NEWS: A Disney World Resort Refurb Has Resulted in Multiple Lawsuits

Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa is a Disney Vacation Club resort located close right across the Sassagoula River from Disney Springs, with a walking path connects the two.

©Disney

The resort is inspired by the Saratoga Springs retreat from New York and set in the late 1800s. It’s currently undergoing a large-scale refurbishment, and the makeover is causing major legal problems for Disney.

The lawsuit began with Disney and the company Validus Construction Services, which Disney hired as the general contractor for the resort’s renovation. The project was to include more than 1,200 hotel rooms across the resort and was set to begin in April of 2019 and end in November of 2020, costing around $48 million to complete.

Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa Pool

According to the Orlando Sentinel, in July of last year, Validus sued Disney for breach of contract and negligent misrepresentation, claiming that Disney was unwilling to change the project’s price tag and timeline after they discovered defects that violated fire and buildling codes. Validus said that these problems would cause major construction delays.

Artist’s Palette at Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa

Disney replied with a countersuit in August, claiming that Validus had “multiple failures,” including not paying its subcontractors on time and not meeting project deadlines. This lawsuit has caused a domino effect. Validus attorney Tucker Byrd claims that Disney has not paid the company for their work, causing Validus to endure massive financial losses. Due to this, the company can’t pay its subcontractors.

©Disney | Tree House Villas at Saratoga Springs

According to the Orlando Sentinel, seven of those subcontractors are suing Validus for not paying. The various businesses have claimed that Validus owes them anywhere between $89,000 and $509,000 for the work done on the project. “It’s a shame an owner such as Disney and a major contractor fight it out while the subcontractors pay the real price in terms of loss of income,” said construction attorney Kevin Kelly, representing GTM Painting.

©Disney

The Orlando Sentinel reports that this legal fight between Disney and Validus is expected to cost each side more than half a million dollars in attorney fees and up to $200,000 if the lawsuit reaches trial. Disney terminated the Validus contract in April 2020 as the pandemic halted much of their construction, but now both sides have been involved in this battle for almost 8 months.

Paddock Pool

We’ll make sure to update you if we learn more details on this construction project or the lawsuit itself, so stay tuned. In the meantime, keep checking AllEars for the latest in Disney news!