Young children and the Haunted Mansion

[Kayla's Mom]

Ok, you guys gave me great suggestions on taking my 4 year old DD on Splash Mountain. (If she decides she wants to try it) A lot of you mentioned BTMRR, Matterhorn and POTC as well, so that got me thinking about the HM. Now I am 99% sure she will not want to try the HM but thought it would be fun to get everyone else's experience taking your kids on it.

Has anyone done it?

 

[Disneyland_emily]

Yeah see I had demended kids to who "Fantasyland was scary" and all they wanted to ride was Pirates and Mansion ALL DAY... One trip I think we logged oh 15 times on Pirates (they finally took compasion and we didnt have to walk around) and about 8 on Mansion (Yes we spent ALL DAY from park open to almost close in July- baring lunch on 2 rides...)

-em

 

[B9erSteve]

My son, when he was about 2 1/2 decided that any ride with monsters or ghosts was too scary for him. I have been able to get him on Pirates (he hates the skeletons but loves everything else) but HM and the Matterhorn is totally off-limits. I've been hoping that he will outgrow this but I think that my wait will be long.

 

[Ross3half]

My 4-year-old niece enjoyed the Haunted Mansion, Splash Mountain, and the Matterhorn last week. Last year as a 3-year-old she cried on all rides in the dark after getting scared on the Snow White ride so her mom talked to her a lot about how everything was "pretend" and how fun it was going to be to go on all the "big girl rides" this year so she was ready for it all and had a blast. I think it just depends on each child and the reactions they see/hear from other children around them too.

 

[crazymomof 4]

My son had just turned 2 last December (when we were there) and loved the Matterhorn. I did take him on the Haunted Mansion also. All I can say is thank god it is a really loud ride! He screamed and cried quite a bit. Hey he wanted to go on it with me! He did love Pirates. I can't wait until he can go this December because he will be tall enough for SM. As crazy as it sound I will take him on HM again.

 

[Buckimion]

One trip I think we logged oh 15 times on Pirates (they finally took compasion and we didnt have to walk around) and about 8 on Mansion (Yes we spent ALL DAY from park open to almost close in July- baring lunch on 2 rides...)

Sounds like >my< kind of day!

(Someone who feel that PoTC and HM alone are worth the price of admission.)

 

[AFMom]

Our kids have been riding HM since they were about 6 mo's old. When they were tiny - we just covered their eyes and ears during the elevator/closed room beginning when all of the lights go off and the teens scream.
At 4, I'd say if you warn her of the beginning in the room before the actual ride, hold her close and offer to cover her ears when the teenagers all scream as they always do - the rest of the ride should be a piece of cake! Most kids just get so terrified when all the lights go out, it spoils the rest of the fun ride for them!

 

[DLovinFam]

The last time we went, one of my dd's had just turned 5. She loved the Haunted Mansion once we got on the actual ride. She didn't like the elevator part. This didn't keep her from wanting to go on the ride though and went on it a few times. She loved Pirates but didn't want to go on Splash Mountain.

 

[CalGal]

My DS was almost 4 when he went on HM the first time. He was fine with it, but was pretty fearless, particularly of the dark. The previous year, I had taken him on all the Fantasyland Rides and Pirates. He cried on Pirates, but that was only because he was mad that I insisted on holding his hand while getting into the boat. Once the boats took off, he was great. By testing him with the other dark rides, I felt confident that he was ready for HM, but we just didn't get around to it until the next trip.

Now I've also gone with older kids who were petrified of the dark rides. Sometimes, the younger kids haven't learned to be frightened yet.

 

[LucyKate]

Haunted mansion isn't the least bit scary.

I have a 6 YO who is very easily scared and gets nightmares - she did it 3 times and loved it. It was less scary than Snow White!

It's the name which scarws the kids not the ride - so tell your child it's "Mickey's Mansion" or "Mickey's haunted house" to lessen the impact of the name.

Pirates is similar - not at all scary but the name makes kids think it is.

 

[Amy&Dan]

I'm not sure I agree that Haunted Mansion isn't the least bit scary. "Scary" is pretty individual. I have seen kids terrified in the opening "elevator" part of the ride. All children have different thresholds for darkness and scary elements. I really had to eat my words once when a couple with a son about the same age as mine (9 at the time) asked me if it was scary, he was pretty unsure he wanted to ride. I told them he would be fine. That poor kid was really terrified and I felt awful! I am sure my face comes to their minds when the word idiot is said! You know your child best. If they do okay on Pirates then that will give you some idea. Another thing about this ride is that the scariest part is at the beginning which can taint the whole experience and the ride is fairly long. I know that my nieces who took their first trip to Disneyland one month before their 4th birthday were very different from each other. One, who is usually quite timid loved the dark rides in Fantasyland and kept saying it was "pretend". The other one was really scared on Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland and wouldn't go on those again. This is the kid who never meets a stranger and takes on the world, so you never know!

 

[challada]

FYI....there are chicken escapes for HM (both at WDW and DL)...trust me, we had to use them every trip w/DS for about 3 years. We would stand in line, talk about the ride, be ready and the second we enter the doorway (of either mansion), he would be ready to bolt.....became a family joke for us to see if "this is the time he will make it on the ride". Finally last year grammie convinced him to go w/her and he loved it (he was 8 at the time) and it's now one of his favorite ride.

 

[crazymomof 4]

That's so true! The beginning is the part that set my 2 year old off. I like the idea of telling him it's Mickey's Haunted Mansion. Will try that this year. Thanks!

 

[Kayla's Mom]

Yes, thanks...great idea on calling it Mickeys Haunted Mansion.

 

[spendleb]

Took my (just turned) 3 year old on Splash, POTC, Thunder Mountain, Haunted Mansion, TOT, the moving cars on the Sun Wheel & Soaring all with no problems, he loved them all, we got a bit sick of the constant measuring for height as he only just made 40" but it was worth it! Saying that on all the rides we noted taller and possibly older children crying so it's probably down to what your child likes, sure Tyler will be a massive rollercoaster/thrill rider like his parents

 

[ChrisDawn]

I am concerned, too, about taking my 5 year old on the HM, but it's my favorite ride! I hope he can handle it. I think I might try explaining that it's pretend scary like Halloween is. He doesn't get scared at Halloween, so maybe that will work.

I'll be at Disneyland 1 month from today!!

 

[dsnylndmom]

Both of my boys have been riding POTC & HM since they were 18mths & 12 mths. The only problem either of them ever had on HM was the end of the "elevator" ride, made worse by tons of teenagers screaming. They would just hide their heads in my shoulder during that part. My youngest LOVED LOVED BTMRR & Matterhorn when he was 3 & 4 but won't ride them anymore, go figure! But POTC is his absolute favorite, we too have logged ride after ride after ride on POTC and he can't wait to ride Indy(poor kid has been 1 inch too short forever! LOL)

 

[crazymomof 4]

Even though my 2 year old was scared last December he wanted to ride it! We will do it again and our youngest will be 12 months this December when we go and he will ride it too!

 

[Sarangel]

Also, remember that 'scary' is a moving target. We'd taken our DD on both Pirates & HM since she was 3 months old and had no problems until our trip last month - all of a sudden she's terrified of *all* the dark rides (even Peter Pan).