Haunted Mansion for Kids

[Claire&TheBoys]

My kids started riding as toddlers and were never scared. We never said a lot about it, never dwelled on it. We said, "it's a fun ride where Mickey tries to scare you, but it's all Mickey Magic. None of it is real." My youngest came off at 2 saying, "let's do it again!"

 

[ajwolfe]

My boys have been riding since they were 2.5 and 18 months. Now at 10 and 6 they both still love it. We always remind them it gets dark in the streching room and we would hold the youngest just to ensure we did lose him in the shuffle during the dark.

 

[Comeundone87]

DD was 3.5 the first time she rode it. We called it the "happy Mansion" as we were standing in line. When we got off she informed us that it wasn't very happy. She was 5 before we told her that it really was called the Haunted Mansion and she went on it again and is now one of her favorite rides. To be honest at 3.5 she was scared of all the rides that were dark. She was freaking out on IaSW more so than Haunted Mansion. Last year @ 6 she was still saying she didn't want to do a ride if it was dark but we wouldn't let her back down on every one and she loved every minute.

 

[SweetMissy]

My kids like it and my 10 year old is scared of a lot, lol. But he does like it. It's not too bad....a little creepy here and there but cool.

 

[Meech Loves Mickey]

My boys have been riding HM every year since we started taking them to WDW. My older DS first time at 7 months and my younger DS at 6 months.

They are now 5 and 3 and LOVE this ride. They usually request to go on it multiple times.

We never made a big deal about it, never said anything about it being dark or scary, we just took them on it. Neither of them has ever said they were scared.

We do always hold them in the stretching room, but that is only so they don't get lost.

 

[sunkissed4]

It depends on the kids. My oldest has been going since he was 15 months and it's one of his favorites.

My youngest is now 2 and he had only been on it as an infant a few times, but he did it this past weekend and didn't get scared at all. He fell asleep on me during the ride!

I think those ages would do fine. The scariest part for kids is in the stretching room so I always hold my son's hand and tell him what is about to happen.

 

[ErinTwinmom]

So I took my twins to disney land last year when they were almost three, they are both autistic so a little different, but they loved the ride. However they did not love the stretch room when the lights go out and everyone screams. If your kids are fond of music you might try Disney land sing along songs, it does not have images of the ride but it has a villains number that uses the grim grinning ghost song and I think knowing the song really helped them.

 

[redhotariel]

The scariest part is the stretching room. The creepy voice the stretching pictures, the hanging, etc. If your kids can make it through the stretching room the rest is cake. If they are just a little scared of the stretching room then re-assure them that it is the scariest part. Honestly, even at 16 when I walk into the stretching room I get butterflies, but then again the ride is so worth it. If they've seen the movie and really like it, they will be fine. And if not, it's a learning experience. Have them bury their head in your lap, and don't make them do it again!

 

[tazadd0420]

DD's have both been riding since 5. Once got through stretch room first time loved it. I really built up how fun. I think kids see our apprehension. If we are okay then many times they will too. We also had fun with the screaming. I think that is what they got into. Lol! I think you all will be fine.

 

[DisneyPope14]

I agree with a previous poster, show them on YouTube! Single greatest technique for prepping a child that might be scared of getting on.

 

[bumbershoot]

My son has never liked it apart from at Disneyland when it has the Nightmare Before Christmas overlay.

The reason? Grown adults screaming as though there's something terrifying. Yes, kids pick up on the things around them. One adult telling them that it's ok vs 50 other adults screaming their heads off? Not every kid will put their faith in the one person.

On coasters, when its actually somewhat scary, he's good with screaming. But he won't be part of the entire problem with the ride by screaming in the stretching room. It's not scary. The people screaming are scary.

Kid is 9 and instill have to bribe him and remember the earplugs. Makes it not run for me, too! I think we'll just skip it in the future unless we are at Disneyland in the fall.

 

[loveyb72]

On our last trip my youngest DD was 3. She was a little scared but went on it several times. When the room stretches, I always had her close her eyes when the lights went out. We talked about it ahead of time and she always asked when she should close them. Then on the ride she had a battery powered glow stick that she turned on so it wouldn't be too scared. Each child is different and only you know your own kids.

 

[epsmith921]

I told my 2.5 year old daughter that the howling outside was just dogs saying hi to us! Then I had her out her head on my shoulder in the stretching room. As for the ride itself, she thought it was pretty fun but didn't want to go in it again or anything. But my husband had to get one ride in. We just kept pointing out things she would like such as nice doggies!

 

[GMS]

We pretty much prepared our young ones for it from talking about the 'silly' ghosts and you tube videos with lots of laughing and silliness comments and they were fine...it's my daughter's (9) fav attraction.

 

[Eoywin]

DD is 5 and my DH was sure the Haunted Mansion would scare her. But she wanted to ride on it, partly because she knows it's my favorite ride.

She loved the interactive queue and I did pick her up in the stretching room since that is really the scariest part.

She loved it and told DH with great glee that she wasn't scared at all.

 

[PlutosMommy]

We took our 3 yr old on it a couple of weeks ago. He kept asking to go on "a scary ride". I thought he was going to be scared by the stretching room, but by the time he started to look a little frightened, it was over. He really didn't know to be scared of the rest of the ride; your kids are older so it may be a different experience. He actually ended up really liking it and asked to go again.

Now the Bug's Life Show, that was a whole different experience...

 

[MScott1851]

Rode it fine with my daughter at age 1, 2, 3, 4... but had to use the chicken exit when she was 5. She didn't want to go anywhere near the graveyard scene with the skeletons that pop up. All kids are different, and they change their minds...

I see this happening to us this fall. Dd has ridden HM a million times and seemed ok, but twice in the last two weeks she said that she has had bad dreams about the graveyard heads popping up. We went in December! I wonder why now?