Disney World was designed and created with kids and families in mind. The experiences, dining, and rides are all kid-friendly with a few things sprinkled in for older kids and adults. There aren’t too many scary things at the parks, but there are certainly a couple.
Disney World’s Haunted Mansion
Take the Haunted Mansion at Magic Kingdom, for example. Its name says it all — this mansion is haunted by 999 happy ghosts. While this ride is also designed to be kid-friendly, there are certainly some scarier segments. One of those happens even before you officially get on the ride, during the preshow. But did you know that if you need to, there’s a way to skip the preshow?
The preshow at the Haunted Mansion is charmingly termed “The Stretching Room.” This is because, you guessed it, the room appears to be stretching (or is it actually stretching? 🤔). At one point during the pre-show in the stretching room, there are lots of flashing lights (lightning), thunder, and overhead, a not-so-fun surprise. The narrator even tries to convince you that you’re trapped with no way out of the room other than…well, becoming a ghost.
Stretching Room
For many fans of the Haunted Mansion, this is a very exciting, fun, and iconic part of the ride. You’ll often hear people quoting along with the narrator and fake screaming when the lightning and thunder go off. But for others, this part of the ride is scary and can cause a lot of anxiety, and not just for little kids. It’s a lot of stimulation, a small, confined area with lots of other people, and the idea that you’re trapped. And if you’re not prepared for what you’ll see when you look up, it can be terrifying, trust me, I know.
Is this room actually stretching?
When I was younger (and I’m talking like 17 years old), I had been on the Disney World and Disneyland Haunted Mansion rides probably hundreds of times. But apparently, I had never looked up. It was one time, when I was nearly a legal adult, that I finally looked up and saw the “hanging body” above me. I SCREAMED…and then legit cried to my dad. It took me completely off guard and scared the daylights out of me. I think I became the 1,000th happy haunt for a moment.
Mwahahahaha!
Sure, now, as a 33-year-old adult, I can still ride the ride, but I NEVER look up. So, if you’re like me and this room freaks you out, or you have little kids and you don’t think they’ll be able to handle it, there is a way out; you don’t even have to go through the show. However, this is NOT a way to skip the line. This is for those who truly cannot handle the preshow.
It’s dark in here and full of people. It can be scary!
Here’s what you do if you need to skip The Haunted Mansion preshow. When you get to the wooden doors to the mansion, ask the Cast Member there for a way around the preshow to the ride. They will give you a piece of paper with a note on it that says “Servants’ Quarters.”
Servants’ Quarters note
You’ll approach another Cast Member nearby with the slip before you move into the stretching room. This Cast Member will give you directions to the hallway, which will lead you to the exit of the ride. You’ll turn left, and there’s a “blink and you’ll miss it” hallway where you’ll be greeted by another Cast Member. They will direct you on how to get back into line and board the ride.
Cast Members will help you skip the preshow if needed.
The moral of the story is: trust the Cast Members to help you find your way around the stretching room. If you or someone in your party has a very difficult time with the stretching room preshow, this is a way around it. But PLEASE, do not abuse this system just to skip the line after the preshow. This is for those who truly need the accommodation.
The Hat Box Ghost
We hope that you enjoy the ride and your time at Disney World. If you ever need an accommodation or assistance, don’t hesitate to ask Cast Members. They are fantastic people who love to make your vacation memorable, within their abilities.
In the meantime, keep following DFB for more Disney World tips and tricks!
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Hi! I am 75. I Chose a few years ago to ask for the passage. I was in there by myself
At least at that time you had to wait for a cast member to open the exit
Somehow I was forgotten about for what seemed like a very long time. 🙃
This was just after pandemic and I believe staffing was short but I would never try this again
I live here and go to MK all the time. I look up because it’s part of the fun. But the hangman has not been there for some time. I miss him!
Years ago, back in the mid-1990’s, we took the kids (6 and 8 years old) to Disney for their first trip. While walking through Cinderella’s castle, the Fairy Godmother approached my kids, bent down to their level, and informed them that King Stephan had requested the honor of their presence at breakfast! (Cinderella’s Royal Table). Of course, we said “yes”! Now, with those reservations being so hard to come by…it’s nice to think back on the days when “walk-ups” could dine in the castle! Truly a “bucket-list” experience!
So, why is this not available at Disneyland? Is their stretching room not as scary??
I dont like the stretching room so this is good information!! I am willing to wait longer to get on the ride if I can skip this room. 🙂
How long has this been a thing?? When my son was 8, (he turns 18 in 2 weeks) my husband and daughter and I all wanted to ride haunted mansion, but he was adament that he didn’t want to ride. We said no problem, we’d use rider switch. We got in line, told the CM that we would like to use the rider switch because my son didn’t want to ride. No problem….when you get to the next CM in the line, let them know. So we did. And every CM in that line, and we passed 3 or 4, told us to tell the next CM in the line. By the time we got to the doors, we were glad to finally get to the CM who could help us. Only she told us we had to go into the stretching room first, there was no way to get onto the ride without going through the stretching room. My son starts screaming that he WON’T go into that building and my husband had PROMISED him he wouldn’t have to. He’s having a complete meltdown (he’s autistic) and I asked if we could maybe go in through the exit door or something instead. No, the only way through was through the stretching room. Riders swap didn’t begin until you got out of the stretching room. I had to drag my screaming 8 year old back through the line we had just come through, because there was also no way to exit the line without riding.
I went to guest services to tell them to PLEASE move the rider swap point outside the ride so kid didn’t have to go through the stretching room if they didn’t want to, etc. They apologized for my experience, gave me a fastpass so I could ride without waiting in a long line again, (my husband and daughter had already ridden while I was taking my son back out) and that was it. No one ever mentioned an alternative, and actually they told me there WASN’T an alternative to going through the stretching room. My husband should never have promised him he wouldn’t have to enter the building….he had no clue and it’s pretty dumb to promise something you can’t be sure of. But that was a really traumatic moment for my son, and I have to say, I’d be a little upset to find out that all those CMs could have prevented it and didn’t.
Is this a recent development they have created BECAUSE so many people complained about traumatization from the stretching room? I don’t mind the room myself, but I do understand how it can be triggering for some people, and especially for children. If they HAVE done this recently, good for them! I wish they had thought of it sooner!
I haven’t been to Disney since 2018, but bypassing the stretching room was available then. I have trouble seeing in the dark and being squeezed in the crowd is always disorienting. If someone was with me, I used to hang onto them and let them lead me in the right direction. Then I found out you can skip the stretching room and regularly did so. Thanks for the reminder it is still available for my next trip.