Disney World is known for being The Most Magical Place on Earth, but that doesn’t mean every trip and experience is all Pixie Dust and rainbows.
Last October, Disney was sued by a group of Annual Passholders over the Park Pass Reservation System, and we’ve been keeping an eye on the lawsuit since. Several motions have been filed since the suit originated by both parties, and now, we’ve got even more updates about the case — including when it might finally go to trial.
The suit was filed over the claim that the Park Pass system “blocks out” the highest passholder tier from entering the park, despite Disney’s advertisement that the tier would have “unlimited access.” A similar lawsuit was filed in California over Disneyland’s Magic Key Program.
In the complaint, the Plaintiffs allege that Disney”altered the Platinum Pass and Platinum Plus Pass terms so dramatically that they do not even resemble the original agreement bargained for by Plaintiffs.”
Since then, quite a few things have happened. The Plaintiffs filed a motion to seal the case and keep their names off the Court records, using only their initials instead. After amended complaints and back-and-forth with the Court, the motion to redact the Plaintiffs’ names from the record was ultimately denied.
The Plaintiffs then filed another motion to amend the complaint which was denied because the Court had essentially already given them permission to do so — but it was dismissed as well. Soon after, yet another amended complaint was filed by the Plaintiffs, and Disney has now responded to that.
According to Disney, the complaint should be dismissed for several reasons, including: Plaintiffs fail to state a breach of implied contract claim, Plaintiffs fail to state a Good Faith and Fair Dealing claim, Plaintiffs do not plead actual damages, and more. Because of this, Disney has asked the Court to dismiss the complaint with prejudice.
The Court has yet to respond to Disney’s motion, but the parties were ordered to select a judge for mediation which is set for February 16th, 2024. A potential trial start date has been set for August 5th, 2024. Judge Roy B. Dalton Jr. is scheduled to preside over the mediation and jury trial.
Keep in mind, though, that these dates are certainly not set in stone. A lot can happen between now and then, and the parties could settle out of court or the case could be thrown out altogether.
We’ll continue to keep an eye on this lawsuit and let you know of any more updates, so stay tuned to AllEars for more.
How a $5 Million Lawsuit CHANGED Disneyland’s Annual Pass Program
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Are you an Annual Passholder? Let us know in the comments!
Sourpusses who bought an AP knowing the rules mainly park capacity being limited. They should just ask for refunds and move on with their lives. Though anecdotal, my wife and I have never had any problems going to the park we want to on any given day. This does require initiative which the complainants might not have.
Additionally I think Disney can revoke someone’s AP whenever they see fit. Were I a complainant I’d not expect a renewal of my pass.