Why do parents insist on taking their small children to HHN?

[momof3disneyholics]

I shake my head to this everytime I see it. I have been to HHN 3 times already this year and everytime I go I see young children (some even in strollers) scared to death at HHN. Do people realize that this is a PG-13 rated event, and just not a place to take children? I saw it again this week, there was this mother basically dragging her 2 little girls (around 8 and 9 years old) through a scare zone. The kids were terrified and crying. Heck, I get a good scare sometimes when I walk through a scare zone, I know I wouldn't dare subject my children to this just yet. This is just not good parenting. Why would someone do this to their children? These kids will probably have nightmares for weeks because of the lack of poor judgement by their parents. There is so much more to do in Orlando to celebrate Halloween than taking your young kids to HHN. Seaworld and WDW both have kid-friendly events after hours.
Sorry to rant, but as a mother, I would like to see some of these parents given a medal for bad parenting. (steps off of soap box)

 

[ChrisFL]

Yeah, its insane and I really REALLY think there should be a minimum age limit to attend HHN. It wouldn't have to be 18 or anything, but I think 12 and up would be good

 

[T-10X]

Jack the Clown at Rat Run says it best... "Ah, thats great parenting... taking your kids to Halloween Horror Nights... if he starts wetting the bed it's not my fault!"

 

[Motherfletcher]

I took my 5 y.o. son in '93 because he wanted to see the car crushing Robosaurus but it was a different ball game then. I think there was only one haunted house.
DD12 is fearless on coasters but may never be able to go through another haunted house. I think its bad parenting when they are forced to go. In some cases it should be criminal.

 

[macraven]

so glad to see this post.

i was at hhn for the 7-8-9 and loved it completely and totally.

i was disgusted at how people took littles there.......those kids screamed and cried. one parent just laughed at her 3 year old over it.

it is posted EVERYWHERE that this event is too intense for children.

the one thing i look forward to with hhn is i don't have to dodge strollers......



the idiot parents think their child wil be spared by the scareactors, HA......
not so the case always. let the parents spend the $$$ on pyschotherapy for years on their kids for being so traumatized.

no way should littles be at this event. it is too much for them.
at the bil and ted show, which i saw 8 times that weekend, two families got up and left in the first five minutes dragging their 3, 5, 6 year olds with them.
one set of parents went to complain of the nature of the show. it was reported in the beginning there would be foul language and scantily dressed individuals in the show.
some people just don't listen.

 

[Jason71]

100% agreement here. Minimum age of 12 sounds about right to me. Of course, the slight loss of revenue means that will never happen.

 

[momof3disneyholics]

I know Macraven, I feel the same way. It just irks me to no end about what these selfish parents are doing to their kids. I have a tendency to make remarks louder than I should just so that people can hear them (DM can vouch for that ) and I just couldn't help myself when I was there last Wednesday. There were so many kids there, I was starting to believe that they must have loaded up a bus from Mickey's party and dropped them off at HHN. I would love to hear some of the comments that guest service people hear about this.

 

[wilma-bride]

I must admit, I had considered taking my kids to HHN next year (they will be 12 and 13) but DH, having read some stuff about it, reckons it's probably likely to be too intense for them. I can't even begin to think how the younger ones cope with it. No tsure I could cope myself, to be honest - I even had nightmares after a visit to Skull Kingdom on our last trip

 

[Fellowship9798]

I saw the same thing too on Sept 30. I wondered if the parents really understood what the event was before they went in. I couldn't see taking my little guy for anything like that until he was well into the early teen years. And even then it would depend on his temperament and personality at the time. My wife, sister and I (30, 30, and 23) had a good time though!

Darren

 

[tink too]

Have never been to HHN as we have a little one and would never traumatize her like that. Why parents do this to their children is beyond me - don't they research these events?

We were advised by reps. not to take kids under 12 a few years ago - these guys loved it, recommended it but said we should leave the kids with babysitters. SIL & BIL did just that (while we kept the kids amused at the hotel) and although they liked it, they agreed that the minimum age should be about 12 years old.

We have just returned from Universal's Port Aventura in Spain where they had some Haunted Houses for adults only, we didn't check them out though as DD4 was with us. There were roaming characters for Halloween through the day-time but some of them freaked my baby out! She was quite happy to pose for pics in the arms of a slightly unfurled mummy but was terrified of poor old Uncle Fester - and he was way off in the distance, too! The park was decked out for Halloween quite nicely though and probably looked pretty neat in the darkness!

For now, we'll be sticking with MNSSHP for a more family-friendly experience!

 

[damo]

I think it is too intense for me!!!

 

[pauldents]

We went on the 30th and we saw plenty of young kids there. What we couldn't believe was the infants in strollers looking absolutley terrified. Everytime the parents walk past with the child in a stroller we would just shake our heads in disbelief. I know for a fact our 2 year old daughter would be traumatised for a few months if we took her to HHN. Definitley not a good way to spend a family vacation!

 

[momof3disneyholics]

This morning I was listening to a local radio station and they were talking about this exact thing. Apparently, there are some parents taking their kids into the houses and then yelling at the scareactors saying "Don't scare my kids!" Give me a break! The radio DJ's pointed out the same thing that I was thinking; GET A BABYSITTER OR STAY HOME!!!

 

[macraven]

can anyone say.........stupid idiots................



i totally enjoy hhn and especially not having to fight the strollers.........

hope universal does not dummy down the event due to the parents' complaints.

 

[momof3disneyholics]

can anyone say.........stupid idiots................



i totally enjoy hhn and especially not having to fight the strollers.........

hope universal does not dummy down the event due to the parents' complaints.

Yeah, I hope they stand strong on this one too. These parents need to realize that if they have small children and they want to go to a Halloween party that they either need to find a babysitter or I hear that there is another one right across town and it is "not so scary"!!!

 

[AlexandNessa]

ITA! Although we didn't go this year, last year we were stuck in line to get in behind a family with kids in harnesses -- or whatever you call them. The kids looked all of 4 and 5 years old. DH and I felt the need to talk loudly right behind them, "Can't these people read any one of the 8 million signs that says this event may be too intense for young children?" We got puzzled looks. We didn't care. They were idiots. I hope they had fun passing any one of the 19,000 beer carts, in addition to the loud music, drunk people, and scare actors.

 

[metsfan11]

i have never been to HHN but at the six flags close to me (six flags great adventure), their halloween event is called Fright Fest. it is similar to HHN; it has scare zones, a hayride, and a haunted house (just not as intense). we were on the hayride (which is ABSOLUTELY NOT RECOMMENDED FOR KIDS OVER 13) and of cource we were stuck with the family of 4: mom, dad and two twins about 5 or 6. they were crying, screaming, and ruined the experience that we had waited 3 hours for! momof3disneyholics i know what you mean. especially because hhn is a seperate admission, fright fest is free.

 

[faindrops27]

Well, I was there on the 23rd, and saw 4 strollers with young ones, from infants thru to maybe 3, or 4ish. And approxiamately 13 children.No more than age 7. I made mental note, trying to mentally figure out as to why a "parent" would expose thier child, to such an event. Then it came to me. Maybe these parents live as satanist, and see nothing wrong with the surroundings, as sad as this is to me, it is even sadder for the children. It is in one word deplorable. I believe honestly that Universal, needs to put a minimum age on this event, and enforce it.

 

[Deedee]

Could someone give me some info on HHN. We will be there from sept21 to oct5 next year will it be on then. We would all love to do it my DD will be 16!

 

[Motherfletcher]

I recommend the VIP Tour. The event has become so popular that it is nearly impossible to see it all in one night without guidance.