Brazilian Tour Groups?

[edcarmo]

Sorry... it's a bit long.
Although I'm Brazilian and my family lives in Sao Paulo, everytime we go to WDW we avoid BTGs.
It's quite easy to us do it in the lines (understanding what is written in their t-shirts and identifying from where they came), but is impossible to do it in shows/parades/fireworks like Fantasmic, Illuminations and Wishes.
I already tried to talk to some of these travel agencies and always they refused to admit they were annoying (and I was considered the boring guy by them). In fact, some of these travel agencies tape the BTGs in WDW to use it as sales argument. Of course, this way these travel agencies not only influence the bad behavior but attracts who already tend to it.

I would understand if their (BTGs) behavior were annoying only to non-Brazilians (it would be a "cultural thing"), but they are annoying to us too, cutting lines, chanting, and believe me, singing Brazilian anthem during Fantasmic at Jul/4th is not what we do not typicaly admit.

 

[edcarmo]

singing Brazilian anthem during Fantasmic at Jul/4th is not what we do not typicaly admit.

sorry... I meant: we do not admit that ...

 

[civileng68]

Sorry... it's a bit long.
Although I'm Brazilian and my family lives in Sao Paulo, everytime we go to WDW we avoid BTGs.
It's quite easy to us do it in the lines (understanding what is written in their t-shirts and identifying from where they came), but is impossible to do it in shows/parades/fireworks like Fantasmic, Illuminations and Wishes.
I already tried to talk to some of these travel agencies and always they refused to admit they were annoying (and I was considered the boring guy by them). In fact, some of these travel agencies tape the BTGs in WDW to use it as sales argument. Of course, this way these travel agencies not only influence the bad behavior but attracts who already tend to it.

I would understand if their (BTGs) behavior were annoying only to non-Brazilians (it would be a "cultural thing"), but they are annoying to us too, cutting lines, chanting, and believe me, singing Brazilian anthem during Fantasmic at Jul/4th is not what we do not typicaly admit.

THANK YOU!!!! I guess that sums up every point I've made.

You also mentioned something I forgot to..........the singing loudly, which is done everywhere from queue lines to restauraunts.

 

[LIIRISHMAN]

A number of years ago my 4 yr old daughter was waiting with my wife to see Minnie Mouse.They were near the Firehouse at the top of Main St. There were several people on line including my daughter and wife when the escorting CM said that Minnie needed a break and my daughter would be the last guest before she would go. A Brazillian tour group suddenly appeared and rushed Minnie the CM and my wife and daughter. My daughter was knocked to the ground and Minnie was as well. The escorting CM was pushed away.
(I was on line at Casey's getting some drinks). WDW security was called my daughter had several cuts that required a trip to the Firs Aid room next to Casey's. I'm a church going person and try to live and let live but this really soured me on Brazillian tour groups. Also as a side note my daughter was led back up to the gates where the parade ends and was given a private audience with Cindy,Minnie and the Fairy Godmother. It was the highlight of my daughter's vacation

 

[mousemeat]

I'm tentatively planning a trip to WDW next Jan. 23 to 26 and am a bit concerned about crowds and disruptive groups. My family is good about getting to parks at or before opening. Are the groups usually arriving that early as well?

 

[disneymomof2boyz]

I am laughing to myself reading this thread, because I am also Brazilian, but I consider myself very Americanized becuase I came to the US when I was 6. I also find these tour groups extremely annoying, and my Brazilian husband also does. The yelling, singing, dancing, and cutting in line, is downright annoying and obnoxious. We are so annoyed by them that we refuse to speak a word of Portuguese when around them so others don't mistake us, and associate us with them. I do feel that Brazilians need to take in consideration others' cultures, and there are some that do, but a good majority does not.
The majority of the kids that come on these tour groups do not come from a poverty-stricken home, most of them are very well off. So, I as a Brazilian don't feel sorry for them at all.

 

[M-I-C-K-E-Y]

You know what they think about us? THat we are a bunch of uptight, unable to have fun, panties in a bunch group of gringos, who don't know how to have fun (yell, sing and be obnoxious hehe) unless they've downed a 6 pack. That our English roots bring in the stiffness, boring and intolerance...

Being of British descent here in the United States and having been taught manners that are deemed proper in most civilized parts of the globe might only be interpreted as "stiff" or "boring" to those looking for an excuse to act imappropriately. Just as when one is a guest in another's home, when one is a guest in a foreign country they have a responsibility to behave accordingly. It's certain that there are always exceptions to the rule (after all, we're considered "Ugly Americans" in France, which tells us that some of our tourist countrymen are acting like fools in Europe) but I would never, ever consider making excuses for those ugly tourists.

If "stiff" means we are thoughtful, educated (in that we comprehend the cultural differences between other regions and countries) and follow the rules, then I'm proud to be an American.

 

[JSTX]

The majority of the kids that come on these tour groups do not come from a poverty-stricken home, most of them are very well off. So, I as a Brazilian don't feel sorry for them at all.

It was explained to us last week how most of the kids actually make money by coming on the trip from Brazil. Evidently they have it worked out where they go shopping and haul back a bunch of stuff that is sold in Brazil. For example, customs allows them to haul back 20 pairs of blue jeans with the tags still on. Before they come, they are given a list of things to purchase, and in some cases, their parents call ahead with credit cards to prepurchase the merchandise. The kids just go pick it up. They are encouraged to bring very little luggage so they can haul the stuff back. If you look at the itinerary for their trips, you will see that each trip includes at least a day of shopping around Orlando at specific locations.

Anyhow, prior to this trip I wondered how SO many kids from Brazil were able to afford the trip... now come to find out they are basically earning money by coming.

 

[HopperFan]

Just returned today and I was very very surprised at the excellent behavior shown by the tour groups of teens from Brazil. I have been there several times with them before and this last week was a completely different side. They were so quiet it was almost strange and it seemed as though they had been given strict orders. No chanting, no singing, no pushing Well behaved teens at the parks with us all week.

The only impact I could see was when they stopped to talk and suddenly the walkway was blocked (and I blame their guide for that) and when you would approach fastpass line, quick run ahead of them. I don't know how it worked but their guides were always at the fastpass line with a stack of passes and just handed them out ??? They were crisp and didn't look like they came from the machine. Suddenly there were 30 people in line in front of you.

What we did experience was quite a few adults with horrible manners. Trying to cut in lines for characters, pushing, allowing their children to throw food in restaurants, treating employees like servants etc. CMs did their best to keep harmony and smiles on their faces, but they were offensive .

 

[hmerritt]

They are so rude having no regard for small children in their path. It seems every time I am there they tend to trample one of my children and when I say something to them about their behavior and how they are going to hurt someone, they pretend to have no idea what I am saying. They are extremely infuriating to me.

They seem to run like a pack of wolves as if the ride is shutting down in 10 seconds and they will never be able to ride again. It's ridiculous.

Heather

 

[Markstudy]

They seem to run like a pack of wolves as if the ride is shutting down in 10 seconds and they will never be able to ride again. It's ridiculous. Heather

So is it safe to say?... Stay away from Disney in Jan and June
and you'll be safe from BTG's wolf packs

 

[fumipappa]

They are so rude having no regard for small children in their path. It seems every time I am there they tend to trample one of my children and when I say something to them about their behavior and how they are going to hurt someone, they pretend to have no idea what I am saying. They are extremely infuriating to me.

The only impact I could see was when they stopped to talk and suddenly the walkway was blocked (and I blame their guide for that) and when you would approach fastpass line, quick run ahead of them.

But I saw similar behavior from American families when I visited WDW last week. They are stopping at middle of walkway suddenly and blocked others. And I saw a lot of American kids running around fastpass machine and hitting/pushing/blocking other people. So I think it is not just behavior of one particular ethnic grroup...

 

[Linus Van Pelt]

We're going in May, when we've always gone, and I haven't encountered them.

Oh, thank heavens!

 

[Luv4Disney]

So is it safe to say?... Stay away from Disney in Jan and June
and you'll be safe from BTG's wolf packs

Thank goodness. May and early Dec. Hopefully we'll stay in the clear.

 

[Jynohn]

We go to Disney every January and have been encountering the BTG's for years now. To be honest, I have never seen them pushing ahead in line and though they do tend to travel in packs, we usually just try to go the opposite direction when we see them coming. In our experience, the chanting and singing has toned down a bit over the years, so maybe someone at Disney is addressing the problem and letting the tour guides know that it's not acceptable.

The one thing that irritates us, though, is the continuous talking during rides. I think it's because many of them don't understand English well, so they're not interested in the dialogue, but it's very annoying to be sitting in front of someone on a ride and having the people in back of you talking loudly throughout. And I don't mean a comment here or there, but a full on conversation. It's not yelling or screaming, but it still kind of ruins the atmosphere.

 

[firsttimemom]

Just returned today and I was very very surprised at the excellent behavior shown by the tour groups of teens from Brazil.

Ditto. We were in the 'World 1/19 through 1/26. There were LOTS of tour groups and after what I had read hear I was a bit dismayed. But I heard no chanting/singing and saw no egregious line cutting (maybe 1 or 2 kids).

 

[praline3001]

We were there Feb 1-8 and saw many still there.

My DS10 and 13 were with them.

We didn't have any problems ... there were a few groups who did cheers here and there and they had a cheer contest before Fantasmic started but once the show was on they were all polite and well behaved.

We thought the cheers were cute but then again the groups we saw cheering just did short little cheers and shut up... nothing like I have read about them going on and on for hours.

 

[MineMail]

Interesting article on Yahoo! - says that the French are the least-liked tourists globally. Americans are 11th on the list; the Japanese and Germans are #1 and #2.


news.yahoo.com/s/time/20080707/wl_time/mostobnoxioustouriststhefrench

 

[Doc CW]

We have a trip planned for Jan of 09 so I hope we dont run into any issues while we are there, I unfortunately have a low tolerance for rude people at WDW

 

[jezebella]

They weren't at all rude...but yesterday I counted at least 15 groups in the MK.