Brazil Tour Groups!!

[Disney_Jill]

At our hotel I was talking to one of the chaperones. She didn't speak English too well but did speak Spanish and I speak some Spanish. They were going to Universal that morning and there were 120 kids in her group. She said they were having fun but not really enjoying the rain (it rained a lot that week). We saw them everywhere in the parks and they were pretty well behaved, more or less, its just a HUGE group of people. I did see they had a Disney person assigned to them. They had Disney shirts with the flag of the county (Brazil, etc) on them.
While we were driving up from Ft. Laud. on the Turnpike we hit the rest stop right when 4 tour busses of kids from Paraguay were there. I had to go to the bathroom and got there right after 100s of the girls from the tour group were there. All teenage girls, foreign or American, take forever in the bathroom looking in the mirror, fixing their hair, LOL.

 

[stasijane]

We got extremely luck when we were there the first part of May. Didnt see one in sight I'm hoping that luck holds up in Oct.

 

[santadog]

We usually go in April, and never see the tour groups. This year, we're heading out in August (19-29) hope our luck holds out.

 

[Princess Sara's Mom]

We saw a lot of groups as well from July 4-11. It didn't really affect us much. I was always able to overtake them if we happened to be headed in the same direction. On a couple of the queues in MK we heard them chanting, but that was really it. Not a big deal for us.

When we were visiting the princesses at MK, we heard Belle ask some people where they were from. When they said Brazil, Belle laughingly asked them if there were any people left in Brazil that week because she had met so many Brazilians that week.

That's hilarious!!!

I worked there in 1996 and I remember it was a tough summer with the Atlanta Olympic Games going on--I think people had enough with the chanting and the cutting in line that the American groups started chanting in my line, "Hey Hey! Ho Ho! You Brazilians Have Got to Go!" And pointing to the offending cutters-in-line and "thumbing" them back to the back of the line... LOL!!!

One thing I have not seen reported on the Dis and maybe I've just missed--the tour groups would get VERY upset that there was a bathroom every other country in Epcot [I worked in the Mexico for a couple months...] and there used to be a shop where I think they now sell crystal near the Rio de Tiempo boatride. Well, there used to be clothing "rounders" in there and my managers would keep a close eye on the rounders because the kids would go in there and "relieve" themselves--yes, #1 & #2--evidently this was a known issue! [Since I've been back, I saw there weren't clothes so I guess they [maybe] addressed the issue that way.] They didn't want to go back to the Odyssey or to Norway to use the bathroom. Also, when I was doing crowd control, you'd have to get people out of the trees who were also using the bathroom because they didn't want to give up their spot for Illuminations!

Sigh...those were the days my friend.......

 

[saysay]

We were there this past week....Thursday was horrible at MK! Literally the width of Frontierland - come on kids, give some people some room. The chanting in line for BTMRR was very annoying my DD 4 had her hands over her ears. What really peaved me was over by Splash mountain with them all walking up the ramp, NOT the stairs and the people with strollers were stranded or couldn't get by as they wouldn't give anyone any room. Its just so rude. Funny how the standby time on a ride would go from 20 to 45 minutes in a second when a big group would jump in line. I don't understand how they keep them all together! I know its hard, they are young and excited, but come on, get some manners kids!

 

[AlejadoDeLasPuertas]

We had them last time we were at the World last year around July/August. They were constantly chanting/screaming. Especially on the rides and shows. That's what really gets me going. I mean I'm happy for them to get to experience all the magic and everything. But it was insane.

Hopefully we'll miss them this year.

 

[Boston Tea Party]

What I am not understanding is why Disney does not address the issue.

 

[wishicouldgomoreofte]

That's hilarious!!!

I worked there in 1996 and I remember it was a tough summer with the Atlanta Olympic Games going on--I think people had enough with the chanting and the cutting in line that the American groups started chanting in my line, "Hey Hey! Ho Ho! You Brazilians Have Got to Go!" And pointing to the offending cutters-in-line and "thumbing" them back to the back of the line... LOL!!!

One thing I have not seen reported on the Dis and maybe I've just missed--the tour groups would get VERY upset that there was a bathroom every other country in Epcot [I worked in the Mexico for a couple months...] and there used to be a shop where I think they now sell crystal near the Rio de Tiempo boatride. Well, there used to be clothing "rounders" in there and my managers would keep a close eye on the rounders because the kids would go in there and "relieve" themselves--yes, #1 & #2--evidently this was a known issue! [Since I've been back, I saw there weren't clothes so I guess they [maybe] addressed the issue that way.] They didn't want to go back to the Odyssey or to Norway to use the bathroom. Also, when I was doing crowd control, you'd have to get people out of the trees who were also using the bathroom because they didn't want to give up their spot for Illuminations!

Sigh...those were the days my friend.......

Oh my gosh! That is just incredible. I do remember a couple times being in a bathroom stall and a mom & boy being in the stall next to me and the boy literally peeing on the wall of the stall, rather than in the toilet. They looked to be from India or Pakistan. I wondered if that was something from home---pee on the wall. In one case, the mother chastised the boy. In the other case, the mother didn't.

Anyway, what are "rounders"? Are they dressing rooms?

Are these groups there in August? Does anyone know?

 

[Art 1]

What I am not understanding is why Disney does not address the issue.

$.

 

[robandkelly13]

I was wondering this as well. We usually don't get hoppers because my kids like to do one park each day, but if we need to when we get there I'll definitely get them! Anyone know if there's a pattern they follow? Morning EMH parks, evening EMH, etc.?

They are in all the parks. We've tried this strategy before with no luck

 

[jcvalenti]

I'm here right now, and it is absolutely insane. Much worse than my last trip in the summer in 2009. The parks are absolutely overrun. We did Phantasmic the other night and I would say about 60% of the crowds were tour groups. They were trying to out chant each other all nit, and were extremely rowdy.

For the most part, though, the only thing that bothers me is the incessant chanting. It's so bad when they walk by I can't even talk to my kids. They also tend to walk 10 abreast and bump a lot, which worries me with my 5 year old. I'm 6'3 275#, and I've gotten to the point where I just relive my Oline days and shove right through them. I really wouldn't hesitate to floor one of them.

Obviously these groups mean a lot to Disneys bottom line, as these parks would be almost empty right now without them, but they absolutely have to do something about the size of the groups and the chanting. As it is right now, I won't be coming back again anytime soon, pretty much solely because of the rowdiness.

 

[MMrules]

Are they in all the parks, I guess i'm wondering if we are in MK and it's too much, if we hop over to HS will they be there as well? Are there that many groups?

It seemed like whatever park we went to that day the same groups were there (or even different ones). They all wear matching shirts and backpacks so you will know em when you see em. There are so many that there will be some in whatever park you choose for the day....

 

[rock_doctor]

I was wondering this as well. We usually don't get hoppers because my kids like to do one park each day, but if we need to when we get there I'll definitely get them! Anyone know if there's a pattern they follow? Morning EMH parks, evening EMH, etc.?

Their not locusts descending on the parks wrecking havoc...um....

Our anti-tour group plans are extra morning magic hours and be out of the park by noon. Very few groups make it before rope drop so you will get a couple hours before they descend on the park. It would be so much easier if they just worked though the park individually or as families rather then as a hoard. I mean... it's Florida...not like you can't find somebody who speaks Spanish or signs in Spanish.. There is not a huge difference between Spanish and Portuguese. Their certainty close enough to get the idea...

Imho, Disney needs to lean on the tour group companies. They need to set some ground rules, such as no group over 10 and each group must have a guide. I bet the group of 50 had only one guide and hence the need for them to have linked arms.

 

[-Jody-]

And there's still no Brazilian pavilion in WS.

 

[SaraJayne]

The tour groups are terrible. There is not one positive thing I can say about them at WDW. They are loud, rude, obnoxious and cause chaos wherever they go.

Unfortunetly, Disney will do nothing to curtail their activities since they are a huge money-maker for Disney.

As long as the Brazilian tour groups are happy, Disney is happy.

 

[Boston Tea Party]

I leave in less than a week and you guys are scaring me...

Does Disney really only care about money and not the satisfaction of their guests?

Oh, never mind...

 

[AndreaDM]

I'm hoping the entire country of Brazil will have been there, done that by the time we get there in 3 weeks!

Yes, they take over all the parks, we were there the end of June last year and all the parks, even AK were packed with the tour groups.

 

[Rohais]

Here in the UK, whenever we got on trips - home or abroad - we're split into groups with an adult leader for each one. The groups - at least for my secondary school - didn't allow more than 10 people per group, depending on the age of the children

Makes more sense than 50+ all in one huge group

 

[Art 1]

The Florida Mall was full of them last night making a mess of the stores they went in.

 

[sjs314]

It has been years since we have visited in the summer and dealt with the Brazilian Tour Groups, my last encounter was late January but it seems from reading all the accounts the rudeness etc has become worse over the years.

Since Disney is making so much money off these groups , I think they need to beef up the security/CM about the parks to curtail some of the over zealous teens. The CM's have never had trouble pushing me to the side if I tried to cross the road when they were prepareing for one of the parades, seems to me they could do the same with these groups.

I am heading to Disney in mid-October, I have been the beginning of October but can not remember if there were tour groups then or not as it has been quite a few years, late '90's...............Please tell me they will not be there in mid-October.