Brazilian Tour Groups 101

[A Mickeyfan]

Their "chanting" is just like the pop warner cheerleaders.. actually, I think the cheerleaders are worse, they do their moves with their chants/cheers. If you happen to be staying at a hotel where Pop Warner Cheerleaders are, you will hear them cheering at night too.. not just in the parks.. at least the BTG's don't do that.. they are normal teens..having fun around the hotels.

 

[Itinkso]

We were there last week and saw a number of tour groups. They appeared to be well-behaved as well as well-organized. The kept us entertained while waiting for Fantasmic - they led the thousands of people in the "wave." We weren't too impacted by their size; the only attraction we were on with them was Ellen and that holds quite a few hundred people!

 

[disneytati]

That's my favorite subject (just kidding).... unfortunately, all these comments are real (the good and bad ones). Everything depends on the tour group.
If you assume that every Brazilian teenager in WDW is able to talk in English fluently, you are absolutely wrong.
If you assume that a BTG is composed by upper class teens, you are redundantly wrong, middle class at most. Usually, Brazilian upper class would not use tour group services (not these clearly working in WDW).

Anyway, don't get me wrong, I'm Brazilian and the BTGs are really annoying (as well as any other unmannered tour group).

As Brazilian, I can see many details on a BTG, to guess the level of "politeness".
Ok.... it's not discriminatory... just a hint... considering my country and the intrinsic details (multi-cultural federation, economy at each region/state, education level, etc), try to see what's the Brazilian state/region... usually is specified by two letters (e.g: Brazil / CE, Brazil / MG)....

We (my family and I) learned on the hard way... but to avoid discrimination I will not mention any Brazilian region/state.

There are specific really bad tour groups, all of them "specialized" in teenagers... we avoid them independently the origin / region.

Of course, there are many regular (good, I meant) BTGs, all of them are official Disney travel agencies (RCA, Agaxtour, just to mention two)...

Coincidence or not, we only had problems with those non-"Disney Select Tour Operator".

So, generalization will not work and there is no easy answer...

We are going again for Christmas/New Year's Eve & Marathon... (dec/12 - Jan14), the ideia is avoid "X"TGs and have good time (not an easy task at this period of the year).

Hey!!! Good to find someone from Brazil here! I'm Brazilian too, and I was a tour guide some years ago. Took those HUGE groups to WDW in July... (I was the FLAG LADY...) They drove me nuts and I gave up being a tour guide. LOL

Well, you are absolutely RIGHT!!! Generalization will not work at all...

First of all, I completely understand your feelings. You have no idea how hard it was to try to control those kids for 15 days, usually taking the blame and listening to lots of complaints as if I had done horrible things. And many of them were not interested in WDW at all, didn't want to do anything except going on thrill rides, singing, dating, and partying (far away from their parents, what a great opportunity! LOL). It was a very frustrating experience to me.

However, there are some points I would like to clarify:

"English is a mandatory subject in private schools in Brazil starting at a very young age and is seriously drilled into students and taught for a few years (its entirely different than the horrendous second-language teaching in the U.S.)."

Yes, English is mandatory, but NOBODY learns anything at school. Classes are poor, students don't really want to learn, and the syllabus doesn't include much more than numbers, colors, the verb to Be and some very basic vocabulary. (just like the horrendous second-language teaching in the U.S.) I am an English teacher myself. I don't work in regular schools, I teach Brazilian adults how to speak English. I work for a Language School.

"In the Latin American culture, it's traditional for girls to celebrate their 15th birthday with a big party. From what I understand, in Brazil, the kids take a special trip instead of the party."

Yes, that's true. We have the special party, but it is very common for girls to have both the trip and the party. Some middle class (or even lower middle-class) families save money for years to send their 15-year-old girls to WDW. They often prefer the trip instead of the party. It's like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for them.

Fell free to ask more questions, if you are interested in trying to understand the BTG, ok? I'll be glad to answer!

Anyway, it's great to be here!

 

[disneytati]

Does anyone know if they are there in September? Just want to be prepared

No, I don't think you'll have those big groups in September. It's the hardest time here to miss school. (finals are around November...)

 

[SnowandMittens]

Hey!!! Good to find someone from Brazil here! I'm Brazilian too, and I was a tour guide some years ago. Took those HUGE groups to WDW in July... (I was the FLAG LADY...) They drove me nuts and I gave up being a tour guide. LOL

Well, you are absolutely RIGHT!!! Generalization will not work at all...

First of all, I completely understand your feelings. You have no idea how hard it was to try to control those kids for 15 days, usually taking the blame and listening to lots of complaints as if I had done horrible things. And many of them were not interested in WDW at all, didn't want to do anything except going on thrill rides, singing, dating, and partying (far away from their parents, what a great opportunity! LOL). It was a very frustrating experience to me.

However, there are some points I would like to clarify:

"English is a mandatory subject in private schools in Brazil starting at a very young age and is seriously drilled into students and taught for a few years (its entirely different than the horrendous second-language teaching in the U.S.)."

Yes, English is mandatory, but NOBODY learns anything at school. Classes are poor, students don't really want to learn, and the syllabus doesn't include much more than numbers, colors, the verb to Be and some very basic vocabulary. (just like the horrendous second-language teaching in the U.S.) I am an English teacher myself. I don't work in regular schools, I teach Brazilian adults how to speak English. I work for a Language School.

"In the Latin American culture, it's traditional for girls to celebrate their 15th birthday with a big party. From what I understand, in Brazil, the kids take a special trip instead of the party."

Yes, that's true. We have the special party, but it is very common for girls to have both the trip and the party. Some middle class (or even lower middle-class) families save money for years to send their 15-year-old girls to WDW. They often prefer the trip instead of the party. It's like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for them.

Fell free to ask more questions, if you are interested in trying to understand the BTG, ok? I'll be glad to answer!

Anyway, it's great to be here!

Welcome!

 

[JUJU814]

They all speak English. Very well.

This is the only thing that really bothers me about the groups: the kids pretend like they don't speak English, allowing them to get away with things when CMs have difficultly explaining things to them (i.e. using the single-rider lines!).

English is a mandatory subject in private schools in Brazil starting at a very young age and is seriously drilled into students and taught for a few years (its entirely different than the horrendous second-language teaching in the U.S.). Just about any middle and upper-class Brazilian speaks excellent English, and these tour groups are made-up of middle and upper-class students.

So if anybody runs into trouble with them, don't buy their "no English" excuse. They speak English, they know what you are saying.

I personally find the chanting annoying, but they're just kids having a good time. It does not bother me.

No, they don't "all" speak English very well. Our nanny is Brazilian and she has a many girlfriends here in the states that barely speak a word of English.

 

[MAH4546]

No, they don't "all" speak English very well. Our nanny is Brazilian and she has a many girlfriends here in the states that barely speak a word of English.

Yes, all middle and upper-class Brazilians speak English very well. Middle and upper-class Brazilians are not the ones that are immigrating to Boston, Miami and Newark taking nanny jobs.

 

[lionpryd]

As for me, I'll take the Brazilians over the cheer leaders any day.

 

[JUJU814]

Yes, all middle and upper-class Brazilians speak English very well. Middle and upper-class Brazilians are not the ones that are immigrating to Boston, Miami and Newark taking nanny jobs.

Out of curiosity, what qualifies you as an expert on Brazilians? Are you Brazilian? If not, I think your generalizations are a little presumptuous and offensive.

I just talked to my nanny, who by the way speaks PERFECT English and is middle class in Brazil, and NOT "all" do. If someone tells you no English, then why not take their word for it? she says she took English for years but didn't *really* learn real English until she came to the States.

She says it's more common now than before, but it is not everybody.

 

[JUJU814]

As for me, I'll take the Brazilians over the cheer leaders any day.

Oh my gosh, me too! LOL

 

[SnowandMittens]

Yes, all middle and upper-class Brazilians speak English very well. Middle and upper-class Brazilians are not the ones that are immigrating to Boston, Miami and Newark taking nanny jobs.

You are making a very generalized statement about a very large goup of people. You may want to re-think your post.

 

[MAH4546]

Out of curiosity, what qualifies you as an expert on Brazilians? Are you Brazilian? If not, I think your generalizations are a little presumptuous and offensive.

I just talked to my nanny, who by the way speaks PERFECT English and is middle class in Brazil, and NOT "all" do. If someone tells you no English, then why not take their word for it? she says she took English for years but didn't *really* learn real English until she came to the States.

She says it's more common now than before, but it is not everybody.

You are making a very generalized statement about a very large goup of people. You may want to re-think your post.

I was born n Fortaleza, Brazil and visit 1-2x a year. I think I know what I'm talking about. Middle and upper class Brazilians, by far and large, speak fluent English. That's a simple fact. It's mandatory education in private school curriculum and taught very well. It's been like this since the mid-1990s.

 

[SnowandMittens]

I was born n Fortaleza, Brazil and visit 1-2x a year. I think I know what I'm talking about. Middle and upper class Brazilians, by far and large, speak fluent English. That's a simple fact. It's mandatory education in private school curriculum and taught very well. It's been like this since the mid-1990s.

I'm just pointing out that you do not know everyone in the country of Brazil personally, therefore you do NOT know if "everyone" speaks english.

Now to say the majority of Brazillians do, why that is another statment entirely.

That's like saying all American school children can point out the United States on a map. Most can, but there are some that can't.

 

[Mom of 2 Wife of 1]

Does anybody know the times of the year when BTGs are most prominent in WDW? I believe it's June thru August, as well as December thru February, if I recall correctly. Can anyone confirm that, or does anyone know their school year calendar?

 

[MAH4546]

I'm just pointing out that you do not know everyone in the country of Brazil personally, therefore you do NOT know if "everyone" speaks english.

Now to say the majority of Brazillians do, why that is another statment entirely.

That's like saying all American school children can point out the United States on a map. Most can, but there are some that can't.

If you're going to make such an absurdly literal interpretation of the statement, then not "all" !razilians speak Portuguese for that matter.

 

[JUJU814]

I was born n Fortaleza, Brazil and visit 1-2x a year. I think I know what I'm talking about. Middle and upper class Brazilians, by far and large, speak fluent English. That's a simple fact. It's mandatory education in private school curriculum and taught very well. It's been like this since the mid-1990s.

Now see, not everyone, not even middle and upper class people, not everyone goes to private school. Mara, our nanny and very close friend of many years, her sister, my sister in law who is also Brazilian, all middle to upper class, took English for years in school in Brazil, thought they knew it, but realized how little they knew when she got here.

Majority is one thing..."everyone" is another..and to tell people not to fall for the " I don't speak English" thing because it's not true, well, I'm sorry, but that's just plain cabecuda.

 

[flip.daddy]

VIVA BRAZIL!!!!!!
arty:

 

[BarleyJack]

Now see, not everyone, not even middle and upper class people, not everyone goes to private school. Mara, our nanny and very close friend of many years, her sister, my sister in law who is also Brazilian, all middle to upper class, took English for years in school in Brazil, thought they knew it, but realized how little they knew when she got here.

Majority is one thing..."everyone" is another..and to tell people not to fall for the " I don't speak English" thing because it's not true, well, I'm sorry, but that's just plain cabecuda.

This means hard headed/stubborn, in case anyone was wondering LOL

 

[SnowandMittens]

If you're going to make such an absurdly literal interpretation of the statement, then not "all" !razilians speak Portuguese for that matter.

Don't make an absurdly literal post in the first place.

Touche!

 

[mattmommy]

Ok, one last comment about the Brazilians. It has produced the most beautiful people. Ok, I'm Irish and can't tan to save my life and my hair never grows. I'm very jealous.

That being said, staying where the cheerleaders do cheers at the crack of dawn (or REALLY late at night) is much worse.