A 25-year-old Rhode Island woman said she landed in the hospital with severe food allergies after Disney served her a contaminated salad at Be Our Guest restaurant in Magic Kingdom, according to a new lawsuit.
Mae Bodziony and her family accused Disney of ignoring her warning that she has a life-threatening tree nut allergy and said the company was later indifferent during her three-day hospital stay, failing to check up on her.
“This unexpected turn of events required the family to adjust their plans and incur extra costs for the extended car rental and flight change fees,” the family’s lawsuit, filed July 3 in Orange County Circuit County, said. “Additionally, the hospital charges amounted to over $40,000. Moreover, the entire family experienced extreme emotional distress as they wondered if Mae would survive.”
The medical emergency unfolded on August 19, 2024, at the Beauty and Beast-themed restaurant, the lawsuit said.
Bodziony told her server about her food allergies and ordered from the allergen-free menu. The server also assured her the food was going to be safe for her, the lawsuit said.
“The server brought bread and salad to the table, which the server assured the family was nut-free,” the lawsuit. “Immediately after finishing the salad, Mae’s lips became itchy. She then took two Benadryl pills. However, shortly thereafter, the reaction progressed, causing swelling in her throat.”
The lawsuit said Bodziony realized she was having an anaphylactic reaction, so she used an EpiPen.
“A staff member escorted them to the Beast’s study to wait for an ambulance, which arrived in about 10 minutes and took Mae to AdventHealth Celebration Hospital in Kissimmee,” the lawsuit said. “The family felt that they were brought to the Beast’s study because the manager wanted to move Mae to a less public place to use her EpiPen.”
Bodziony’s condition deteriorated, the lawsuit said.
“Mae’s condition worsened, requiring additional epinephrine, intravenous steroids, Pepcid, and Benadryl at the hospital. Due to her critical state, she was admitted for close monitoring and placed on a heart monitor,” the lawsuit said. “The next day, Mae experienced a rapid biphasic reaction just before being discharged. A full medical team treated her, and the hospital decided to keep her for another night. […] The next morning, Mae experienced another rebound reaction with chest pain. A nurse administered another dose of epinephrine.”
Bodziony was discharged from the hospital Aug. 23, 2024. During her hospital stay, Disney did not contact the family to see how Bodziony was doing or offer to help the family until their travel agency contacted Disney, the lawsuit said.
This isn’t the first time Disney has been sued over a guest’s medical emergency from food allergies after eating on property.
Disney was sued in 2024 after a woman died from her severe food allergies after eating at Raglan Road, an independently run restaurant at Disney Springs. That wrongful death lawsuit filed by the woman’s husband is still pending.
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As someone with life threatening food allergies I no longer feel safe going to Disney parks and this is part of why we’re letting our Magic Keys expire this year after having them since they started and annual passes prior to that going back to the start of that program as well. If I have so little trust in the food I’m being served that I feel the need to fast the entire day in the parks then the parks are no longer safe for me. It’s sad but I have to put my health first. Get your shit together, Disney!