SeaWorld / Busch Gardens Hidden Fee Lawsuit, Were You Affected? Beeman v. United Parks & Resorts, No. 6:25-cv-01931

If you bought a ticket to Busch Gardens Williamsburg or Water Country USA and the price jumped right before checkout — you weren’t imagining it. A Virginia man is suing United Parks & Resorts, the company behind SeaWorld and Busch Gardens, claiming its websites advertise one price and then tack on hidden fees before you can complete the purchase.

United Parks & Resorts Hidden Fee Lawsuit — Key Facts

Field	Detail
Lawsuit Filed	October 6, 2025
Defendant	United Parks & Resorts, Inc., doing business as SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, Inc.
Alleged Harm	Advertising ticket prices that exclude mandatory checkout fees, in violation of Virginia’s all-in pricing law
Who Is Affected	Virginia residents who purchased tickets to Busch Gardens Williamsburg or Water Country USA without seeing the full price disclosed upfront
Court & Case Number	U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida — No. 6:25-cv-01931
Current Stage	Case management order entered; discovery underway; jury trial set for November 1, 2027
Lead Plaintiff Deadline	N/A
Settlement Status	No settlement. No claim form exists.
Last Updated	August 29, 2026

Who Is United Parks & Resorts and Why Are They Being Sued Over Ticket Fees?

United Parks & Resorts runs SeaWorld Orlando, Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Busch Gardens Tampa, Water Country USA, and several other parks. The lawsuit centers on the two Williamsburg-area properties specifically, where plaintiff Matthew Beeman says he went through the online checkout process and only saw a mandatory fee appear after he’d already committed time to selecting tickets and entering his information.

What Did United Parks & Resorts Do to Virginia Ticket Buyers?

The complaint alleges United Parks & Resorts advertises ticket prices on its websites that don’t include a mandatory checkout charge, then reveals that fee only after a buyer has clicked through several pages of the purchase flow. Virginia’s all-in pricing law requires businesses to clearly and conspicuously include any mandatory fees in the price they display upfront — taxes and certain shipping costs are the only real exceptions.

Beeman says the fee started at $11.99 and climbed depending on how many tickets he bought. His lawyers call it a “bait-and-switch”: by the time the real total shows up, a buyer has already spent time picking dates, seats, or add-ons, and is more likely to just finish the purchase rather than start over somewhere else.

United Parks & Resorts filed a motion to dismiss the case in December 2025. That motion was fully briefed by January 2026, and the court has since entered a case management order setting deadlines for discovery and a jury trial date of November 1, 2027 — so the case is moving forward, not resolved.

If this sounds familiar, our coverage of the Great Wolf Resorts hidden fee lawsuit covers a nearly identical checkout-fee complaint against a different Williamsburg attraction.

Are You Part of the United Parks & Resorts Hidden Fee Lawsuit?

Here’s exactly how to know if this case might include you.

• Virginia residents who bought tickets to Busch Gardens Williamsburg or Water Country USA through United Parks & Resorts’ websites
• Anyone charged a mandatory fee that wasn’t shown in the price displayed when tickets were first selected
• Buyers who completed a purchase within the relevant window covered by Virginia’s statute of limitations for this type of claim

This case is built around Virginia’s pricing statute specifically, so it doesn’t automatically cover buyers in other states — even if they bought tickets to the same parks or noticed similar fees at SeaWorld Orlando.

United Parks & Resorts Ticket Fees Outside Virginia — Are You Still Covered?

This is a state-law claim, not a nationwide case. The lawsuit is built around Virginia’s all-in pricing statute and covers Virginia residents who bought tickets to the Williamsburg-area parks. If you bought a ticket from another state, or if the fee showed up on a different United Parks & Resorts property, this particular case doesn’t include you — though reporting has found SeaWorld Orlando charging similar fees, so more litigation in this space wouldn’t be surprising.

Not sure if you qualify? A free consultation with a consumer fraud attorney can help you sort out whether a similar claim might apply to your situation.

What Are United Parks & Resorts Ticket Buyers Asking the Court to Award?

No money yet. No claim form yet.

Beeman is asking the court to certify a class of Virginia buyers and is seeking damages under Virginia’s all-in pricing law and the Virginia Consumer Protection Act, along with a court order requiring the company to change how it displays prices going forward.

What Could Class Members Receive If This Settles?

It’s too early to put a number on this. The amount would depend on how many people join the class, how much in fees was actually collected from Virginia buyers, and how the case resolves — whether by settlement, trial, or dismissal. Talk to a consumer fraud attorney before assuming any outcome.

What Should United Parks & Resorts Ticket Buyers Do Right Now?

1. Nothing is required to preserve your rights at this stage — there’s no claim form because there’s no settlement.
2. Save your purchase confirmation and any screenshots showing the price before and after the fee appeared, in case you want to pursue this later.
3. Note which park, which dates, and roughly what the fee amounted to.
4. There’s no lead plaintiff deadline the way a securities case would have one.
5. Watch the docket in the Middle District of Florida for updates as discovery and pretrial motions proceed.
6. If you believe you suffered a specific, larger loss beyond the fee itself, that’s worth a separate conversation with an attorney.

A lawsuit like this can take years to reach trial — this one’s currently scheduled for late 2027 — so don’t expect fast resolution either way.

United Parks & Resorts Hidden Fee Lawsuit — Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a lawsuit against SeaWorld’s parent company for hidden ticket fees right now?

 Yes. Matthew Beeman sued United Parks & Resorts in October 2025 over checkout fees on Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Water Country USA tickets, and the case is still active in Florida federal court.

Do I need to do anything right now to be part of the United Parks & Resorts lawsuit? 

No. If you’re a Virginia resident who paid a hidden fee on one of these tickets, there’s nothing to file yet since no class has been certified and no settlement exists.

When will the United Parks & Resorts hidden fee case settle?

 There’s no way to know yet. The case survived early motions and now has a jury trial date of November 1, 2027, though most cases like this either settle or get resolved before reaching trial.

Can I file my own lawsuit instead of waiting on this case?

 It’s possible, particularly if your situation involves a different state’s pricing law or a larger individual loss. That’s worth discussing with a consumer fraud attorney rather than assuming this case covers you.

What specific laws does United Parks & Resorts allegedly violate? 

The complaint cites Virginia’s all-in pricing law and the Virginia Consumer Protection Act, both of which require the full cost of a purchase to be clearly disclosed before checkout.

How much could ticket buyers get if this case eventually settles? 

Nobody can say yet. It depends on how many Virginia buyers are affected, how much was collected in fees, and how the litigation plays out.

Sources Used in This United Parks & Resorts Hidden Fee Lawsuit Article

• U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida — Docket, Beeman v. United Parks & Resorts, Inc., Case No. 6:25-cv-01931: https://dockets.justia.com/docket/florida/flmdce/6:2025cv01931/448388
• FOX 35 Orlando — “SeaWorld faces lawsuit alleging hidden ticket fees”: https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/seaworld-faces-lawsuit-alleging-hidden-ticket-fees

Researched and written by Israr Ahmad, legal content researcher and founder of AllAboutLawyer.com. All facts verified against the federal court docket for Case No. 6:25-cv-01931 and contemporaneous news coverage, as of August 29, 2026.

Last Updated: August 29, 2026

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws vary by state and individual circumstances differ. For advice about your specific situation, consult a qualified attorney.