A young mother who sparked outrage with her post about taking a Disney World vacation without her kids is speaking out and responding to her critics.
Madalyn Jade Monaghan, 30, known as Maddie’s Mickey’s Magic on InstagramShe shared a video of herself crying while hugging her son with the caption: ‘When mom guilt hits because you’re going to Disney without the kids.’
The video then cuts to a clip of Monaghan dancing and drinking a cocktail while wearing Minnie Mouse ears, accompanied by the caption: “But then you remember why you booked a trip without the kids.”
The post received mixed reactions online, with some critics questioning Monaghan’s decision to ditch her children.
Now the young mother has told DailyMail.com that she intended the video to be light-hearted and reaffirmed that Disney can be a place for adults to vacation alone.
Madalyn Jade Monaghan (pictured), 30, is speaking out after sparking fury with her post about feeling “mum guilt” as she went on holiday to Disney World without her children.
Her controversial post begins with the mother crying as she hugs her son while heading off on her solo trip to Disney.
“I never thought this video, which was partly made as satire mixed with true feelings, would get as much response as it did,” Monaghan said.
“Everyone is entitled to their opinions, but I was absolutely shocked by the amount of meanness, hate and disgust from the negative commenters.”
Monaghan, who is a content creator and describes herself as a Disney and Universal travel specialist, justified her solo trip by saying her kids have been to Disney hundreds of times and her vacation was a work trip.
“I originally booked this trip so I could cover the opening night of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, which my kids have also attended in previous years,” she said.
“When it was time to leave on this trip, I felt a lot of guilt and sadness about leaving them. But during the trip, I had an amazing time and was able to let go of the guilt and enjoy my quiet time, which I think is so important for moms, dads, or any caregiver.”
The video then jumps to Monaghan dancing and drinking a cocktail while wearing Minnie Mouse ears.
Monaghan justified his solo trip by saying it was for work to cover the opening night of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween party, which his children had previously attended (pictured)
She said she rode roller coasters because her children were too young to ride and drank more alcohol than she would have if her children had been with her.
“My happy place is Disney and I’m lucky enough to be able to experience it both ways, with and without kids. It’s great with kids, but it’s great without them too. Disney World was created with kids in mind, but it was meant to be shared and enjoyed by everyone, regardless of whether you have kids or not,” the mother said.
‘While taking kids is great, there is also a lot of stress that can come with it, which is why I would like to encourage adults to try it at least once without their children.
“My message to parents is not to feel guilty and to make sure you take the time to indulge yourself, whatever or wherever it may be. I think it will benefit not only you but your children as well.”
The mother insisted that she intended her video to be light-hearted and insisted that Disney can be a place for adults to vacation alone.
Monaghan said she and her family are annual passholders to Disney World and she intends to continue using her page to help people plan their vacations.
Some commentators defended Monaghan’s decision, saying she could take whatever trip she wanted. Others criticised her for going to a family destination without her children.
“I received a lot of positive and negative reactions for posting this video. Those who commented positively understood it completely and know what I’m talking about,” Monaghan said.
‘It was really disturbing to see how hateful and nasty people can be and that’s what bothered me the most.
“After reading the nasty comments, I decided to dedicate myself even more to being a positive influencer on the internet. My goal is to make people happy and contribute to making their holidays magical.”