Disney did initially ask a Florida court to send a wrongful-death lawsuit to arbitration, citing account terms Jeffrey Piccolo accepted when creating a Disney account through Disney+. It later waived that request. In February 2026, Piccolo dismissed the case with prejudice; public reporting does not confirm whether a financial settlement accompanied the dismissal.
What the lawsuit was about
Jeffrey Piccolo sued as personal representative of the estate of his wife, Kanokporn Tangsuan, in Orange County, Florida. The complaint, filed February 22, 2024, named Great Irish Pubs Florida, Inc., which operates Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant, and Walt Disney Parks and Resorts U.S., Inc.
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The complaint alleged that Tangsuan had severe nut and dairy allergies, told Raglan Road staff about them while dining at Disney Springs on October 5, 2023, and later died after an allergic reaction. Those are allegations in the complaint, not findings established at trial. The Associated Press reported on the filing and claims in its February 27, 2024 report.
Why Disney invoked Disney+ account terms
In a motion filed May 31, 2024, Disney said Piccolo had created a Disney account through the Disney+ website in 2019 and accepted Disney terms. Disney argued that those terms required arbitration for disputes with Disney and its affiliates, including tort claims, and asked the court to compel arbitration and pause the court case while that request was considered. The motion’s phrase “This lawsuit is destined for arbitration” was Disney’s advocacy, not a court ruling.
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Disney also argued in its filings that Raglan Road was independently owned and operated and that Disney’s relationship with the restaurant was landlord and tenant. Those, too, were Disney’s litigation positions rather than judicial findings. The motion to compel arbitration and a related motion to stay the case are Florida Ninth Judicial Circuit filings dated May 31, 2024.
Arbitration was not a settlement or a merits dismissal
Arbitration is a private forum for resolving a dispute. Disney’s motion asked the court to send the claims to that forum and stay the court litigation; it did not announce a payment, settle the claims, or ask the court to decide that the allegations were false. The court did not issue a reported ruling establishing that the Disney account terms applied to this case: Disney withdrew its arbitration request before that question was resolved.
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That distinction matters to the headline shorthand that Disney tried to use Disney+ to “settle” the lawsuit. The account terms were the basis for Disney’s attempt to change where the dispute would be heard, not evidence of a settlement. Nor does this case establish that every Disney+ subscriber must arbitrate every dispute with Disney.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Disney waived arbitration; the case later ended with prejudice
August 20, 2024: Disney withdrew its request
Disney said it would waive its right to arbitration and allow the matter to proceed in court. Josh D’Amaro, then chairman of Disney Experiences, said the case’s “unique circumstances” warranted a “sensitive approach to expedite a resolution for the family who have experienced such a painful loss.” The statement described the waiver; it did not disclose settlement terms. TheWrap reported the statement on August 20, 2024.
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February 27, 2026: Piccolo dismissed the lawsuit
Piccolo voluntarily dismissed the case with prejudice, according to reporting by Bloomberg Law and News 12 Long Island. A dismissal with prejudice ended the lawsuit against the named defendants; it is not, by itself, a public explanation of why the case ended. News 12 reported that it was not immediately clear whether Piccolo reached a financial settlement with Disney. The cited coverage does not confirm a settlement amount or terms.
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What the case does—and does not—show
- Disney relied on account terms Piccolo had accepted and asked the court to compel arbitration and stay the lawsuit.
- Disney waived that request in August 2024, so the arbitration question was not resolved by a reported court ruling in this case.
- The 2026 dismissal ended the lawsuit, but available reporting does not establish whether it involved a private financial settlement.
- The negligence account and Disney’s arguments about the restaurant’s operation are claims made by the parties, not findings from a trial.
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