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Disney is a mega-corp. Florida is a state. Politics are involved in the current situation. Politics were very involved in the prior situation in which Disney

Disney is a mega-corp. Florida is a state. Politics are involved in the current situation. Politics were very involved in the prior situation in which Disney received special treatment. You can read the law, the case law and the contract agreements all you want but the error bars on "which way is this gonna go" are massive. Anyone saying anything with any sort of certainty is not to be taken seriously.

Terretta 5y ago
Reportedly, per this article, the the "special treatment" is being allowed to tax itself 3x more than the maximum city/county tax rate so it can provide services to itself in the manner it feels are appropriate for Disney and its customers.
- smileysteve 5y ago
  3x might say a lot about why Disney streets are cleaner than average American streets
  - jjulius 5y ago
    I mean, sure, but Disney also has significantly fewer streets than a typical city, and what streets they do have typically see less vehicle wear than cities as well.
    - HappySweeney 5y ago
      All true, but I assume they see more litter touch them than an equivalent stretch of average American road.
    - thehoff 5y ago
      But wouldn't those same streets see a lot more foot traffic? I'm thinking more along the lines of trash and cleaning.
  - colburnmh 5y ago
    Having been "backstage" at Disney to dive in the aquarium in Epcot, I can tell you it's not just the streets, it's everything, even things most people will never see. It's a part of the Disney culture. Railings are repainted, flowerbeds are maintained, and many other things, every night so that they always appear neat and clean. There are very few maintenance issues that are visible or perceivable to guests. There is no way that the counties will be able to maintain the same level of service to Disney if they take over all the services. They don't have the money, the will, or the culture to do so, nor should they (probably).
- ElevenLathe 5y ago
  Honest question: why do it this way instead of just hiring employees/contractors to do the stuff needed on your private property? Presumably Six Flags still has people picking up litter without needing to have the power to levy taxes, so why not Disney World?
  - colburnmh 5y ago
    Disney's land straddles two counties. That raises a number of logistical challenges such as zoning, level of service, different priorities between the counties, which would ultimately all translate to a lower, less guest-friendly environment in the park. These are not resolvable using contractors/employees if you do not have control of the services/infrastructure. A couple of hypothetical examples: * What if one county is dry, but not the other? Does Disney allow purchase/consumption of alcohol on one side of the park, but not the other? * What if the response time of EMS was significantly different between the two counties (meaning outcomes on one side of the park were far better than the other side)? * What if the roads on one side are well maintained, but the other side is filled with cracks and potholes (like most city streets), so your initial perception of the park depended on which county you ended up entering the park from? * What if Disney wants to open a new attraction, but they can't get commitment from the counties to provide the additional power and zoning for it? How would those things affect your opinion of the park as a guest?
    - ElevenLathe 5y ago
      * What if one county is dry, but not the other? Does Disney allow purchase/consumption of alcohol on one side of the park, but not the other? Fair point, but unrelated to the question about taxation. * What if the response time of EMS was significantly different between the two counties (meaning outcomes on one side of the park were far better than the other side)? OK but why tax themselves to fund a public EMS service instead of just contracting a private ambulance company? * What if the roads on one side are well maintained, but the other side is filled with cracks and potholes (like most city streets), so your initial perception of the park depended on which county you ended up entering the park from? Why tax yourself to fund public roads that only you use? Just build private roads on your own property with your own money. * What if Disney wants to open a new attraction, but they can't get commitment from the counties to provide the additional power and zoning for it? Again, why tax yourself to build public power infrastructure that only you use? Why not build it yourself out of your own money?
klyrs 5y ago
The article does a pretty good job of lining up some directions that this can go, without making prophecies. One thing seems certain, lawyers are going to have a field day with this.

Terretta 5y ago

Reportedly, per this article, the the "special treatment" is being allowed to tax itself 3x more than the maximum city/county tax rate so it can provide services to itself in the manner it feels are appropriate for Disney and its customers.

smileysteve 5y ago
3x might say a lot about why Disney streets are cleaner than average American streets
- jjulius 5y ago
  I mean, sure, but Disney also has significantly fewer streets than a typical city, and what streets they do have typically see less vehicle wear than cities as well.
  - HappySweeney 5y ago
    All true, but I assume they see more litter touch them than an equivalent stretch of average American road.
  - thehoff 5y ago
    But wouldn't those same streets see a lot more foot traffic? I'm thinking more along the lines of trash and cleaning.
- colburnmh 5y ago
  Having been "backstage" at Disney to dive in the aquarium in Epcot, I can tell you it's not just the streets, it's everything, even things most people will never see. It's a part of the Disney culture. Railings are repainted, flowerbeds are maintained, and many other things, every night so that they always appear neat and clean. There are very few maintenance issues that are visible or perceivable to guests. There is no way that the counties will be able to maintain the same level of service to Disney if they take over all the services. They don't have the money, the will, or the culture to do so, nor should they (probably).
ElevenLathe 5y ago
Honest question: why do it this way instead of just hiring employees/contractors to do the stuff needed on your private property? Presumably Six Flags still has people picking up litter without needing to have the power to levy taxes, so why not Disney World?
- colburnmh 5y ago
  Disney's land straddles two counties. That raises a number of logistical challenges such as zoning, level of service, different priorities between the counties, which would ultimately all translate to a lower, less guest-friendly environment in the park. These are not resolvable using contractors/employees if you do not have control of the services/infrastructure. A couple of hypothetical examples: * What if one county is dry, but not the other? Does Disney allow purchase/consumption of alcohol on one side of the park, but not the other? * What if the response time of EMS was significantly different between the two counties (meaning outcomes on one side of the park were far better than the other side)? * What if the roads on one side are well maintained, but the other side is filled with cracks and potholes (like most city streets), so your initial perception of the park depended on which county you ended up entering the park from? * What if Disney wants to open a new attraction, but they can't get commitment from the counties to provide the additional power and zoning for it? How would those things affect your opinion of the park as a guest?
  - ElevenLathe 5y ago
    * What if one county is dry, but not the other? Does Disney allow purchase/consumption of alcohol on one side of the park, but not the other? Fair point, but unrelated to the question about taxation. * What if the response time of EMS was significantly different between the two counties (meaning outcomes on one side of the park were far better than the other side)? OK but why tax themselves to fund a public EMS service instead of just contracting a private ambulance company? * What if the roads on one side are well maintained, but the other side is filled with cracks and potholes (like most city streets), so your initial perception of the park depended on which county you ended up entering the park from? Why tax yourself to fund public roads that only you use? Just build private roads on your own property with your own money. * What if Disney wants to open a new attraction, but they can't get commitment from the counties to provide the additional power and zoning for it? Again, why tax yourself to build public power infrastructure that only you use? Why not build it yourself out of your own money?

klyrs 5y ago

The article does a pretty good job of lining up some directions that this can go, without making prophecies. One thing seems certain, lawyers are going to have a field day with this.