Is Haunted Mansion too scary for a 6yr old?

[Dizlvr]

It definitely depends on the child. My ds was 4 the first time he went on it and loved it. We rode it probably about 10 times during that whole trip because he kept wanting to go back.

 

[LisaCM614]

My daughter is 6 .... i am wondering if haunted mansion will be too scary for her. we are going as a family of 5 her older brothers are 9 and 10

Others have already said this but it really depends on your child. I have found the best thing to do is to prepare my kids. Yes, you can show them the YouTube videos or you can watch them yourself. A few things to note - it does get totally dark and there are some spooky noises. There are great special effects and true Disney magic but there are so many things to enjoy in the Magic Kingdom, if you are worried then skip it. It will be there for next time!

 

[EmilyS90]

My 5 yr old DD was a little freaked out by the stretching room but otherwise she loved the whole ride. And rode it twice during our trip. She loves scary stuff though. But HM is more silly than scary.

 

[Fizban]

I think it depends on the mindset that you create with your child in the buildup to getting on the ride. If you instill in them that these are funny ghosts and goblins and explain the hidden mickeys in the plates and at the tombstone in the end and make a game to see if they can find them, I think they will be just fine. It's all about mood and attitude.

 

[SmallWorld71]

I was terrified of that ride as a child!
That said, my kids never had a problem with it and it has been a favorite of DD's since she was young.

One thing I've always done with my kids that I think has helped them be brave with rides is I am always truthful with them about what to expect. So often, I hear people trying to cajole their kids onto coasters/ haunted houses etc... by telling them it's not scary. But, scary is a personal opinion and if the child ends up scared they stop trusting what you tell them and then getting them on anything can be tough.
I have had great success telling it like it is: for example before riding the HM for the first time I told my kids exactly what to expect (ghosts, things popping up, rooms 'stretching' etc...) But, I also told them that it is all special effects, nothing would touch them/ hurt them etc... and that if they were scared they could just close their eyes/ block their ears/ hold my hand until the ride was over and assured them that whether they liked it or not that they would be fine. Armed with the facts, they were in a position to decide if they wanted to ride or not and were secure in the knowledge that even if they hated something, they would be okay.

 

[lahobbs4]

Ummm… it still freaks me out and I'm 33. I remember riding it very young (prob around 7) and just rode it again for the first time since.

My 6 year old hated it and my 4 year old loves it. Never can tell! Just take the risk and if she seems freaked out try to make her laugh and show her how it's all fake

 

[Eoywin]

My DD rode the Haunted Mansion when she was 4 almost 5 - but I prepared her a lot before. She wanted to ride because she knows it's my favorite.

I showed her the YouTube ride through video beforehand and I warned her about the stretching room going dark for a minute. We talked about it and right before the stretching room went dark, I put my hands over her eyes. That made her feel safe.

Once we were in the Doombuggies, she was able to sit between me and my DH so she felt safe. She loved it and being prepared helped her not to be scared.

 

[MasterGracey84]

It seems very different answers will be suggested throughout this thread based on each child's personality and susceptibility to being freightened. cdnjason had a great suggestion of having your child watch a video of the attraction beforehand. An additional piece of advice I would add: Portray this attraction to your child as a fun-filled, comedy attraction with happy ghosts and clever effects. In the end, only you can decide what is best. Good luck

 

[DisneyWishes14]

It really depends on your child. I won't even attempt it with DS7.

 

[MrInfinity]

Yeah 6 is perfect. Disney advertises this as for "All Ages". Ours have gone on since they were toddlers. It's not scary it's spooky, eerie, or querky perhaps... But it's not a scare-you type of ride like Indiana Jones or Tower of Terror which are designed to scare you or freak you out.

 

[StirlingSilver83]

The actual ride is not that scary. What freaked my son out when he was that age was the shrinking room. Now we skip that ride just because of the shrinking room. I have heard there is somewhere to bypass the shrinking room but I never want to chance it, lol

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Is wasn't too scary for my 6 year old. Your mileage may vary. Void where prohibited.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Completely depends on the child. The Mansion is funny/spooky but not necessarily scary. Things do not leap out at you. But if your child has issues with the dark, loud noises or with spooky imagery, they might not like it much.

 

[WuvEeyore]

We took our DD for the first time at 2.5, but she's not easily frightened. It was one her favorite rides and she wanted to again and again, and would head straight for the back of the line as soon as we were exiting.

Show her videos on you tube. If she is afraid of the dark, bring a glow stick.

 

[Dan Murphy]

The scariest part for little ones, I think, is the stretching room, especially if you have young teens screaming too. Bypassing that could help for sure.

When my two grandsons went on for the first time, they were 4 and 6. I just told them ahead of time, and throughout the ride that it was just all fake fun. Also letting them know a bit what was going to happen before it did, helped some also. They both love the ride.

 

[Piglet4Ever]

Depends on the child. My 6 yr old niece loved it. We explained ahead of time the kind of things she would see, that is would be dark and all that. She loved the ride and immediately wanted to ride it again so we did. Our 11 yr old nephew had more problems with it, we explained it too him the same way and all that. He rode it once and that was enough for him, lol...

 

[phillymummer]

My daughter first rode it when she was five and was freaked out by the stretching room. She was fine during the rest of the ride, but I could tell she was still scared. I think it was left-over feelings from the stretching room than the ride itself. She rode it again when she was almost 8 and loved it.
I have found it helps to reinforce the idea that the ghosts will not hurt her, no matter what they say or do. I tell her it is not real. Maybe that would help, along with videos of the ride.

 

[Frozen2014]

Every kid is different but my then 5 year old LOVED Haunted Mansion. And actually when she asks about when we can go back to Disney, she'll say 'When can we see Monsters again?" (that's what she calls Hanted Mansion)
The first time we went, I just held her close in the stretching room as it does go dark for a second.

 

[PAcpl]

Haha, the first time I went to the MK I was around 6. I made my parents wait over 2 hours to get into the HM. As I approached the doors I started to cry and said I didn't want to go in. My father looked at my mother and said "After two hours, we're going in! Keep his head in your lap". Have times have changed...haha...

Although after that ride I was scared of everything in the park. I remember crying on Mr Toad's Wild ride when I thought thought the ride was over and uncovered my ears.....yeah, wasn't expecting that horn....

 

[MikeandReneePlus5]

Ummm… it still freaks me out and I'm 33. I remember riding it very young (prob around 7) and just rode it again for the first time since.

haha! yep me too.

Of course I allow myself to feel "spooked", makes it more fun.

Kids are funny...you never know what will happen. A kid could fixate on, say that one door that is bending outwards with the hands pushing it from the inside and be up all night at your bedside. Or they could laugh at it.