Brazilian tour groups??

[asta]

for every person who thinks these groups are harmless teensm, having fun, there are at least 10 otheres who know better.

disney really needs to do something about controlling the behavior of these groups. just because you are part of a large group does not make you above the rules, or more important than any other guest.. and, yes, we are ALL GUESTS at WDW.

This is the best post so far regarding this problem. I know a few people may be lucky enough to avoid the problem but my experiences over several July trips convince me otherwise. I actually wonder if some of these posts are from WDW trying to convince me that the tour groups are not a problem. Just kidding, I guess I have never been as lucky as some of you.

I do think that WDW does need to do something about the tour group abuse of the Single Rider Lines. It is a single rider line, there is absolutely no reason for you to cut through the line to join your 50 or so best friends no matter what language you speak.

 

[Disney_Jill]

I was there from June 26-30 and then one night July 7th (Thurs.) to the 8th. We saw groups from Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and somewhere else in S. America that I can't remember. They were EVERYWHERE. However, the only time I saw them chanting was when they were making a video (out of the way of people). They had a lot of adult chaperones (some appeared to be family members?) and it seemed that they all had their own tour busses to take them to the parks. I spoke to one Brazilian (red shirt) chaperone. She didn't speak much English and I don't speak Portuguese but I do speak some Spanish. She had 120 kids (all girls, about 12-13 yrs old) in her group (there was more than one chaperone) and they were going to Universal that day (I met her at our hotel, CBR). They were having a nice time but didn't like the rain.
We were only at the hotel one night and I saw a red shirt in the window (eek!!) but I have to say, I didn't hear a peep out of them and only heard them in the morning walking out to their bus to Universal. No late night screaming and carrying on or anything. And I had seen them going out the night before around 10 pm (maybe to DD?). I will add that when I saw them in the parks in June and this time in July, they had a Disney employee with them and they stayed with the flag carrier. Maybe that helped their behavior this year?

 

[TinkPearl]

We went the last week of January this year.......weather was great (cold some days, but we prefer that) crowds were super low....the ONLY bad thing was the Brazilian tour groups!! :/ We avoided them as much as possible but we witnessed a lot of obnoxious behavior from them. Our next trip we are going the first week of Feb instead.....we went that week in 2009 and never saw them.

 

[chiefmickeymouse]

We went in mid-Feb of 2008 and they were everywhere. In October we didn't see any at all. We did find them somewhat annoying because of their sheer numbers and a few minor incidents we were subjected to. We don't have to put up with them at the resorts because we stay at SOG.

I like kids and have teenagers and I don't resent their presence, but I do think more could be done to regulate the behaviors of any large group of underage people set loose in the parks.

 

[excited4dis]

Just great!

I am staying at ASMo July 28th - Aug. 3. If I had known that tour groups would be staying there at that time, I would have waited another week or so to go.

I'm not worried about the noise, but just them hogging up the busses and lines on the rides.

 

[mouskemomof2]

Now I'm getting all sorts of nervous about our trip next week. I WILL NOT let tour group kids cut us in line. My kids hate waiting in line too, but the reality is that EVERYONE has to wait. My arms will be FIRMLY planted on the guide rails in the lines.

 

[KristiKat]

Now I'm getting all sorts of nervous about our trip next week. I WILL NOT let tour group kids cut us in line. My kids hate waiting in line too, but the reality is that EVERYONE has to wait. My arms will be FIRMLY planted on the guide rails in the lines.

That's what I had to do when I finally got tired of it all.

 

[flipflopmom]

Just got back - 3am today. They weren't tooo bad... if you zig when they zag. They weren't at our resort, so no issues there or with transportation. Biggest issues were just the sheer numbers. Yes, they camp out for fireworks and parades. Yes, they will GREATLY increase your wait time for rides, and yes, their tour leaders do take their tickets for fastpasses. We saw them at rope drop, and park closing, so they're there all day. Only a couple of times did we have a ride (Splash both times) less than pleasant due to cheering, and one rude group in a line at BTMRR. Most were quiet, sweet to my girls with smiles, etc.

I always thought they were primarily July visitors, but we had an interesting conversation at Tusker House with our waitress. Our comment was something to the effect of "Welcome to July at WDW," to which she replied - "late June-September." She also said that as waitresses, they keep them afloat once the typical early August crowds leave, mid-Aug. through Sept. they keep the restaurants going. I guess that automatic 18% gratituity makes it worth it for them....

 

[mydisneykids]

Back at Saratoga Springs from a day in the parks and our first July trip (we are usually August, November and April). They are everywhere and did find ways most of the time to avoid them. But tonight leaving MK there were a number of their groupsnwaiting for the ferry. The chanting was so loud we could hear it rather loudly in the bus area. I could only imagine if I was waiting for that ferry how loud it was up close.
That was the first time I had a majorly negative feeling towards the groups.

 

[Scrooge Jr]

 

[jamimb]

Just back last week! Tour groups everywhere! The chanting was so very annoying in lines and during wishes they made A LOT of noise and I wanted to hit somebody because I couldnt hear a thing but the thing that really got under my skin and aggravated the stew out of me happened at The Crystal Palace.

The Tour groups literally took up the entire right side of the restaurant and half of the left side where we were seated. We had eaten salads, main courses and desserts and still did not see one character. A CM came to our table and told us it was the tour groups on the other side refusing to let the character move on. An hour and a half later (we were long done eating) when the characters start to move over to our side of the restaurant the tour groups actually get out of their seats and mob the characters. I have never seen anything like it. Finally several cast members moved my family and about 4 other families into the middle of the restaurant and we met the characters there. The whole time the poor CM's had to fend of the tour group people! It was insane and I was mad to say the least!

 

[deejohn]

The last 5 years the south american soccer teams have been down the 1st week of Dec, along with the Pop Warner teams.

 

[disneygirl777]

I'm pretty sure they're there all year from what I hear.
I always go in July and there are tons of them. It's miserable. But I did go over Spring Break once and they were there also. You just can't escape them.

 

[mmtska]

Well they were there last week and we tried to avoid them as much as possible. The only places it got really annoying was the Jungle Cruise when a leader and a kid pushed past us and knocked my friend's daughter over while we were standing in line. The CM apologized but it's not like it was her fault.

Space Mtn was bad. I was annoyed already, and they were trying to high five us in line. We were in the FP line and they were everywhere in the line. When we finally got up to the loading zone they were cheering and clapping so loud (plus it echos in there) that a CM had to go up and quiet them down. It was to the point my ears actually hurt-not an exaggeration.....

 

[puntagordabob]

Just back last week! Tour groups everywhere! The chanting was so very annoying in lines and during wishes they made A LOT of noise and I wanted to hit somebody because I couldnt hear a thing but the thing that really got under my skin and aggravated the stew out of me happened at The Crystal Palace.

The Tour groups literally took up the entire right side of the restaurant and half of the left side where we were seated. We had eaten salads, main courses and desserts and still did not see one character. A CM came to our table and told us it was the tour groups on the other side refusing to let the character move on. An hour and a half later (we were long done eating) when the characters start to move over to our side of the restaurant the tour groups actually get out of their seats and mob the characters. I have never seen anything like it. Finally several cast members moved my family and about 4 other families into the middle of the restaurant and we met the characters there. The whole time the poor CM's had to fend of the tour group people! It was insane and I was mad to say the least!

Oh my..they are rude to coral the characters in such a way that other families are squeezed out of seeing them... Unacceptable.

 

[Invisable89]

My Auntie & her family went to WDW last Summer (early July) & she saw more & more tour groups as the month went on, she was there for 18 days.

One thing that shocked her was the lack of dignity some of the girls have, on one occasion whilst waiting in the Splash Mountain queue a girl around 18 or so was jigging up & down on the spot, moving her torso around blatantly pushing her breasts into her son's (my 15 year old cousin) face! He was at the front of my Aunt's family & the Brazilian girl was at the back of her rather large tour group - all the other teenagers thought it was hilarious & my cousin was mortified so my Aunt moved him behind her husband.

Also whilst in MK a tour group came & sat/stood next to my Aunt's family on Main Street's curb whilst waiting for the afternoon parade & they were so LOUD - chanting, singing, making rude gestures etc - lovely. One of the guy's also decided to try & trip up people walking infront along Main Street until a cast member noticed & came over quickly & had a few words with him, he sulked & shut up.. for a while.



Do they mainly go to WDW in July onwards? What about May/June?

 

[Vegcentric]

I remember the groups being back in like, '97...can't remember the exact year I went when we ran into them, but they were out in full force and line cutting like crazy. They kept saying, "oh just my cousin! Just my cousin!" and then 50 of them would jump into the line in front. Really disrespectful to the other guests.

I'm going in late August...really hope they aren't going to be a problem then, but I am bracing myself...

 

[Eddie75]

I don't want to see them there either. We had really bad experiences with the rude and uncontrolled Brazilian tour groups. We'll be there August 18th and I hope they aren't.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Just back last week! Tour groups everywhere! The chanting was so very annoying in lines and during wishes they made A LOT of noise and I wanted to hit somebody because I couldnt hear a thing but the thing that really got under my skin and aggravated the stew out of me happened at The Crystal Palace.

The Tour groups literally took up the entire right side of the restaurant and half of the left side where we were seated. We had eaten salads, main courses and desserts and still did not see one character. A CM came to our table and told us it was the tour groups on the other side refusing to let the character move on. An hour and a half later (we were long done eating) when the characters start to move over to our side of the restaurant the tour groups actually get out of their seats and mob the characters. I have never seen anything like it. Finally several cast members moved my family and about 4 other families into the middle of the restaurant and we met the characters there. The whole time the poor CM's had to fend of the tour group people! It was insane and I was mad to say the least!

Wow is all I can say about what you experienced.

 

[bjakmom]

We had the same experience last week with our early CP breakfast. We had an 8:05 ADR and were seated on time. The entire other side of the restaurant was then filled with a large tour group. Piglet and Tigger came through right away and then we waited....and waited.... and waited for Pooh and Eeyore. The waiter told us that they were held up on the other side. I imagine that every single person on the other side wanted an autograph and picture as opposed to the 'family' pics they were trying to take on our side. Finally at 8:55 I left the kids there to wait while I ran for Space Mt. FPs. I got back at 9:15 and Pooh and Eeyore were just getting to the table.

Our experience of the chanting was that it was much less than other years. We found the groups overall pretty easy to tolerate - we didn't see any pushing or cutting in line over 8 days. There was some making out - my DNiece (10) kept pointing that out to me - but nothing really over the top IMHO.

The one thing we were really annoyed with was when several huge groups were allowed to swarm the Soarin' FP line at about 12:30/1 PM. We got in line with a 60 minute wait at noon - at 12:30 you could see the flags filling in the FP line - they announced that the wait had just increased to 90 minutes. We decided to keep waiting since we weren't too far back. About 20 minutes later they announced the wait had increased to 120 mins. Everyone in the standby line was furious that Disney allowed them to do that. Apparently they have their guides get all the morning FPs and then wait until later and all come into the FP line together. There were 3 - 5 HUGE groups who came in - they let us stand and stand, not even moving an inch at one point for 25 minutes - people were very upset and feeling like 2nd class guests in disney's eyes - that is not the way the FP line is supposed to work and everyone in line knew it. Disney needs to figure out a better way to let these large groups use the FP and single rider lines.