However, the company eventually abandoned Walt Disney's concepts for the experimental city, primarily only building a resort similar to its other parks.

[7][8][9] On February 9 and 10, 2023, the state legislature voted to revert most of the changes, replace the RCID board's five Disney-selected members with five members appointed by the Governor with confirmation by the Florida State Senate, and remove parts of the district's authority, such as the power to construct a nuclear power plant, airport, and stadium.

[2] The district's name was changed the day the bill was signed into law[10] by Governor Ron DeSantis on February 27, 2023.

[24] Seeing the well-developed network of roads, including the planned Interstate 4 and Florida's Turnpike, with McCoy Air Force Base (later Orlando International Airport) to the east, he selected a centrally located site near Bay Lake.

[26] He envisioned a real working city with both commercial and residential areas, but one that also continued to showcase and test new ideas and concepts for urban living.

[25] Therefore, the Disney company petitioned the Florida State Legislature for the creation of the Reedy Creek Improvement District, which would have almost total autonomy within its borders.

[27] On May 12, 1967, Governor Claude R. Kirk Jr. signed the Reedy Creek Improvement Act, adding the following Florida statutes to implement Disney's plans:[28] According to a press conference held in Winter Park, Florida, on February 2, 1967, by Disney vice president Donn Tatum, the Improvement District and cities were created to serve "the needs of those residing there", because the company needed its own government to "clarify the District's authority to [provide services] within the District's limits", and because of the public nature of the planned development.

[23] In 1968, the Reedy Creek Improvement Act was held by the Supreme Court of Florida not to violate any provision of the state constitution.

[32] In 1993, the land that eventually became the Disney-controlled town of Celebration, Florida—which was built with many of Walt Disney's original ideas that had since evolved into a form of New Urbanism—was deannexed from Bay Lake and the district.

[34] Roach and Florida governor Ron DeSantis later criticized Disney for the "special perks" the company enjoyed through use of the RCID.

If it became law, the bill would dissolve any independent special district in Florida established prior to November 5, 1968, including the RCID; the dissolution would take effect June 1, 2023.

Representative Dotie Joseph dubbed SB 4C "un-American" adding that it was "[p]unishing a company for daring to speak against a governor's radical-right political agenda".

Under its enabling act, the state vowed to bondholders that it wouldn't impair the ability of Reedy Creek to service its debt.

[42] On May 16, 2022, Florida governor Ron DeSantis said that he is looking into making the government take control of the special district but promised that local and state tax payers would not be paying for Reedy Creek's outstanding debt.

[47] Randy Fine, the Republican House sponsor of the bill, claimed a different type of district could be formed that would not move additional costs to taxpayers.

One argument was that because the law targeted Disney in retaliation for a political position, it violated the company's free speech rights under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

Such compromise was reportedly being drafted especially because former Disney CEO Bob Chapek, who openly opposed the Parental Rights in Education law, was fired, and the abolition of the District would represent a tax increase in cities and counties across Florida, which could endanger Governor Ron DeSantis' nomination for the Republican Party in the 2024 presidential election.

It crosses Interstate 4 and exits Disney property west of Celebration and runs mostly through undeveloped territory east of Haines City.

Any individual currently or within the past three years employed by a theme park or entertainment company is prohibited from serving as a supervisor.

Ziegler founded Moms for Liberty, a conservative group promoting "anti-woke" school policies and board members, and was a primary proponent of the Parental Rights in Education Act.

[2] Her husband was elected to lead the Republican Party of Florida shortly before the governance changes to the district went into effect.

"[63] Before the passage of House Bill 9 in 2023 (HB 9 2023), the Board of Supervisors was elected by the landowners of the District, who receive one vote per acre of land.

As the majority landowner in Reedy Creek, The Walt Disney Company essentially handpicked the members of the Board.

[73] They also maintain a staff of 86 administrative and support personnel including EMS team members (primarily located in each of the four Walt Disney World theme parks), 911 communicators, and fire inspectors.