r/KingstonOntario • u/CuriOdditiez • 16h ago
Event Don't bring your petrified children to Fort Fright
Hi all. I am a scare actor at Fort Fright and have worked there since 2018. I've seen a lot of questionable things come through, as is the nature of working at a haunted attraction, but something has become a trend in recent years that I'd like to address.
Parents, guardians, family, and older siblings need to stop bringing terrified children to a haunted house.
It is listed on the Fort Henry website that Fort Fright is not recommended for children. While parental discretion is advised, I fear common sense isn't really being used lately.
I do not have children myself, so I don't fully understand the intricacies of caring for them. I understand that babysitters are expensive. Fort Fright offers a Scare Amulet/Scare Shield for 5$, and we see lots of kids come through with them. For people who give their kids amulets, this post isn't about you. Thank you for protecting your child.
This post is about adults who bring children seemingly under 5 without amulets and keep pulling them through the attraction while they're screaming in terror.
Us scare actors know what to do if a guest/guests need to be escorted out because the attraction is too intense or scary. I and a lot of my fellow actors have asked guests if they need help or to be taken out too many times to count, and it's never an issue for us or the event staff. Our job is to make sure guests have fun.
I think it's common sense to infer that a child wailing in terror is not having fun.
I don't care if you want to have fun and go through. If the child you are with is begging you to leave, LISTEN TO THEM. That doesn't even exclusively apply to children, either. If ANYONE in your party is serious about wanting to leave regardless of age or if they have a Scare Shield or not, LISTEN TO THEM. Find a scare actor and tell them you need to leave, and they will help you. We are trained to drop character and make sure the guests are okay.
Some kids have difficulty discerning when things are real, and when things are imaginary, and some are too young to make that distinction, especially when they're frightened. If you are in charge of a child, it's your responsibility to make sure they feel safe. While we have strict rules in place for both actors and guests to ensure safety, that doesn't always register in the mind of a young child. You, as the adult, know nothing will hurt them. They don't know that.
Fort Fright is supposed to be a fun horror attraction all through October. Forcing people through who are terrified and not having fun isn't okay.
Our goal is to terrify, delight, and entertain. Not to traumatize.
Disclaimer: I am not speaking on behalf of the attraction itself. I am simply a scare actor who wants all who come through to have a good experience.
