Taxpayers this and taxpayers that. Whenever a new policy is enacted by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, the Board of Supervisors will frame the argument as saving “taxpayers” money. While the concept of government saving taxpayers money is usually applauded as helping the average Joe put more money in their pocket, the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District is not your average government and the District taxpayer is far from your average Joe.
Disney Pays 85% of Taxes in the District
According to tax data, The Walt Disney Company pays more than 85% of taxes collected by the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District. The 2023 budget put together by the then-Reedy Creek Improvement District called for nearly $180 million in income from ad valorem taxes. Ad valorem taxes are taxes collected based on the assessed value of an asset. In the case of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, the asset that drives ad valorem taxes would be considered the properties within the district.
In the proposed fiscal year 2024 budget, the District claims more than $15.3 billion in assessed values within its boundaries and plans on collecting more than $188 million in ad valorem taxes at a lowered millage rate. While the millage rate, or the rate per $1,000 of assessed property value, is proposed to be lowered next year, but the raw number of dollars collected will increase thanks to improvements to the Walt Disney World property.
Disney World Improvements Increase District Revenue
In a recent meeting, District Administrator Glen Gilzean said that improvements such as the Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind roller coaster, the Swan Reserve hotel, the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser immersive hotel, Flamingo Crossings hotels, and the refurbishment at the Great Ceremonial House at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. Assessed property values within the District increased by nearly $2 billion between January 2022 and January 2023, primarily due to improvements made by The Walt Disney Company to its properties that are within the District.
In short, when Disney World builds new things, the District profits. Disney CEO Bob Iger has said that the Company plans on investing $17 billion at Walt Disney World over the next 10 years, which the District only stands to profit from.
District to Increase Permit Fees
In terms of monies collected by the District, the 2024 budget calls for 96.87% of revenue from ad valorem taxes, 2.57% paid by builders (Disney World) permits & fees, and the remainder from interest and other fees. Gilzean also said that the District is planning on increasing permit & fees pricing, which Disney World pays for most improvements that it makes within its theme parks and resorts. Gilzean is proposing an increase of more than 50%, driving the anticipated revenue from permits and fees to $5 million in 2024. Perhaps coincidentally, the District is budgeting $5 million to fight Disney in 2024 as well.
Who Else is a Taxpayer?
Of course, 85% is not 100%, which means that there are other taxpayers within the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District. The fact that Disney isn’t the only taxpayer allows wordsmithing that makes it seem like the Board is saving someone or some other entity a fortune when they cut “wasteful spending”.
Other taxpayers in the district include the Four Seasons hotel, Swan & Dolphin hotel, Hilton, Wyndham, and considerably smaller payers like Duke Energy and Sunbelt Rentals. Of the roughly $185 million in ad valorem taxes collected by the Reedy Creek Improvement District (now CFTOD) in 2022, Disney World paid more than $161 million of that. The next-closest taxpayer was the Four Seasons, which paid a hair over $5 million. Of the dozens and dozens of taxpayers, only eight (including Disney) paid more than $1 million.
The next time that the Board drones on about saving taxpayer money, know that the taxpayer that they’re saving the most money for is Walt Disney World itself. Oh, and if it weren’t for the development and success of Walt Disney World, there would be no Four Seasons, Hilton, Wyndham, or most other taxpayers paying into the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!
Corporations aren’t people. Additionally corporations don’t pay taxes as they push these payments onto their customers … aka the tourists. The tourists are the ones paying the taxes, not Disney. Stop simping for a billion dollar Corporation. Stop acting like they are the victim, the damsel in distress. It is sad and pathetic
To be clear – corporate personhood is a thing in the United States, as ruled by the Supreme Court. Corporations absolutely pay taxes, at least the ones that don’t account around them. Disney paid more than $1.1 billion in state and local taxes last year alone: https://blogmickey.com/2023/04/disney-world-paid-1146-billion-in-state-and-local-taxes-last-year/
That’s it? That’s the best you could do? The largest landowner in the district pays the most taxes in the district? Did you bother to ask why they’re only collecting ad valorem taxes?
That sounds like enough. Where has desantis actually displayed data on the uneven or no taxes Disney doesn’t pay. He has not please stop your uneducated rhetoric and speak facts.
This is the first time I’ve seen someone carrying water for rightwing culture war issues, disagreed with corporate personhood. After all, republicans fought hard to get that ruling.
Or is the issue you ignoring logic and rationale in order to attack the same corporations extreme rightwingers are attacking? Stop acting like you’re being rational. It’s clear you aren’t, and that’s sad and pathetic.
By the way Brandon corporations in the United States have lost thier way and decided that they are going to chime in where they do not belong they may continue to find themselves out in the cold as Disney has! I for one will never spend another dime on Disney and I encourage others to do the same.
So the “Right” who made corporations people (to accept campaign donations) do not have a say. So Disney was punished for an opinion! I don’t always agree with my Dad, so should he remove me from my family? Get the point? Culture wars are for political aspirations. Reel in the District if it is unfair, but back it up with financial facts and I’m on board for adjustments to any special district. (Only Disney) not the other 1999 districts in Florida. Sounds fishy with this political target without facts. And shame on the Desantis induced board for not even looking at the public notices that Disney posted legally in the Orlando Sentinel with public meetings for the votes on the covenants they supposedly usurped. Grow up and lead with facts not conjecture
WHERE IS ALL THE PROPERTY TAX OWED BY DISNEY, YET UNPAID, IN THE MILLIONS TO ORANGE AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES?
There is $0 unpaid in property taxes by Disney to those counties. They may contest property tax amounts, but in order to get to court, they have to pay the contested amount in full, which they do
Excellent Statement!! Again where are the facts about the numbers Disney doesn’t pay.
DeSantis fanboys, what a concept.