New court depositions obtained by Florida Politics reporter Gabrielle Russon shed light on one of the most dramatic corporate-government battles in recent state history. Russon’s investigation into 700 pages of court records reveals Disney executives feared losing control of Walt Disney World’s future, while a DeSantis-appointed board member reportedly thought he was part of a plan to remove the district entirely.
Here are the key details from Florida Politics’ investigation.
Disney Quietly Put the Brakes on Magic Kingdom Expansion
At the height of the feud, Disney’s top leadership, including Walt Disney World Resort President Jeff Vahle, reached a “general agreement” to pause the biggest expansion in Magic Kingdom’s history, Florida Politics reports. The reason: uncertainty over whether the new DeSantis-controlled board would approve the wetland mitigation credits Disney needed to move forward.
According to depositions obtained by Florida Politics, Master Planning Executive Todd Rimmer testified: “When we’re looking at billions of dollars of investment, we want to be certain that we can proceed.”
The expansion, which includes Villains Land and new attractions, was not publicly announced until August 2024, months after Rimmer gave his deposition.
Disney’s Legal Strategy
According to Florida Politics, Disney hired Holtzman Vogel, a law firm with deep ties to the DeSantis administration, to help draft a development agreement that would lock in Disney’s future expansion rights before the new board took over.
The firm reportedly did not want its involvement known. According to Chief Counsel John McGowan’s deposition testimony, the firm feared DeSantis would retaliate and pull state work from them. Florida Politics reports that Holtzman Vogel had received more than $16 million in state legal work since 2021.
Russon also reports that McGowan had his own name removed from the agreement’s documents to avoid what he called “a false narrative” that it was “something shoved down the district’s throat.”
The Outgoing Board Was Kept in the Dark
The development agreement was drafted in a matter of weeks and approved by the outgoing Reedy Creek board before DeSantis’ new appointees took control, according to the depositions. Florida Politics reports that McGowan wrote the talking points for Reedy Creek District Administrator John Classe to present to the board and deliberately kept details vague.
“We think less is more in this case,” McGowan wrote, according to court records obtained by Florida Politics.
The incoming board was furious. Chair Martin Garcia publicly called it “a caper worthy of Scrooge McDuck.”
DeSantis’ Office May Have Known in Advance
Despite the public outrage, Florida Politics reports that McGowan testified Ray Treadwell — Chief Deputy General Counsel in DeSantis’ Office — may have been aware of the development agreement before it was approved. McGowan said the information came from Disney lobbyist Adam Babington.
DeSantis and Treadwell did not respond to requests for comment in Florida Politics’ story.
A Road Project Left Half-Built
One of the most tangible consequences of the feud is still visible today. According to Florida Politics, World Drive Phase III — a $175 million project to widen a two-lane road near the Grand Floridian and Polynesian resorts into four lanes — stalled after the new board refused to issue the municipal bonds needed to fund it.
The depositions obtained by Florida Politics indicate that DeSantis appointee Brian Aungst Jr. believed his mandate was to eliminate the governing district entirely. The project remains incomplete as of April 2026, with active construction work still visible near the Grand Floridian.
The Feud Is Over
Florida Politics reports that Disney has settled its legal disputes with the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD), the body that replaced Reedy Creek. In a statement given to Florida Politics, Disney said development plans are “moving full speed ahead with the support of” CFTOD, with “more projects underway at Walt Disney World than at any other point in our history.”
DeSantis is in his final year as governor. All of his original board appointees, including Aungst, have since been replaced.
You can read Gabrielle Russon’s full investigation at Florida Politics.
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