Disney to Pay $9.5 Million in Class Action Lawsuit to Pass Holders — See If You're Owed Money Over 100,000 Magic Key pass holders will receive a payout from the entertainment company. The company has since paused the sale of all Magic Key passes until further notice.

By Emily Rella

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

The Walt Disney Company has agreed to pay $9.5 million in a class-action lawsuit in California after Disneyland Magic Key pass holders claimed that they were unable to use their passes on certain days despite being told that there would be no blackout dates.

The suit, filed by Jenale Nielsen in the Supreme Court of Orange County, alleges that after purchasing a "Dream Key" annual pass and trying to book several dates in November to visit the park, she found that more than half of the dates she wanted were unavailable — and not because reservations were at capacity. Nielsen claimed that despite certain dates being blacked out, there were still daily tickets available to purchase for those select dates.

Disney marching band on Main Street in Disneyland in Anaheim, CA (Getty Images)

Nielsen, who originally filed the suit in November 2021, had purchased the "Dream Key" pass for roughly $1,400 that has now been replaced with the "Inspire Key," the most expensive tier of Magic Key passes. The "Dream Key" tier promised zero blackout dates unless the park had reached maximum capacity based on pre-booked dates and daily tickets purchased.

Related: Bob Iger Wouldn't Give Up Office With Shower to New Disney CEO

Disney Pauses the Sale of All "Magic Key" Passes

Disney announced last week that it had paused the purchase of Magic Key passes until further notice and is only allowing the option for customers to renew previously purchased passes, the company says on its website.

It is unclear whether or not this decision was made in part due to the lawsuit.

Magic Key passes officially rolled out in August 2021 following the shutdown of the parks and complications with annual passes during the pandemic.

According to settlement documents, 103,435 Dream Key pass holders will be privy to the $9.5 million payout, which is roughly $67.41 per person.

The suit was originally filed in November 2021.

Related: Disney World Sees Smaller Crowds Amid Price Hikes, Summer Heat

Emily Rella

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

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