Disney World firefighters speak out against DeSantis' CFTOD stripping employees and retirees of their Disney annual pass benefits

Aug 23, 2023 in "Reedy Creek Improvement District"

Posted: Wednesday August 23, 2023 10:00am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Firefighters at Walt Disney World are speaking out this morning against Central Florida Tourism Oversight District plans to strip employees and retirees of their Walt Disney World Annual Pass benefits.

Earlier this week, CFTOD CEO Glen Gilzean announced that the district will immediately suspend Walt Disney World Annual Pass benefits to its employees, including firefighters.

One firefighter speaking in the public comments of today's board meeting said, "This benefit is intangible and generational. We have retirees, some of them here today, that work their entire careers and work and earn this benefit for the rest of their lives. This allows me to bring my children to the parks and eventually my grandchildren." He continued, "When the district changed hands last year, we were told that our jobs and our benefits were safe."

Another Firefighter said, "It seems that this current board is doing everything possible to dismantle what has already been agreed upon for the current employees. And the what was earned by the retirees."

In response, CFTOD chairman Martin Garcia said that the Walt Disney World annual pass benefit was unfair to other taxpayers in the district and that the board would pay employees $1425 instead of the Disney passes. He admitted that some employees may be better off on the new scheme, and others with large families who used the passes, will be worse off.

According to the CFTOD, Disney's latest bill was for almost $500,000 to cover tickets used by Reedy Creek Improvement District employees in Q1 FY2022.

Theme park benefits are common among many organizations in the Central Florida area, with Disney providing group rates and other discounts for employers to make access to the parks a perk of their employment.

Discuss on the Forums

Get Walt Disney World News Delivered to Your Inbox

View all comments →

mkt5 days ago

Something something gabagool something

MisterPenguin6 days ago

Ohh? Talkin' bout Wegman's are we? The pastrami?... To die fohr.

Figgy16 days ago

It's pronounced Joisey;)

JoeCamel6 days ago

I can hear the accent in that post

Figgy16 days ago

When in the Orlando area we usually shop at Whole Foods over Publix

dmc4936 days ago

@Figgy1 those there are fighting words, bring it on

Figgy16 days ago

Wegmans is much better than Publix for just about everything

LAKid536 days ago

You needed to go to the #1 party school. 😉 The Publix next to FSU's campus...and right across from fraternity row...was quite buzzing on Wednesday nights. I learned quickly to avoid it on that night.

Comped7 days ago

Really? I've never heard of that and I've been to multiple Publixes around UCF campuses while a student haha.

Captain Barbossa7 days ago

Lucky Florida. All the Publix’s in my area are where the local senior swinger clubs convene 🤢

MisterPenguin7 days ago

That's a Florida wedding shoot.

mkt7 days ago

Brian7 days ago

Sir, this is a Publix thread.

eddie1047 days ago

What good does DeSantis provide being in the Senate ? His personality is as lackluster as his policies and with Trump back in the White House his political future is based on his success. Nobody is gonna be checking for those type of politicians any longer if the next four years turns out be garbage.