Scard "***" At Halloween Horror Nights.

[SanFranciscan]

I work as a photographer at Universal Studios, and one of my co-workers told me a sad story on Halloween about a scene that he had witnessed between a mother and a son the night before.

A mother and a boy of eight or nine came into the park for Halloween Horror Nights. The child was scared. The mother's response was "Stop being such a ***. It's not real." HHN is not recommended for children, to the extent that there is no discount for children to attend like there is for children to come in during the day. I wondered whether my co-worker was making this all up, but he sounded so serious and insisted that he was.

What would your response have been if you had witnessed this? I am glad that I was not there because as a worker I would be required to keep my mouth shut while as a human being I would want to say something to that parent.

 

[Metro West]

Unfortunately it happens all the time. I've been going to HHN for eight years now and it never ceases to amaze me how many parents bring kids that are too young to the event. Then the parents get upset when the scareactors do their job and scare them. I feel sorry for the kids who don't belong at the event but the parents should be ashamed of themselves. But...until Universal has an age limit, it's going to happen year in and year out.

 

[Trixieplus2]

That is so sad. I know my four year old would love it but my six year old would be terrified . I would never take them until I knew for sure they could both deal with it without me coercing them or pushing them that sort of thing is supposed to be for fun. why would you want to take a kid that is going to be terrified???

 

[Knowlesk80]

My ten year old wanted to go this year, but we told her no. She gets scared watching a Jason or even Freddy movie, there is no way she could handle HHN. I have only been once & it scared the crap out of me.

If I was there & saw that situation, I would of said something to the mother. Children ages 13 & under should not be allowed in....but that is JMO.

 

[jharrowell]

HHNs scare the crap outta me let alone a kid! I've no idea how a parent could be stupid enough to take their child...

 

[jjjmranch]

My almost ten year old son won't even walk up to a house with spooky effects on Halloween knowing he's going to get candy. We don't even go near haunted houses much less HHN.

 

[aloysiusbarb]

I have only been once & it scared the crap out of me.

 

[C&G'sMama]

It is very sad and maddening. I remember many years ago waiting to get on TofT. There was a Cheerleading Team there with their coach and one of the girls was crying because she didn't want to get on as she was scared. The CM nicely told the woman that they can't let her on if she's scared. The coach told the girl "fine, if you're not going to be part of the team, then you'll sit in your room and do homework tomorrow and not go out with us".

Nice, huh?

 

[NurseAllen]

I myself wouldn't go! I'd be terrified! But, that being said just out of curiosity, on a scale of 1-10, how scary is it? I'm asking for all you brave people that have went. I went into a haunted house ONE time, and the only way they talked me into going was promising me that Freddy Krueger was NOT in there. Needless to say, he was, and I got OUT OF THERE after that!

 

[SanFranciscan]

NurseAllen, I would rate the scare factor at a 5 if you count things that are startling but not truly horrible. I went alone to HHN's a number of times this year and saw a number of things for the first time while alone, and I am an older woman so I am sure that the scare-actors thought, "Oh, my, an old lady by herself. What an easy target." I was fine though. In fact, at a couple of times I was walking through the houses and gawking and applauding them on the terrific theming. I am not sure whether they were flattered or annoyed by my reaction since it was not how they expected people to respond.

 

[NurseAllen]

I'm glad that you enjoyed the theatrics of it! I tend to be more scared of being scared, versus the actual scare. I psych myself into thinking it's worse than it really is I'm still not sure if I'd ever attend, I'm not sure that I'd enjoy it, being scared all the time. I'm much more better suited to MNSSHP! :d

 

[allie7]

In Sept-Oct I work in a haunted theme park. We have about 8 mazes, and 3 scare zones. In my maze, it was a haunted hotel called Dead Inn. Every night, I would see young children walk through crying, while their parents would be laughing and pushing them first. Out of respect to the children, I would take a step back, and let them walk by without doing anything. Our park says in multiple places that it's not recomended for anyone under the age of 13. There has been many children, and strollers that went through our room. My friends and I couldn't even imagine how tramatized those children must be. I would suggest that parents who want to go, should leave their children with a friend - OUTSIDE of the maze, and away from all the terror, or at home. I once saw a little child, less then a year old, dressed up as Winnie the Pooh, I thought it was adorable. He seemed like he could care less about what was going on around him, and ignored everything, but if that child was crying, I would have our security to walk them out. I don't think it's right for kids to be there, if they don't want to be, or don't want to be scared. It's a waste of money, honestly.

 

[NurseAllen]

I'd openly volunteer to be the friend that says outside with the children!

 

[WDWFreak200]

I worked HHN last year as an Operations person and I cannot even begin to tell you how many STROLLERS I saw at the event. This gay boy almost lost it at some of these parents when they yelled at me after I explained children under 3 aren't allowed in ANY of the haunted houses.

 

[Captain Hookup]

NurseAllen, I would rate the scare factor at a 5 if you count things that are startling but not truly horrible. I went alone to HHN's a number of times this year and saw a number of things for the first time while alone, and I am an older woman so I am sure that the scare-actors thought, "Oh, my, an old lady by herself. What an easy target." I was fine though. In fact, at a couple of times I was walking through the houses and gawking and applauding them on the terrific theming. I am not sure whether they were flattered or annoyed by my reaction since it was not how they expected people to respond.

I love being scared! always have since i was little. But like you i'd also be admiring the theming.... in between screams of course! but only a 5? i want a 8 or 9 at least!

 

[NurseAllen]

No, thank you! The Haunted Mansion is frightful enough! No scare zones for me, thanks!

 

[SanFranciscan]

I love being scared! always have since i was little. But like you i'd also be admiring the theming.... in between screams of course! but only a 5? i want a 8 or 9 at least!

Then you might really enjoy Howlo-scream over at Busch Gardens. I have never been to Busch Gardens, but my co-workers who attended both HHN's and Howl-scream were telling me that Bush Gardens required that people sign a release to attend. In the employee cafeteria at Universal Studios, I was eavedropping upon Halloween fans comparing notes about the various Halloween activities in the area, and one of the scare-actors for HHN's told me about the Alone haunted house over at Busch Gardens, which required an extra charge from people wishing to go through the attaction alone. I saw a brochure that said that you could go for a group fee as well, which would limit the number of people inside the house to I think that it was five people, not including those who worked inside of course.