Bypassing the stretching room in HM.

[Aladora]

I totally forgot to post about this in my trip report but since our son is terrified of the stretching room part of HM, we decided to ask if there was any way to skip this part of the attraction. I had heard that VERY rarely it was possible so we asked. Well, surprising enough, they made it happen!

The kicker is that the secret way in that bypasses the stretching room is a CM back entrance, down a very dark hallway and I think our son was even more terrified of that route than he would have been with the stretching room! It was really loud and so dark that I had to run my hand along the wall to make sure where I was going!

So, yes, sometimes the CM can take a small group in and bypass the stretching room but you might not want them to!

 

[SueM in MN]

You may not know exactly where you were, but thought I would ask because it may be helpful to someone else.

Where did you enter the building?
Where did you board the doombuggies?

The stretching room used to not be wheelchair accessible, so guests with mobility devices skipped the stretching room and boarded at the exit. When that was the case, it was fairly easy for people who wanted/needed to skip the stretching room to do so because that access was staffed.

During one of the recent renovations, the stretching room was made accessible, which meant the 'path' that goes between the stretching room and where guests with wheelchairs board is staffed, but the 'old' way in is not. So, if they have enough staffing, they may be able to work it out.

You are one of the first people since the change to post about bypassing the stretching room. I'm glad they were able to make the accommodation hoe you, but sorry to hear it was dark and loud. It would be nice if they made another more 'sensory friendly' way to get in. People with vision impairments have also had issues at that attraction because of trying to negotiate their way in with the darkness.

 

[zela02]

We did the same thing. You cross the stretching room, and exit through the doors on the other side, then down another hallway. You actually board where others are exiting the buggies.

 

[SueM in MN]

We did the same thing. You cross the stretching room, and exit through the doors on the other side, then down another hallway. You actually board where others are exiting the buggies.

thanks
That is the way guests with wheelchairs go after seeing the stretching room part.
They need to board at the exit so their mobility device will be there both for them to get on and get off.

I have heard of people bypassing the stretching room by a path out of the first room when you come into the building (the portrait room). Those people apparently never entered the stretching room and take a back way into the regular boarding area.

 

[stitchlovestink]

When on my ECV, I have always skipped the stretching room. ALWAYS. What I do find interesting about the OP's post is the comment about the noise level. The hallway I enter takes you to the exit and has always been quite quiet. There is another hallway off of that hallway that takes you back to the main boarding area I believe. I wonder if that is the way they went and that is what was so loud?? Not sure, but I found that part of their post interesting because of the 20+ times I have been in that hallway, it has always been super quiet. (Not saying OP didn't have problems with noise....just thought it was odd)

 

[Aladora]

We did the same thing. You cross the stretching room, and exit through the doors on the other side, then down another hallway. You actually board where others are exiting the buggies.

This was not the way we were taken.

If you know where they do the meet & greet for Jack Skellington, then guy will know where I am talking about. I think I might have a photo of my son and Jack when we met him last year, if I do, I'll post it shortly.

If you are facing the entrance to HM, we were taken around the left side of the house and through a gate. We were brought through a side entrance and we came out just after the stretching room exits. The door we came out was right before the convex/concave portraits before your get to the doom buggies.

Not sure if that made any sense at all!

 

[Aladora]

This should show the gate we went through without showing my son's face! Once we were taken through the gate, we took the path on the right.

 

[SMD]

We did the same thing. You cross the stretching room, and exit through the doors on the other side, then down another hallway. You actually board where others are exiting the buggies.

I've seen them loading wheelchairs in the same place as the other guests. We walked to the right and went on the moving walkway the regular way, and the wheelchairs went to the left and waited for the walkway to stop. This was at DL during HMH 2012.

 

[SueM in MN]

One thing I forgot until I saw your picture is your trip report was from DISNEYLAND.

It's different at WDW, which was what I described (and I think the other posters too).

At Disneyland, the Stretching Room is actually a functional part of the attraction. It is an elevator that takes guests below the railroad to get to the actual attraction on the other side of the railroad.
That is probably why the OP found the bypass to be noisy.

The Haunted Mansion at WDW has entry, boarding and exit on one level. Many people don't know that though and assume the Stretching Room at WDW is also an elevator, but at WDW, it's just part of the show.
Since the back hallway just bypasses part of the attraction building, there is not much noise.

 

[smidgy]

allrighty then!! at WDW, what would someone with very low vision. do? hubby Nebo would like to try to see as much as he can inthe portrait room and the stretching room.

after that, the "cattle call : is always great fun in the dark with someone with low vision. and hoping he can "hop" on to the doom buggy

so we can go from the stretching room to another entrance where he doesn't have to "leap on" to a moving doom buggy? I always thought , to do that, he had to skip the stretching room.. (sorry, but he wants to try to see as much as he can... while he still can.)

 

[stitchlovestink]

One thing I forgot until I saw your picture is your trip report was from DISNEYLAND.

It's different at WDW, which was what I described (and I think the other posters too).

At Disneyland, the Stretching Room is actually a functional part of the attraction. It is an elevator that takes guests below the railroad to get to the actual attraction on the other side of the railroad.
That is probably why the OP found the bypass to be noisy.

The Haunted Mansion at WDW has entry, boarding and exit on one level. Many people don't know that though and assume the Stretching Room at WDW is also an elevator, but at WDW, it's just part of the show.
Since the back hallway just bypasses part of the attraction building, there is not much noise.

Ooohhh! I didn't see DL mentioned anywhere in the post so I just assumed we were talking about WDW. That would make sense why I didn't recognize the picture of the gate she showed.
For me it is the opposite, I knew the attraction at WDW was all one level long before I found out that the DL version had an elevator.

 

[ttintagel]

so we can go from the stretching room to another entrance where he doesn't have to "leap on" to a moving doom buggy? I always thought , to do that, he had to skip the stretching room.. (sorry, but he wants to try to see as much as he can... while he still can.)

After the stretching room sequence in WDW, guests in wheelchairs and ECV's are then sent through another dangerously pitch-black hallway to the outdoor exit by the crypts, and then come in that way to board the Doombuggies.

After being categorically denied any other accommodation as a visually impaired person at the HM, I've asked to AT LEAST be able to do that much, and have always been refused even that, in no uncertain terms.

We need to do some sort of Low Vision Dis-ers' Meetup at the WDW HM so I can learn all you guys' techniques for getting the CM's to accommodate your needs. Should our T-shirts show Donald using an ID cane?

 

[2tinkerbell]

OP - my DD doesn't like the stretch room at all. In the past, we have been directed to the exit, which I believe was the wheelchair entrance. This last January, with the DAS, my DD asked the first CM about missing the stretch room. She did a great job of describing her need. The CM was very nice and told her to check with another CM at the head of the FP line. My DD asked that CM, using the same language. DD was told that they were short handed that day (actually the HM wasn't scheduled to be open until the next day from taking off the overlay) and there wasn't a CM to take her to bypass the stretch room. I was so proud of DD and what she did next. She turned to me and asked if I would hold onto her around her shoulders, warn her about the thunder and when they were going to turn off the lights, and help her walk out (low vision in dark and slow visual adjusting). Of course I was happy to comply. My DD went through the stretch room! She put her hands over her ears when the thunder started but most of the time she was grabbing both my arms that were wrapped around her.

Bottom line: I think that you can only skip the stretch room if there is available staff. But from your discription, I don't think we want to ask to skip it in the future. I will have DD read your experience. Thanks for sharing!

Yes, I am talking about DISNEYLAND, too!