Brazilian Tour Groups?

[bigtinkfun]

Hi,

I keep seeing mentions, here and there, of these dreaded Brazilian Tour Groups (BTG). I've never encountered one, and I'm wondering, what is it that makes them so horrible? And most importantly, when do they visit? Please fill in a baffled newbie.

Thanks!

 

[Dan Murphy]

I have never encountered them either, but in my readings here over the years, I gather that it is the bad manners, by American standards, of cutting in line and just, in general, being obnoxious. Again, it seems by American standards, though I guess by Brazilian standards, that is normal. That is how I have always interpreted what I have read here.

BTW, BTF, welcome to the DIS.

Dan

 

[Miss Mickey Mania]

My experience with BTG has been that they are LOUD LOUD LOUD - chanting and singing in line. Singing loudly when on rides and screaming when there's no need ie Spaceship Earth!!!

Also pushing through people who happen to walking in their heavenly path. These are just some things I have observed.

Louise

 

[zurgswife]

I've experienced them once and that was enough...LOUD, bad manners...ie cutting in line..and not just one or two people but 20 ...there are people everyday that do the same things it's just that they are in such large groups it is noticed right away...

 

[Gary M]

We have run into or maybe a more accurate statement is, they have run into us several times at WDW. What has been stated so far is very accurate. Not a pleasant experience being in the parks with them. Have never stayed at same resort with them, but that must be a nightmare.

I don't care what the PC people say, there is no excuse for this behavior from the little darlings.

 

[Gutto]

Dear friends, i am from Brazil , and just want to explain some things about Brazilian groups !

Disney is very popular in our country so every year (July and december) many travel agency make groups with adolescents (13 - 17 yrs). Particularly between 1994 to 1998 our economy was stabilize and dollar was relative cheap for us so large groups went to Disney but now everything CHANGE, dollar now is very expensive and it is very difficult to receive VISA to USA (Brazil is a pacify poor coutry). Please, understand that most of teenagers are travelling without their parents for the FIRST TIME and sometimes they make excess but i think never been obnoxious.

to Dan Murphy > NO, although we love music (we have Carnaval, samba...) we are a polite people.

to bigtinfun > Don t be afraid, as i said they are just teenagers in a group in a WONDERFUL an MAGIC place with excess of happiness.

I apologize for the BTB problems

Gutto

 

[Dan Murphy]

Thanks for the explanation, Gutto. Sounds like a reasonable explantion to me, though hope I don't experience any obnoxious guests, regardless from what country. And a big welcome to the DIS for you too. Hope to meet you guys some day!!!!

Dan

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Yes, we have encountered the tour groups last july. Some of our biggest problems were the lack of supervision by any adults. For a group of like 50 teen aged girls there were 2 adult chaperones. Not once did we hear these chaperones correct, discipline or even talk to the teenagers. They basically ignored them. I would say about 10 were on line at Spaceship Earth in front of us then about 20 more came and just hopped over the metal bars. No CM also I might add did anything about this.
Come on disney. you sure make it a point to print in about 10 languages no less that tips are customarily done etc. etc. in sit down restraunts when they give you the bill.

Well Disney how about you write a nice guest card in about 10 languages about what behavior is accepted in the parks etc. and what is not. Disney is sorely lacking in this and here is our other nightmare.
We had lunch at Crystal Palace, as did another group of 50 tour group girls. They refused to sit at their table and wait for the characters to come over, they kept getting up and running over to them. Finally I believe a cast member who spoke their native tongue came over and told them to sit down and wait their turn. I can't believe their chaperones cannot communite to the cms and find out what is expected a head of times in terms of manners etc.
This year we went in august and had to deal with all the ftp people , us included lol.

 

[hobogary]

Also to Gutto, notice the complaints here about the American Cheerleader groups and others. Seems like large groups of anything always are a bit of a problem.

 

[EJ Gracie]

A friend of ours is a CM working in the hotels and she told us some interesting things about the Brazilian tour groups. First, Disney charges the hell out of them for their hotel rooms and then the CMs are ordered to put them in resort hotel areas due for refurbishment. This is so when they trash the rooms, they get charged again for work that is going to happen anyway. (Smart move, IMHO).

They also make up what she called a "significant number" of WDW visitor complaints. They post extra security in resort areas around the Brazilian rooms and have thrown out MANY resort groups for unruly behavior. Many of the tour groups are teenagers from wealthy families and have a bad attitude to begin with. She says Disney makes so much off them that they are willing to put up with their crap.

Again, I am merely reporting what a trusted friend and CM said to me, and I have no reason to doubt her words. My own experience is that they are as adveritised and when we see them we always go the opposite they are going.

 

[MLAinVA]

We have encountered the dreaded BTG's as well. They are obnoxious, unruly and UNSUPERVISED. We do our best not to be at WDW in July and December. Hint, Mr. Eisner, maybe you find these groups to be profitable, but many other Disney customers are staying away because of the behavior problems.

 

[EpcotQueen]

We have visited WDW at various times throughout the year, encountering a BTG at each trip. Most of the threads imply that it is the teenagers who exibit rude behavior, but we have seen the same from all age groups represented. We have seen Asian groups who are the antithisis in behavior. Even if this is a cultural variant, bad behaior should not be tolerated. In Brazil, we would have to conform to the accepted behaioral practices. What is good for one is good for all.

 

[megrod74]

we had a similar experience with a large group from Argentina in Dec. 2000. (We know where they were from b/c of their songs/chanting).
VERY annoying.
I'm sure that large groups of teenagers, no matter what the nationality, are aggravating

 

[DaveH]

I have encountered the BTG many times over the years in Dec. I found them to be large group of teens. I have seen thier guides try to keep them in line. I found them overall no more worse or better than I have seen american teens in the same size group. After a couple of times on attractions with this kind of group I try to avoid them. Here is why. I went on Alien Encounter and high pitch teen girl screems started as soon as the lights went out and did not stop. I got the impression some teen was messying with a girl to get her going and it just multiply. I have seen this done and was behind a much smaller group of american teens in the Haunted Mansion in May and it ruined the HM for me. I went around again and enjoyed it. I have been around BTG and American teens with minimum adults around and they were more well behaved than most folks at WDW. I think some of it is they are usually in large numbers not smaller numbers. I have seen the tours break up in the morning into 3 or 4 groups of 30 or more. I think some of the things said are true and some are exagerated. This is just from my experiences with them.

 

[Aisling]

My family and I have encountered the Brazilian groups. It's great that they are so enthusiastic and are enjoying themselves, but there is a reason for their less-than-favorable reputation.

I would like to say to the Brazilian Diser who posted, the biggest problem I have with the groups is the rudeness in the form of shoving and line cutting. It's not just an occasional incident or two, but it truly is a problem. Were those teen-agers ever told that one person cannot hold spaces for 30 of their friends? When we see the Brazilian group somewhere in the parks, we head in the opposite direction. The loudness is obnoxious, and it is their right to sing and chant, but I wonder if they stop to think, or are told, that it may be disturbing to many people? Do they ever wonder why they are the only ones doing this?

To say they are teenagers is no excuse. There have been Japanese groups of teenager at WDW and they never shoved by me to get to the front of the line to meet up with friends.

Maybe it's a cultural thing, but that doesn't make it ok.

 

[phamton]

Whenever I encounter a big group of teenagers whether from Brazil or elsewhere, I try to avoid going on the same ride. Unfortunately my two teen sons keep finding us.

 

[CaipiraBob]

Oi Gutto,

My biggest kick out of the Brasilian groups is catching up on the what the popular music is. We were making drinking rounds at Epcot a few years back and ran into a group of girls singing some "Exaltasamba"..."Gamei" in particular. I always get a kick out of seeing the Green and Yellow all over the place.

Anyway, never a group of people so close to my own heart. Party wherever we are and all that. Anyway, after having been to Carnaval a couple of times, my perpective is that those groups are pretty tame.

Manda mais mulheres, amigo. Em alguns anos meu filho estará com fome, tambem.

 

[crzy4dsny]

I was a little concerned about this on my trip this past July. I was talking to a friend before I left and he said, " Oh no, your going to be there when the locusts are there". I said thats ok, bugs don't bother me. He then said Im not talking about the bugs Im talking about the Brazilians.

He told me he was there when they were and mentioned all the issues mentioned here. He is friendly with a few cm's and said they reefer to them as locusts.

I went the last week of July and did not encounter any. Is there a more specific time of year when they travel?

 

[HappyMommy2]

A relative of mine who lives in Europe has commented on how she's often embarrassed and dismayed by the manners of a good percentage of American tourist groups she sees at restaurants, museums, and other attractions in her town. So when I read about the Brazilian tourist groups, I wonder if the way we look at the BTGs is the way many Europeans look at A(merican)TGs!

This is a good reminder to me to be on my best behavior (and to teach my young sons about proper respect and etiquette) wherever we may be.

 

[Princesa]

True, true, HappyMommy2!

When traveling in Peru recently, I was mortified by some lovely American tourists. I even stepped in to serve as translator for one particular situation and started by asking the American to pipe down, no reason to yell at the cashier because you don't understand the currency. The extremely polite, (and also mortified), cashier thanked me later....and said he knew there were plenty of kind Americans--he just didn't usually get to meet them unless he traveled to the States. How sad that American tourists have that reputation as well.

Now, of course, that's no excuse for large groups of anyone being rude at Disney, but I agree...all the better reason for me to be the epitome of polite