People who paid about $1,400 for Disneyland annual passes will start receiving 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 blockout dates.”
More than 100,000 people who purchased annual Dream Key passes between Aug. 25 and Oct. 25, 2021, will each receive a small portion of the cost of the pass, about $67.41. Payments are expected to arrive by mail or electronically starting in 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 for Disneyland in Anaheim, California, thinking the pass would allow her to make reservations for any day throughout the year. However, when she tried to make reservations for November dates in October 2021, she discovered she couldn't make the reservations, according to the lawsuit.
According to the lawsuit, Disney “appears to be limiting the number of reservations available to DreamKey Pass holders in order to maximize the number of day passes and other passes that can be sold to Disneyland visitors.”
The now-defunct Dream Key Pass offered discounts of up to 15 percent at “select restaurants” and up to 20 percent on “selected merchandise” in addition to park admission.
The plaintiff, Jennale Nielsen, paid Paz $1,399, the lawsuit said. Under the agreement, she will receive $5,000. Her lawyer declined to comment on the settlement.
The parties agreed to settle the lawsuit in July 2023 to avoid a trial. Walt Disney Parks and Resorts denied any wrongdoing or liability in agreeing to the settlement. Disney and Disneyland Resort did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The payment administrator will automatically send checks to class members' last-known mailing addresses. Some passholders may have chosen to receive their payment digitally. The process to select a payment method closed in January.