Great Wolf Resorts accused of deceptive pricing practices

A lawsuit has been filed against a major resort chain, accusing it of deceptive pricing practices that have allegedly swindled customers out of significant sums. On January 26, 2026, Sherrie Grant filed a class action complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against Great Wolf Resorts, Inc. The plaintiff alleges that the company violated Virginia’s Mandatory Fees or Surcharges Law by not clearly displaying total prices on its website for tickets to its Williamsburg indoor water park.

According to the complaint, when customers select an admission ticket on Great Wolf’s website, they are initially shown a fee-less price. However, at checkout, an additional $9.99 “Amenity Fee” is added, which was not disclosed upfront. This practice is said to contravene Virginia law that mandates all fees be clearly displayed in advertised prices. Grant argues that this “cheap trick” misleads consumers and results in them paying more than expected. She contends that this strategy is part of a broader pattern known as “drip pricing,” where hidden fees are revealed only at the final stages of a transaction.

The lawsuit claims that such practices harm consumers by making it difficult to compare prices accurately and lead to higher costs due to these undisclosed fees. The complaint highlights research indicating that consumers subjected to hidden fees can end up paying up to 20% more than if the full price were disclosed upfront. It also notes that junk fees cost Americans over $90 billion annually.

Grant seeks damages and restitution for herself and other affected Virginia residents who purchased tickets under these conditions. The relief sought includes statutory damages under Virginia’s consumer protection laws, as well as reasonable attorneys’ costs and fees. Additionally, she requests injunctive relief to prevent further violations by Great Wolf Resorts.

Representing Grant are attorneys Philip L. Fraietta and Julian C. Diamond from Bursor & Fisher, P.A., with offices in New York City and White Plains, NY. The case is presided over by a judge from the Northern District of Illinois under Case No. 1:26-cv-886.