Disney annual passholder sue Magic Kingdom, alleging Park Pass reservation system breaches contract

The anonymous passholders are objecting to a system Disney started after it reopened parks following the start of the pandemic. Visitors must make a reservation to visit one of its four parks in Florida and when those reservations are filled, no new visitors are allowed entry.

The passholders claim that violates Disney’s promise that premium annual passholders have unlimited access to the parks.

“Disney appears to be limiting the number of reservations available to Platinum Pass holders and Platinum Plus Pass holders on any given day in order to maximize the number of single day and other passes that Disney can sell,” the suit alleges.

The “Platinum” and “Platinum Plus” passholder tiers have been retired by Disney for months. Last fall, the company reworked its pass program and increased the number of reservations passholders can make. The company told the Orlando Sentinel the lawsuit “mischaracterizes the program and its history, and we will respond further in court.”

A similar lawsuit in California is moving forward, following a judge’s ruling in May.

Despite some user complaints that the company is nickel-and-diming them and widespread unhappiness over having to pay for features that used to be free (such as quick access to rides), park attendance at Orlando’s Walt Disney World and California’s Disneyland has been strong. The company recently increased admission prices and the cost of its Genie+ program.

Walt Disney World, meanwhile, has largely paused the sale of annual passes for the majority of the past year, except for a select group of Florida residents.