SeaWorld and its parent company, United Parks & Resorts, are tangled in several active legal matters. The most consumer-facing is a finalized $1.5 million class action settlement over auto-renewed annual passes at SeaWorld San Diego. The others include a U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit over a ban on wheeled walkers at the company’s Florida parks, a Sesame Workshop suit seeking to end a 45-year licensing partnership, and a $1.25 million settlement of an ERISA case brought by 401(k) plan participants. Here is where each stands and who is affected.
Annual Pass Auto-Renewal Class Action
In February 2023, California consumers Christopher Lomeli and Daniel Blanco sued SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment in San Diego County Superior Court, alleging the company auto-renewed annual passes to SeaWorld San Diego without following California’s consumer protection rules. The case is Lomeli and Blanco v. SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, Inc., et al., No. 37-2023-00008529-CU-BT-CTL.1ClassAction.org. Lomeli et al. v. SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment Inc. Complaint
The plaintiffs said SeaWorld did not clearly disclose auto-renewal terms before purchase, never obtained affirmative consent to recurring charges, and skipped the required reminder notice 15 to 45 days before each renewal. Canceling, they said, required a phone call with long hold times and limited hours rather than a simple online option. The claims relied on California’s Automatic Renewal Law (Business and Professions Code §§ 17600–17606), the Unfair Competition Law (§ 17200), and the False Advertising Law (§ 17500).2SeaWorld Annual Pass Settlement. Frequently Asked Questions
Who Is Covered
The court certified a class of everyone with a California home or billing address who bought an annual pass to SeaWorld San Diego through the park’s website or mobile app on or after February 28, 2019, whose pass auto-renewed after the first twelve-month term ended on or before February 28, 2025, and who never received a refund for that first renewal charge. SeaWorld’s own records estimated about 141,358 people fall in the class.2SeaWorld Annual Pass Settlement. Frequently Asked Questions
Settlement Amount and Payments
The settlement fund is $1.5 million. Class counsel could seek up to $500,000 in attorney fees and up to $20,000 in costs, the named plaintiff up to $10,000 as a service award, and administration expenses come out of the fund as well. Whatever is left is divided pro rata among participating class members, so individual payments are modest given the size of the class.2SeaWorld Annual Pass Settlement. Frequently Asked Questions
Judge Gregory W. Pollack granted preliminary approval on April 18, 2025.3ClassAction.org. Lomeli et al. v. SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment Inc. Preliminary Approval Order Only five class members opted out by the July 22, 2025 deadline, and no one objected.4SeaWorld Annual Pass Settlement. Declaration of Azari The court gave final approval at the August 15, 2025 fairness hearing.5SeaWorld Annual Pass Settlement. SeaWorld Annual Pass Settlement Home
No claim form was required. SeaWorld identified eligible customers from its records, and payments were scheduled to go out in October 2025.5SeaWorld Annual Pass Settlement. SeaWorld Annual Pass Settlement Home The administrator emails eligible members a link to pick a payment method such as Venmo, PayPal, direct deposit, or a paper check. Anyone who does not make a selection gets an electronic MasterCard, and anyone without an email on file receives a paper check at their last known address. For payment questions, the administrator can be reached at 1-888-865-1770.6SeaWorld Annual Pass Settlement. Settlement Documents
One boundary worth noting: the class covers SeaWorld San Diego passes purchased through the website or app by California residents. Purchases at other SeaWorld parks, in-park purchases, or by residents of other states are not part of this settlement.
DOJ Lawsuit Over Wheeled Walkers at Florida Parks
In November 2025, the Justice Department opened an investigation into United Parks & Resorts over complaints that SeaWorld Orlando, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, and Aquatica Orlando were barring visitors from using rollator walkers with seats inside the parks. The Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida notified CEO Marc Swanson and the company’s general counsel.7U.S. Department of Justice. Justice Department Opens Investigation Into SeaWorld Orlando, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, and Aquatica
Complainants said they could not access the parks without their rollators, and that alternative mobility devices offered by the parks were unsuitable for their disabilities and carried extra rental charges.8Around Osceola. Justice Department Opens Investigation Into SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, and Aquatica Disability
On March 26, 2026, the DOJ filed a civil suit in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. It alleges that the blanket ban on wheeled walkers with seats violates Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act and that rental fees for substitute devices amount to improper surcharges on guests with disabilities. The government is seeking a court order ending the ban, requiring policy changes and ADA staff training, along with monetary damages for affected guests and civil penalties. The DOJ has requested a jury trial in Orlando, and the case was active as of spring 2026.9U.S. Department of Justice. Justice Department Sues SeaWorld and Other Theme Parks Over Wheeled Walker Ban10Business Observer. DOJ Sues Busch Gardens Parent Company
Sesame Workshop Sues to End the Licensing Deal
In March 2026, Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit behind “Sesame Street,” sued SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (No. 1:26-cv-02047) to end a partnership of roughly 45 years.11Bloomberg Law. Sesame Street Producer Sues SeaWorld Over Licensing Revenues
Sesame Workshop alleges SeaWorld owes millions in unpaid royalties tied to Sesame Place in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, Sesame Place San Diego, licensed products sold in “Sesame Lands” at SeaWorld parks, and other licensing fees. According to the complaint, SeaWorld stopped paying royalties for standalone parks in September 2025, closed Sesame Place San Diego that same month without notice, failed to open a planned third location, used Sesame Workshop’s intellectual property without approval, and cut off access to shared digital assets used for approvals.12Central Bucks News. Future of Sesame Place in Doubt After Lawsuit
This is not the first round. Sesame Workshop won an arbitration award in May 2023 over unpaid royalties, a court ordered SeaWorld to pay in 2024, and the nonprofit sought writs of garnishment in September 2025 that were satisfied the next month. SeaWorld has countered that Sesame Workshop breached the agreement by failing to invest in the brand after an HBO Max distribution deal ended.12Central Bucks News. Future of Sesame Place in Doubt After Lawsuit
The suit seeks a judicial declaration terminating the 2017 licensing agreement, damages for unpaid royalties and termination fees, and punitive damages under New York unfair competition law. A mid-March 2026 mediation failed, and the case was active as of mid-2026.11Bloomberg Law. Sesame Street Producer Sues SeaWorld Over Licensing Revenues For guests who bought tickets or plan trips to a Sesame Place location, the outcome could affect what the parks look like or whether they continue operating under that brand.
Employee 401(k) Settlement
Current and former SeaWorld employees also brought a class action, Coppel v. SWBG, LLC, No. 3:21-cv-01430, in August 2021 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California. The complaint alleged that the parent entity breached its fiduciary duties under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act by using higher-cost mutual fund share classes when cheaper ones were available and overpaying for administrative services. It sought more than $53.5 million for the plan.13ClassAction.org. Coppel et al. v. SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment Inc. et al.
The defendants denied wrongdoing and agreed to a $1.25 million settlement. Judge Cathy Ann Bencivengo granted preliminary approval on May 8, 2025, held a final approval hearing on August 28, 2025, and entered final approval on September 10, 2025. Settlement checks were rescheduled to mail on January 9, 2026. The administrator, ILYM Group, Inc., handles check re-issues and address changes for class members through its website.14ILYM Group. SeaWorld Settlement