‘I went to Disney World without my children - every mum should give it a try’

“You ditch your kids to be surrounded by strangers’ kids … make it make sense.” 

A mum is facing fierce backlash online after visiting Disney World without her children and encouraging other mothers to do the same.

Maddie, an influencer from the US and Disney and Universal “travel specialist”, is a frequent visitor to the Disney parks and usually brings her two kids along for the ride. 

While she “loves” taking her kids to the Disney parks and takes them with her “99 per cent of the time”, she decided that this time would be different. 

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“Gonna have to side with the mum guilt on this one”

“Have you ever gone on a solo vacay to Disney without the kids?” the American mum asked in her now-viral video. 

The mum was filmed hugging her son and faking a big old-fashioned sob, pretending to reach out to him as she walked away for her holiday. 

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“When the mum guilt sets in because you’re going to Disney without your kids,” she captioned the clip. In the next frame, she held a drink in her hand, gave a big smile, and began to dance around the parks. 

“But then you remember you you booked a trip without the kids,” she said. 

“Every now and then, it’s SO NICE to let loose and be a kid without the kids!” she said in the post. 

The video instantly went viral on X (formerly Twitter), where one person confessed they were “gonna have to side with the mum guilt on this one”.

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Unsurprisingly, the mother was met with a barrage of hate comments, shaming her for not taking her children to the parks and labelling her “weird” and a “sad excuse of an adult”.

After sifting through the endless comments, Maddie then issued a clarification of the reason why she went on a holiday to Disney World by herself, and it wasn’t just to take selfies by the Epcot ball or enjoy a few margaritas (although she did enjoy a cocktail or two). 

“Don’t get me wrong, I love taking my kids to Disney and [have] the best memories at Walt Disney World,” she said. Maddie, who works as a Disney travel agent, decided to take the trip as a part-holiday-part-work trip. 

“While I did have fun, this was also a work trip,” she said, filming herself on the rollercoasters, walking through gardens and meeting with Disney characters. 

This was also the perfect opportunity to enjoy rides she never hets the chance to try. “I love rollercoasters, but half my kids aren’t tall enough, and the other half hate them,” she said. 

The solo trip was also a chance for her to get some “me time” and unwind. “As parents, I know I don’t have to tell you how hard we work at our jobs and do for our kids,” she said. “It’s a lot, and it can be hard to take time for yourself and that’s exactly what I did.” 

“Disney was made for everyone to enjoy!” she defended herself. “I know it’s not everyone’s idea of an adults-only vacation, but it’s our happy place!”

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The mum sparked a fierce debate online about going on adult-only holidays to theme parks. Picture: maddiesmickeymagic/Instagram

“Family trips exist for a reason”

Despite her best efforts to defend her adult-only holiday to Disney World, sparking a fierce debate about whether it was appropriate to take a holiday to a theme park without your kids. 

“I can understand a trip without the kids, but to go to Disney of all places without them seems particularly cruel,” read a comment. 

Many parents began ripping her a new one for visiting the parks without her children. 

“You ditch your kids to be surrounded by strangers’ kids … make it make sense,” someone commented. “Who leaves their kids at home to go hang out with thousands of other children?” another wondered.

“You need to grow up,” said a third. "Going to Disneyland without kids is fine. Going to Disneyland without kids when you HAVE kids. That’s f**king weird," penned another.

However, not everyone was ready to rip her a new one, with others admiring the mother for taking time out for herself, even if the destination wasn’t to their taste.

“I’m a firm believer in making memories with your children but also, you must have vacations without them,” a defender wrote. 

“I am a full person outside of being a mother, and I am not obligated to take my children on MY vacations,” a parent chimed in. “Family trips exist for a reason.” 

“It’s good for mums to have a break, and it’s good for kids to learn they don’t get to do every fun thing they hear about. Not seeing the problem,” a third person said. "Get it, girl. Hope you had a blast."

Originally published as ‘I went to Disney World without my children - every mum should give it a try’