A young mother who sparked outrage with her post about a Disney World vacation without her children is speaking out and responding to her critics.
Madalyn Jade Monaghan, 30, known as Maddie’s Mickey Magic on Instagramshared a video of herself crying and hugging her son, with the caption, “When you feel guilty as a mom because you go to Disneyland without the kids.”
The video then cuts to a clip of Monaghan dancing and sipping a cocktail while wearing Minnie Mouse ears. The caption reads: “But then you’ll remember why you booked a trip without the kids.”
The post received mixed reactions online, with some critics questioning Monaghan’s decision to abandon her children.
The young mother told DailyMail.com that she planned to keep the video lighthearted, stressing that Disney can be a place where adults can go on vacation alone.
Madalyn Jade Monaghan (pictured), 30, is speaking out after sparking outrage with her post about feeling ‘motherhood guilt’ while vacationing at Disney World without her kids
Her controversial post begins with the mother crying as she hugs her son as she heads out on her solo Disney trip
“I never imagined that this video, which is part satirical and part true feelings, would get such a response,” Monaghan said.
“Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I was truly overwhelmed by the amount of outright evil, hate and meanness from the negative commenters.”
Monaghan, a content creator and self-described Disney and Universal travel specialist, justified her solo trip by saying her children had been to Disney hundreds of times and her vacation was a business trip.
“I originally booked this trip so I could attend the opening night of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, which my kids have attended over the years,” she said.
‘When it was time to leave on this trip, I felt guilty and sad about leaving them behind. But during my trip, I had an amazing time and was able to put the guilt aside and enjoy my quiet time away, which I think is so important for mothers, fathers or other caregivers.’
The video then jumps to Monaghan dancing and sipping a cocktail while wearing Minnie Mouse ears
Monaghan justified her solo trip by saying she was attending the opening night of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party for work, which her children had attended before (pictured)
She said she went on roller coasters that her children were too young to ride and drank more alcohol than she would have if her children had been there.
“My happy place is Disney and I’ve been blessed to experience it both ways, with and without kids. With kids it’s great, but without it’s great too. Disney World was created with kids in mind, of course, but it was meant to be shared and enjoyed by everyone, whether you have kids or not,” the mom said.
‘It’s fun to bring kids, but it can also be very stressful, so I encourage adults to try it without their kids at least once.
“My message to parents was to not feel guilty and make sure you take the time to pamper yourself, whatever or wherever that may be. I believe it benefits not only you but the children as well.”
The mother reiterated that she wanted to create a lighthearted atmosphere with her video and emphasized that Disney can be a place where adults can go on vacation alone
Monaghan said she and her family are annual passholders for Disney World and she plans to continue using her page to help people plan their vacations.
Some commentators defended Monaghan’s choice, saying she is free to travel as she pleases. Others criticized her for going to a family destination without her children.
“I’ve had a lot of positive and negative comments on posting this video. The positive commenters totally get it and know what I mean,” Monaghan said.
‘It was really disturbing how hateful and abusive people can be, and that’s what bothered me the most.
‘After reading the negative comments, I decided that I am going to focus even more on being a positive influencer on the internet. My goal is to make people happy and make their vacations magical.’