Disney Settles ‘Dream Key’ Class Action, Checks Are In The Mail
Mickey Mouse at Disneyland Dania Maxwell / Getty Images
A class action lawsuit over annual passes to Disneyland has been settled for $9.5 million, and small checks are on the way.
The New York Times reports that customers who paid nearly $1,400 for an annual pass to Disneyland were misled. Customers believed that the program carried “no blockout dates.”
More than 100,000 people who bought the “Dream Key” annual pass between Aug. 25 and Oct. 25, 2021, will each receive about $67.41.
The lawsuit was filed in November 2021 by a California woman. She said she bought the the “Dream Key” pass to Disneyland thinking that the pass would allow her to make reservations for any day of the year. But when she tried to make a reservation for dates in November, she could not.
The lawsuit said Disney “appears to be limiting the number of reservations available to Dream Key pass holders in order to maximize the number of single-day and other passes” that it could sell to Disneyland visitors.
The Dream Key pass has since been discontinued. In addition to admission, it offered up to 15% off “select dining” and up to 20% off “select merchandise.”
The lawsuit was settled in July 2023 to avoid a trial. Walt Disney Parks and Resorts denied any wrongdoing or liability.
Disney and Disneyland Resort did not immediately respond to Times requests for comment.