Walt Disney World Corruption Was Even Worse Than Previously Realized

Over the past year, the Walt Disney Company has been desperately fighting to stop Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and his reorganization of the Reedy Creek Improvement District.

For decades, Disney had effectively seemingly controlled the board designed to oversee its own properties. Until DeSantis stepped in recently and put a stop to it.

READ: RON DESANTIS SIGNS BILL TO END DISNEY’S ‘CORPORATE KINGDOM’ IN LATEST CHAPTER OF FLORIDA FEUD

Now a new report from the replacement board has shown just how corrupt Disney’s arrangement was. And how both entities took advantage of taxpayers to foot the bill for their cozy relationship.

The report found that Disney had promised to build services including hospitals, schools and libraries as part of their obligations under their special governing arrangement. Sure enough, they built none of it. It also described what Disney had achieved as essentially an “absolute monarchy” over the Florida property.

"Disney had wholly outmaneuvered the legislature and pulled off an incredible act," the report reads. "It had established an extra-constitutional governing authority – 'an experimental absolute monarchy' – within the borders of the State of Florida, and, accordingly, the United States – one that strikingly resembled, without exaggeration, a kingdom of yore."

And that’s only half of the problem.

ORLANDO - A sign near an entranceway to Walt Disney World. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Disney Took Advantage Of Taxpayers To Get What They Wanted From The Board

Employees who worked for the Reedy Creek Improvement District were given “complimentary” passes and massive discounts by Disney. Which, according to the new board, meant that they would get preferential treatment and essentially steer the old board into doing what they wanted.

"As comprehensively documented within, for years, the company treated district employees like Disney employees by, for instance, providing complimentary annual passes and steep discounts – benefits and perks that were akin to bribes," the report reads. "Not surprisingly then, the District’s employees believed that it was their job to prioritize the interests of Disney."

When Reedy Creek employees would pay for things, their charges would be passed on to taxpayers, who effectively subsidized their theme park benefits. With the company they were supposed to be regulating.

This is the arrangement that Disney desperately wanted to continue; where the only regulators with control over their massive central Florida property were effectively bought and paid for with company-provided perks. And it’s exactly the arrangement that Ron DeSantis put to a stop by appointing a new board.

When he announced his intention to remove this cozy arrangement, DeSantis faced immense media criticism. Even some within the Republican Party defended Disney, with Nikki Haley saying they should move their parks to South Carolina.

Now we’ve learned just how deep and pervasive their efforts were to avoid oversight. Despite the importance and severity of these revelations, it’s unlikely DeSantis will ever receive an apology. As always with the media, protecting those who agree with their political ideology is far more important than telling the truth.