Central Florida Oversight District reconsiders its plans to eliminate Walt Disney World Annual Pass benefits for its employees

Sep 13, 2023 in "Reedy Creek Improvement District"

Posted: Wednesday September 13, 2023 6:15pm ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

During tonight's Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board meeting, CEO Glen Gilzean revealed that the district continues looking for a new solution to the proposed changes to its Walt Disney World Annual Pass benefit for district employees.

In an email sent to Central Florida Tourism Oversight District employees in August, administrator Glen Gilzean said he is ending the Walt Disney World Annual Pass program benefit.

The removal of the Walt Disney World Annual Pass benefit follows the Ron DeSantis-appointed board receiving a bill from Walt Disney World for $2.5 million in theme park tickets and discounts given to employees of the district.

Gilzean said in his email, "In the proposed FY 2024 budget, I have incorporated funding for a new stipend program that allows for individualized flexibility rather than underserving employees with a one-size-fits-all approach."

The stipend program would give district employees approximately $1000 per year. The district said in the email that only 50% of employees used the Walt Disney World Annual Pass benefit.

Walt Disney World Annual Passes range in price from $400 to $1400, depending on the tier of pass chosen.

Not surprisingly, the proposal received significant pushback from the district employees, most notably the fire fighters and retirees.

Speaking today, Gilzean said that the board is making significant progress in developing reasonable solutions. He said, "We received feedback on the stipend amount, and we're working with the board of supervisors to increase the initial proposal now and making it more equitable."

One of the plans in consideration is the possibility of allowing teams to purchase passes directly from the operating participant program. Gilzean expects to unveil these numbers during the September 27 board meeting.

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DCBaker10 hours ago

Here's the full packet: https://www.oversightdistrict.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/3-28-25-BOS-Agenda-packet.pdf Item 7.4 on the Sunshine Corridor PD&E Study:

Dr.GrantSeeker2 days ago

Oof, 2031 is a long ways away! Wonder how long it will actually take if and when they start it. Edit: thanks Len!

castlecake2.02 days ago

lentesta2 days ago

AFAIK the road budget is still in place. IIRC it was a tie-in of Western Way to the east side of property. ETA: Yep. Look at Exhibit D in this doc from the CFTOD boaerd meeting on 2024-06-05.

LAKid532 days ago

What more can be done?

Dr.GrantSeeker2 days ago

I remember RCID approving a bunch of infrastructure work for Western Way and the BV Drive intersection right before they became CFTOD. Do we still know if these improvements are going to happen and when? @lentesta I’m tagging you because i vaguely remember you talking about this a year ago-ish, which is how I learned about it in the first place. Unless my memory is totally wrong (which it could be) so I apologize in advance if you never mentioned these improvements!

LAKid532 days ago

Have you met OC Planning? Their middle name is urban sprawl....

LAKid532 days ago

It is. I laugh everytime I'm GPSed through property on the way back from MCO. And I think the same on the way home from Port Canaveral. I'd rather make a larger loop around than drive Osceola Parkway to LBV Drive to Western Way to Hartzog.

lazyboy97o2 days ago

And instead of real solutions people just double down on the causes of traffic.

castlecake2.02 days ago

The blessing of size lead to urban sprawl on property, the very thing Walt’s EPCOT was trying to fix. One solution could be trying to implement public transit to get Cast living nearby to work, but Orlando’s transit is terrible, and the sprawl across property makes it hard to make an efficient system for moving people. Now with the sprawl surrounding the property, Disney roads are becoming the shortcuts. The isolated feel of entire resort is quickly disappearing.

LAKid532 days ago

State Road 535 (Avalon Road) North from the intersection at Hartzog is now wall to wall apartment complexes up to New Independence. I had to make a detour to get out of Waterleigh due to road resurfacing and the same is going south. The roads in Horizons West currently can't handle the traffic resulting from the increase in developments. Yeah, it's nice that 429 North of the toll before the Turnpike had been widened, but it's a hot mess in the AM & PM up to that spot. The amount of construction since I bought 2.5 years ago is insane. Don't know HOW they'll widen Western Way once you leave property because there's not much space to add another lane under the 429 overpass. Flamingo Crossings area is growing. And the roads can't handle the traffic.

LuvtheGoof2 days ago

Western Way was really bad around 5:30 yesterday. And then a few idiots on the turnpike going north decided to have a 4 car pile up, blocking both lanes in the construction area, and our normal 2 - 2 1/2 hour trip took almost 4 hours last night!

LAKid533 days ago

My GPS sends me THROUGH property on the way back from MCO. But South on 429 to get there.

LAKid533 days ago

Avalon is bad in the mornings & evenings. Now imagine adding a 1400 unit housing project on Hartzog just before the curve to the intersection with Avalon. Which was just widened up to Schofield.