Haunted Mansion with Kids -- Question

[CaliKT]

Last year, my 3-year-old was really excited to go on Haunted Mansion -- in fact, he was insistent because the "Grim Grinning Ghosts" section of the Disneyland Fun video was his favorite.

Unfortunately, the Stretching Room just completely freaked him out. He has some sensory processing issues, and the screams from all the other guests were just WAY too much for him. He completely freaked out and cried for the rest of the ride as a result, even though I don't think the rest of the ride would have scared him AT ALL... he wasn't phased by anything else at DLR, just that screaming in that small room.

Well, we're going back this year, and he's just insistent about going back on the ride, though I'm pretty sure the stretching room will still set him off. Is there anyway that you can ask a CM to bypass the Stretching Room and move right onto the ride?

 

[abouley]

It'd be great if you could! I really don't know the answer but have wondered it myself. It freaks my kids out too but I don't think they mind the ride itself. We have them bury their heads in our shoulder and we bring glow sticks which helps but you can't really shut out the screams too well. I'm trying to think where handicap access is? Do they go into that room as well. It's an elevator, I think, so they'd have to get you down another way....

 

[bonita_babe232]

i could be just totally dreaming but i think i remember hearing about a last minute chicken out after the elevators.... as i said MAYBE i'm just dreaming but if its true then maybe u would able to enter that way aswell??? i would just ask a cm around the ride!!!

 

[bumbershoot]

Some people have definitely mentioned asking the CM to use the alternate entrance to skip the random-screaming, er, stretching, room.

My guy had the same problem, but he continues to refuse to get into the line, even when he SAYS he wants to go.

I would recommend getting some earplugs for your son, to muffle the screaming of the teens and adults (are they REALLY that afraid? if they are, why go on the ride? if not, WHY scream? it just peeves me every time I go on the thing), and also the soundtrack of the stretching room. I've noticed that quite a lot of the scary things are just b/c of the sounds...DS is exquisitely attuned to soundtracks and how music is used to make you creeped out (future composer perhaps?), and earplugs can help quite a bit.

 

[nunzia]

That is annoying..all the screaming..but I told all the grandkids that people liked to be silly and make noise and that they would sceam and the lights would go out then come on and then there would be the ride. The did OK after that..especially when they found out the ride really isn't scary..just the people in the elevator are.

 

[pixiewings71]

We used to cover DD's ears with our hands when she was younger, now it doesn't bother her. I don't think there is another entrance but you could ask a CM about it. Molly had a good idea about the ear plugs, that might be the way to go for him.

 

[fairycat]

I have heard of some parents telling their kids that people are going to scream and telling their own kid to go ahead and yell something or just yell themselves so they could be part of the fun.

While some people find the yelling annoying, some see it as a tradition. Somethings can't be changed (how others react) so why not prepare your child in a way that will make them more comfortable. You can cover them but some kids get more scared by that, I think yelling BOO! or something or skipping the elevator are probably the best ideas.

 

[LavenderPeach]

But does anyone know for sure if you can skip the elevators? I'm glad OP posted this because I've been wondering the same thing. DS did okay with it last time we tried it but he seems to be getting into a phase of being more afraid of things so I'm thinking now he might be too scared to do the elevator.

 

[Grim_Grinning_Girl]

When I'm with younger kids, especially first timers I always warn them and their parents that the fellow Foolish Mortals will most likely loose it and start screaming in 5,4,3,2,1 - aahhhhhhhhh! Personally I can't stand it and think it's very annoying, I also don't like when people narrate along with the Ghost Host, I want to hear him not them.

I don't think there's a way to avoid the elevators, even handicap guests go down that way - and return that way if they decide to ride their chair or ECV in.

I think the only thing you can do is to warn your child and cover their ears before the lights go out. Basically if you hear everyone in the elevator chant "there's no windows, and no doors" then it's pretty safe to say you'll get several screamers. And if a light would make the child feel a little better, bring along a small flashlight or something fun that flashes.

 

[fairycat]

And if a light would make the child feel a little better, bring along a small flashlight or something fun that flashes.

See honestly I find this to be the worst thing in the world in the elevator. Some of the low light glowsticks are not so bad but some glow things are really blinding in the dark and I know some of them can be bright enough to set off some peoples migranes.

 

[LavenderPeach]

I don't think there's a way to avoid the elevators, even handicap guests go down that way - and return that way if they decide to ride their chair or ECV in.

Yeah, that's what I was thinking too. You have to get down to the lower level somehow. The only way I guess would be if a CM let you ride an unused elevator down without the soundtrack, etc going but I don't suppose that's likely.

 

[pixiewings71]

Please don't bring a small light.....that can set off a massive migraine in those of us who are inclined to have them. We did tell our kids that people would scream and they could scream too if they wanted to, which they did but DDthen6now9 also grabbed my hands and put them over her ears, on subsequent rides I just covered her ears myself because she said it helped. Now she covers her own as she screams as loud as she wants to. Of course sometimes she doesn't scream at all.

 

[teatime]

I never took the chance of taking my little one on this ride, the screams alone freak most kids out. I did not want my babies to take this all in, so no way have I taken them on it, but now at 7 my little one will go on it for the first time. this ride is fun, but I think its to much for there little hearts and brains to deal with all the screams people do and that puts a real fear into the little ones.

 

[disneynerd420]

Having read this thread thoroughly, a flood of memories from childhood comes rushing back to me...


Let me begin by saying that the Haunted Mansion is one of my absolute favorite Disney rides and if I could ride it right now I would. However, this was not always the case.

I speak with the experience of being a man who was traumatized by the HM as a child. In fact I held a fear of the ride until about age 13. I was forced to ride the HM with my mother after I made it fully known that I was petrified. In my opinion, this is something that has to be handled very delicately by a parent. Many parents seem to think that once they get on the ride and see that it is not scary, the child will be fine. I don't agree, while in many regards the HM is not very scary by normal haunted attraction standards, it can be absolutely terrifying to an already frightened child.

The stretching room is indeed intense for a young child. I'm a 23 year old man who still gets a little uncomfortable in there. Mostly due to claustrophobia. I'm not big on being stuck in a room with no windows and no doors with 50 other people. IMHO the stretching room is probably the most terrifying for a small child, due to the screaming, the music and the stretching. Another factor could very well be the not knowing what to expect. Unfortunately, to my knowledge there is no alternative entrance to the lower level other than the two elevators. I also do not believe they would offer a private elevator without the soundtrack. I would imagine that would hold up the line significantly.

My suggestion is the same as most. Find things to remind the child that they are safe. Let them know that you are not scared... do not tease them or make scary noises, this is not appropriate. Remind them that things they see may be scary, but they cannot hurt them. (I'm making it sound like the Overlook Hotel.)

I would say if you can, play the soundtrack for them. I would have liked to have heard that before my first time. I love the soundtrack... In fact I'm one of those who likes to follow along with the Ghost Host. I'm sorry if it annoys you. I have no intention of stopping. For many of us HM fans, it is like going to Rocky Horror... except we do not throw rice and toast.

I scream in the stretching room too, but I like to joke about it. Usually right after that moment when everything goes silent and the lights are still off... I usually pipe up with "I'm afraid of the dark" or "I thought this was the Tiki Room" That is usually good for a few laughs from the general public.

Another suggestion that more and more parents are doing is showing their children Youtube videos of the attractions. This is another thing I wish was available when I was a child. You tube has helped me get on roller coasters. I'm pretty sure it will work with a small child.

The only genuinely scary parts in the ride are in the hallway with the conservatory and the bulging doors and in the attic. In these parts I would consider blocking my child's eyes. Other than that, the majority of the ride is so visually appealing if they already made it through the stretching room, they will be fine.

I really hope that my insight as a traumatized child has helped.

 

[Tink91]

I scream in the stretching room too, but I like to joke about it. Usually right after that moment when everything goes silent and the lights are still off... I usually pipe up with "I'm afraid of the dark" or "I thought this was the Tiki Room" That is usually good for a few laughs from the general public.

 

[Grim_Grinning_Girl]

I don't like when people have those glow necklaces or flashing lights either, but if it will help calm a frightened child then a few seconds shouldn't trigger a migrane - doesn't loud screaming affect migranes ? Definitely not easy on the ears.

I'm not suggesting for the light to be on the entire time, if it's a small non-blinking flash light it can be turned on an off during key points. Screaming is still a little more annoying than a light.

 

[spacemermaid]

The only genuinely scary parts in the ride are in the hallway with the conservatory and the bulging doors and in the attic. In these parts I would consider blocking my child's eyes. Other than that, the majority of the ride is so visually appealing if they already made it through the stretching room, they will be fine.

And the Pop Up Ghosts. I was always way more afraid of those when I was little.

HM is one of my favorite rides now, but as a little kid I was TERRIFIED of it. As in, screamed (in genuine terror) through the elevator ride, was in tears by the time we were in the Corridor of Doors, had somehow managed to curl up into a little ball as close to the floor of the Doombuggy that I could get by the attic scene. Then, when I got the courage to finally peek out...up jumps the Pop Up Ghost.

As a little kid, I found that the whole thing was less terrifying if I laughed at stuff in the ride. (Not exactly "politically correct", but my parents made a game of me looking for & pointing out the "drunk ghost" under the table in the ballroom scene) And I got over my fear of the elevator pretty fast when I discovered that *some* grownups liked to shout things that are only actually funny in a dark, crowded elevator. Such as "Stop touching my butt!" and other stuff that's crude to a grownup but HILARIOUS to a 5 year old...

 

[JenDisneylandlver]

I don't like when people have those glow necklaces or flashing lights either, but if it will help calm a frightened child then a few seconds shouldn't trigger a migrane - doesn't loud screaming affect migranes ? Definitely not easy on the ears.

I'm not suggesting for the light to be on the entire time, if it's a small non-blinking flash light it can be turned on an off during key points. Screaming is still a little more annoying than a light.

Depends on the person. Visual lights can actually have more of an effect on me then sounds. Even on Monsters Inc, I usually will close my eyes at that point where the van comes out and they turn the brights on you! I get migraine with aura (which means I see squiggly stuff for about 15 min.) and weird lighting, even for a few seconds can trigger one. Stinks but true. Frankly I think if this was my only option, I'd probably skip the HM until the child was a bit older. My son was 4 when he first went on it, and LOVED it. Had he reacted badly to the screaming we would have skipped it for a few years.

Frankly I don't like all the screaming people do in there, but I realize that isn't going to change. Would be nice if they provided an alternative entrance. I'd like an alternative exit on Splash, before that big drop too! LOL Dreaming I know!

 

[Czardas]

Oh now I get it, the screaming is tradition............. My DH & I hated this ride due to the bratty teens that screamed their heads off, it totally spoiled the experience for us and we didn't have any desire to go back on it.

We arrive this trip on 09/09 and weren't fazed that it would be closing for the make over & anniversary when we arrive. I have a better opinion of the ride now that I understand this is a tradition but I still think it ruined it for us. By the way the girls screamed the entire way through the ride not just the elevator.

 

[Peri]

I dislike the phoney screaming as well, but if you ride during the day, and enter the line when there appear to be families with young children, less people scream. If you are getting on the doom buggy and there are people who over-screamed (in your opinion) during the elevator ride, then just hold back a little and quickly explain to host.

We took a 3 year old and she LOVED it, but as was intelligently suggested, she heard the soundtrack many times prior to the visit and really wanted to go. During the elevator time, we had her in an adults arms, very softly chatting to her - oh, isn't this fun! How silly, etc.

I understand people like to talk along with the narration, but I can't help thinking that though most visitors are repeaters, there might be noobs on the ride, and they should get a chance to hear Paul Frees' wonderful voice. Still, that is up to you!

I certainly would never ever force a child to ride. That doesn't work too well.