Latest board meeting signals new chapter for Disney and Central Florida Tourism Oversight District

Apr 25, 2024 in "Reedy Creek Improvement District"

Posted: Thursday April 25, 2024 10:23am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District held its first board of supervisors meeting yesterday, the first time since the settlement agreement with Disney was reached.

In a significant shift from its beginnings in 2023 as a Ron DeSantis-directed takeover of Disney's Reedy Creek Improvement District, the meeting felt more like an actual gathering of governance and less like a political spectacle.

Instead of the now departed CFTOD Chairman Martin Garcia railing against Disney, the agenda included awarding contracts for chilled water, network security and video upgrades, waste stream disposal, recycling efforts, energy plant upgrades, sediment removal, landscaping improvements, and a twenty-year contract for the purchase of 74.5 megawatts of solar energy.

Reporting on the district's management was newly appointed CFTOD administrator Stephanie Kopelousos. Also in attendance was new board member Craig Mateer.

Central Florida Tourism Oversight District headquarters near Disney Springs

Announced in late March, the Walt Disney Company and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District reached a settlement agreement that will potentially see both sides drop their respective lawsuits. Speaking earlier this month, Disney CEO Bob Iger described the agreement as a "win-win" for Disney.

The key provisions of the agreement from Disney's perspective are that the district commits to reviewing and potentially revising the 2020 Comprehensive Plan, with consultations involving Disney. Furthermore, the subsequent negotiations for the new development agreement are tied to Disney's decision to either continue or halt its federal lawsuit against CFTOD and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, indicating the agreement's broad scope and potential impact on Disney's operations.

Responding to a question about investing in the parks during a recent investors call, Iger said, "The agreement we reached with the Central Florida tourism oversight district last week will actually enable us to pursue the kinds of significant investment in our Florida parks that you're talking about. We achieved a win-win result with that deal. In terms of our ability to pursue future development opportunities, but also in terms of the 1000s of direct and indirect jobs, and economic opportunity in the state that will come with our investment in new projects. So as we've discussed regarding our $60 billion capital expenditure plans, is much more coming to our parks around the world, including in Florida."

Bob Iger at Walt Disney World

Discuss on the Forums

Get Walt Disney World News Delivered to Your Inbox

DCBaker13 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.