The theme park world was struck in a major way back in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered the business and forced many venues to close for months, and others for even longer.
While Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort, Universal Orlando Resort, Universal Studios Hollywood, Six Flags, SeaWorld, Cedar Fair, and Busch Gardens are all open now and are welcoming crowds similar to that of what was seen in pre-pandemic times, many theme parks are still picking up the pieces of decisions made during the pandemic.
One of the most prominent lawsuits currently on the docket is the class-action suit being filed against Cedar Fair for its refusal to provide a pro-rated discount to its annual pass holders when the pandemic struck back in 2020.
Cedar Fair operates 11 theme parks, including Knott’s Berry Farm, California’s Great America, Ohio’s Cedar Point, Virginia’s Kings Dominion, Canada’s Wonderland, and Carowinds. The theme parks are visited by approximately 25 million people each year. The company is headquartered at Cedar Point in Ohio.
Just recently, it was reported that the case will now be heard by the Ohio Supreme Court. While Cedar Fair has attempted to have the class-action lawsuit dismissed, this hasn’t happened and now it’s certain that the case will be heard by the highest judiciary body in the state.
Cedar Point argues that it didn’t breach its contract because the pandemic was unforeseeable, and it extended pass benefits through 2021.
Both Disney Park Annual Pass holders, as well as Universal offered Annual Passholders partial refunds or an extension of their pass when their theme parks closed for several months during the pandemic.
This isn’t the only lawsuit happening in the theme park world currently. Several theme parks are being sued over their enforcement of mask mandates back in 2020 and a federal judge just recently approved a multi-million dollar lawsuit against Disneyland in relation to the Magic Key.
Perhaps the most prominent lawsuit recently field was that from 14-year-old Tyre Sampson’s family following the teenager’s tragic fatal fall on the Orlando FreeFall at ICON Park. Sampson’s family sued more than a dozen parties for negligence and alleges that SlingShot Group, which operated the attraction, manually manipulated the sensors.
