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The Walt Disney Company Accused of Attempted Mass Murder

in The Walt Disney Company, Walt Disney World

Posted on by Jess Colopy 1 Comment
Disney CEO Bob Iger posing with Mickey Mouse in front of a sunny, palm-lined Walt Disney Company building.

Credit: Inside the Magic

The internet went wild over The Walt Disney Company’s initial response to a wrongful death lawsuit filed over the tragic passing of a Walt Disney World Resort guest. Even after the Mouse withdrew its filing, social media users slammed the corporation for allegedly believing it had the legal right to physically harm guests without consequences.

Jeffrey Piccolo sued The Walt Disney Company after his wife, Dr. Kanokporn “Amy” Tangsuan, died of an allergic reaction at Disney Springs. In October 2023, the couple visited Walt Disney World Resort and dined at Raglan Road Irish Pub, a restaurant not owned by The Walt Disney Company but operated on its property.

Four people sit around a wooden table in a cozy pub, laughing and enjoying drinks. Two women and two men are present, with one man in the middle of an animated gesture. As they chat, the conversation briefly turns to the recent Disney World death that had fans out of parks, casting a somber note over the lively scene.
Credit: Disney

The lawsuit claims that Tangsuan informed the restaurant of her dairy and peanut allergies before eating. Employees allegedly assured her that she could safely consume her meal. Forty-five minutes after dinner, Tangsuan noticed an allergic reaction and self-administered an epi-pen. Sadly, she collapsed and was transported to a local hospital, where she died.

According to The New York Times, the Orlando medical examiner’s office determined that Tangsuan’s death was accidental and caused by “anaphylaxis, or a severe allergic reaction.”

The interior of Raglan Road restaurant
Credit: Disney

Piccolo claimed that The Walt Disney Company “advertises and represents to the public that food allergies and/or the accommodation of persons with food allergies is a top priority at its parks and resorts.”

Even though Disney doesn’t own Raglan Road, the widow argued that the company should train its vendors on proper food handling and allergy best practices. He asked for damages above $50,000 and requested a trial by jury.

Disney lawyers initially filed for arbitration out of court, citing terms & conditions that Piccolo and Tansuan signed when they bought Disney Park tickets and signed up for a free Disney+ trial years prior. They claimed the “fine print” said that users would settle any legal disputes outside of court.

A screenshot shows the Disney+ logo in the center, surrounded by various show and movie posters such as "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour," "Grey's Anatomy," "Wish," "Shogun," "The Marvels," and others.
Credit: Disney+

After days of online backlash, The Walt Disney Company issued the following statement:

“We are deeply saddened by the family’s loss and understand their grief. Given that this restaurant is neither owned nor operated by Disney, we are merely defending ourselves against the plaintiff’s attorney’s attempt to include us in their lawsuit against the restaurant.”

Social media users weren’t happy with this response. Days later, Disney waived its arbitration claim and said it would let the lawsuit go to trial.

Bob Iger with a statue of Walt Disney in EPCOT
Credit: Tokyo Disney Resort, X (Formerly Twitter)

“At Disney, we strive to put humanity above all other considerations,” Chairman of Disney Experiences Josh D’Amaro wrote in a statement. “With such unique circumstances as the ones in this case, we believe this situation warrants a sensitive approach to expedite a resolution for the family who have experienced such a painful loss. As such, we’ve decided to waive our right to arbitration and have the matter proceed to court.”

Even though Disney retracted its arbitration request, the internet did what the internet does–memes spun out of control so fast that no statement from Disney could stop them.

Mickey Mouse, dressed as a sorcerer with a blue hat adorned with stars and a red robe, stands on a rock with an arm outstretched, pointing upward against a dark blue background.
Credit: Disney

Many users joked that Disney thought it could “kill” people without legal repercussions. On X (formerly Twitter), @2gay2lift posted a free Disney+ trial flyer with the caption:

Motherfuckers tryna kill me no thanks

@TrilbeeReviews joked that Disney was focused on making the wrong changes:

Disney: We’ll edit our movies because we don’t want to be held responsible if a child crawls inside a dryer.

Also Disney: If you subscribe to Disney+ we can kill you.

@Cavertiano quipped that The Walt Disney Company could now harm Sean Evans after Donald Duck appeared on the show “Hot Ones”:

Disney will be legally able to kill Sean Evans after this episode

TikToker @kalildogg was one of thousands of content creators to create videos about the situation:

@kalildogg

Well played #disney #disneyworld #disneyplus #disneytok #funny #viral #foryou #fyp

♬ Damn it he got me – 😱 freakster

“When the Donald Duck at Disney World just threw my wife in front of a rollercoaster but I can’t sue cuz I have Disney+,” the caption read.

The video amassed hundreds of thousands of likes and comments.

“Canceling my disney plus subscription cause they can straight up unalive me with it active,” @odington commented.

A person wearing a colorful bucket hat and glasses smiles while hugging a large Mickey Mouse mascot in an outdoor setting. The background is dark, illuminated by lights, suggesting an evening at Disney After Hours in Walt Disney World.
Credit: Disney

“Disney is so unironically villainous,” @nastytoker.com replied.

Piccolo’s lawsuit against The Walt Disney Company will proceed before a jury. Follow Inside the Magic for updates on the ongoing case.

Is The Walt Disney Company to blame for the tragic death at Raglan Road? Share your opinion with Inside the Magic in the comments. 

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