Mom Starts Debate After Photo Captures Her Breastfeeding Baby on Disney Ride: 'We're All Humans'

Meredith Barnyak had a relatable mom moment as she was enjoying a ride at Disney World's Epcot.

The mom of two traveled recently from her hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Orlando, Florida with her family, excited to introduce her two kids — Graham, 3, and Poppy, 1 — to the magic of Disney.

While enjoying one of the rides, Barnyak realized midway through that the attraction's camera had captured an intimate moment between her and her daughter.

"As soon as I saw the flash, I was like, 'Oh no, I think all these people have a picture of [me] breastfeeding my baby on this ride," Barnyak told Today.

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Revealing that her daughter gets a little fussy on the rides, Barnyak explained, "She would pull my shirt and I thought, 'Ok, it's dark out. We're all humans. We're all honestly going to enjoy the ride a lot better and you'll be happier being fed."

"I am a pretty big proponent of any way you can feed your baby you should be able to do it — in any place," she told the outlet, adding that she often nursed Poppy on some of Disney's slower-moving rides.

After the photo of Barnyak made the rounds in her family, her cousin Jo Goddard, who runs a woman's lifestyle site named Cup of Jo, asked if she could post the photo on her company's Instagram. When Barnyak said yes, Goddard captioned the post, "My cousin @meredithbarnyak being an absolute MOM on this Disney ride. 💪💪💪🏆🏆🏆❤️❤️❤️."

Barnyak didn't initially worry about the photo being on social media, telling Today, "I thought it was a great picture and our family was laughing about it. And so I was more than happy for Joanna to post it."

While many commenters resonated with the relatable moment, there were also several commenters who weren't happy with Barnyak's choice.

"Not to be a stick in the mud but this seems...kinda dangerous?? Am I overestimating the thrill level on this ride? The rest of the adults seem to be clinging on pretty tight!" one user wrote.

"Sorry @cupofjo — big fan of you but this is stupid, dangerous and irresponsible. @disney allowed this?" while another added, "Lifetime Orlando resident and year after year people get hurt or killed on theme park rides — usually for being dumb. I have no words."

The negative reaction took Barnyak by surprise, she told Today. "I guess if you look at this picture, it might look like it's an intense ride. But it's a boat ride," she said. "There's no seatbelt. It's a very nice relaxing ride except that there is a drop that you don't see coming because it's dark. And that's [when] that photo was taken."

"If anything, I felt like it was actually more secure because she was in one place versus me having to juggle her moving around," she addded. "I wouldn't have breastfed my child if it was a roller coaster."

Others in the comments expressed their admiration for Barnyak, with one writing, "I nursed my 3 month old on several (height eligible) rides at Disney. This looks like Frozen, and there is a small drop and can be surprising if you're not familiar. This mom looks like a pro in more ways than one 💪🤱."