Haunted Mansion experience ruined

[mouseneer]

It was like that at Thanksgiving. The crowd pushed so hard, it actually pulled my six year-old daughters hand out of mine. I couldn't see her for a couple of seconds, found her crying, had to pick her up and hold her until we got into our buggy. HM scared the bejeezus out of her: before she even experienced the ride !!!!

[hardingella]

Reading these posts is making me feel a little nervous, we have always gone late february and never had this problem.next year we're going last week in May for 2 weeks. Hope we've done the right thing?

[jszczur5]

I have seen this on rare occasions when they had to stop the ride to allow a guest needing special assistance to board which backs up the loading process and the CMs working the Stretching Rooms which are set on a timed schedule are unaware this is happening and continue to allow people to enter the Stretching Rooms.

I was not aware that there was more than one stretching room. How many are there? I've never felt that I was being led to the right or left when entering. I will have to pay more attention this year.

[Rosemickey68]

DisneyFreak2002, no large crowds don't bother me it was the craziness and people shoving around like cattle, what ruined the experience of the ride was I have always enjoyed that darkness and kinda creepiness when you get out of the stretching room and walk to get onto the buggy and having to deal with people pushing and shoving in the dark was something I luckily had never dealt with on the HM, I was also very concerned about the little kids around and someone getting hurt ! I also never knew there was more than 1 stretching room!?!?
I always expect a large crowd no matter what time of year I go. Like I said I have been to DL and WDW and never experienced this, Lucky I guess as looking at all the posts it is becoming more common. It's just a shame that people are so impatient and rude now a days and have no consideration for others.

[badkitty]

I was not aware that there was more than one stretching room. How many are there? I've never felt that I was being led to the right or left when entering. I will have to pay more attention this year.

There are two. One on each side of the fireplace/portrait.

[Belle_0717]

I've had it happen during the school break times - like Feb. I guess the timing is off but that is when the cast members really need to jump in and assist.

[indytraveler]

I know which side to get on so you're first out the door. So I know which way the trampling will go. I'm prepared each time leaving the stretch room. The problem is with the group before you. If they had to stop the ride for someone to get on/off then the back ups start. CM's working the front should be told and hold a group at the front door. This is the fastest loading ride in the park so holding one group back will help clear the way for the cattle chute to the ride. I'd prefer to wait outside and read the tombstones than to be body to sweaty body in the attraction itself.

[Stu29573]

I agree that it seems like they are cycling the rooms too fast. Although they can't control the crowd level outside of the mansion, they certainly can once you get inside. I, too, would rather stay outside in the heat than be dumped into the craziness that I was met with on my last visit.

[johnO]

This is exactly why we travel to WDW during the "off season"

[r4kids]

Okay, so HM has always been one of my favorite rides. I have to say the experience of it was ruined on July 3rd. When we were let out of the room..the part where you line up to get on the buggy...it was a mad house! They let out the other room before everyone in our room got on a buggy...everyone was pushing and shoving and it was a madhouse!!! I felt sorry for the people who had little kids with them as it is dark and I saw some people get trampled on. I had never seen such disorganization!!! I don't understand what happened!?!?! It really took away from the experience of this ride. I went to Disneyland multiple times as a kid and have been to DW several time now and never had this experience on the HM. Don't know if it was the CM's working that day or what happened!?!?!
I just hope it never happens again! It was horrible being cramped in like that and dangerous. Has this happened to anyone else?

This happened to us the last week in March/ first week in April this year. It was chaos. We tried to hold the kids hands and it's like a sea of people shoving each other to be first. It was terrible!

[antngoof89]

This happened to us the last week in March/ first week in April this year. It was chaos. We tried to hold the kids hands and it's like a sea of people shoving each other to be first. It was terrible!

It's a pain to see that happen. A friend of mine informed me today how she rode Test Track on her recent Disney trip and was noticing how the cars were awfully close together. She claimed to have gone around 10 mph or less through some of the normally faster parts.

Why is Disney rushing guests in recently?

[mermaidmarian]

I have seen this on rare occasions when they had to stop the ride to allow a guest needing special assistance to board which backs up the loading process and the CMs working the Stretching Rooms which are set on a timed schedule are unaware this is happening and continue to allow people to enter the Stretching Rooms.

I have had the OP's experience on one occassion, and this was precisely the reason. I agree with the OP that it is very chaotic and more than a bit unnerving to be in that crush coming out of the stretching rooms. There should be a means of notifying the CM's loading the stretching rooms that they will be stopping the conveyor to load guests with special needs. That said, the chaos of the interior queue did not ruin my experience of Haunted Mansion.

[Sally_The_Ragdoll]

I don't understand the purpose of others shoving. It's an ever moving ride! Unless someone needs to stop the ride for special assistence, the thing keeps going. It's not like the Doom Buggies are going to leave without you. And for goodness sakes, watch out for other people! Especially the little ones. If someone were to trample me or my little sister, someone would get hurt. It's just plain rude!

[Donald's Girl]

Am I the only one to notice this type of behavior isn't only present at WDW? This seems to be our society today--the people shoving to get into line for HM are the same ones blowing through red lights and leaving shopping carts in the middle of grocery store parking lots!
Maybe because you are trying to feel the Magic at WDW these rude, self-absorbed behaviors are even more grating! I know I feel the same way quite often when there. Unfortunately, I don't think there is a whole lot CMs or anybody at WDW can do to control it.

[Camping Mom]

Even in down times like mid January people push to get on...but when you open a door and there is no line or ropes to keep you in line, everyone pushes and shoves. This happens at Rockin Roller Coaster when the doors open, too. I just hang back and walk in at the end of the group. Not worth getting crushed over.

The GOOD thing is that if you get off of HM and state to a CM that people behind you yelled and screamed and you didn't hear the narration they will usually ask if you would like to ride again. We rode once and our speaker didn't work and when we got off I mentioned it and we got to re-ride so we had the narration to go with the ride.

[CaptSmee]

I've seen this happen on a few occassions.

I've had it happen. It's just when it's busy, or there's a problem usually.

[Disneypixie513]

I do think part of the upswing in rudeness in teens comes from the "self-esteem building" in the public schools that has bloated the egos of children today so they don't understand their true insignificance in the whole world.

Egos should be built by accomplishments and not by some teacher or school administrator stroking it each and every day.

I totally agree with you on this. It's a Me-first society we live in now because of the self-esteem thing.
I can't really think of a time where there was pushing to the extent some of the PP have seen. I have to admit that I am sometimes impatient about getting on the ride, so i try to go through/around people. But I wouldn't push to get in the front of the line. It's just not worth it. It is a fast loading ride. Maybe people just think they're going to get a special car for being the 1st ones in line or something.

[nicster]

It sounds like you need another WDW visit to wash away all this bad stuff

[WVParkfan]

So sorry to hear about your bad experience.

I'm a large man, so I have no problem "blocking" the pushers and shovers so they don't push my kids.

One thing I can't control, though, is rudeness. Last year, there were teen girls behind us that screamed and yelled throughout the entire queue. Some of the children in front of us freaked out, and a couple had to leave the stretching room and did not get to ride. I felt that was very unfair.

[Sally_The_Ragdoll]

One thing I can't control, though, is rudeness. Last year, there were teen girls behind us that screamed and yelled throughout the entire queue.

I've had this happen to me, too, except it was on the Splash Mountain ride. They were singing loudly(and very off key) the whole ride! And not even the right songs! I mean, really. A little screaming when you're frightened is ok, but hooting and carrying on is uncalled for and just plain rude.