District.
In addition, the Disney-controlled town of
Celebration, Florida, which was built with many of
Walt Disney's original ideas, which have evolved into a form of
New Urbanism, was deannexed from Bay Lake and the District to keep its residents from having power over Disney. Celebration lies on unincorporated land within
Osceola County, with a thin strip of still-incorporated land separating it from the rest of the county. This strip of land contains canals and other land used by the District.
A five-member Board of Supervisors governs the District, elected by the landowners of the District. These members, high-up employees in the Walt Disney Company, each own undeveloped five-acre (20,000 m²) lots of land within the District, the only land in the District not technically controlled by Disney or used for public road purposes. The only residents of the District, also Disney employees, live in two small communities, one in each city. In the 2000 census, Bay Lake had 23 residents, all in the community on the north shore of Bay Lake, and Lake Buena Vista had 16 residents, all in the community about a mile north of
Downtown Disney. These residents elect the officials of the cities, but since they don't actually own any land, they don't have any power in electing the District Board of Supervisors.
The District headquarters are in a building in Lake Buena Vista, east of
Downtown Disney. Everything publicly run is run by the District; the cities are a formality. This is reflected in recent land acquisitions by Disney towards the west; these were added to the District but not Bay Lake. The District runs the following services, primarily serving Disney:
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Fire protection and emergency medical services: through four fire stations
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Environmental protection: Many pieces of land have been donated to the
Florida Department of Environmental Regulation and the
South Florida Water Management District as conservation easements, and the District collects data and ensures that large portions remain in their natural
wetland state.
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Building codes and land-use planning: The "
EPCOT Building Codes" go above and beyond state building codes. Most buildings are built to withstand 200 mph winds, and sustained only minimal damage from the 2004 hurricanes
Charley and
Frances.
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Utilities: wastewater treatment and collection, water reclamation, electric generation and distribution, solid waste disposal, potable water, natural gas distribution, and hot and chilled water distribution, through
Reedy Creek Energy Services, which has been merged with the
Walt Disney World Company*
Roads: Many of the main roads in the District are public roads maintained by the District, while minor roads and roads dead-ending at attractions are private roads maintained by Disney; in addition, state-maintained
Interstate 4 and
U.S. Highway 192 pass through the District, as does part of the right-of-way of
County Road 535 (formerly
State Road 535).
Disney provides transportation for guests and employees in the form of buses, ferries, and monorails, under the name
Disney Transport. In addition, several
Lynx public bus routes enter the District, with half-hour service between the
Transportation and Ticket Center (and backstage areas at the
Magic Kingdom) and Downtown
Orlando and
Kissimmee, and once-a-day service to more points, intended mainly for cleaning staff.
The District does not have a police force, instead allowing
Orange County and
Osceola County to respond to incidents. Additionally, the Disney-run
Disney Security acts much like a police force, including pulling over speeders. However, it cannot impose fines, but can take disciplinary action against employees and in extreme cases prohibit people from returning to Disney property (which does not include most of the main roads). County and state police are sometimes found watching for
speeders on the main roads in the District.
Reedy Creek is a natural waterway, the course of which runs mostly through undeveloped territory east of
Haines City. Its flow, drainage, and destination have been altered over the years by human development: It crosses
Interstate 4 and enters Disney property west of Celebration and passes between
Disney's Animal Kingdom and
Blizzard Beach, meandering north past the western reaches of the Bay Lake city limits and the Magic Kingdom.
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Bay Lake, Florida*
Lake Buena Vista, Florida*
Walt Disney Travel Company, Incorporated*
Walt Disney World Company*
Walt Disney World Resort*
Walt Disney World Hospitality and Recreation Corporation*
Reedy Creek Improvement District home page*
A list of property they own in
Orange County, Florida*
Yale University Press's page for the book Married to the Mouse: Walt Disney World and Orlando, including a sample chapter*
rotten.com - information on Walt Disney World and the RCID*
Duckau.com - Abused Disney employees speak out
