Get All Access for $5/mo

'Let It Go': A Couple Has Spent $400K Suing Disney After Being Banned From the Park's Exclusive 33 Club. Social Media Reactions Have Not Been G-Rated. After getting banned from the exclusive members-only club for alleged bad behavior, a California couple has spent a fortune trying to get back to paling around with Mickey.

By David James

Key Takeaways

  • Two Disney superfans were banned from Disneyland's exclusive Club 33 after alleged drunken behavior.
  • The couple has spent a reported $400,000 in legal fees trying to overturn the ban.

An Orange County, California courtroom became the unhappiest place on Earth for two Disney superfans after a jury ruled against their lawsuit to get reinstated in the company's exclusive Club 33 in Disneyland.

Diana and Scott Anderson filed a lawsuit against the Walt Disney Company after getting permanently banned from the exclusive private restaurant in 2017. Club 33's membership is said to cost between $25,000-$50,000 upfront and carries an annual fee of between $10,000 and $30,000. Despite those costs, the club is said to have a multiple-year waiting list.

Related: Disney Leaked Documents Includes Sensitive Personal Data: Report

The couple's membership was revoked after Scott was allegedly found in the park intoxicated on the evening of Sept. 3, 2017. (He and his legal team deny this claim and say he was disoriented while suffering from a migraine.) Since then, the couple has spent $400,000 fighting the ban, according to the Los Angeles Times, and their bid failed.

The couple isn't fairing much better in the court of public opinion on social media. The Times posted the details of the story on Instagram and the comments section is less than Disney-fied.

"Cue that Frozen song, 'Let It Go!'" posted melissakchan.

"I love seeing rich entitled people lose money" posted geektoid.

"The restaurant is a cute experience, the food isn't even that good, I guess it's a brag to be a keyholder but… People are literally dying in the streets and this is what they focus on?" posted aaliyahlove69.

The couple is undeterred by the ruling, and plans to appeal. Diana told The Los Angeles Times "I'll sell a kidney—I don't care" to cover legal fees.

Scott, who owns a golf course in Gilbert, Arizona, says that the ban has falsely given him the reputation of being a "drunk" and told the Times "we will fight this to the death," adding, "My retirement is set back five years. I'm paying through the nose. Every day, I'm seeing another bill, and I'm about to keel over."

Maybe a quick trip to LEGOland will help get this off their minds?

Related: Disney's Earliest Version of Mickey Mouse, Steamboat Willie, Is Now in the Public Domain. Here's What That Means.

David James

Entrepreneur Staff

Staff writer

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Starting a Business

4 Strategies to Boost Cash Flow Management at Your Business

If you are struggling to manage your startup's cash flow, FinTech can streamline your financial management. You'll save time and money while gaining better control over your finances.

Side Hustle

The Side Hustle She Worked on in a Local Starbucks 'Went From Nothing to $1 Million.' Now It Will Make Over $30 Million This Year.

Melinda Spigel transformed a simple jewelry-making hobby into a lucrative full-time business with multimillion-dollar annual sales.

Growing a Business

7 Ways to Scale a Startup Into a Billion-Dollar Business

Here are seven key insights to guide your journey to becoming the next unicorn.

Business News

Is Workplace Trust Dead? A 'Big Four' Firm Will Soon Use Location Data to Track Employees

Partners and staff at PwC are expected to be in the office or with clients 60% of their workweek starting in January.

Leadership

I Shifted From Founder to CEO 20 Years Ago and Never Looked Back — Here's How to Successfully Make the Leap

Great CEOs aren't born, they're made. But what separates a successful founder-turned-CEO from a failed one? As someone who remains the head of my company, Jotform, after founding it nearly 20 years ago, I've got some insight into what it takes to make the change.

Business News

Here's What Entrepreneurs Will Be Watching for at Tonight's Harris-Trump Presidential Debate

Plus, a breakdown of the key differences (and similarities) of the candidates' economic plans.