Disney has been a defendant in a string of significant lawsuits over the past two years, including a wrongful death case brought by the husband of a doctor who died of an allergic reaction at Disney Springs, a $43.25 million gender pay class action in California, a $233 million wage settlement with Disneyland workers in Anaheim, two $10 million penalties over children’s online privacy, and a now-settled constitutional fight with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis over the Reedy Creek Improvement District. Several of these Disney lawsuits were resolved in 2025 and early 2026, and the outcomes affect current and former employees, park workers, and consumers.
The Wrongful Death Case at Disney Springs
On October 5, 2023, Dr. Kanokporn “Amy” Tangsuan, a 42-year-old family medicine doctor at NYU Langone, died of anaphylaxis after dining at Raglan Road Irish Pub at Disney Springs in Orlando.1The New York Times. Disney World Allergy Death Lawsuit She had severe allergies to dairy and nuts. According to the complaint later filed by her husband, Jeffrey Piccolo, the couple told their server multiple times about her allergies and were assured the food was allergen-free. A medical examiner determined her death was caused by elevated levels of dairy and nut in her system and ruled it an accident.2Allergic Living. Lawsuit Against Disney Dropped in Doctors Food Allergy Death
Piccolo filed suit in February 2024 in Orange County Circuit Court, naming Walt Disney Parks and Resorts U.S. Inc., Raglan Road Irish Pub, and The Great Irish Pubs, Inc. as defendants, alleging negligence in food preparation and failure to train staff.3NPR. Disney Wrongful Death Lawsuit He sought more than $50,000 in damages and a jury trial.
The Disney+ Arbitration Argument
In May 2024, Disney moved to force the dispute out of court and into private arbitration. The company’s argument: Piccolo had signed up for a free Disney+ trial in 2019 and bought theme park tickets through Disney’s website in September 2023, and both transactions required agreeing to terms of service containing a binding arbitration clause and class-action waiver.4CNN. Disney Arbitration Wrongful Death Lawsuit Disney’s terms define “Dispute” to cover “any claim, dispute, action, or other controversy” between a user and the company or its affiliates, and require resolution through “binding individual arbitration.”5Disney Terms of Use. Disney Terms of Use Disney’s lawyers argued that whether Piccolo had actually read the terms was “immaterial.”3NPR. Disney Wrongful Death Lawsuit
Piccolo’s attorney Brian Denney called the position “preposterous” and “outrageously unreasonable and unfair as to shock the judicial conscience.” His team also argued that Dr. Tangsuan herself had never agreed to any Disney+ terms. Facing public backlash, Disney reversed course in August 2024. Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney Experiences, said the company would “waive our right to arbitration and have the matter proceed in court,” citing a desire to take “a sensitive approach to expedite a resolution for the family.”4CNN. Disney Arbitration Wrongful Death Lawsuit Disney maintained it had the legal right to enforce the clause had it chosen to.6University of Miami Law Review. Is Reading the Fine Print Enough
How the Case Ended
On February 27, 2026, Piccolo voluntarily dismissed all claims against all three defendants with prejudice, meaning the case cannot be refiled. Denney said only that “the case has been resolved” and declined to say more.2Allergic Living. Lawsuit Against Disney Dropped in Doctors Food Allergy Death No settlement terms were publicly disclosed. Industry experts told the New York Post that wrongful death cases involving the loss of a physician’s lifetime earnings often carry value in the “high seven-figure to low eight-figure range.”7New York Post. Widower Who Sued Disney Over NYU Doctor Wifes Allergy Death Drops Claim in Potential Settlement
Gender Pay Class Action: $43.25 Million Settlement
In Rasmussen et al. v. The Walt Disney Company, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court in 2019, female employees alleged Disney paid women less than men for substantially similar work, used prior salary history in ways that perpetuated pay gaps, passed women over for promotions, and assigned them unpaid additional work.8HR Dive. Court Approves $43M Settlement in Disney Gender Pay Discrimination Case
Judge Elihu M. Berle granted partial class certification in December 2023 under the California Equal Pay Act. The certified class covered women employed in California between April 1, 2015, and the end of the class period, who held non-union positions below the vice president level.9Cohen Milstein. Disney Employees Secure Class Certification in Gender Pay Class Action
On September 15, 2025, the court gave final approval to a $43.25 million settlement. Disney also agreed to retain an outside labor economist for three years to run annual pay equity analyses of all full-time, non-union California employees below the vice president level and address any statistically significant disparities.10Cohen Milstein. Rasmussen et al. v. Walt Disney Company et al. Disney maintained throughout that its practices were “lawful and appropriate.”8HR Dive. Court Approves $43M Settlement in Disney Gender Pay Discrimination Case Payments began going out in January 2026, calculated by job level, tenure, and pay history, with a guaranteed minimum of $200 per class member.
Anaheim Living Wage Case: $233 Million for Disneyland Workers
In Grace et al. v. The Walt Disney Company, filed in Orange County Superior Court in December 2019, workers alleged Disney violated Anaheim’s “Measure L,” a voter-approved ordinance requiring businesses that receive city tax subsidies to pay resort workers a minimum living wage starting at $15 per hour in 2019 and climbing to $20.42 per hour by 2025.11Disney Living Wage Case. Grace et al. v. The Walt Disney Company Settlement Disney argued it was exempt. A trial court agreed, an appeals court reversed, and the California Supreme Court declined review.12Disney Experiences. Disney Reached Agreement in Wage Lawsuit
On September 16, 2025, Judge William Claster granted final approval of a $233 million settlement covering 51,478 Disneyland employees. About $179.6 million went to class members, $35 million to legal fees, and $17.5 million as a civil penalty to the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency.13Reuters. Disney $233 Million Settlement With Employees Wins Approval The settlement became final on November 17, 2025, and checks began going out later that month.11Disney Living Wage Case. Grace et al. v. The Walt Disney Company Settlement One of the plaintiffs’ attorneys said average payments were about $3,500, ranging from a couple hundred dollars to nearly $10,000 depending on hours worked.14Voice of OC. Workers Receive Backpay From Disneyland No claim form was required; eligible workers were contacted by a third-party administrator.
Two Children’s Privacy Penalties in 2025
In September 2025, the Federal Trade Commission announced that Disney Worldwide Services and Disney Entertainment Operations had agreed to pay a $10 million civil penalty for violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. The FTC alleged Disney failed to properly label hundreds of videos uploaded to YouTube as “Made for Kids” despite warnings from YouTube as early as mid-2020, which allowed collection of personal data from viewers under 13 for targeted advertising without parental notification or consent.15FTC. Disney to Pay $10 Million to Settle FTC Allegations The consent order required Disney to implement a program to accurately designate videos and comply with the COPPA Rule.
On December 30, 2025, the Department of Justice announced a separate stipulated order resolving additional COPPA allegations against the same Disney entities. That action also carried a $10 million civil penalty, barred Disney from operating on YouTube in a manner that violates children’s privacy law, and required Disney to create a compliance program for its YouTube content.16DOJ. Disney Agrees to $10M Civil Penalty and Injunction for Alleged Violations of Childrens Privacy Laws
Disney v. DeSantis and the Reedy Creek Fight
In 2023, Disney sued Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in federal court, alleging the state retaliated against Disney’s public criticism of the “Parental Rights in Education Act” by stripping the company of its self-governing Reedy Creek Improvement District and replacing the board with governor-appointed members on a new Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.17NPR. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Disney Legal Battle Settled A federal judge dismissed the lawsuit in January 2024, ruling the legislation was facially constitutional.18Brooklyn Law School Sports & Entertainment Law Blog. The Most Magical Lawsuit on Earth: Disney v. DeSantis
On March 27, 2024, Disney and the DeSantis-appointed board settled all pending state court disputes. Disney accepted the new governance structure and agreed to invalidate last-minute development agreements its previous board had approved.17NPR. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Disney Legal Battle Settled In June 2024, Disney dropped its federal appeal, and the oversight district approved a new development agreement tied to a $17 billion Disney investment plan for its Orlando parks.19Orlando Business Journal. Disney Drops Federal Lawsuit Against Florida, DeSantis