People who paid nearly $1,400 for an annual Disneyland pass will start getting checks in the mail this month from a $9.5 million settlement of a class-action lawsuit that accused Disney of misleading customers into believing the program had “no blackout dates “.
More than 100,000 people who bought the Dream Key annual pass between August 25 and October 25, 2021, will each receive about $67.41, a small fraction of what they paid for the pass. The payments were supposed to start arriving by mail or online by mid-June, according to the settlement agreement.
The lawsuit was filed in November 2021 by a California woman who said she purchased a Dream Key pass at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, under the impression that the pass would allow her to make reservations for any day of the year. But when he tried in October 2021 to book dates in November, he found he couldn’t, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit said Disney “appears to be limiting the number of reservations available to Dream Key cardholders in order to maximize the number of single-day and other cards” it could sell to Disneyland visitors.
In addition to park admission, the Dream Key card, which has since been discontinued, offered up to 15 percent off “select meals” and up to 20 percent off “select merchandise.”
The plaintiff, Jenale Nielsen, paid $1,399 for the pass, the lawsuit said. He will receive a $5,000 payment, according to the agreement. Her attorney would not comment on the settlement.
The two parties agreed to settle the suit in July 2023 to avoid a trial. Walt Disney Parks and Resorts denied any wrongdoing or liability by agreeing to the settlement. Disney and Disneyland Resort did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Settlement administrators will automatically mail checks to the last known mailing addresses for class members. Some pass holders may have opted to receive payment digitally. the payment type selection process closed in January.
