CINCINNATI — Kings Island and its sister parks might have to give out partial refunds for the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season if attorneys win a class action lawsuit against its parent company.
A pandemic-related lawsuit against Cedar Fair will be allowed to move forward, according to a US District Court Judge in Toledo, who refused to throw out the case this week.
The suit argues that people who bought season passes to Cedar Fair theme parks in 2020 should have been given the option to get at least some of their money back.
The class-action suit, filed on behalf of a California guest with a Knott’s Berry Farm pass, would affect almost a dozen Cedar Fair parks.
What lawsuit is demanding
The suit claims that season pass holders, the tens of thousands of people who have Gold and Platinum cards, should have been offered the option of refunds for the shortened 2020 pandemic season.
Instead, Kings Island and the other parks extended those passes for another year.
We reached out to both Kings Island and Cedar Fair corporate headquarters in Sandusky, but neither would comment on the case, saying they do not comment on litigation.
Cedar Fair had asked a federal judge in Toledo to throw out the case, arguing that the parks gave 2020 passholders a free season pass for 2021. Attorneys for the plaintiff say that was not enough, saying many people still did not want to go to the parks in 2021, since the pandemic was still raging.
With the judge’s ruling, the case can now proceed.
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