Credit: Raglan RoadOne of the things that people look forward to most on the Walt Disney World vacation is eating at a ton of incredible places. The Most Magical Place on Earth has nearly 400 places to eat. They range from snack stands where guests can grab a corn dog or popcorn to counter-service spots that serve mouthwatering dishes like cheeseburger bao buns and pulled pork macaroni and cheese.
For those who want to splurge, table-service restaurants like Steakhouse 71 and Topolino’s Terrace can’t be beaten.
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While each of Walt Disney World Resort’s four theme parks and many of its hotels offer great dining options, the real mecca for Disney foodies is Disney Springs. The massive shopping, dining, and entertainment area has nearly 70 restaurants to choose from, and some of them have big names behind them. Disney Springs has restaurants owned by Guy Fieri, Maneet Chauhan, José Andres, and Masaharu Morimoto.
Unfortunately, a Disney Springs meal that was supposed to be full of fun experiences and delicious food turned into a nightmare one family will never forget.
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Back in February 2024, Dr. Kanokporn Tangsuan, her husband, and her mother-in-law visited Disney Springs and dined at Raglan Road Irish Pub. Dr. Tangsuan had some very severe allergies, and her family claims that she spoke to the waiter in detail so they could make sure the food was safe for her to eat. According to the family, that night, Dr. Tangsuan dined on broccoli and corn fritters, the vegan shepherd’s pie, the Scallop Forest, and onion rings.
The family claimed that Tangsuan double-checked her food before she dug into it to ensure that it was allergy-friendly. Despite the waiter’s reassurance, Dr. Tangsuan’s food allegedly did contain ingredients that she was highly allergic to.
In a lawsuit filed earlier this year, the family claims that about 45 minutes after their meal, Dr. Tangsuan was shopping in Planet Hollywood with her mother-in-law (her husband was back at the hotel). While in the store, Dr. Tangsuan suffered from a severe allergic reaction. She used her EpiPen, but it was too late, and the young woman died.
The Walt Disney World Resort does say that while it strives to accommodate all allergies, it cannot guarantee that cross-contamination won’t happen. However, it does appear that Raglan Road has made some serious changes to make sure a tragic accident like this does not happen again.
We recently enjoyed a meal at Raglan Road, and one member of the party has Celiac Disease. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease triggered by gluten. We immediately noticed that despite the restaurant’s best efforts, more warning signs about cross-contamination and potential allergic reactions might not have happened.
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In addition to adding more warnings, whenever an allergy is mentioned, a manager comes to the table and speaks to the guest about special accommodations that need to be made to their meal.
The family of Dr. Tangsuan is currently suing Disney and the owners of Raglan Road Irish Pub. It is important to note that Disney does not own the restaurant. The family claims that Raglan Road was negligent and did not do what it needed to do, even after speaking to Dr. Tangsuan about her allergies. They further claim that Disney is responsible since the restaurant is on its property.
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Now, both sides are facing their fair share of criticism over the lawsuit. Some people do not believe that the meal at the Disney Springs restaurant caused Dr. Tangsuan’s allergic reaction. The family said that about 45 minutes later, Tangsuan began to experience an allergic reaction while shopping in Planet Hollywood.
A lot of people question that, if her allergies were that serious, her reaction would have started much sooner than that.
However, Disney won itself zero points in the court of public opinion when it filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit based on the fact that Dr. Tangsuan’s husband, Jeffrey Piccolo, had registered for a “Disney account.” Disney claims that the terms and conditions that Piccolo agreed to mean that the family cannot sue the Mouse House. Instead, they must agree to go to arbitration.
Mr. Piccolo’s lawyer, Brian Denney, was disgusted by the motion. He said that Disney was trying to “rob” his client of a fair trial because he signed up for a free Disney+ trial several years ago. He said that he and his legal team are currently filing a motion to fight against the lawsuit’s dismissal.
The backlash against Disney was swift, and the criticism was fierce after the motion began to go viral. Disney released a statement saying that it was “deeply saddened” by Dr. Tangsuan’s death. However, the company does not feel that it should be held responsible because it does not own or operate Raglan Road.
Do you think Disney is partly responsible for the tragic death of Dr. Tangsuan? Let us know in the comments.
This post originally appeared on Disney Dining.