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A Few Moments with Tom Moses
He runs the government of Disney World
(without permission from Orlando Sentinal 2/24/91)
The government Tom Moses runs - such as it is - works out of a suite of
offices on the second floor of the Sun Bank in Lake Buena Vista. Moses
is basically a county manager - he answers to a board of supervisors,
he got a fire department and a sewage treatment plant and a car with a
radio that lets him monitor his emergency dispatch center - but he's
manager of one of the more curious municipalities around.
Moses, 57, runs the government of Disney World and has since 1972. He
is adminstrator of the Reedy Creek Improvement DIstrict, which provides
everything Disney would get from a government: utlilites, fire
protection, roads, planning services, building inspection, a tax bill.
But despite Moses' protestations that Reedy Creek isn't really odd at
all, it sure seems odd when you look beyond the firetrucks and the
sewage treatment plant.
Because, while there is an elected Reedy Creek Board of Supervisors,
the only people who can stand for election are landowners (none of the
current board actually lives in the district, however). And only
landowners (including corporations) can vote in the elections. One
vote in the elections. One vote for every acre owned. Which is to
say, Disney elects its own government.
Moses has absorbed this auto-democratic arrangements so thoroughly
that it's reflected in his speech. Where another county manager might
talk of "residents" or "business people", Moses refers constantly to
"the landover". Disney, that is - the constituent, the voter.
There are some actual residents of Reedy Creek - about 54 ("there may
be more or less," says Moses. "Someone may have had children"). They
live in two cities out near Disney - Lake Buena Vista and Bay Lake,
each of which, despite its tiny size, has a city manager and an elected
mayor and city council. (None of the residents can vote in Reedy Creek
elections, though, because they all rent.)
So cities with 27 residents are electing five member councils. And the
city managers? Both double as department heads in the government of
Reedy Creek - they work for Moses.
If it seems a little Alice In Wonderlandlish, Moses assures, it's only
because you don't really understand. This comes, mind you, from a man
who has spent most of his career studing, enforcing and writing
building codes. A man who recently told a professional journal:
"Codes have been a way of life for me since.... before graduating
from college. I became intrigued with codes and couldn't think of
any reason to get out of building inspection."
None of which is a particularly complete, of particularly fair, view
of either Moses or his government. Moses himself is a practiced
political tactician and cheerfully blunt-spoken. When told that
people might be curious about the man who runs Disney's government,
he said, "I couldn't believe people would actually give a flip
about me, but if you want to come, come on out."
The other passion in his life besides building codes is the church.
Moses is minister of music at First Baptist CHurch of Pine Castle,
where he directs the adult choir. A native of Virginia, he came
to Florida to be director of building and planning for Winter Park in
the 1960s. And his heritage is American Indian, "Cherokee, about three
generations back, of my mother's side. How you link up "Moses" with that.
I don't know."
Reedy Creek employees wear name tags identical to Disney name tags
except that in place of Mickey is the Reedy Creek seal - a tree over
a lake. The tags let Reedy Creek employees - including 20 building
inspectors - go anywhere on Disney property unquestioned.
That illustrates precisely where Moses says people are confused
about Disney and its government. Reedy Creek is a special taxing
district, one of 700 in the state. Most are set up - around a housing
development, for instance - to tax a defined group for a particular
purposes. Reedy Creek, which has more powers than usual, was set up
to tax Disney for the services it needed. The supervisors set the
tax rate, according to a budget Moses submits every year.
Reedy Creek has one of the nation's toughest building codes - authored
of course, by Moses. Every building - including non-Disney facilities
like the movies theater at Pleasure Island or the Hilton Hotel on
Hotel Plaza Boulevard - must be completely sprinklered and must have
smoke and hear sensors wired directly into Moses' fire department.
It's precisely the sort of thing which would be impractical in a
routine municipality, but which makes sense in a tourist intensive
area, and of which Moses is particularly pround. Reedy Creek's code
called the EPCOT Building Code, is in such demand as a model that
Reedy Creek does three printings a year.
The relationship still seems a little cozy. "We do work with the
landowner," says Moses. "We're constantly looking for ways to help
things happen."
Ah yes and there lies the rub. For if The Landowner doesn't like The
Government, it simply votes in a new one.
Moses shakes his head at this naivete. "The perception is that since
the landowner elects them to their positions, the landowner tells them
what they want done. But the board members have total freedom to do
what they think. Just because the company elects the board doesn't
mean they do what the company wants them to do. You can sit there and
be very skeptical of me, I know.
"But in 21 years here, I've never had a Disney official walk into my
office and say, this is what you must do. I'd be less than candid if
I told you I didn't get a lot of advice -- but every municipal official
everywhere gets plenty of advice."
Moses, who is paid $110,000 a year says he has no more access to
advanced information about Disney's plans than any other government
would. But he tries. He recently had lunch with "representatives of
the landowner - to see what's going to be happening, to see if I can do
some long range planning."
As for lunch, he says, "I make sure I pay my own bill. It's cleaner
that way."
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| From: [email protected] ((Clayton Wagar - Auburn University))
Subject: About the RCID
Date: 11 May 91 20:55:24 GMT
"About the Reedy Creek Improvement District"
From Eyes and Ears, WDW Cast
Newsletter April 28, 1990
by Richard Nunis, President, Walt Disney Attractions
Recently, Tom Elrod and I presented our Company's annual "State of Our World"
address to Osceola and Orange Counties and to many of our cast members. I
would like to have presented it to each and every one of you in person, but
with our Company's tremendous growth, those kinds of gatherings are becoming
more and more difficult to arrange. And, because we are growing so rapidly,
we've got to work even harder to communicate with each other. You've let me
know that you want more information, and this column is one way I can talk to
all of you and give the straight talk about issues that are making the news
regarding our Company. That way, you can be knowledgeable and informed
"ambassadors" for our Company in your neighborhoods and in our community.
One topic of interest in the media lately is the Reedy Creek Improvement
District (RCID). I'd like to give you the straight story about the District
and its role in the development of these 43-square miles that we call the Walt
Disney World Resort.
The story behind the Reedy Creek Improvement District actually began in 1964
when Walt Disney began to purchase parcels of land in Central Florida. For 60
years prior, this swamp and scrubland had been used for cattle grazing,
turpentining, timbering, hunting and agriculture. But when Walt looked at it,
he saw the dream of his lifetime: a place that would become the most popular
vacation destination in the entire world. In order to make this dream come
true, he asked that the Reedy Creek Improvement District be formed and given
the power to manage land use.
Why Did Walt Ask for the New District?
One important reason was the sheer scope of Walt's vision. His original plans
for "Project X", Walt's code name for the Walt Disney World Resort before its
official announcement, called for not only theme parks and hotels but an
airport, industrial park, housing and office buildings as well as a high-speed
transportation system. It was, in fact, designed to be a community of
tomorrow.
How would existing construction and use codes serve this vision? After all, no
one in the area had ever built a monorail system, an 18-story Fiberglas castle
or a Magic Kingdom with its network of underground utilidors.
Another reason Walt wanted the District established was his concern for the
environment and for the need to develop this virgin land responsibly. In fact,
before one spade of dirt was turned here in Florida, he assembled a team of
environmental scientists from leading universities to come in and study the
land in person and to make recommendations. One of the results of the team's
findings was to set aside 7,500 acres of wetlands as a conservation area.
Yet another reason for the District originated with Walt, and, even though he
didn't live to see his Florida dream come true, his philosophy about developing
the land independently was very much alive in our minds as we began this
awesome project. I was with the Company in 1967 when the state legislature
voted to create the District. And I can tell you it was set up with one
primary purpose: to allow development of the Walt Disney World Resort WITHOUT
burdening the local taxpayers with the cost of building or maintaining public
services. Keep in mind that, at the time, Central Florida was mainly orange
groves and agriculture with some aerospace industry. The people of the area
couldn't have paid for all the roads, sewers and utilities we needed.
What Is the Reedy Creek Improvement District?
It's an independent local government that operates just like any other
government, under the same state "Sunshine Laws" and regulations. Its
five-person Board of Supervisors oversees the affairs of the District, holds
public hearings and considers opinions from all points of view before voting on
any matter. Who are these Supervisors? All are prominent members of the
Central Florida community who have a deep and abiding interest in maintaining
the quality of life here. Tom DeWolfe, practicing attorney with DeWolfe, Ward,
O'Donnell and Hoofman, is the president of the District. Donald Greer,
President, Magnolia Service Corporation and Magnolia Realty, Inc., is the
District's vice president. Cliff Haimes, member of the Board of Directors of
Sun Bank, N.A., is treasurer and has been since the District's inception.
Other board members are Betty Duda who is involved in many civic and community
organizations and former Sun Bank CEO Billy Dial. Tom Moses serves as
Secretary and District Administrator.
What Does the District Do?
ROAD CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE. Through taxes our Company pays to the
District, we absorb the entire cost of over 113-lane miles of public roads
throughout our property. Again, these are public, not private roads, belonging
to the people of this state. In addition, last year we agreed to pay 13.7
million dollars to Orange County for the improvement of roads near our
property.
BUILDING CODES. The District's innovative building codes, called the EPCOT
Building Codes, are really "living documents" which are regularly updated to
reflect the new technologies available. They've served as models for codes in
many communities across the nation and are often consulted by outside
governments. In fact, they're recognized as some of the most stringent in the
nation.
FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES. Through the District, we also pay the cost of
fire and rescue service, not only to our property, but off our property as well
on I-4 and highways 192 and 535.
SEWERS AND WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT. The District operates a major wastewater
treatment facility to serve the needs of the tens of millions of guests who
visit the Walt Disney World Resort every year.
POWER GENERATION. The District provides all electricity heating and cooling
for Walt Disney World theme parks and resorts. That equals the power needs of
a small city!
LAND MANAGEMENT. Perhaps the most visible and important role the Reedy Creek
Improvement District plays is protecting the wildlife that inhabits almost
one-third of our property -- the 7,500 acre conservation area set aside by
Walt's team of environmental scientists. From the very beginning, Walt set
dual goals for Walt Disney World land use: to protect its natural beauty and
allow responsible development. To meet and maintain these goals, the District
has established many environmental programs including a state-of-the-art
Environmental Lab staffed by 28 professionals who run over 60,000 tests on
water quality each year!
Does RCID Give Us an Unfair Advantage?
Without the Reedy Creek Improvement District, there would be no Walt Disney
World Resort. Today, some people think the District gives our Company an
unfair advantage in business, that it makes it less expensive for us to build.
The facts are these: our Company not only pays substantial taxes to both
Osceola and Orange counties, we also pay taxes to the Reedy Creek Improvement
District. We pay two sets of taxes which makes out millage rate almost twice
that of other businesses.
Consider, too, that in a standard development, developers may pay one-time
impact fees but after they build the roads and infrastructure, they go away.
Then the taxpayers are responsible for all upkeep and maintenance. But for 25
years now, the Reedy Creek Improvement District has shouldered the entire
burden for the upkeep of the Walt Disney World infrastructure. I don't know of
any other highly-developed, highly beneficial 43-square mile section of Florida
that costs taxpayers almost nothing to maintain.
I believe the Reedy Creek Improvement District has benefited Central Florida
greatly and has lived up to every expectation of the legislators who created it
over 25 years ago. Like all governments, the District is also working with
surrounding governments on the comprehensive plan for meeting the challenges of
growth. By state law, the Reedy Creek Improvement District is required to
coordinate those plans with those of surrounding county governments beginning
in 1991. So the future will bring even more cooperation between the District
and surrounding governments in approving and managing growth.
I think that if you review the record, you'll agree that our Company and the
Reedy Creek Improvement District have kept true to Walt's plans and to his
promise "...to build a place that more people will come to see and to talk
about than anywhere else on Earth."
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| [from USENET rec.arts.disney]
From: [email protected] ((Clayton Wagar - Auburn University))
Subject: Disney's Florida Critics Warn of a Greedy Monster
Date: 11 May 91 20:53:59 GMT
"Disney's Florida Critics Warn of a Greedy Monster"
Taken From: The Los Angeles Times
February 20, 1990
The statements in ALL CAPS reflect the opinion of the original uploader and are
_not_ an official statement by the Walt Disney Company. The original uplaoder
is a cast member in the Orlando area.
By Faye Fiore, Times Staff Writer
With the Walt Disney Co. talking about building a billion-dollar theme park
in Southern California, Long Beach and Anaheim are competing for its attentions
the way Cinderella's stepsisters went after the handsome prince.
But a growing number of critics in Orlando, home of the world's largest Disney
park, contend that the company behind the lovable mouse is a political power
motivated by greed, bent on growth and nearly impossible to control.
Increasingly, Orlando and surrounding Orange County, Fla., are reeling under
the weight of the stunning financial success Disney brought them. Local
observers complain that as the corporation continues to expand, it turns its
back on the gridlocked roads and housing crunch that have come with prosperity.
(AND WHAT ARE THE "LOCAL OBSERVERS" DOING ABOUT ROADS AND HOUSING BESIDES
BITCHING?)
Granted, critics say, Orlando would be nowhere without the Walt Disney Co.,
which pumped millions of dollars into the local economy and made a humid farm
town the world's No. 1 commercial tourist destination.
But in recent months, the tide of public sentiment in Florida has begun to turn
against Disney, now being referred to in some circles as "the mouse that ate
Orlando" or "the grinch that stole affordable housing." Today, as Disney is
pitting Long Beach and Anaheim against each other in a competition for a new
theme park in Southern California, Floridians suggest that much could be
learned from the Orlando experience.
(THERE IS NO VALID MEASUREMENT THAT "PUBLIC SENTIMENT" IS TURNING AGAINST
DISNEY -- IN FACT, SOME OF OUR PRELIMINARY LOCAL OPINION SURVEYS, TAKEN BY
OUTSIDE COMPANIES, SHOW THE MAJORITY OF THE PUBLIC STILL THINK WE'RE THE BEST
THING ORLANDO HAS GOING AND STILL LOOK UPON US FAVORABLY.)
"Anaheim and Long Beach better look long and hard at Disney. Those people
are powerful and dangerous around here," Orange County, Fla., Commissioner Bill
Donegan said. "The roads are jammed, everything is clogged and now we have to
raise taxes to pay for Disney's business. . . . It's just plain greed."
(WHAT'S DANGEROUS IS A LUNATIC LIKE BILL DONEGAN, WHO CAN'T FACE UP TO
REALITY -- ROADS ARE JAMMED IN MID AND NORTH ORLANDO, NOT SOUTHWEST... AND YES,
THEY MAY HAVE TO RAISE TAXES. WHICH WON'T BE TOO BAD SINCE THEY'VE BEEN ABLE
TO LOWER THEM 33% OVER THE PAST TEN YEARS, WHILE THE REST OF THE STATE WAS ONLY
ABLE TO LOWER ITS PROPERTY TAXES AROUND 11%. OF COURSE, THE IDEA THAT
RESIDENTS SHOULD PAY FOR GROWTH IS COMPLETELY FOREIGN AROUND THIS PART OF THE
COUNTRY... CONSIDER THE CONTINUING DENIAL OF SCHOOL BOND MONEY BY VOTERS, AND
VOTERS TURN-DOWN OF ANY TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY EVER PROPOSED AROUND HERE --
ALL IN THE NAME OF "NO MORE TAXES").
"Disney has always been a good neighbor to Florida," Disney spokesman Charles
Ridgway said. "The economic condition of the Orlando community is extremely
good. I think the fears are somewhat unwarranted and the conclusions
unsupportable."
What is happening in Florida, some say, illustrates how even the most
successful Disney enterprise can bring a community economic salvation and be a
nagging thorn in the side.
"Don't get carried away with the pixie dust," cautioned Commissioner Linda
Chapin. "I, like most everybody else in Orange County (Fla.), have a love-hate
relationship with Disney."
While some in Orlando are grumbling, the city of Anaheim--where Disney has been
king for 35 years--describes its relationship with the company as "only
positive."
Indeed, Anaheim officials are so pleased with Disneyland they have vowed to do
"almost anything" to bring the second park to their town. And Long Beach
business leaders, hungry for tourist dollars and a livelier image, are urging
the city to "bend over backward" to woo Disney.
Orlando officials point out that the Disney company that came to Anaheim in the
1950's Q led by a man with a wild vision and a shoestring budget--is today a
powerful mega-corporation that literally runs its own government in central
Florida.
Walt Disney went to Orlando in the mid 1960's when the town was a collection of
orange groves and cattle herds. Anonymously, he bought a chunk of land the size
of San Francisco to build his second dream park.
Because he deplored the string of gaudy motels that had sprung up around
Disneyland in Anaheim, Disney was determined to tightly control development
around what would become Walt Disney World in Orange County, Fla.
So eager was the Florida state Legislature to accommodate Disney that it
allowed the company to create a government 18 miles outside of Orlando with its
own police department, fire department, taxation powers and building codes.
(WRONG: WE DON'T HAVE A POLICE DEPARTMENT, ONLY A PRIVATE SECURITY FORCE
WITHOUT ANY DETENTION POWERS. WE DO HAVE TAXATION POWERS, BUT SINCE WE TAX
OURSELVES TO PAY 100% FOR ALL SERVICES WITHIN WDW BOUNDARIES, WHO WANTS IT TO
BE DIFFERENTLY? BUILDING CODES WE DO HAVE, BUT SINCE THEY'RE MORE STRINGENT
THAN EITHER OF THE SURROUNDING COUNTIES', I WOULDN'T CALL THAT AN ADVANTAGE!)
It is known as the Reedy Creek Improvement District and surrounding Orange and
Osceola counties are virtually powerless to control it. About 27 families
reside there, all handpicked by the Walt Disney Co. Any housing built on Disney
land is promptly de-annexed out of Reedy Creek's boundaries, ensuring that only
the Disney employees chosen to live in Reedy Creek have the right to elect the
governing Board of Supervisors. And all of the supervisors work for Disney.
(AGAIN, WRONG -- THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS DO NOT WORK FOR DISNEY. THEY ARE
INDEPENDENT BUSINESS PEOPLE FROM THE AREA. SEVERAL HAVE LONG-STANDING
RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE COMPANY, BUT NONE ARE EMPLOYEES. THEY INCLUDE THE SAME
NAMES WHO SIT ON THE VARIOUS CULTURAL AND BUSINESS BOARDS OF CENTRAL FLORIDA --
IN OTHER WORDS, THE SAME COMMUNITY LEADERS WHO HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN OTHER
ASPECTS OF COMMUNITY LIFE IN THE AREA.)
"It isn't American," Donegan said. "They are a quasi-city not required to
follow any growth management. They can build whatever they please on that
property and there isn't a thing we can do about it."
("BALONEY BILL" SPEAKS AGAIN -- THE FACT IS, REDDY CREEK IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT,
LIKE ALL OTHER LEGAL GOVERNMENT ENTITIES, MUST FOLLOW AN INTER-COUNTY GROWTH
PLAN PROCESS MANDATED BY THE STATE OF FLORIDA TO TAKE EFFECT IN 1991. RCID
ACTUALLY IMPLEMENTED THE PLAN A YEAR EARLY, AND WAS IGNORED BY ORANGE COUNTY
ATTORNEY HARRY STEWART WHEN IT TRIED TO SET UP A DIALOGUE ON GROWTH PLANS EVEN
EARLIER, IN 1989.)
The Legislature's generosity stemmed in part from its hope that Disney would do
for Orlando what it did for Anaheim. And Disney more than delivered. Orlando
now has an expanding international airport, a convention center that is about
to double in size and more hotel rooms than New York City, area tourist
officials report.
(THE LEGISLATURE ALSO SET UP THE DISTRICT SO THAT DISNEY WOULD HAVE TO PAY THE
COST OF BUILDING AND MAINTAINING ITS INFRASTRUCTURE WITHOUT TAXPAYER
ASSISTANCE. THIS IS WHAT RCID HAS DONE FOR ALMOST 20 YEARS, WHICH IS FAR
DIFFERENT FROM THE "PAY AND GO AWAY" METHOD STANDARD DEVELOPERS USE).
But now, 20 years later, Orange County, Fla., wants to manage its staggering
growth while Disney is still itching to build. The corporation's unique powers
give it the autonomy to move straight from design to construction, and the
county struggling to harness growth "can't even send out a building inspector
to make sure it's done right," Donegan said.
(HOW WOULD THEY KNOW IF IT'S DONE RIGHT? THE DISNEY BUILDING CODES ARE TOUGHER
THAN ORANGE COUNTY'S AND ALWAYS HAVE BEEN). PURE DEMAGOGUERY!
Disney's polished image began to tarnish around Orlando last summer when it
agreed to pay the county nearly $14 million to help improve roads stressed to
their limits, in large part because of Disney tourists. In exchange, the county
agreed not to challenge Disney's government powers for the next seven years.
Everyone seemed happy with the deal until a few weeks later, when Disney called
a press conference to announce its plan for the '1990's: seven more hotels, 29
new attractions, 19,000 more employees and a fourth amusement park--all of
which promise to further burden roads and swell the ranks of low-wage earners
searching for houses they can afford, several county officials said.
(EVEN AFTER THE ANNOUNCEMENT, THE MAN WHO MADE THE DEAL WAS STILL HAPPY --
ORANGE COUNTY ATTORNEY HARRY STEWART SAID THE COUNTY STILL GOT A GOOD DEAL...
THE $14 MILLION DOLLAR FIGURE WAS MORE THAN ALL THE IMPACT FEES PAID BY
DEVELOPERS IN THE ENTIRE COUNTY THE PREVIOUS YEAR.)
"I think in a way it may have been dishonest," said Orange County Commissioner
Hal Marston, an otherwise enthusiastic supporter of Disney developments. "We
were bargaining in good faith . . . and this was an absolute surprise to Orange
County. I didn't hear the plans from Disney, I heard them from reporters."
(PERHAPS THAT'S BECAUSE COUNTY OFFICIALS CAN'T KEEP ANYTHING CONFIDENTIAL --
THE MOST RECENT EXAMPLE OF THIS WAS THE LEAK BY OFFICIALS ABOUT THE NEW DISNEY
COMPLEX IN OSCEOLA COUNTY, WHICH THEY WERE BRIEFED ON PRIOR TO THE OFFICIAL
ANNOUNCEMENT... THE NEWS WAS RELAYED TO THE NEWSPAPER IN LESS THAN 24 HOURS).
Last month, Disney's public image took another lashing, perhaps the worst yet,
when $57 million in state tax-free bond money became available to local Florida
governments on a first-come, first-served priority. Disney was first in line
and took all of it to upgrade the amusement park's sewer system.
Orange County had planned to use its share of the money to build low-income
housing. When word got out that a corporation that made $703 million last year
had snatched money that would have helped the poor, the public outcry could be
heard all the way to Tomorrowland.
(WHY CAN'T THE NEWS MEDIA GET THIS STRAIGHT? DISNEY DID NOT RECEIVE BOND MONEY
FROM ANYONE... IT RECEIVED THE RIGHTS TO ISSUE BONDS. THIS MAY BE A MINOR
DIFFERENCE TO SOME, BUT IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE TO MOST THINKING PEOPLE -- IT'S
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DISNEY, A PRIVATE ENTERPRISE, GETTING A "LOAN" FROM
TAXPAYERS (IF THEY HAD RECEIVED BOND MONEY) AND DISNEY HAVING THE RIGHTS TO
BORROW MONEY FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR (WHICH IS WHAT ACQUIRING BOND RIGHTS IS
ALL ABOUT).
"How did such a smelly problem develop, especially one that pits families of
modest means against a resort giant?" the Orlando Sentinel cried in a Jan. 9
editorial demanding that Disney give the money back. "Unless Reedy Creek turns
back the bonds, Disney will become the grinch that stole affordable housing."
(DEAR ORLANDO SLANTINEL: LET ME TELL YOU HOW IT DEVELOPED. FIRST, YOU HAVE
ONE WELL-ORGANIZED, EFFICIENT GOVERNMENT -- REDDY CREEK -- WHO TURNED IN ITS
REQUEST ON THE DAY THE MONEY BECAME AVAILABLE. IN THE OTHER CORNER, YOU HAVE
ORANGE COUNTY, WHO COULDN'T GET ITS ACT TOGETHER AND TURN IN ITS OWN REQUEST
"ON TIME," EVEN THOUGH IT HAD EVERY REASON TO KNOW REDDY CREEK WOULD BE GOING
AFTER THE SAME MONEY, AND IN FACT, WAS RUMORED TO HAVE BEEN INFORMED OF THIS
FACT BY REDDY CREEK ITSELF IN THE WEEKS PRIOR TO THE BOND RIGHTS FILING. OF
COURSE, NO MENTION IS MADE OF THIS... NOR OF THE FACT THAT ORANGE COUNTY STILL
HAS OTHER AVENUES IT CAN MOST LIKELY GET AFFORDABLE BOND MONEY FROM.)
Further miffing county officials is Disney's pattern of building attractions
strikingly similar to Orlando's own tourist spots. Orlando had Wet 'n' Wild,
and Disney built Typhoon Lagoon. Orlando had its popular Church Street Station
night spot and Disney built a night spot called Pleasure Island.
(AU CONTRAIRE... RIVER COUNTRY OPENED HERE IN 1976, AND WAS FOLLOWED BY WET 'N
WILD. WERE THEY ACCUSED OF COPYING? AND ANYONE WHO'S EVER BEEN TO PLEASURE
ISLAND AND CHURCH STREET STATION CAN SEE THE ONLY THING THEY HAVE IN COMMON IS
THAT THEY'RE BOTH OPEN AT NIGHT! UNLESS CHURCH ST. STATION CLAIMS THE RIGHTS
TO THE ORIGINAL "LET'S BUILD A NIGHT SPOT AROUND AN OLD CITY STREET IDEA... I
THINK THERE ARE QUITE A FEW CITIES THAT MIGHT TAKE ISSUE WITH THAT STATEMENT,
NOT LEAST AMONG THEM NEW ORLEANS.)
Although there is little evidence that Orlando's business has suffered,
Disney's custom of selling four-day passes to the park has led some officials
to suspect the company intends to devour all the tourist dollars, keeping
visitors on Disney territory for their entire stay and throwing Orlando the
scraps.
"Their whole goal in life is to take the visitor to Disney World and never let
them escape, which means we don't have the off-site economic benefit, but we do
have the off-site traffic problems," Commissioner Chapin said.
(PERHAPS SOMEONE SHOULD TELL THE VISITORS THIS... BECAUSE THEY ONLY SPEND 3 OR
4 OUT OF 7 DAYS IN THIS AREA VISITING DISNEY... THE REST ARE SPENT IN OTHER
AREA BUSINESSES.)
"Disney has this extraordinary mentality--they absolutely have this mind-set
that they are wonderful. They think we are ingrates, biting the hand that feeds
us."
(NOT INGRATES... HOW ABOUT IDIOTS?)
Some would say Disney is right. After all, as many as 80% of the 12 million
tourists who came to Orlando last year came for Disney, said Abraham Pizam,
director of the University of Central Florida's Institute for Tourism.
Even critics acknowledge that Disney pays $23 million in taxes yearly and,
because it provides almost entirely for itself, it does not get back $23
million in government services.
"Everybody is riding on Disney's coattails--hospitals, doctors' offices, gas
stations, pharmacies, glass makers," Pizam said. "You may think that people
here bow to the Old Mouse, but there is no doubt--whether you like Disney or
dislike Disney Q that this town exists in its present form because of Disney.
Fifteen years ago, this was a cow town."
Now more than ever, some county commissioners want to see Disney's political
wings clipped, but they are bound by last summer's road agreement to stay mum
for the next seven years.
Some local leaders hope the Florida Legislature will move to undo what it did
for Disney more than 20 years ago, but that seems unlikely. Disney remains
enormously popular in the state, where a University of Central Florida survey
concluded 18 months ago that locals endorse the tourist industry 3 to 1. And in
Florida, tourism is synonymous with Disney.
"I think you could classify Disney as the strongest lobby in Tallahassee (the
state capital)," Marston said. "A couple of weeks ago Disney invited every
legislator in the state and their families to come to Disney World for the
weekend--all expenses paid. I don't know who took them up. I certainly
wouldn't."
(NO, BUT YOU WOULD TAKE A FREE SILVER PASS IF OFFERED, AND YOU HAVE -- JUST AS
HAVE HUNDREDS OF OTHER POLITICAL AND BUSINESS LEADERS, AS A COURTESY).
Whatever image-bashing Disney is taking in Florida, it hasn't mattered on the
West Coast. Long Beach officials are engaging in closed-door talks with Disney
and Anaheim Mayor Fred Hunter, at the mere mention of a second park, responded:
"Yes, yes, yes."
Disney dropped its bombshell Jan. 12 when, after courting Long Beach with talk
of a park for nearly a year, company Chairman Michael Eisner drew Anaheim into
the fray, saying the new park would go to the city that "wants us more." The
race, it seems, will be won by the city willing to spend the most on road and
parking improvements. The price tag could approach $100 million.
Leaders in both cities say they are sophisticated enough to avoid the Florida
experience--that their towns are all grown up, short on land and not about to
bow to a talking mouse.
"I call Disney a top-shelf organization. They are quality," Hunter said. "We're
not a bunch of people that fell off the turnip truck here in Anaheim. Of course
Eisner wants a little bidding war. We're not dumb. But we don't give away the
store."
Long Beach Mayor Ernie Kell said of his city's valuable ocean acreage: "That is
some of the primest land in the world, and there are many uses for it. Yes,
Disney would be a key (to the city's success.) But if Disney decides not to
come here, it is not the end of the world."
So far, the two cities are competing for a prize that is still an evolving
idea. Disney spokesmen say millions of dollars have been spent exploring
possibilities in both towns, but the "conceptual masterpiece" is unfinished.
The company, traditionally secretive about its intentions, will not disclose
what is being dreamed up by its team of "imagineers" working in a Glendale
office building.
The plans for Anaheim are extremely vague--a theme park of some sort on 60
acres around Disneyland. But tourist-related tax revenues already make up more
than 20% of the city's general fund, which pays for such services as police and
fire departments. And Anaheim officials say they know more of a good thing when
they see it.
"Disneyland is the most important tenant in our city," City Manager Bob Simpson
said. "We'll do anything and everything we can to help them."
Only a little more is known about Disney's plans for Long Beach: a water park
on 256 acres of ocean around the Queen Mary that would open in 10 years and
bring 10,000 new jobs. Sources who have glimpsed the sketches recall "petting
dolphins and lots of sea horses" and a possible "Mysteries of the Deep" theme.
Disney's presence looks awfully good to some officials in Long Beach, a city
that has tried for 20 years to debunk the public perception that it's a
worn-out Navy town of strip joints and dockside bars. When a 1989 survey asked
travelers across the state to rank four California beach towns where they would
most like to vacation, Long Beach finished last.
(BOY... DOES THIS SOUND FAMILIAR... SEE "ORLANDO, CIRCA 1966").
"On a scale of 1 to 10 Disney is a 10. Nobody else is Disney. When you are
talking Disney, you are talking Rolls-Royce," Long Beach City Councilman Les
Robbins said. "I think if you took a (council) vote today, it would be nine-zip
to pursue Disney and leave no rock unturned."
Times staff writer Mary Lou contributed to this story.
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| [from USENET rec.arts.disney]
From: [email protected] ((Clayton Wagar - Auburn University))
Subject: ABC Prime Time Live Some Thoughts
Date: 11 May 91 20:56:30 GMT
RABC Prime Time LiveS Q Some Thoughts
From Eyes and Ears, WDW Cast Newsletter
May 17, 1990
by Richard Nunis, President, Walt Disney Attractions
Many of you watched last Thursday evening as "ABC Prime Time Live" aired a
report on our Company and our relationship with our Central Florida neighbors.
I wanted to take the first opportunity to let you know my thoughts on the
report -- and to give you some background on some of the issues it raised so
you can be informed as you talk with your neighbors and fellow cast members.
Did the broadcast fairly tell the Walt Disney World story? It accurately
reported some of the facts, and certainly arranged them in an order to make a
point. It didn't report ALL of the facts, however. No thirteen-minute story
could, and I think the reporter who prepared the piece, Chris Wallace, would
agree on that.
It certainly didn't tell the whole Walt Disney World story, as those of you who
contribute to this community know.
Much of the discussion in this and other stories continues to focus on the
Reedy Creek Improvement District, and its unique status. Yes, it is unique.
When Walt Disney World was first conceived, everything about it was meant to be
new and different. One thing that's NOT different about RCID, however, is its
dedication to protecting the environment. The "Prime Time" story may have made
it seem otherwise.
In the broadcast, much was made of a recent EPA penalty the District had to pay
for wastewater treatment problems in Reedy Creek Swamp.
Tom Moses, District Administrator, can address this better than I, but I do
know that the program which resulted in this penalty was an experimental
program for filtering treated wastewater through 85 acres of wetlands areas.
This is an accepted environmental practice, and the program was begun and
administered with the full knowledge and review of the Florida Department of
Environmental Regulation. RCID has had a similar, successful 100-acre program
in operation since 1978.
After beginning the new program, it became apparent that a small amount of
excess phosphorus was not being removed from the water as expected. The EPA
was made aware of this by RCID through monthly reports the District supplied,
monitoring the program's progress.
Unfortunately, the state DER and the federal EPA didn't agree on this issue.
The state was in agreement that we should continue the experiment because they
believed, as we did, that the wetlands would cleanse themselves in time.
During this experiment the wetlands were never more beautiful -- the water was
clear, without smell and the plants and trees were thriving.
After evaluating the reports for twelve months, the EPA mandated an end to the
program and levied a penalty. RCID agreed to end the project and pay the
penalty. Neither RCID nor our Company would intentionally do damage to the
environment.
Our concern for the environment is evident everywhere in how we protect our
lakes and "green up" every new project we do. Beyond that, the appointment of
Kym Murphy as The Walt Disney Company's new Vice President of Environmental
Affairs shows we consider this a company-wide responsibility.
Those of you who work with the District know that RCID does not take
"shortcuts," either in environmental matters or building inspections, as the
report indicated. Contrary to what was reported, the District has always had
more than one person who had conducted plumbing inspections, and follows
accepted practices for permitting buildings under construction. That's why
Walt Disney World has the best fire safety record in the nation.
Now -- have we gone back on how we promised to work with the unique powers of
the Reedy Creek Improvement District? No. One of the central ideas behind
creating the District was to allow it to issue bonds to fund projects. That
was the intent behind creating the district -- to allow roads to be built and
services to be provided WITHOUT burdening the local taxpayers.
The commonly accepted method of financing infrastructure is through bonds,
which are loaned from private investors -- NOT loans from the government. In
fact, the very first projects undertaken by RCID were paid for by bonds issued
in 1969. Among the many projects covered by a $20 million bond issue was a
sewer and water control project.
Finally, did we break a bargain? Was RCID created in exchange for a promise to
build the "EPCOT city" Walt first described?
Those who were here in 1967 can tell you that RCID was created to allow ALL of
the Walt Disney World Resort to be built. Walt's plans had ALWAYS included
theme parks, resort hotels, recreation and even an industrial center. The
creation of RCID did not hinge on the building of an "EPCOT city" as the ABC
report indicated. It's simply not true.
I do believe that through the years we expanded the idea of EPCOT to create a
"city" across our 43 square miles, where tens of thousands of guests live each
and every night. The environmental technology Walt wanted to use is evident in
the Magic Kingdom Park, in EPCOT Center, in our hotels and in our backstage
areas.
Now, we're moving ahead with our Osceola Project which will bring even more of
the elements of Walt's "EPCOT" dream to reality.
As I said in the report, "I'll let our record speak for itself." Our Company
and you, the more than 32,000 cast members who comprise it, have done great
things for the Central Florida community and the State of Florida, and will
continue to do so.
The two-plus decades of good far outweigh any bad the critics believe they can
point to. And, unlike some individuals who were interviewed on "Prime Time
Live," I DID know Walt Disney and I honestly think he'd be very proud of what
we've all accomplished.
Because of that, I hope you'll continue to be as proud to be "Disney" as I am.
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