HHN Age appropriate

[JulieWent]

I will never dispute the fact that there are great parents out there....I am talking about the select few that have no foresight about what the event entails or thinks that it won't bother their children. I know there are MANY pre-teens out there who could probably handle it, but there is a reason why Universal makes this a recommended age of 13+, and I don't think it is a terrible thing for Universal to make it a 13+ only event. In all honesty, why would anyone want to subject their CHILDREN to that? I know when I was a child, my parents certainly didn't allow me to watch anything like that, and the thought of taking me to anything like that before the age of 13 would have been absolutely forbidden. What has happened to our society that they now believe that ALL events should include children? I know I had to wait for many things...to drive, to vote, to drink alcohol, etc. And it certainly didn't kill me to wait...in fact, it made looking forward to many of those exciting. All I'm saying, is there will be always be parents (and not all) who think that their children have to be included, despite what the consequences may be, and I truly believe that this event is not for children and isn't meant to be.

It is not clear to me from your profile whether you are male or female or whether you have children or not, but having a twelve year old boy, I can tell you that I can easily answer your question, "Why would anyone want to subject their CHILDREN to that?" My son has been BEGGING me to let him watch horror flicks since he was eight years old. He can't watch anything that's not PG-13, of course, so we're running out of options. It's going to be a longggg time until he can watch R rated movies. (Something like 90% of all the horror movies out there are rated R.) He's gotten REALLY old for MIckey's Not So Scarey Halloween Party, I can tell you. It's the pits being a tweener. (Ask him or any of his friends.) Boys are different from girls, really.

So, you ask, how could those horrible parents even DREAM of letting their tender 11 and 12 year olds go to a well-run, extraordinarily themed place like Universal Studios to enjoy a PG-13 event? It's a SAFE place to ENJOY horror for older children who GET IT. (Incidentally, we like to go on Sunday nights; we generally arrive at opening, see all the houses, and leave by 10:00 p.m. before we can "get in the way" of adults who seem to resent us.)

Julie

PS: I promise NOT to let him drink, drive, or vote before he is of legal age.

 

[yaytezIOA]

Julie I concur. I even go so far as to let my kid watch R-rated movies.....but after I watch them first. If its just mindless violence and cursing...I see no problem....sex...yeah, I tend to back off of that. Examples before I get flamed...I let him watch the Die Hard movies. I let him watch Pyscho and some other murderous movies. I let him watch parts of nmoes, and the Thing. But he is a relatively sensible kid. If he gets creeped out or too scared he tells me, or just gets up and walks away. We both love film and go over the ways they make the stuff happen in films. He's an A-B student..he sticks up for his sister when she gets in trouble, and always helps when I ask. Sure the side effect is that when someone tries to talk "grown up" around him he pays attention and asks alot of questions which leads to some uncomfortable situations, and he has a sharp tounge...but other than that he's good. Every kid is different, I dont think I'l have this same luxury with my daughter who is now 6.

 

[dramagirlem]

How many would have fake I.d.'s
I remember taking my daughter to MK about 3 days after she turned 3 (I think that's when the price changes). I coached her over and over not to say 3 but 2. When she got to the gate she said I'm 3 when not even asked.

For the I.D thing in most middle schools you have to have a student I.D so you could show that which proves your at least a middle schooler

 

[atigeg]

This is inkkognito, posting under hubby's ID:
I agree that there are young kids who can handle HHN. Heck, I was raised by a woman who didn't believe in babysitters and thus who took me to see stuff like "Night of the Living Dead" at age 3 (she was NOT a candidate for Parent of the Year by any means, but fortunately I became immune rather than being terrorized and grew up to love Halloween and haunted house).

But if Universal puts on an age limit, don't blame them. Blame the brainless minority who insists on dragging their child and then flips out when the kid is scared spitless. They are the ones who will ultimately ruin it for everyone, either by turning this event into a watered-down charade of itself or by getting an age limit.

It might be touching to see a scaractor break character to comfort a kid, but that's not the kind of intense atmosphere I pay for at HHN. There's a place down the street for touching moments. I want the kind of place where the kid in the old commercial used to say, "If I see one more princess, I'm gonna puke!"

 

[DOOM1001]

I also don't agree for an age limit for HHN,there could be kids 8 years old who'll love this event and there could be teens nearing adulthood who couldn't handle it.You simply need to know your kids.One thing at HHN this year that was probably way over the top for any kids under 13 would be the Rocky Horror Tribute show.Nothing really scary but the sexual nature of the show and language isn't exactly for 10 year olds.The show I attended as well as from what I've heard on these boards says people were leaving the show to the point that a full theater would only be 1/2 full by the end of the show.

 

[Cdn Friends of Pooh]

The show I attended as well as from what I've heard on these boards says people were leaving the show to the point that a full theater would only be 1/2 full by the end of the show.

We noticed that too but thought it was just because the show sucked