claustrophobia in the room of the haunted mansion attrac.

[cottontail]

Hi: Are there any suggestions on how to get around going into the first room at the haunted mansion ride. It is not the room but the amount of people in the room that does it for me for some reason. Any suggestions on how to just ride the ride part of the attraction. Or do I just skip it.

Deb.

 

[Bob P]

I'm not sure how to answer your question, but if you are going between June 6 and September 12 it will be closed anyway...

 

[mickeysgirl17]

Maybe you could ask a CM. I didn't mind the Haunted mansion in Dec. when crowds were low, but when we went on a busy Saturday in January, I about had a panic attack waiting to board the doombuggies. We were in the middle of a huge disorganized crowd who kept trying to push their way forward and I was extremely nervous. They kept letting people in even though they knew we were already packed in like sardines and it was hot to top that off. I vowed never to do HM on a Saturday afternoon again, so try going in the morning or before closing for smaller crowds.

 

[silverarrowknits]

I am sure if you ask a CM at the HM, you could be escorted to the ride part and avoid the stretching room.

 

[Momelie]

Once I wound up sticking my head in DH's jacket, like an ostrich, so the crush wouldn't bother me. I highly recommend getting a cast member to take you to the doombuggies, instead.

 

[tinkgurl]

I am sure if you ask a CM at the HM, you could be escorted to the ride part and avoid the stretching room.

They've let me do this!

 

[Lives4Disney]

We always skip this room. My daughter is visually impaired & uses a white cane and it makes her very nervous to be in that crowded room and then have everybody pushing and shoving their way to the doom buggies.

Talk to the CM at the entrance...just ask if you can skip the stretching room. You will go in the HC entrance. There you will meet another CM that will give you options. Tell him/her that you'd prefer to be taken directly to the doom buggy exit. You hop on, go straight past the entrance (right after that room) and you're on your way.

You might want to stop at Guest Services and get a GAC (guest assistance pass) incase your claustrophobia might effect you on anything else. We usually do not have to show it, just explain what we need to do. The CMs have always been great - ESPECIALLY at teh HM. Once they gave us our own private stretch! That was the only time in years my DD has been able to enjoy that.

Happy travels,

Lives4Disney

 

[Jestocost]

I can see how that could be a problem if you're very claustrophobic. IMO, however, the section between the stretching room and the Doombuggy boarding area is much worse. Everyone just piles out of the stretching room into that next room, but then has to funnel into the actual boarding line where you can get at most two abreast. We were stuck in this room for close to 30 minutes when the ride broke down and it was miserable. They finally just shut it down for a while and we all got to leave through the side exits, where there was a CM handing out FPs that we promptly used on Splash Mountain.

 

[cottontail]

Hi: Jestocost: You were stuck in the stretching room for 30 min. I would have a major panic attack. Was there a cm in the stretching room as well for 30 min?

I kinda felt panicked in the carousel of progress when the cm running it put everyone in the room, but then stepped outside the room and we were left to tend to ourselves. I felt like I would have liked the cm to stay inside the carousel of progress room in case someone (me) had to leave the room if I felt panicked.

I can take an elevator, but not a CROWDED elevator. It seems to be the enclosed space and a crowd that sets my panic button off.

I think I will talk to guest services about getting some sort of pass.

Thanks,

Deb.

 

[GGOOFY1]

I have to agree, all the pushing and shoving coming out of the stretching room is worse that the room itself. Talk to a CM and see if you can bypass it all and get right on the doom buggy

 

[bradk]

go through the servants entrance and you get to see this!

 

[CanadianGuy]

I kinda felt panicked in the carousel of progress when the cm running it put everyone in the room, but then stepped outside the room and we were left to tend to ourselves. I felt like I would have liked the cm to stay inside the carousel of progress room in case someone (me) had to leave the room if I felt panicked.


Thanks,

Deb.

Just a note on this..

There are multiple seating theatres.. This would mean having a CM on hand for each seating theatre.. Which would be.. Four or five?

The way they have it now.. the same CM welcomes each audience and then steps out to welcome the next audience.

Plus -- I'm pretty much dead sure.. you can get up and walk to the exit anytime the theatre isn't moving.

I'm not 100% on this, but I think if you get up and walk around while the theatre is moving there is an alarm that gets tripped and the whole attraction grinds to a halt for safety reasons.

Knox

 

[poutytink]

I am claustaphobic however, I just try not to think about it in the streching room. I concentrate more on the pictures and listening to the Ghost Host. It seems to help.

 

[jsmla]

I'm a bit claustrophobic and it helps me if I stand near the door where you exit the stretch room to get to the doombuggies. It's located under the girl with the umbrella picture. My logical mind knows I'm just as trapped there as if I were in the center of the room, but it helps with the panic for some reason. There's all levels of claustrophobia though. I'm about middling. I can only comfortably ride in an elevator w/o any strangers in it. I need meds to get on a plane.

Jennifer

 

[mickeysgirl17]

I can see how that could be a problem if you're very claustrophobic. IMO, however, the section between the stretching room and the Doombuggy boarding area is much worse. Everyone just piles out of the stretching room into that next room, but then has to funnel into the actual boarding line where you can get at most two abreast. We were stuck in this room for close to 30 minutes when the ride broke down and it was miserable. They finally just shut it down for a while and we all got to leave through the side exits, where there was a CM handing out FPs that we promptly used on Splash Mountain.

I agree. They limit the number of people in the stretching room, but after that it was worse! We had to wait to board the doombuggies with people pushing and shoving....it was horrible. I wanted to get out of there so bad. We had to wait in that mess for 15 min.

 

[nurse.darcy]

This is an interesting thread to me. I am very claustrophobic and I use kind of the opposite approach. I try to stay as close to the door where we entered and not let anyone get between me and that "entrance" door (which of course does not open when the room is stretched, but psychologically for me this works. Also, I try to be the LAST person out of the stretching room so I can avoid all the pushing and shoving which causes me even more panic. Now this strategy works great at DLC EXCEPT when they are running both stretching rooms. That is when the crowds in the doombuggy loading area start backing up. Ack. . .I can't speak for HM at WDW because I haven't been there yet.