How scary is Haunted Mansion for a DD8?

[jasper]

My DD8 is unsure about going in the Haunted Mansion because she is afraid that things will jump or pop out at her. I have told her that it would be fun, if she would only give it a try, but would never force her to go on. She has gone on upside-down rides and all, but is nervous about dark rides. How can I reassure her that it is all Disney fun and magic?

 

[mmeb144]

Good luck! I'm still trying to convince my DD, 10, to go. We've actually gotten her on the ride, but she still hasn't seen it. She covered her eyes the whole time.

She has seen the movie. She is talking about trying it this next trip.

Marie

 

[ellyn2000]

I just don't think it's that scary. My kids loved it at very early ages. Every child is different, though. Maybe if you did an attraction like Spaceship Earth @Epcot you could explain how it all looks very real but you can tell that it's not. Then maybe HH won't seem so "real". I hope it works out for you.

 

[N&B'smom]

We just went in September with my children. My ds who is 5 went on it and the first time he covered his eyes and refused to watch. Things DO pop up but nothing jumps out at you. I have to say I felt it was scarier than I remember it being. I hadn't been in quite some time. My ds did go on the ride again only if he got to ride with me (the first time he was with my husband). After that second time of me basically explaining to him what everything REALLY was and how it all worked, he was fine. My son doesn't like anything having to do with ghosts or skeletons or anything like that so it was no real shock he wasn't thrilled at first. Anyway, just let your kids decide if they want to go, I'm sure they'll be fine! Just snuggle them up!

Shelby

9/22-9/29/04 VWL
9/19-09/26/97 Dixie Landings (POR)

 

[DisneyMom5]

I think the problem with this ride is that it is way too LOUD! My kids are more scared from the volume than the decor. Sigh. They were terrified on the Pirates and the Great Movie Ride for the same reason.

 

[Kae]

Originally posted by DisneyMom5
I think the problem with this ride is that it is way too LOUD! My kids are more scared from the volume than the decor. Sigh. They were terrified on the Pirates and the Great Movie Ride for the same reason.

I think POC is the loudest of all the rides. we use earplugs for the kids.

Kae

 

[remyandhollandsmommy]

I went this summer with Remy(6) and Holly(8/9mos at the time). They both loved all the rides, expecially POC and Haunted Mansion. Remy only hated Dinosaur because her papa (my dad)told her the dinosaurs were real! Bad, papa, BAD!!

 

[rileyroosmom]

I went in May with my ds7 who isn't afraid of too much. During the stretching room he got really upset and I had to pick him up (not easy to do). He was crying and begging to leave, which we did. I think the teenagers screaming and the CM who walked around the room shouting at people to get off the wall and then he banged on them (the walls) as he went around is what scared him the most. I had to stop the CM to ask how to get out, he told me but also said we had to wait for the "presentation" to be over. Thought ds would die. We are returning in November and he has no intentions of trying again!! Guess you never know with kids until you try. I will say I saw MANY parents dragging screaming kids into the doom buggies. I felt so bad for the kids. I know many will say the child is fine once the ride is started (I agree because I have taken oldest dd crying onto rides) but this attraction is a Haunted House and what is scarier than that? JMO

 

[jasper]

My DD8 sat here with me and we typed this new thread up together. I think when she reads all these replies after school tomorrow, she might still be afraid. Very afraid.

 

[iceskatejen]

My 8yo neice rode the DL version this past June with me and other than jumping when one of the things in the attic jumped up and said "I do", she was fine. She does prefer the holiday version we have at DL, though. My 5yo nephew will do the holiday version, but isn't quite ready to try the regular version.

 

[turnlisa]

It's funny that so many kids are afraid of this ride. My two DSs (ages 7 and 3) love it! My oldest has been riding it since he was 2 and loves to go every year. I will say that I have also seen many parents clutching youngsters in the stretching room. I think with my kids what helped was telling them that we were going in this room, the lights would go out, and then we would do a ride. Since they knew what to expect they weren't afraid. My oldest DS loves to look up when the lights go out to see the guy being hung from the ceiling -- funny how I always missed that as a kid!

 

[AmyM]

Oh Jasper,

I hope your DD8 reads this. My DD now 11 and DS now 9 first went on this ride in 1999 at 6 and 4. My DS is quite daring and will try anything. He loved the ride. My DD is a tentative as they come. She hates loud noise and is intimidated by many rides at Disney because they are soooo loud. She will absolutely not go on the TOT again and I certainly will not ever to make her until she is ready.

We usually highly encourage our kids to try a ride before liking or disliking it. On the Haunted Mansion we talk in great length about the fake graveyard at the beginning and then the stretching room. I will say that my DD(almost 12), will still close her eyes in the stretching room to go on what she feels is one of THE BEST RIDES, DEFINITELY DO NOT MISS, at Disney.

All kids are different. Even though my DD is very tentative on rides she loves the 'show' once on the buggies. Our family makes a contest out of who can make the best witch cackle during the ride.

Jasper's DD8, my advice to you is try it. The stretching room is a little wierd. If you are uncomfortable close your eyes. It is VERY short and you are then on to the air-conditioned buggies and the fun.

 

[kerry34]

My kids both loved the ride from young ages. If she is nervous about dark rides and decides she wants to try it out, maybe taking along a small flashlight or a toy that lights up would help her feel a little better. I have heard that this can help ease the apprehension. Good Luck.

 

[tygerlilli]

its such an awesome ride. as a kid, when i saw pictures of it from Disneyland, i knew i HAD to go through that house! of course, by the time i finally got to go to DisneyWorld for the first time, i was a young adult.

i can see a small child being nervous about going through, but they'll have so much fun when they do. maybe you could show some pictures of the inside of the attraction and show your daughter that its really not scary. also, prepare her for the stretch room (frankly, the body hanging at the top of the stretch room is the scariest thing, in my opinion). i'd think that once she was on the Doom Buggy, she'd have a good time

 

[ncbyrne]

I don't like this ride and I'm a grandma! I'll be there with my 2 DGDs (7 + 10) next week, and we'll be skipping this one!

 

[2Disneybuggs]

Ok Confession time. The stretching room freaks me out. The first time we rode I hung onto to DH's arm along with DS. This trip I was calmer. My DS who is 6 didn't really want to ride the HM. There was no wait so we just walked in while explaining to him it is all fake. Walking to the doom buggies me and the lady behind us told DS how it's just Disney fun etc. Me DH DS and 2 yo DD sat in one doom buggy. DD just covered her eyes like she does when characters are near. DS was totally fine. HE loved the POC ride too. I thnk it's more the idea of a haunted house that gets them scared.

 

[goofydad621]

The first time I took my oldest DD she was 8 (17 now) and she LOVED IT. I told her before we got on that it may look real but it was just Disney magic, and after tht she laughed at most of the stuff. I think that it helped that she was raised watching the Disney tour video's from a very young age so with her it was almost a game trying to find the things we always pointed out during the video's.

Dave

 

[Ducky4Disney]

Find the theme song to the HM ride and have her listen to that. Really listen to the lyrics, and maybe she'll realize it's all in fun - not in fright.

"Grim grinning ghosts com out to socialize" - socializing is not scary.

"Now don't close your eyes or try to hide. Or a SILLY spook may sit by your side" - Silly - again, not scary.

"They PRETEND to terrorize" - we're talking PRETEND.

These spooks really aren't trying to scare you, they just want to socalize!

Try that - and let me know if you need a copy of the song.

HM is my favorite ride - I really hope she rides it!

D4D

 

[NMAmy]

Originally posted by rileyroosmom
I went in May with my ds7 who isn't afraid of too much. During the stretching room he got really upset and I had to pick him up (not easy to do). He was crying and begging to leave, which we did. I think the teenagers screaming

When I first took DD, I explained everything that would happen so she was ok with going in (she was about 5.) Little did I know that when the lights went out, three teenage girls standing right behind us would scream at the top of their lungs. They scared her to death. She practically climbed right up me. Now that she's a teenager herself, she's told me she would never scream during this part and scare the little kids.

BTW--the only other thing that freaked her out (and still does a little!) is the hitchhiking ghost. Because she was sitting in the middle seat of the Doom Buggy and when you go past the mirror, the ghost appeared to be on her lap.

 

[DisneyAddict_M]

Every child is different. I hate things jumping out at me (I kept my eyes closed through the entire Alien scene on The Great Movie Ride), but Haunted Mansion is my FAVORITE ride and always has been. I never had a problem with it.

My sister, on the other hand, wouldn't even venture onto the ride until she was 17...just because of the way it looked on the outside (too spooky, I guess).