Scary Haunted Mansion Question

[zzammmi]

Can someone tell me in great detail what happens in the Haunted Mansion so I can prepare my son (almost 5) for what to expect? Please add any tips you have on encouraging him to see it as funny-spooky-pretend but not scary. He's afraid of the dark but will have a mini flashlight and Mama on hand. Any good websites with pictures, etc. to show him first? Thanks.

 

[runner26.2]

A detailed description I can't provide. However, we recently went with our 9,6,3 year olds. Our 9 & 6 year olds thought it was silly and weren't scared our 3 year sat very close to me and though was "concerned" he didn't scream or cry but was too young to appreciate the humour.

You initially enter into a room in which the lights go out and it is pitch black for 5-10 seconds. The room then begins to stretch with the ceiling either going up or the floor going down depending how you perceive it.

You then enter the actual ride area where you sit in your "doom buggy" and go on a tour of the mansion where you see a variety of ghosts and goblins. No one jumping out and screaming at you, nothing squirting on you etc. Just ghosts, goblins & noises doing normal every day things in the Haunted Mansion, including dancing in the dining room.

If your 5 year old is tentative, scares easily you may want to wait a year but you know your child best. Our kids hated Tough to be a Bug -- it freaked them out, but Haunted Mansion was no problem for them.

 

[TAKitty]

Our two boys were scared during the haunted mansion and they were 8 and 5. I wish I had not taken them on the ride. They spent a lot of time with their eyes shut. I now feel it was a mean thing to do to them.

 

[Hoosier Mom]

I haven't been there for quite awhile but as I recall, after waiting in line, you are herded into a small room and a cast member says a few words. It seems like the lights go out and the room moves (like an elevator). Then after that a door opened, or maybe a whole wall opened, can't remember. But then we got into individual cars for viewing the ghosts. Have him watch for the dancing ghosts as you look down in the dining hall. That's pretty neat. Then I think before the ride ends, there's an image of a ghost cast in your car. Last time I rode this was in 1991, but I recall riding it when we went in 1971 (I was 6) I don't remember being scared. I only remember the dancing ghosts.

 

[smfnj]

Can someone tell me in great detail what happens in the Haunted Mansion so I can prepare my son (almost 5) for what to expect?

It could be pretty intense for an almost 5 y.o.
There is a LOT of detail, take the virtual tour here:
http://www.grimghosts.com/wdw/

steve

 

[OrlandoMike]

In Florida the ceiling goes up, in California the floor goes down.

It's really not that scary, more humorous. Go to the site posted above to get an idea.

 

[disneymama73]

My DD6 is very afraid of this ride. She doesn't like the graveyard scene where the heads pop up and there are loud screams. I don't remember that happening when I was a kid or I know I would have been afraid. I was (and am) a big chicken.

DD4 loves the HM! She is not afraid of any of it. Actually, DD6 used to love it, too, until she was about 5.

 

[MrsTink04]

Goodness...that link makes it seem a lot scarier than it actually is. I still don't know how a 5 year old would handle it, but there is SO much detail in the Haunted Mansion, you would have to ride it MANY times to find it all. Many of the scariest things in that link, I have never even seen. Why don't you ride it first without him and see what you think? You know your child best...riding it yourself will probably better answer your question.

 

[keishashadow]

Think the best (or worst - depending on your point of view) part of the HM.

In the stretching room, at the end - look up & see a very realistic body dangling from a noose enough to give any small child the willies. I suggest you distract him or sort of block his view by situating him near the wall with you standing & blocking his sight line of the ceiling.

Other than that...if he isn't timid & has a sense of humor, isn't afraid of the dark or scary sounds; he should be okay.

If he starts to get anxious you could always make a game of covering his eyes & playing peek-a-boo with the scaries (always worked for us). I know they discourage flash photos, but the small flashlight trick (where he shines it @ the scary image) might also work here. Good Luck.

 

[Maverick]

Sometimes you have to make a decision based on how you think your children will react. We talked about several of the dark rides for a couple of weeks before the trip and my kids did great.

If you prepare them by talking about the ride being *FUN* before they ride, it should be fun to them. If you prepare them by talking about the ride being scary, chances are they will be scared.

Just my $.02!

Mav

 

[psiprez]

Well...the Stretching Room alone did my kids in. They were 3 and 5. I had planned to distract them for the hanging body part, but they were over the edge before the stretching even took place. We took the chicken exit out, which is AFTER the Stretching Room.

We are going to try it again next trip. As far as they know, the premise of the ride is that "instead of the ghosts watching us in our home, we are watching them in their home", so nothing bad will happening. It's all "Mickey Mouse Magic".

 

[bjkj]

We just got back with my DS6 and DD9. My kids rode on every "intense" ride that Disney has to offer. I couldn't wait for them to see the Haunted Mansion as it was my very favorite when I was their age. We were all excited and prepared them for the "fun/scary" and make believe.

Well, they were freaked out. They hated it and said never again even though we tried to be positive about the experience and talk about the cool things we saw. It was the things popping up from behind the gravestones that really got them. I really do not remember that at all from when I was a kid.

Anyhow, although they are pretty fearless about everything else, they did not handle it well. When people ask them about the trip, they said they loved everything (space mountain, rockin roller coaster, splash mountain) but did not like the Haunted Mansion and It's Tough to Be a Bug.

So, proceed with caution. Really, it's no big deal if they don't get to experience a ride or two. I honestly felt bad that I took them on it. Even though, like I said, it was my very favorite from my childhood.

Have fun with everything you do!

 

[disneymama73]

It was the things popping up from behind the gravestones that really got them. I really do not remember that at all from when I was a kid.

ITA!!! I actually posted that, too, in this thread! Does anyone know when they added the heads popping up and the screams?

 

[cstraub]

It depends on the type of child you have as to whether or not the HM will be scary to them. My DD was 3 when she first went on and she loved it. She's 5 1/2 now and it is one of her favorite rides along with TOT and Splash mountain. My oldest DS was the total opposite and would not go on anything remotley scary or daring until he was around 10 no matter how much I begged.

The best thing to do is to explain what the ride is like while waiting in line. Once you go through the doors you'll know whether they can handle the HM or not by their reaction. There is an exit once you go inside.

Good luck!

 

[rkmassa]

Wouldn't recommend it for a 5 year old. I won't take my 8 and 6 year old. There are too many things that could frighten them. My DH had never been on it, so when we were there for our December trip last year I took him to see what he thought. He agreed that the kids shouldn't ride. I want my kids to remember magic and happiness, not the creepy stuff from the HM.

 

[KrisTX]

Has the hanging always happened in the stretching room? I have been in the HM in excess of 30 times in my life and do not remember the hanging and body thump onto the floor. Did I block it out?

 

[J and R's mom]

There is a LOT of detail, take the virtual tour here:
http://www.grimghosts.com/wdw/

WOW! That website really gives a very detailed and accurate account of what's inside the ride. Some of it may seem more intense in those photos than on the actual ride since the ride is dark and the flash in the photos brightens it up quite a bit. Also, the photos are still shots and the ride has its passengers moving by those images rather quickly.

Let your son view the pictures and see if he's still interested in trying it. I personally think that the stretching room is the roughest part. The creepy narrator voice and darkness and thunder and lightening and creepy paintings...scarry...(I'm a chicken but LOVE this ride as an adult--I would have pooped my britches as a child).

Has the hanging always happened in the stretching room? I have been in the HM in excess of 30 times in my life and do not remember the hanging and body thump onto the floor. Did I block it out?

I'm not sure, but I do remember it being like this on our last trip in 2003. The body is hanging from the ceiling and you have to be looking up really high at just the right time when the lightening strikes to see it. It happens just before they open the door and send you on your way to the buggies. CREEPY!

 

[jenjersnap]

Our first visit my 4-yr-old loved it, the second time it scared the willies out of him. Not sure why he changed. I have never let him look up at the body in the stretching room so he's never seen it. He mentioned the heads popping up from the gravestones as being particularly frightening.

We've tried the "happy" approach, but he won't ride it this time. I ordered the Disneyland Sing A Long songs that has the DL version of HM to maybe de-sensitize him but Amazon is taking forever getting it to me so not sure if we'll get much of that before we leave.

HM has been my favorite ride since we first went to WDW when I was five. It depends on the kid.

 

[Pig Pen]

Has the hanging always happened in the stretching room? I have been in the HM in excess of 30 times in my life and do not remember the hanging and body thump onto the floor. Did I block it out?

The body hanging and the popping heads have been there since my first trip in 1975 I believe!

My nephews, ages 2 & 4, went to WDW for the first time and their first ride was POC. They were completely freaked out by that one and refused to ride ANYTHING ELSE the entire trip that was an "inside" ride. They would only ride it if they could see it - so they missed Buzz, Peter Pan, Small World, Pooh, etc.

I have seen many a child in tears by the time they get to the entrance to the HM. If you are worried about your child going on it, then don't do it and risk ruining the entire trip.

 

[CaipiraBob]

Our two boys were scared during the haunted mansion and they were 8 and 5. I wish I had not taken them on the ride. They spent a lot of time with their eyes shut. I now feel it was a mean thing to do to them.

When I was 7, I went for the first time. I shut my eyes, too.

It was my favorite ride and I still shut my eyes each time I rode it. All four or five times, I think. That was a lot of E-tickets back then. I did better on our next trip. My wife may argue, but I don't think it scarred me for life.

If the meanest thing you did to your child was subject them to Disney, I daresay they will forgive you.