haunted mansion

valleyboy

Earning My Ears
Joined
May 17, 2005
Messages
4
I was wondering if haunted mansion is ok for taking my 5 year old on .Hes not too fussy on dark rides though enjoys pirates and buzz.We have avoided it the past couple of years but thought he might be old enough now
 
IMO if he doesnt have a problem with POC then he will be fine in the mansion. When my children were younger, I considered them somewhat timid and they enjoyed the mansion at age 4.
 
I went on HM with my 8 year old DD and 4.5 year old DS (he turns 5 next week). They both really loved it! He's pretty fearless, but then aren't we all at that age. He also loved Missions Space and Test Track... but we had to draw the line at Tower of Terror... which he REALLY wanted to ride.
 
We were fine with our sons, 4 and 2 (well, almost 5 and almost 3). They're both pretty fearless when it comes to parks and rides ... (DS was high ticked when he came up 1 1/2 inches short to see Stitch's Great Escape). Both were fine on the ride, but we made sure we talked them through some of the "spooky" parts. Just kept telling them to look at the "funny ghosts", and they had fun .... loved the hitch-hiking ghosts.
 

We had talked to my daughter who had just turned 3 about this ride and told her that they were pretend ghosts.We asked her if she wanted to do it and said we would be with her and if she got scared to close her eyes and they would go away. Needless to say this turned out to be her favorite ride and she still talks about a year later and says she wants to go back on it. I tell her I am scared and she tells me don"t worry mommy I will be with you.We also showed her some of it from the planning video.
 
We took almost 4 yr old and 18 month old on it in Feb. and at first they were a little weirded out but by the end of the ride 18 month old DD was asleep and 4 yrd old DD LOVED IT! While DH saved spots for Spectro/Wishes we had time for one more ride and she chose HM over Dumbo and the rest of Fantasyland!!! She said it's now her favorite!!
 
Our son has been on it many times - starting when he was 2. We told him that the ghosts were funny and he went with that. Wasn't really old enough to understand why it could be scary other than the dark. Since then he has really grown to enjoy it. Last week he insisted on riding it (he's 3 1/2 now) and was actually put out by the hitchhikers - thought they were rude since it was "our car". Loved everything else.

One thing...when we took him on it the first time, I was positive I had scarred his little psyche for life. He stared, motionless and took it all in. I was panicked since he wouldn't look at me or respond to me when I talked to him...just took it all in, wide eyed. Then when we got off, he started talking non stop and wanted to ride it again. WHEW! Since then, I've realized that's just how he enjoys that ride...just absorbing it all.
 
The first 30 seconds are definately the "scariest". That's the part that's just scenery before you get to the funny part.

My advice is to present it as a funny ride (laughing at the organ that plays itself instead of being scared, etc.) That way you'll sort of preface the ride as humorous and not scary, which is definately it's intention.

But if your child is afraid of the dark there's a chance they won't like it.
 
We've taken our 3 boys at various ages: 11 months, 14 months, 17 months, 3 yrs and 5 yrs. They have always been fine with it. They do sometimes close their eyes at the part where the ghosts pop up from behind the gravestones, but that's it. :)
 
I was 3 when I went on the haunted mansion for the first time, My mom let me watch scary movies though, and to this day she enjoys telling me how I would always say to her "dont be scared mommy its just make belive":), I loved the haunted mansion.
 
My nephew (4) loves HM, he calls it a ghost birthday party. His first ride he was a little apprehensive but I think it was partially due to some loud, obnoxious teens in a doombuggy nearby. They were screaming at everything, so high-pitched I was surprised when we exited to see they were actually boys and not girls.
 


New Posts





Receive up to $1,000 in Onboard Credit and a Gift Basket!
That’s right — when you book your Disney Cruise with Dreams Unlimited Travel, you’ll receive incredible shipboard credits to spend during your vacation!
CLICK HERE






DIS Facebook DIS youtube DIS Instagram DIS Pinterest DIS Tiktok DIS Twitter DIS Bluesky

Back
Top Bottom