If you’ve bought tickets or passes for SeaWorld or Busch Gardens online you may have noticed a service fee on top of the price and taxes. The fee is about 10% the website says it “covers costs such as credit card processing and fraud prevention”. This fee is part of a new lawsuit against United Parks & Resorts, Inc., parent company of SeaWorld Parks and Busch Gardens. The lawsuit accuses SeaWorld of using ‘bait-and-switch’ tactics by hiding extra fees until the final checkout stage of online ticket purchases, leading consumers to pay more than expected. 

The name of the case is United Parks & Resorts, Inc. doing business as SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, Inc. Case # 6:2025cv01931. You can follow it online if you’re a legal buff and as of the end of December 2025 it’s currently it’s just in pre-trial motions. No hearing or trial date has been set and often judges will urge parties to come to some sort of resolution and settle rather than proceeding to trial. This is part of a broader trend on both the state and federal level to display “all inclusive” prices to consumers so as to not surprise them with junk fees later in the transaction. You may have noticed this with things like concert tickets or hotels recently.

A 10% fee is not minor when theme park tickets for a family or season passes can cost hundreds of dollars. The fee does seem to max out at $99 though, so at least there’s some ceiling. It’s also relatively unavoidable as if you try to buy tickets in person at the park there may not be a service fee, but they are almost always more expensive. This also has the feel of extra profit in that the claim is credit card processing (and fraud), but a large company will typically pay a 1.5-2.5% credit card fee, not the near 10% charged here.

I was impacted by these fees myself in that I delayed the purchase of some Quick Queue, animal experiences and All Day Dining as I didn’t want to pay the fee. I ended up not doing the Quick Queue at all as the park wasn’t busy and a pass holder perk made All Day Dining not necessary either. So there can be a case made that these fees cost the parks some business. Hopefully this case can be settled where there’s a sort of a “win-win” like everyone who paid a service fee in a certain period getting a free ticket or a discount. Doing this rather than cash should lead to a quicker and easier resolution with guests being thrilled with a “freebie” better than a $10-$20 check and the park getting guests who will probably spend money when they get there. Hopefully it also results with more transparent ticket prices as well.