Those days are numbered as a new bill released this week puts the entertainment giants district firmly in the control of Floridas governor and legislative leaders in what some see as punishment for Disneys opposition to the so-called Dont Say Gay law championed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Republican-controlled Legislature.

Disney wont like it because theyre not in control, said Richard Foglesong, professor emeritus at Rollins College, who wrote a definitive account of Disneys Reedy Creek Improvement District in his book, Married to the Mouse: Walt Disney World and Orlando.

With that loss of control comes an uncertainty about how Disneys revamped government and Walt Disney World, which it governs, will work together whether the left hand always will be in synch with the right hand as it has been with the company overseeing both entities.

The uniqueness of Disney government, where building inspectors examine black box structures holding thrill rides instead of office buildings, also complicates matters. The district essentially runs a midsize city. On any given day, as many as 350,000 people are on Disney Worlds 27,000 acres (11,000 hectares) as theme park visitors, overnight hotel guests or employees. The 55-year-old district has to manage the traffic, dispose of the waste and control the plentiful mosquitoes.

What kind of control is preferable? Control by a private business or corporation, or control by appointed officials, appointed by governor of the state? Foglesong said. Will they have the expertise to be able to make the new district work as efficiently as the old district works?

The bill prohibits anybody who has worked or had a contract with a theme park or entertainment complex in the past three years, or their relatives, from serving on the revamped districts board of supervisors, a prohibition that some experts say eliminates people with expertise in the field.

The bills sponsor, Florida Rep. Fred Hawkins, a Republican from St. Cloud, defended the exclusion Tuesday.

This was a provision I requested, Hawkins said. We want to try to avoid any conflicts of interest of the new board members.

Under the bills proposals, Floridas governor appoints the five-member board of supervisors to the renamed Central Florida Tourism Oversight District instead of Disney. Limits would be placed on the districts autonomy by making it subject to oversight and regulation by state agencies, and it would be unable to adopt any codes that conflict with state regulations. The district also would no longer have the ability, if it wanted, to own and operate an airport, stadium, convention center or nuclear power plant.

DeSantis started gunning for Disneys private government last year when the entertainment giant publicly opposed what critics call the Dont Say Gay law, which bars instruction on sexual orientation, gender identity and other lessons deemed not age-appropriate in kindergarten through third grade. Republican critics of the Disney district also argued it has given the company an unfair advantage over rivals in issuing bonds and financing expansion.

The legislature passed a bill last year dissolving the Disney government in June 2023.

Florida Rep. Anna Eskamani, a Democrat from Orlando, called the bill on Monday a power grab by DeSantis, a potential 2024 presidential candidate who has emerged as a fierce opponent of what he describes as woke policies on race, gender and public health. Such positions endear him to the GOPs conservative base but threaten to alienate independents and moderate voters in both parties who are influential in presidential politics.

The changes proposed in the legislation were welcomed by at least one group of Reedy Creek employees firefighters who have clashed in the past with district leaders. Tim Stromsnes, a spokesperson for Reedy Creek Professional Firefighters Local 2117, said all the current board cares about is bonds and low-interest loans for building Disney infrastructure, and zero about treating its employees fairly.

We think they are going to be more receptive to first responders, Stomsnes said Tuesday of the proposed new board. Theyre calling the governor a fascist for doing this but he is actually fixing a fascist, Disney-owned government.

To the relief of taxpayers in neighboring Orange and Osceola counties, the district wont be dissolved, a prospect that had raised fears that the counties would have to absorb the districts responsibilities and raise property taxes significantly. The Reedy Creek Improvement District has more than $1 billion in bond debt.

In a statement, Orange County said officials were monitoring the bill.

The new bill appears to address some key questions raised by last years legislation, primarily preserving the districts ability to raise revenue and service outstanding debt, said Michael Rinaldi, head of local government ratings for Fitch Ratings.

Foglesong expects a legal challenge should the bill pass. Disney didnt respond to an inquiry asking about any potential lawsuits.

Disney works under a number of different models and jurisdictions around the world, and regardless of the outcome, we remain committed to providing the highest quality experience for the millions of guests who visit each year, Jeff Vahle, president of Walt Disney World Resort, said in a statement.

Disney could make an argument that their rights as a private business are being undermined, Foglesong said.

It will have political appeal, the arguments they make, in a Republican state for a potential presidential candidate, Foglesong said. It will be like, legally, How can you do this to us? and politically, How can you do this to a corporation that has done so much for the state of Florida?'

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White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said that after Biden took office, the U.S. enhanced our surveillance of our territorial airspace, we enhanced our capacity to be able to detect things that the Trump administration was unable to detect.

Biden, in turn, has been faulted by some Republicans for not ordering the balloon shot down before it made its way across the U.S. Officials have said there was concern about damage to people on the ground, and Biden addressed the issue on Monday.

Once it came over to the United States, from Canada, I told the Defense Department I wanted to shoot it down as soon as it was appropriate, Biden said. The military concluded we should not shoot it down over land, it was not a serious threat.

In a brief exchange with reporters, Biden expressed his continued displeasure with Beijing. Asked why China launched the balloon over the U.S., he replied simply, Because theyre the Chinese.

Biden administration officials have planned a classified briefing for all senators on Thursday to discuss the spy balloon situation, according to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumers office.

Sullivan, speaking at an event hosted by the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, said as part of the surveillance improvements since Biden took office, we were able to go back and look at the historical patterns and uncover multiple instances during the Trump administration in which Chinese surveillance balloons traversed American airspace and territory.

Several Trump administration officials have have said they didnt learn of Chinese spy balloons during their tenures.

Before Monday, U.S. officials had said that at least three times during the Trump administration and at least one other time during Bidens time as president balloons have crossed American airspace, but not for this long. In those instances, the United States determined the balloons belonged to China only after they had left U.S. airspace, said Gen. Glen VanHerck, head of U.S. Northern Command.

I will tell you that we did not detect those threats, VanHerck said of his military command. And thats a domain awareness gap that we have to figure out. He added that the U.S. intelligence community after the fact informed his command about the balloons.

Sullivan did not explain what specifically allowed the U.S. to detect and track the latest balloon where the previous administration might not have. Officials have said, without elaborating, that China has flown similar balloons over parts of five continents in recent years.

Sullivan defended Bidens decision to wait until the balloon was off the Carolina coastline before shooting it down, saying military advisers assessed that downing it over water created a greater possibility that we could effectively exploit the wreckage than if it were shot down over land. That was in addition to the warnings from the Pentagon of a potential risk to Americans on the ground.

VanHerck described the debris spreading on the waters over 15 football fields by 15 football fields square.

The payload itself, I would categorize that as a jet airliner type of size, maybe a regional jet. Probably weighed in excess of a couple thousand pounds, he said.

Sullivan said the U.S. was still piecing through which Chinese officials knew what about the balloon and would not speak publicly yet about U.S. assessments about Chinas intentions flying it over the U.S.

The Biden administration had previously raised concerns about Chinas use of surveillance balloons with Congress, including during briefings last August, according to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Monday that the U.S. military had begun collecting debris from the balloon. He also confirmed that the White House has offered to brief key officials from the Trump administration, but said briefings had yet to take place.

Kirby firmly rejected Beijings claim that the U.S. violated international law by shooting down the balloon.

The United States, under President Bidens authority and orders acted in accordance with international law and in defense of our homeland and our sovereign airspace, Kirby said. We were absolutely within our rights to bring down that balloon.

Kirby also dismissed Chinas contention that the balloon was for meteorological purposes, saying it strains credulity that this was some kind of weather balloon that was floating on the winds.

VanHerck, commander of U.S. Northern Command, said the U.S. took maximum precautions to prevent the balloon from collecting information as it crossed the nation. He declined to provide any details on how that was done, including by the militarys U.S. Strategic Command. The Navy is taking protective measures during recovery operations, in case there were explosives on the balloon, he said.

He said some debris may float ashore, and he warned the public not to try to collect it.

The decision to strike the balloon when it was six miles off the coast was made after consultations with NASA, which had estimated the potential debris field due to the balloons altitude, VanHerck said.

The Navy is also using an underwater unmanned vehicle to photograph and track debris. Monday was the first day it could be used due to rough seas, according to White House and Pentagon officials.

The White House said the balloon was a setback to already tense relations with Beijing. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was supposed to visit China but the trip was put on hold because of the incident.

Still, White House officials said Americas China relationship is perhaps the most consequential for the United States and that communication between the two countries continues. Jean-Pierre said the incident hasnt changed Bidens focus on establishing guardrails in the often tense relationship and acting cooperatively on some issues of mutual concern.

Its up to China to figure out what kind of relationship that they want, she said.

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Associated Press writers Tara Copp and Colleen Long contributed reporting.

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