Kids and HHN

[Metro West]

Wow. I just cannot believe some parents. It's bad enough to take the kids in the first place but to just leave them alone while ALL the adults went through the house at the same time is sickening. Poor kids.

 

[DeblovesPoohbear]

I went on October 2nd and couldn't believe what I saw. We were waiting in Finnegan's and there was a family in there....looked like mom and dad, an uncle(or older friend) and two little girls about 4 and 6. My one friend kept saying, "They can't be here for HHN with those kids. No way." Sadly, I disagreed and was right.
They left Finnegans ahead of us and we didn't see them again until we exited Creatures(the first house open after Stay and Scream). The two girls were outside the exit sobbing hysterically while mom tried to tell them the people in the house "didn't mean to scare them.....they were just playing." The dad and uncle/friend just kept walking and went to get a beer. Almost everyone walking past verbally expressed sympathy for the two girls but their parents just didn't get it. I didn't see them again until later in the night when the two girls were standing outside of Reflections of Fear-------ALONE! I looked around but didn't see the parents anywhere. Someone in our group went up to them and they said their parents would be right back. We stood off to the side while we waited for one of our friends to use the bathroom so we could also keep an eye on the girls. Sure enough, about 5 minutes later, Mom, Dad and Uncle/Friend came walking out of Reflections of Fear. Before we could even say something they scooped up the girls and headed around the corner. I never did see them again that night but I hope the girls were okay.

If anyone was coming or going from Creatures around 6:30pm on October 2nd you had to have seen them. The one kid was sobbing! Very sad.....

Oh My,that is not good
With all the nuts in the world, they leave their VERY YOUNG children alone
while they go and enjoy the festivities, that ticks me off

 

[keishashadow]

Im thinking there r parents who bring kiddos both out of ignorance/lack of planning & not being able to find childcare in a strange town.

U could offer either of the following & possibly make a profit on the services:

*onsite childcare (perhaps in an empty soundstage...show them movies, crafts, etc. even rent out movie theater & show Spongebob nonstop...whatever).

*if a bit too ambitious, why not hookup with any of the babysitting services in MCO that offer to come to the hotel to watch the kiddos & offer said services on the U site or even a package deal?

ps im familiar w/the babysitting services offered @ HHN not quite what i was envisioning as they r limited as to the # of children they can accommodate

 

[lorax123]

On another note, I think these parents do not do enough research.

They probably think it's the same as any Six Flags Halloween Festivities
which is really for any age
I really don't think they realize how intense HHN is
JMO

I agree with you this is the most likely case!
How many people obsessively plan their trips, like all of us on the boards? Not a whole lot!

Since I've never gone to HHN with children, do they let parents child swap?

Now that we have two rugrats, it would be hard trusting complete strangers in a different town to watch our children. That's why I'd rather leave them home on a HHN trip. But they'd be po'd if we went to Floridacwithput them now that they have been there!

 

[ADP]

I guess I kind of consider HHN a rated R event. The same rules of a rated R movie apply. At least that is how I view it; others may disagree.

 

[the Dark Marauder]

I guess I kind of consider HHN a rated R event. The same rules of a rated R movie apply. At least that is how I view it; others may disagree.

PG 13, pushing R.

 

[4greatboys]

PG 13, pushing R.

 

[andromedaslove]

I think Universal tries to keep it PG13... however some of the guests definately make it closer to the R rating which is why mine won't go until they are at least teenagers. We went with a group of friends on Oct 3rd and one of the guys we were with is a Sailor and definately embodies all stereotypes of Sailors. The language, the attitude, etc... There were many times I just walked away from the group so that I wouldn't be associated with the way he was acting. I think sometimes people forget how other park goers act at this event. There's alot more to it than just the scare zones and haunted houses, it is a VERY adult environment.

 

[keishashadow]

hey, my DH is an ex sailor, yet he cleans up well & has managed to fit into society

not directed to above poster as a flame & not to rain on anybody's parade, yet since when does adult = sloppy drunk/excessive profanity...im just saying

im all for partying hearty , evidently, some peeps feel having a good time = infringing upon other's experience(s); guess that's why they have extra security in place

 

[andromedaslove]

I completely agree. I have known many "Sailors" that didn't feel the need to fit the stereo types as this one does. My DH and I both felt like we were babysitting a bunch of crazy college kids, and we're all almost 30 years old now. It was ridiculous, and the sad part is.... they weren't drinking much at all. Next time we'll pick our more mature friends to go with us, and enjoy ourselves much more. Even though it is an "adult" event, doesn't mean that people have to get sloppy drunk and/or act like jerks. I was drinking Jager Bombs all night and managed not to get even slightly drunk, and was able to compose myself. I just know that not everyone is able to, or wants to do that and it makes it for a VERY not kid friendly place.

 

[inkkognito]

I think Universal tries to keep it PG13...

I dunno about that...just look at Rocky Horror. The cast encourages the audience participation, and much of that is definitely R (lots of F-word, innuendo, etc.). And Jack's show last year, which was right out on a public stage...definitely R.

 

[Steady Riot]

People just need to look at the site and get their information right before they go... it straight up says, This event may be too intense for small children, they dont offer child tickets, i just dont understand why parents would bring such young kids to the event, i know i would have been upset had my parents made me go to it at a very young age, i hated haunted houses when i was little, still kinda do haha, but HHN looks too good to pass up, it looks absolutely amazing but still... they shouldnt even bring them to this, and leaving them alone while they go into a house? unacceptable!

 

[Purseval]

My kids were pretty young the first time they went but they had been to Spooky World in Massachusetts and a few other haunted houses before that so they not only had an idea what to expect they were looking forward to it. My daughter who wasn't the least bit intimidatd by haunted houses about wet herself at Alien Encounters, she was crying by the time she got out. It was unexpected, that seems to be the key.

 

[Timmy Boy]

Well obviously those parents didn't do their research. Maybe they thought it was like Disney's event? I wonder if they went to complain to Guest Services about the event being too scary if they would get their money back... not sure on that one. I'm sure it would depend how long they were there and what all they did.

 

[inkkognito]

I wonder if they went to complain to Guest Services about the event being too scary if they would get their money back... not sure on that one.

Personally I think the appropriate response from Guest Services would be, "You say HHN is too scary for your kids? Thanks for the compliment...that's just how it's supposed to be...now don't let the door hit your rear on the way out."

 

[LEANNE1302]

Last year I was one of those "bad" parents. We were over from the UK for our first halloween visit and had all been looking forward to going to HHN. Unfortunately, my son who was 10, who had wanted to go to HHN, didnt like the house we went into and was understandably scared. We didnt push him to go into the house he wanted to see if he could do it, but after 1 (thankfully) he decided he didnt want to go to anymore. he had a ball at Bill & Ted and watching the Rocky Show and the Jack show despite not getting some of the content contained in it. He did have a bad experience with one of the scareactors though.

In hindsight I wouldnt take any child under 14 maybe 15 to HHN and when we were there, people had babies in prams which was just wrong. I personally think for this event US should bring in an age limit, but that's just my opinion I know every person is different.

 

[Nainolaf]

Us too, we took our DD8 last year but in our defence she is the type of child who enjoys scary things! As a young child my father owned a video store so I was brought up watching all the 'scary' films, Friday 13th/Halloween/Nightmare On Elm st etc so I suppose im a bit 'immune' to them now, my DD is the same, she has 3 elder sisters so has seen most of the horror movies about!! She absolutely LOVED HHN so much, she made us buy tickets for a 2nd night to go again! It ended up my DD and myself doing the houses as my D Fiance was too scared!
We also took her to MNSSHP which she enjoyed but not nearly as much!
I do agree though that no child should be forced through these things! I showed my DD the website before going and told her that anytime she wanted to leave we would go!

 

[hack2112]

If the child wants to go, you are not a bad parent. That's the only reason my parents went in 2004, because I wanted to.

Anyway, when I was at HHN Friday night, there was a little kid not older than five or six years old, who had one of those light stick things, going through Scary Tales right in front of me. He seemed like he was having a good time pointing at the scareactors. He almost stabbed Alice in her scene. He was cute though.

 

[darrellynn]

Thankyou all, I am bringing the grandkids for there 10th birthday 10/28 we are staying at RPR, but we are going to seaworld for oct 31st, You people dont know how helpful you all have been. I do not want the poopoo scared out of them, so we will go to universal in the daytime and do other things at night.... Thankyou

 

[soluc]

We just got back yesterday and didn't go near HHN, No way!! Even the short clip they showed (on TV and video screen outside US) disturbed my 9yr old, in fact even some of the props in US scared him..lol (yes he gets scared easily)

We found lots of other stuff to do after the parks closed; Blue Man Group, Dive in movie etc & had an awesome time!


I'd say, if you are a parent who is even a little bit concerned about the scare factor for your children, then "don't buy tickets for HHN"! Do something else at night!

Blue Man Rocks!!