Phantom Manor and toddlers

[alexandra uk]

Has anyone taken they're little ones on the Phantom manor ?
DS will be 20 months when we go, and I'm not sure that he'll understand that ghosts are supposed to be scary.
I've also read that the experience is more fun than frightening.
Are there any really gory parts, or horrible looking creatures that jump out on you ?

 

[rob@rar.org.uk]

The part where you descend into the graveyard could be pretty intense for little ones. There's a big scary dog, the Phantom with his evil laugh and several rotting corpses climbing out of their coffins. I'd ride it yourself first just to check it out.

Regards

Rob

 

[alexandra uk]

I've thought of that, but I'd be too much of a scardy cat to do it on my own. I can't even watch The Twilight Zone without becoming disturbed
DH will have to do it

 

[rob@rar.org.uk]

Having re-read my answer I should say that Phantom Manor is not that scary. There are a couple of places where those of nervous disposition (the young, or the imaginative!) might feel a little tense, but most of the time I find myself enjoying the cleverness of it all. The entrance/streching room always seems to trigger off a few wails, and the scene I described earlier both seem to be the scariest moments.

Regards

Rob

 

[BevS97]

You should be fine - I rode it myself and wasn't at all scared, (and I am a wimp), but my dd won't even walk past it- the building makes strange sounds and it looks scary - I wouldn't take a toddler on it at all - they just believe everything they see and don't understand that it is pretend.

bev

 

[SimonV]

I think the worst thing for youngsters (especially our two!) is in the nature of it being a 'dark' ride, and they are just not sure what expect the first time. They were equally apprehensive with Pirates, Pinocchio and Snow White, but once they got used to it, were happy to go round again (in fact, youngest DS - now 4 - claims it is his favourite ride, and will happily go on 3 times in a row!).

 

[richard3330]

The bit that our DS (4) HATES is the first bit.

They cram in lots of people in to an elevator thing and it then turns pitch black - DW is quite claustrophobic, especially in the dark and we went they certainly crammed everyone in.

Other than that I don't think it is too bad.

 

[Bexx]

I agree with richard3330 - I think the first bit could upset a youngster quite easily. It's dark and crowded and you usually hear some child crying throughout the introduction.

Also I think the graveyard bit could be quite scary particularly, if like happened to us, the ride pauses just as you are right in front of one of the corpses!! If it weren't for these bits I would say go for it. But maybe you should try him on Snow White or Pinocchio first, or even Pirates, which my DD (who was 28 months at the time) just adored and still talks about several months later. But after some thought we didn't take her on Phantom Manor - we just wanted to make sure her memories were happy ones and didn't want to push our luck.

 

[Tinkerbel129]

I really loved the ride and rode it over and over again when I was there. I feel it tells the complete story from beginning to end. As a mother of a now 16 year old son, a little trick we used to do with him when he was little was, when we would go on something that might be a little scary for him, we told him to just scream a little and mommy & daddy would join him. After the first time we rode the Haunted Mansion in WDW he wanted more and would try to scream at just certain things as if he was trying to get the timing right with what ever figure it was. We would always come off the rides laughing because all 3 of us where screaming a little. Most boys tend to like that kind of stuff anyways. Good Luck!

 

[WDWfan uk]

A 20 month old is too young to appreciate that this scary place is to be enjoyed!

It is the first section - the eerie music, being plunged into sudden darkness, the scream plus the acting of the CM ( who in my experience in DLP is infinitely more scary than in Florida) that could certainly scare a little one.

I agree that the doom buggy ride is not scary however.

It is a pity if you cannot experience this wonderful attraction yourself Alexandra but frankly I don't think it's worth risking frightening a very young child.