Is Haunted Mansion too scary for a 6yr old?

[disneyrocks2012]

My daughter is 6 .... i am wondering if haunted mansion will be too scary for her. we are going as a family of 5 her older brothers are 9 and 10

 

[Micca]

Is your DD afraid of the dark/skeletons/an occasional loud noise? It's such a wonderful attraction it would be a shame for her to miss it, but you would know if she's intimidated by such things.

 

[Spunky946]

I just went with my just turned 7 year old and e had never ridden it before, but she wanted to try. She said it gave her the spooks and doesn't want to try it again. We also rode it at night, which may have been a mistake.

 

[nycdisneygal]

My daughter has never been scared on it. She was much younger than 6. Rent the disneyland sing a long. DD loved the grim grinning ghost song--made the haunted mansion seem more fun for her.

 

[kimieko]

I took my 5 yo nephew on it last September. He was excited to try it. Right when the room began to stretch and the spooky voice started he screamed bloody murder! He is not afraid of anything and I felt horrible. We talked him through it and was ok by the time the ride started. I never realized how scary it was until that moment.

 

[robndani]

My daughter loved it last year when she was 4 but her twin brother wouldn't even get in line! its one of my favorite rides in WDW but seeing it through my daughters eyes I'm surprised she loves it so much. When we were there in Feb she wanted to ride it again and again (but still a no for her bro).

I would maybe show her a YouTube video of the ride if you can find one.

Another option is asking to skip the first "holding room" with her. That's what we did the first time and they let us bypass it. I was afraid it would freak her out and she would refuse to go on the ride!

If she's into it, take her. If not, don't force that one!

Have fun!

 

[kimieko]

My daughter loved it last year when she was 4 but her twin brother wouldn't even get in line! its one of my favorite rides in WDW but seeing it through my daughters eyes I'm surprised she loves it so much. When we were there in Feb she wanted to ride it again and again (but still a no for her bro).

I would maybe show her a YouTube video of the ride if you can find one.

Another option is asking to skip the first "holding room" with her. That's what we did the first time and they let us bypass it. I was afraid it would freak her out and she would refuse to go on the ride!

If she's into it, take her. If not, don't force that one!

Have fun!

I wish I knew this was an option!

 

[robndani]

I had no idea if they allowed it, but I asked and they said yes. They were so nice about it. I think when we go in October I'll take her in because she enjoys the ride so much.

 

[Hans Olo]

My 4 and 5 year old rode it. They were a little timid at first but we just told them they were being silly and trying to scare us. They knew it was pretend. Before we went I showed them a video of it on YouTube to prepare them a bit.

 

[CindySwims]

My oldest started riding it at 2 and my youngest as a baby. They are 4 and 7 now and still ask for it every time we go. I think it really depends on the kids. Mine are not frightened by ghosts and monsters. How does your child handle houses decorated as haunted for Halloween?

 

[mom2AidanAndEli]

Only you can really answer this question. There may be some brave 4-year-olds who love it and there may be some timid 10-years-old (or older!) who don't! It's really more the makeup of the child than anything to do with age. Have you ridden it yourself so you can judge? If not, maybe go on with the older kids first and then you can see for yourself and decide from there. You know your own child better than anyone.

 

[midnightlouise]

Agree with PP: it's really going to depend on the child. My youngest DS rode it from ages 2 til about 6 with no problems, but then all of a sudden it was terrifying. He's always been my daredevil so that was surprising to me. But then the next time we went back he was 8, and he was begging to go on it. My oldest DS (who used to be more timid) has been riding it since he was a baby without turning a hair. I agree that skipping the holding room is a good idea if they'll let you do it. I'm claustrophobic and it freaks me out every time. (Of course as an adult, I recognize that those feelings are part of the reason why I like it...)

 

[cdnjason]

Here's a video of the ride, in case you want to check it out beforehand:

 

[White Rose]

I was a scared...terrified rider at 6. My brother rode with me, and even though it was scary for me...I liked it. I did NOT like the witch in Snow White or the devil in mr toads. I was scared crying terrified...now no longer there, but just a frame of reference...my dad rode those two with me and he was constantly asking if I was okay etc....

I liked/was scared of the haunted mansion, both at the same time! My parents rode in the buggy in front of us, and my 12 year old brother and I were alone behind them. I think sitting with my brother made the experience more fun, because he was acting like a cool big brother but he even seemed a little spooked but then would laugh so it made me feel..better...if he was okay I was okay! Now it is my favorite ride with many many fond memories.

This ride seemed more magical at Age 6...ghosts and monsters were real and hiding in the closet....witches lived in the abandoned house in the woods...Santa delivers presents...just remember this experience will most likely seem much more real for a 6 year old.

 

[22Tink]

My DD was 6 when we went on HM in DLR last year and it freaked her out. She's already told me she doesn't want to go on it when we go to WDW this year. I think being able to skip the stretching room might have helped. I wish I knew you could do that!!

 

[Nancyg56]

It's funny because my DGD was a timid child, and loved HM. SHe is almost 14, and still refuses several attractions, but loved being "scared" of this one. I am glad to know that you can skip the stretching room, because that is the one thing I am worried about in August with the 5 and 6 YO children who will be with us.

 

[nat8199]

My daughter loved it last year when she was 4 but her twin brother wouldn't even get in line! its one of my favorite rides in WDW but seeing it through my daughters eyes I'm surprised she loves it so much. When we were there in Feb she wanted to ride it again and again (but still a no for her bro).

I would maybe show her a YouTube video of the ride if you can find one.

Another option is asking to skip the first "holding room" with her. That's what we did the first time and they let us bypass it. I was afraid it would freak her out and she would refuse to go on the ride!

If she's into it, take her. If not, don't force that one!

Have fun!

I didn't know you could skip the stretching room. I am going to ask my twins about that. They are long over their slight fear of the the dark they had a few years ago, but they still might get scared in there.

 

[kathy884]

Children are all so different. My son didn't like it when he was little. This, the Tower or Terror, and the Great Movie ride were a bit much for him at your daughter's age. My nieces and nephews, on the other hand, enjoyed all of these when they were little. // Maybe give your daughter the choice perhaps of whether or not she wants to try it. When DS was little and didn't want to do something we'd skip it and just wait for the others in our party we were touring with. I would wait with him too (It was no big deal for me to skip -- been there, done there, bought the T-shirt on this ride -- It seemed a lot cooler to me in 1971 than it does today in 2015, but I know for many people it's a classic must do. For me, though, it's just not as impressive with all the technological improvements over 40+ years, so no big deal to skip IMHO.)

 

[kwdw]

Recently took my 5.5 yo niece. She liked it. But, we made a point of it being funny and cute - not scary as we waited in line. And we did warn her that a few spots would seem dark, but that it never stayed that way for a long time.

At 3.5 - she didn't like it because it was too dark for her - so she was a bit nervous at 5.5. I think it was a bit creepy for her in places - but not enough for her to freak out or regret going on it.

 

[Figmentmommy]

My oldest started riding it at 2 and my youngest as a baby. They are 4 and 7 now and still ask for it every time we go. I think it really depends on the kids. Mine are not frightened by ghosts and monsters. How does your child handle houses decorated as haunted for Halloween?

My children are like yours and are not easily frightened by this type of thing. They started riding it years ago on their first trip at 2 & 4 years old and it's still a favorite!
OP, I would maybe tell your daughter a little about what to expect when entering the ride so she'll be aware of the darkness and scary sounds. Once you're in the doom buggy you could try pointing out some of the effects as you travel through each room. This may help to lighten up the scariness factor. Have a great trip!