The U.S. Department of Justice has hauled United Parks & Resorts, the company behind SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, into federal court, accusing the chain of discriminating against guests who use wheeled walkers with seats, including rollator-style devices.
Federal complaint alleges ADA violations
The civil suit, filed by the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division together with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, alleges that the parks have barred certain wheeled walkers with seats and asks a judge to order the company to stop the practice, overhaul park policies, train staff, and pay monetary penalties, according to ClickOrlando.
DOJ escalated after a months-long probe
Federal officials first opened a formal investigation into United Parks & Resorts in November 2025 after receiving complaints that the parks had banned what are commonly called rollator walkers. The Justice Department underscored that Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination by places of public accommodation and urged anyone who believes they were harmed to file a complaint with the Civil Rights Division, as outlined by the Justice Department.
Parks say safety concerns prompted the policy
SeaWorld and its parent have pointed to repeated “misuse and safety-related incidents” and the parks’ varying pathways and terrain as reasons for changing the rules, and say guests who arrive with a non-permitted device are offered alternatives such as rollators without seats and wheelchairs at no cost, according to FOX 35 Orlando. Local reporting has also highlighted screenshots of the parks’ updated entry guidance and the company’s written explanation for the policy shift.
What the complaint demands
Per ClickOrlando, the complaint asks a federal court to order United Parks & Resorts to halt any discriminatory policies, revise its mobility-device rules so they comply with the ADA, train employees on their legal obligations, and pay civil penalties. If the court sides with the government, those remedies could force operational changes at the Florida parks.
Legal context
Title III of the ADA specifically protects the use of manually powered mobility aids, including walkers and similar devices, in public accommodations and bars, and eligibility criteria that screen out people with disabilities. The Justice Department cited that statutory framework when it opened the investigation into the parks last November, according to the Justice Department announcement.
What’s next for visitors and the parks
The lawsuit marks an escalation from the department’s probe and could take months to move through court, potentially involving discovery into how the parks balance safety concerns with access. Disability-rights advocates welcomed the filing in local coverage, and the parks will now face a federal test of whether their safety-based restrictions unlawfully exclude people who rely on wheeled walkers with seats, according to FOX 35 Orlando.
