Florida’s Chief Inspector General Determines That the Former Reedy Creek Board Did Not Break Any Laws
At the height of Disney’s battle with Ron DeSantis over the dissolution of the Reedy Creek Improvement District, the governor and his allies accused the special district’s board of supervisors of several improprieties.
In April 2023, just over a month after Reedy Creek was officially dissolved, DeSantis asked the state’s Office of Chief Inspector General to review the conduct of the former Reedy Creek board.
At the time, the district had just signed a series of binding agreements with Disney that essentially gave the company control over their Central Florida land in perpetuity. It was a wiley move by Disney in an attempt to keep the special privileges that had been enjoyed under Reedy Creek.
DeSantis Quickly Sued, and an Investigation Began
When news of the agreements broke, DeSantis quickly sued, asking a Florida judge to render the agreements null and void. Reedy Creek, DeSantis and his allies argued, had not followed proper procedure before agreeing to the deal with Disney.


Photo: The Wall Street Journal
At the time, the governor also asked the Office of the Chief Inspector General (OCIG) to launch a thorough review and investigation into the actions of the RCID Board of Supervisors.”
“These collusive and self-dealing arrangements aim to nullify the recently passed legislation. They undercut Florida’s legislative process and defy the will of Floridians,” DeSantis wrote in a letter to Chief Inspector General Melinda Miguel.


(AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
While Disney and DeSantis would later settle their disagreements, with Disney acquiescing to the dissolution of Reedy Creek in exchange for a development plan, the investigation of the former Reedy Creek board continued.
The Case Has Been Quietly Closed
According to a report by News 6, that review was closed by the OCIG, which determined that the board did not break any criminal laws.
On June 21, 2024, the OCIG wrote a memo to DeSantis revealing their findings.
“The OCIG found, prior to the creation of the CFTOD, a blurring of the lines between Walt Disney Parks and Resorts U.S. Inc. (Walt Disney World, WDW) and the RCID,” the memo states. “For example, an attorney for WDW also served as an attorney for the RCID. RCID staff were given discounts at WDW locations, typically only afforded to WDW employees, and WDW employees were invited to RCID employee events.”


Photo: Fox Business
Among the practices criticized in the report was Reedy Creek’s habit of purchasing Walt Disney World Annual Passes for its employees. The program was beloved by district employees, who were critical of the CFTOD for eliminating the benefits.
End of the Saga?
Regarding the last-minute agreements between Disney and Reedy Creek, the OCIG came to an inconclusive verdict.
“Based on the OCIG’s review of the documents provided by the CFTOD, the OCIG could not determine that the RCID BOS properly noticed the RCID landowners about meetings as required by (Florida law),” the memo states.
Due to the settlement between Disney and DeSantis earlier this year, any determination by the OCIG on this front would have been moot.
With Disney and DeSantis seemingly committed to moving forward and working together, today’s revelation that the OCIG quietly closed its case makes sense.


Photo: Also Deadline
Hopefully, this will put the dissolution of Reedy Creek to bed once and for all.