For those going soon...they're baaaack...tour groups

[Klayfish]

Just FYI, that time of year is here. Our first 10 days in WDW was blissfully free of South American tour groups. The past several days, we've seen a dramatic rise in their numbers. Guess it's that time of year for them to be here. We've already had a few unpleasant encounters with them...a group of 20+ trying to hold hands and cut their way past my kids into a row on It's Tough to be a Bug (needless to say I quickly broke the chain up quickly). Just beware, they're here. Really don't mean to hate on them, I'm sure it's a wonderful experience for them, but they're rather rude and self centered.

 

[Jadyreen1282]

Just beware, they're here. Really don't mean to hate on them, I'm sure it's a wonderful experience for them, but they're rather rude and self centered.

Lot of that going around...on this thread...

 

[Aeweddle]

We noticed a few last week as well. No bad experiences with them, just very large groups trying to make their way through the crowds.

 

[Klayfish]

Lot of that going around...on this thread...

Sure, if you think so.

 

[ArwenMarie]

I had a group of tour girls holding hands three-across crash into my little daughter at Universal last year. Because you know, they couldn't unlock hands so we could all pass each other safely. So yeah.

 

[4Ds4Diz]

Guess we lucked out. Saw a few groups and ran into one as we approached Space Mt fast pass line. At first I was a bit frustrated to have a large group walk in front of us, but we got sent thru a different FP screening. All this did was now put us in the middle of them. We just let them go ahead so they could be together. I thought it would be better for them to be with friend's and got several Thank You comments from the kids. I thought this was considerate of them. Once we got to the loading area the CMs brought us over to a different loading area so we were no longer behind them waiting. It all worked out.

Funniest part was watching the boy and girl in front of us, as they couldn't keep their hands off each other. All I could think was if their parents could only see them now! LOL

 

[Kelly Anne]

My niece and her dance group are currently there..... And they are performing in Disney a few times during this week..... But they do not all go together unless they are going to dance and need to be some where together...

 

[Hisgirl]

I've repeated it before but it's worthy of a retelling.

One of my favorite locked-arm tour group 'red-rover' line stories was of a Dad, on here, telling how his family was in the line of getting plowed down by a fast approaching band of locked arm tour groupers, hellbent on plowing down everyone in their path,....and he stood locked, braced and ready. They plowed into him full force but he stood his ground and several of them went flying.

That story just made my day.

 

[Mrs~Incredible]

Tour groups lock arms? Seriously?

It's a theme park people. Not escaping from a hostage situation.

 

[mrbghd]

They can't be any worse that the good ole made in the USA wrestling kids that were at Pop the first week of June. Security had to throw a group of them out of the pool, kids climbing from one floor to the next over the rails, and my favorite- throwing things over the railings. Here's the thing, anytime you get a group of teen or pre- teen kids together they are going to be giant pains- it's what they do.

 

[Hisgirl]

Tour groups lock arms? Seriously?

It's a theme park people. Not escaping from a hostage situation.

Crazy, for sure. There have been many, MANY tales of children being plowed down. One very young child got a broken arm by this locked-arm brigade. For us, we only got to experience the massive group of Brazilians pushing through a line to get to the front as if it was perfectly fine for 18 teens to shove an entire line of visitors out of the way.

 

[Shanti]

Crazy, for sure. There have been many, MANY tales of children being plowed down. One very young child got a broken arm by this locked-arm brigade. For us, we only got to experience the massive group of Brazilians pushing through a line to get to the front as if it was perfectly fine for 18 teens to shove an entire line of visitors out of the way.

Disney should be stricter with guests who disturb the peace like this. They should throw them out of the park.

I saw tour groups last year but they caused no problems in my sight. Hope the same holds true for our upcoming trip in two weeks!

 

[Lothlórien]

Tour groups lock arms? Seriously?

It's a theme park people. Not escaping from a hostage situation.

In general, we see families do this as well. They walk 4 - 6 wide. I don't think this is limited to tour groups.

 

[Lothlórien]

Disney should be stricter with guests who disturb the peace like this. They should throw them out of the park.

I saw tour groups last year but they caused no problems in my sight. Hope the same holds true for our upcoming trip in two weeks!

Disney makes A LOT of money on tour groups. I know they have rules in place for these groups as it is in their contract, but they are not enforced. I doubt they will remove a yearly cash cow unless it becomes a life threatening situation.

.....just as they do not enforce no flash photos on rides, DSAs, no heeleys and all of their other rules. They are more concerned about who is sitting on a 2.5 foot wall waiting for characters than they are enforcing the rules in place.

 

[Aeweddle]

They walk 4 - 6 wide.

This make my DH positively RAGE, lol.

 

[Mambo Junkie]

The last couple of trips we have observed large groups in matching shirts (tour groups, bands, cheerleaders) but none have caused any issues. We did have an incident where we had waited almost an hour for the France Belle to reappear, and right before she came back out, a couple of young (tour group) girls joined the line. A couple of boys with them walked past the line (we were in front) and down to the area where she stands (there was no rope of "beginning of the line" markings), and tried to get the girls to join them. The boys could see the people who had been waiting were all looking at each other, and they thought it was funny. Several more young people walked up to the girls in line, with the boys at the front waving them down , but they shook their heads and refused. The boys eventually wandered off.

 

[Mambo Junkie]

This make my DH positively RAGE, lol.

They don't walk, they stroll and occasionally stop, lol.

 

[RainbowCrow]

We have seen an increase in tour groups over the last week. They are large but generally well mannered.

 

[Lothlórien]

This make my DH positively RAGE, lol.

Hahaha, mine too. My husband is quite passive and very little makes him mad, but this does get to him when we are anywhere.

 

[MeganMango]

You are RIGHT, OP.

Just got back last night. In POP there was a huge group of teenage girls, think they were Brazilians, and other tour groups on site. Every single group I came into contact with were rude and forceful, and no sense for personal space. I could not even get to the coffee machines one morning at the POP food court because they were like swarms of bees everywhere in matching outfits.