What is Reedy Creek – Central Florida Tourism Oversight District
The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (formerly known as Reedy Creek Improvement District or RCID) is a special taxing district that was established by the Florida State Legislature in 1967 to provide and manage municipal services for the 47 square miles of the Walt Disney World Resort.
In the 1960s, Disney proposed building the Central Florida recreation-oriented development that would soon be known as Walt Disney World Resort. Located in the remote areas of Orange and Osceola counties, the property was so secluded the closest power and water lines were 10-15 miles away. Orange and Osceola counties did not have services or resources to support the global destination resort.
As a result, the Florida State legislature, working with Disney, established the special taxing district (then known as RCID). The new district would create and manage municipal services with authority and responsibility similar to a county government.
The legislation stated that landowners within the new taxing district, primarily Walt Disney World Resort, would be solely responsible for paying to provide typical municipal services including power, water, roads and fire protection. The district was (and remains) a cost-effective mechanism for ensuring that the tax burden for these services did not fall on Orange and Osceola County taxpayers. Services included building and improving public roads and other infrastructure within the district.
What Does Walt Disney Reedy Creek Do?
Today, the district encompasses approximately 25,000 acres in both Orange and Osceola Counties. The taxing district has had a close working partnership with Walt Disney World Resort and welcomes nearly 250,000 guests daily.
The district partners with 2,000 vendors, suppliers and contractors to provide visitors with high-level public services. They manage 60,000 tons of waste and recycle 30 tons of paper, cardboard, plastic, cans and aluminum annually.
They have also built and maintained 134 miles of roadways and 67 miles of waterways. Water is cleaner when it leaves the district than when it entered, as they conduct 90,000 analyses annually to ensure water quality meets or exceeds state and national standards.
Walt Disney World Resort has brought millions of visitors to Central Florida since the district was established more than 50 years ago.
What is the Future of Disney Reedy Creek?
Many have asked what the new legislation in Florida concerning the special taxing district means for district employees, our Central Florida community and Walt Disney World.
Our focus has always been on the future, and so it remains. We are ready to adjust to a new plan and continue to innovate to further our goal of inspiring and bringing joy to the millions of guests who visit Walt Disney World in Florida.
Disney has far exceeded anyone’s wildest dreams in terms of economic development. Originally, the company estimated it would invest $600 million in Florida over the course of the entire development. Disney has invested billions of dollars throughout the state of Florida, and employment at Walt Disney World Resort has grown to more than 75,000. It is one of the largest single-site employers in the country and the largest in the state of Florida.
Our investments in Florida will continue as we plan to invest billions in Walt Disney World Resort over the next decade. Our investment will create 13,000 new jobs and thousands of other indirect jobs that will attract more people to the state and generate more taxes.
We remain committed to giving back to our Central Florida community. Our Company and its cast members continue to show up as a positive force, actively seeking solutions that impact the people and places around us.