Key facts
- Case: Linders v. Festival Fun Parks, LLC, No. 3:25-cv-00659-SVN
- Court: U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut
- Current status: Proposed class action settlement. The court granted preliminary approval, but has not granted final approval.
- Who may qualify: People who bought tickets to Lake Compounce through LakeCompounce.com from October 1, 2023 through June 12, 2025
- Settlement fund: $500,000, before administration costs, court-approved legal fees, and any class representative award
- Potential payment: A proportional share based on the processing fees the claimant paid and the total approved claims
- Claim, exclusion, and objection deadline: November 24, 2026
- Final approval hearing: December 8, 2026 at 10:30 a.m.
In this article
- What happened
- Who Festival Fun Parks and Lake Compounce are
- How the online ticket process fits the dispute
- What the lawsuit alleges
- What Connecticut ticketing law says
- Who may be included
- What the settlement offers
- How to file a claim
- What remains disputed or undecided
- Timeline and what happens next
- Frequently asked questions
What happened
A court-authorized claims process is open in a proposed settlement over processing fees charged on online tickets to Lake Compounce, an amusement and water park in Bristol, Connecticut. The lawsuit alleges that Festival Fun Parks, LLC did not properly disclose a processing fee before customers selected electronic tickets for purchase. Festival Fun Parks denies violating any law and denies wrongdoing.
The proposed settlement creates a $500,000 non-reversionary fund. If the agreement receives final approval, eligible people who submit approved claims will receive proportional cash payments based on the processing fees they paid. A non-reversionary fund generally does not return unused settlement money to the defendant. The agreement instead provides for a possible second distribution, or a court-approved consumer-protection recipient if another distribution would cost too much to administer.
The settlement class covers people who bought tickets through LakeCompounce.com from October 1, 2023 through June 12, 2025. A valid claim must be submitted online by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on November 24, 2026, or mailed with a November 24 postmark.
This is a proposed settlement, not a judgment that Festival Fun Parks broke the law. The court preliminarily approved the agreement for notice and claims administration. It is scheduled to consider final approval on December 8, 2026.
A claim is required
Staying in the class without filing a valid claim will not produce a payment. The court-authorized notice says November 24, 2026 is the claim deadline.
Who Festival Fun Parks and Lake Compounce are
Festival Fun Parks, LLC is the defendant and the operator identified in the court-authorized notice. The notice states that the company operates Lake Compounce and sold the online tickets at issue through LakeCompounce.com.
Lake Compounce is an amusement and water park in Bristol, Connecticut. The park's official media materials describe it as an amusement destination with more than 50 rides and attractions, Crocodile Cove water park, seasonal events, and a campground. That context matters because the disputed charge was connected to electronic admission tickets for a place of entertainment, not to a recurring subscription or unrelated retail purchase.
Epiq is the court-approved settlement administrator. It operates the official settlement website, receives claims and exclusion requests, and will calculate and distribute payments if the agreement becomes final. Class Action Pulse is not the administrator and does not process settlement claims.
Alexandria Linders is the named plaintiff and proposed class representative. The settlement agreement says she filed the case on April 25, 2025 on behalf of herself and other people with similar ticket purchases.
How the online ticket process fits the dispute
The dispute concerns the point in the online purchase process when the full ticket price and processing fee were allegedly disclosed. The complaint, as summarized in the settlement agreement, alleges that the fee was not properly disclosed before a customer selected a ticket.
That timing question is central. A ticket price shown before selection lets a customer compare the total required price before committing to a purchase path. A processing fee shown later can change the amount the customer must pay after selecting the ticket. The lawsuit alleges that the Lake Compounce purchase process during the class period did not comply with Connecticut's disclosure rule.
The settlement does not establish that every ticket transaction used an identical screen or that every purchaser saw the same information. It uses Festival Fun Parks' electronic records to identify the class and the amount of processing fees paid by each claimant where those records are available.
The agreement also requires prospective relief. Festival Fun Parks agreed to maintain an online purchase flow that either charges no ticket fees beyond the ticket price and applicable tax, or clearly and conspicuously displays the total price, including fees, before the ticket is selected. That requirement continues unless the relevant Connecticut law is amended, repealed, or invalidated.
What changes under the agreement
The online ticket flow must either avoid added ticket fees or show the total price, including required fees, before a customer selects the ticket.
What the lawsuit alleges
The plaintiff alleges that Festival Fun Parks failed to properly disclose a processing fee for electronic Lake Compounce tickets in violation of Connecticut General Statutes section 53-289a. The lawsuit sought to proceed as a class action for people who allegedly encountered the same fee practice.
Festival Fun Parks disputed those claims. The settlement agreement says the company filed a motion to dismiss and to compel arbitration in July 2025. Arbitration is a private dispute-resolution process outside a court trial. A motion to compel arbitration asks a court to require the plaintiff to use that process rather than continue in court.
The district court denied the company's motion on March 6, 2026. Festival Fun Parks then answered the complaint, denied the allegations and liability, raised defenses, and appealed the arbitration ruling to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. The district court stayed the case while that appeal was pending.
The parties later exchanged information about the possible class size and processing fees, negotiated at arm's length, and reached agreement on material settlement terms on June 29, 2026. An arm's-length negotiation means the parties dealt independently and represented opposing interests rather than coordinating a predetermined result.
The settlement is a compromise. Festival Fun Parks continues to deny wrongdoing, fault, and liability. The plaintiff and class counsel state that they believe the claims have merit, while recognizing the cost, delay, and risk of further litigation and appeal.
What Connecticut ticketing law says
Connecticut General Statutes section 53-289a addresses disclosures for entertainment tickets. The statute defines a service charge to include fees described as administrative fees, service fees, surcharges, or similar terms.
For a person who facilitates a ticket sale or resale, the statute requires disclosure of the total ticket price, including required service charges. It also requires clear disclosure of the dollar amount attributable to those charges. The statutory text says those disclosures must appear in the ticket listing before the ticket is selected for purchase.
The practical legal question is whether the challenged Lake Compounce purchase flow satisfied those requirements. The settlement avoids a final ruling on that issue. The court's preliminary approval does not decide that Festival Fun Parks violated the statute, and the company's denial remains part of the record.
A proposed settlement class is also different from a class certified after a contested trial record. The court preliminarily certified this class for settlement purposes so notice could be sent and the agreement reviewed. Final approval remains pending.
Who may be included
The settlement class includes individuals who purchased tickets to Lake Compounce from LakeCompounce.com from October 1, 2023 through June 12, 2025. The official website also states that the person must have paid a processing fee in connection with the purchase to be entitled to a payment.
The class excludes the assigned judge and immediate family or staff, lawyers who appeared for a party and their immediate families, Festival Fun Parks and specified related people and entities, people who submit valid exclusion requests, certain successors or representatives of excluded people, and class counsel.
A notice email may contain information tied to Festival Fun Parks' records. People who did not receive a notice but believe they fit the class definition should use the official website or contact the administrator. The administrator, not a news publisher, applies the settlement terms.
The official claim process asks a claimant to provide or confirm information needed to match the purchase and calculate the processing fees paid. A claim must be complete, truthful, signed electronically or physically, timely, and approved by the administrator.
The purchase dates control
The class period begins October 1, 2023 and ends June 12, 2025. Purchases outside that period are not included under the notice.
What the settlement offers
Festival Fun Parks agreed to fund $500,000. The fund pays approved class-member awards, notice and administration costs, taxes and related expenses, court-approved legal fees and costs, and any approved service award to the class representative.
Class counsel may ask for legal fees and costs of no more than one-third of the fund. The named plaintiff may request a service award of up to $5,000. The court will decide whether to approve those requests and may award less.
Each approved claimant's payment is proportional. The agreement defines an individual percentage by comparing the processing fees that person paid with the processing fees paid by all approved claimants. That percentage is then applied to the money left after approved expenses and awards.
The notice gives a hypothetical example, not a promised payment. If $280,000 remained for distribution and 20,000 valid claims were filed, the average would be about $14. The real amount could be higher or lower than the fees a person paid because the number of valid claims and final deductions are not yet known.
Approved claimants may choose PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, or a check. The agreement says payments should be made within 60 days after the settlement's effective date. That effective date comes only after final approval and the resolution or expiration of appeal rights. Checks expire 180 days after issuance.
If money remains after checks expire, the agreement calls for a second proportional distribution when practical. If another distribution would cost as much as or more than the amount available, the court may approve sending the remainder to a nonprofit organization focused on consumer protection.
How to file a claim
Use LakeCompounceTicketFeeSettlement.com, the court-authorized website. Online claims must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on November 24, 2026. Paper claims must be postmarked by that date.
The administrator's mailing address is Lake Compounce Ticket Fee Settlement, P.O. Box 2954, Portland, OR 97208-2954. The official website lists 1-877-327-7930 and info@lakecompounceticketfeesettlement.com for questions.
Keep a copy of the completed claim and submission confirmation. Do not send ticket records, payment details, or claim credentials to a news site. Use only the official administrator's website or mailing address.
The same November 24 deadline applies to exclusion requests and objections. Excluding yourself means receiving no settlement payment while retaining any individual rights covered by the release. Objecting means staying in the class while telling the court why you oppose part or all of the agreement. These are different choices.
What remains disputed or undecided
The court has not decided whether the plaintiff or Festival Fun Parks is right. The company denies that it violated the law, denies liability, and disputes that a litigation class could have been certified.
The final payment amount is unknown. It depends on the processing fees shown in the claimant records, the total processing fees associated with approved claims, the number of valid claims, administration expenses, and the legal fees and awards approved by the court.
Final approval is also unresolved. The court must decide whether the settlement is fair, reasonable, and adequate. It will consider objections and requests for legal fees, costs, and the class representative award.
The release is significant. Class members who do not exclude themselves will give up covered claims related to fees connected with electronic ticket sales during the class period, even if they do not file a claim. The settlement agreement contains the controlling release language.
No fixed payment is promised
The notice's $14 example is hypothetical. The actual payment cannot be known until claims and court-approved deductions are final.
Timeline and what happens next
- October 1, 2023: The settlement class period begins.
- April 25, 2025: Alexandria Linders files the proposed class action in federal court in Connecticut.
- June 12, 2025: The settlement class period ends.
- July 24, 2025: Festival Fun Parks moves to dismiss the case and compel arbitration.
- March 6, 2026: The district court denies the motion to dismiss and compel arbitration.
- April 3, 2026: Festival Fun Parks appeals the arbitration ruling.
- June 29, 2026: The parties reach agreement on material settlement terms.
- August 28, 2026: The court enters the preliminary approval order, according to the filed order.
- November 24, 2026: Claims, exclusion requests, and objections are due.
- December 8, 2026: Final approval hearing is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. in Hartford.
The hearing may be moved without direct notice beyond an update to the docket and official website. Class members should check the administrator's site before relying on the date or location.
If the court grants final approval, appeals could still delay payment. The administrator must review claims, calculate proportional awards, and complete distribution after the settlement becomes final.
Frequently asked questions
Who may qualify for the Lake Compounce settlement?
People who bought tickets through LakeCompounce.com from October 1, 2023 through June 12, 2025 and paid a processing fee may qualify. The administrator applies the official terms.
What is the claim deadline?
November 24, 2026. Online claims are due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time, and mailed claims need a November 24 postmark.
How much will each claimant receive?
There is no fixed amount. Payments are proportional to processing fees paid and depend on approved claims and deductions from the $500,000 fund.
Is the notice's $14 example guaranteed?
No. It is a hypothetical calculation using assumed amounts and claim volume. The actual result may be higher or lower.
Did Festival Fun Parks admit wrongdoing?
No. The company denies violating the law, denies liability, and entered the settlement to avoid further cost, delay, and risk.
What happens if I do nothing?
You will not receive a payment. If the settlement becomes final and you did not exclude yourself, you will still be bound by the release.
When will payments be sent?
No fixed distribution date is available. Payment can occur only after final approval, the resolution or expiration of appeals, claim review, and calculation of awards.
Where should I file?
File through LakeCompounceTicketFeeSettlement.com or use the official paper form. Do not submit claim information to Class Action Pulse.