DVC in January: When are the Brazilian Tour Groups?

[BWV Dreamin]

May need to reschedule my ressie for January. What weeks have the Brazilian tour groups? Any weeks we should avoid due to crowds. etc?

 

[kendzee94]

We were there 1/27-2/1 and there were numerous groups. The 1 and 2 crowd levels were more like 6-7 IMHO! Not too bad if you were able to get in front of their group, but if you were stuck behind, forget it!

 

[BWV Dreamin]

Oh no! I was thinking about the last week in Jan. Ok, what about MLK weekend and week? Brazilian tour groups that week?

 

[n2mm]

We were there the last TWO weeks of January this year and the tour groups were everywhere. Heck they were even staying at a few of the A/S resorts (saw them getting off the buses). They were at every park, every day and no way to avoid them. In the 14 days we were there there was not a day we did not encounter them to include the two afternoons we spent at US/IOA too. We never had a problem with them except for the fact that they move in "packs" and can change a ride time quickly. When we saw them we would either go a different direction, or pass the ride they were heading to and to to the next attraction. This seems to occur the entire month of January and July. At least in January the crowd levels are lower in general vs July (which we won't do again).

 

[DVCSAMNH]

We were there 1/23 through 1/28. This was the second year in a row we have gone the last week in January and the last. The tour groups were obnoxious and the parks except for Epcot were VERY crowded. 90 minute waits on the usual rides. We tried to go to Magic Kingdom twice and left within an hour both times.
I will spend the extra points next year and go sometime in Feb or March. I'd rather fight the spring-breakers.
The resorts were not crowded at all so I'm guessing the tour groups stay off site.

 

[cseca]

We were there 1/23 through 1/28. This was the second year in a row we have gone the last week in January and the last. The tour groups were obnoxious and the parks except for Epcot were VERY crowded. 90 minute waits on the usual rides. We tried to go to Magic Kingdom twice and left within an hour both times.
I will spend the extra points next year and go sometime in Feb or March. I'd rather fight the spring-breakers.
The resorts were not crowded at all so I'm guessing the tour groups stay off site.

Yep, what he/she said. We were there at the same time and they were everywhere. I was not prepared for that kinda crowd .

 

[n2mm]

Yep, what he/she said. We were there at the same time and they were everywhere. I was not prepared for that kinda crowd .

I agree, while there for the two weeks (Jan. 14-29) the second week was much busier than the first week.

 

[Starr W.]

Oh no! I was thinking about the last week in Jan. Ok, what about MLK weekend and week? Brazilian tour groups that week?

Yes the Brazilians are there MLK weekend, plus the college cheer competition. The cheerleaders are much better behaved than the Brazilians.



Sure go down the one year we won't be going for MLK weekend(looks like we are not getting the 4 day weekend next year).

 

[dianeschlicht]

We were there last week of January this year, and as stated, the tour groups were there in force. We found we did the best by avoiding the early entry parks, since they tended to participate in EMH.

 

[DVCSAMNH]

I don't know how accurate this info is but it makes sense to me. I have read that January is Brazil's August. It is the last month of their summer vacation. So, they go back to school the first of February?

I don't remember seeing the Brazilian groups in February but I seem to remember weekends being filled by school kids. Lots of them. Cheerleaders, maybe???

 

[BWV Dreamin]

Yes the Brazilians are there MLK weekend, plus the college cheer competition. The cheerleaders are much better behaved than the Brazilians.



Sure go down the one year we won't be going for MLK weekend(looks like we are not getting the 4 day weekend next year).

I was hoping you would pop in!! I thought for sure you would be there this year!! Wow, doesn't look like ANY week in January is without the Brazilians. Any week better to go than others? (OT, how about that Carl!!! Except for the wreck that is!)

 

[BWV Dreamin]

Well is the week of MLK that bad? Cheerleaders still there are do they go home like on that holiday Monday?

 

[Lost boy]

We were there from the 14 to 23rd and they were everywhere, we tried to get on space mnt and there was over a 2 1/2 hr wait, nothing but a line of brazilians getting off. It got to the point that if we went into a park and we saw huge groups of them we left and went to another park.

 

[PoohsFan1]

Yes the Brazilians are there MLK weekend, plus the college cheer competition. The cheerleaders are much better behaved than the Brazilians.



Sure go down the one year we won't be going for MLK weekend(looks like we are not getting the 4 day weekend next year).

Hmmm, we are booked for 1/16-1/20 (check in on MLK), never even thought about the tour groups at that time of year. This is my DH's birthday trip and he really wants to go then. Luckily we are staying at BLT, therefore we can just walk back from MK if it gets too crowded. I guess we will have to take it really slow when we go and not expect to do very much in the parks. Thanks for all of the heads up.

 

[mouseaider]

We were there from 1/19 - 1/26 and the only park that we had a problem with crowds was at MK. I didn't see any rowdy behavior but we did see a lot of flag carriers with 50 to 60 people following.

Epcot was the least crowded and almost looked deserted most of the time we were there. We stayed at BWV and we were at Epcot a lot.

AK wasn't bad on either of the two days we visited, and DHS was crowded by HTT and RRC.

Would I go back in January ? I really like the weather a little warmer.... like April or May.

 

[job09]

How do you know about large tour groups? Experience? I've heard about nightmare cruises booked by large obnoxious groups (you'd be trapped then). How about this years spring break the week before Easter unmangeable?

 

[diding]

My sister was there the last week of this past Jan and she ran into many of the Brazilian tours, however, she said it wasn't so bad.

 

[DVCSAMNH]

I feel the need to be completely fair here. There were a lot of Brazilian tour groups when we were there in January and there were also many American school groups. I am not used to seeing so many of these at this time of year either. Usually I see these types of groups around the end of the school year. I think maybe it was a combination of the two that may have made this year the last straw for us.
Also, it isn't that they are blatantly misbehaving. I thought they were fairly well behaved for the most part. If the park isn't over-crowded they aren't much of an issue. But, when it starts to get crowded they have a tendency to lock elbows with each other to stay together which completely makes walkways impassible.You have to physically break the chain to get through and I personally am not willing to do that. "Excuse me" means nothing to most of them. Some were gracious. At least we could squeeze through a small opening. I felt really bad for people in wheelchairs or pushing carriages. We left the parks on multiple occasions because we could not walk from one place to the next due to blocked walkways. Even at it's most crowded, the crowd usually moves. That is not always the case with the groups.