A TikTok creator and mom of four is facing backlash after posting a video preparing for a family trip to Walt Disney World as Hurricane Milton nears Florida.
In the now-deleted TikTok, Cecily Bauchmann shared a behind-the-scenes look at her packing process with her husband just an hour before they were set to head to the airport for their family trip. She posted the video while Florida, where Walt Disney World is located, is preparing for Hurricane Milton, a Category 4 storm expected to make landfall on Wednesday.
Although the video has been removed, users across TikTok have responded to the creator’s trip. One TikToker shared a video discussing how easy it is to reschedule plans, prompting viewers to question how far creators will go for content.
“I just had to go through Helene and there is no way I would put my children in the direct path of a hurricane. Especially not this one,” someone responded to Bauchmann’s TikTok.
“DO BETTER Influencers going to Disney despite Hurricane Milton about to absolutely smack Florida,” another user captioned a video of herself sharing her thoughts on the situation and the limited resources the state might have in the storm’s aftermath.
“Honestly lost all my respect for her,” another TikTok video says.
PEOPLE has reached out to Bauchmann for comment.
On Monday, Oct. 7, Disney World’s official Weather Updates page stated that the Orlando-area resort was still operating “under normal conditions,” but noted, ” We are closely monitoring the path of the projected storm as we continue to prioritize the safety of our Guests and Cast Members.”
A day prior, on Sunday, Oct. 6, the park seemingly paused hotel reservations for Wednesday and Thursday in anticipation of the hurricane making landfall.
Universal Orlando Resort has a similar warning on its website: “Our park operations and hours are continuing as normal. We are closely monitoring the weather.”
If the parks do temporarily close amid the storm it would only be the 12th time in Disney World’s 53-year history it does so, according to the fan-published Walt Disney World Magazine.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
According to Disney World’s hurricane FAQ page, “If a hurricane warning is issued by the National Hurricane Center for the Orlando area — or for your place of residence — within 7 days of your scheduled arrival date, you may reschedule or cancel your Walt Disney Travel Company Disney Resort hotel packages and most room only reservations (booked directly with Disney) without any cancellation or change fees imposed by Disney.”
Universal has a similar policy stating in part that amid a hurricane or tropical storm “you can contact our team in advance to reschedule or cancel your Universal Parks & Resorts Vacations Package, hotel room only accommodations and Universal Orlando theme park tickets booked directly with Universal Orlando, without any cancellation or change fees imposed.”
Read the full article here
