Concerned about tour groups

[MDer2FL]

Well, some eye-opening remarks here, for sure.

It will not go well if my kids are pushed around, out of line, etc. I don't care what someone's "culture" or "status" is, that simply will not go well. Welcome to America, dig?

 

[Bluer101]

Well, some eye-opening remarks here, for sure.

It will not go well if my kids are pushed around, out of line, etc. I don't care what someone's "culture" or "status" is, that simply will not go well. Welcome to America, dig?

Just stand your ground. It's not real bad but annoying.

 

[DryCreek]

Just stand your ground. It's not real bad but annoying.

I would stand with both arms spread - gripping the rails/chains while in line. Also kept legs splayed apart to keep the little beggars from trying to slip under my arms while they attempted to push ahead. Any guff from the younger ones got "the stare and snarl" from the bearded redneck-looking Mare-kin wearing the cammie T-shirt and boots. That was usually enough to stop the younger ones and the teens. The mouthy parents were sometimes treated to the "special language skills" I picked up during my six year stint in the Navy.....
And yes, if you use profanity slowly enough - they understand perfectly what you are saying you are fixin' to do to them.

 

[Portugal1000]

We were there for 3 weeks from 27th July last year and ran into quite a few tour groups. We had heard the expression "being Braziliand" which my son thought was hilarious and to be honest it was quite funny every time we did encounter them and got Braziliand" There were just so many and I was amazed how the tour guide could even keep track of them. I never saw any really bad behaviour and infact never saw them queuing for a ride. They always seem to be sitting on the floor in large groups. We saw them at Mall of millenia and then a mass of bags with one poor guy having to look after them all while the kids went shopping.
They are easy to avoid so I wouldn't worry. We are back for 3 weeks from 22nd July this year so definitely didn't us off.

 

[asta]

I can't help telling my story. It doesn't make me look good but it is cathartic to confess about my encounter with a Brazilian woman. We were watching an afternoon parade at WDW when my daughters were very young (4 &7). Disney gave out character stickers and when that character sticker came by they were supposed to join them for a dance (this was a very, very, very bad idea that I am sure sounded good at first). We were on a bench in a packed area (another bad idea) and the minute my girls got up to join their character, a Brazalian woman and two teens jumped up and stood on the bench where my daughters would have to return (there was really no other space). I told them no, they said no English. When my daughters tried to return to us pushing began. It was the closest I have ever come to a fight and I did push the woman back. It ended up with the woman and the teens taking suckers out of their mouths and sticking them in our drinks.

In our family it is still known as the day mom got in a fight and the last afternoon parade we ever watched. Really I was so traumatized that I have never watched another afternoon parade.

 

[MDer2FL]

Thanks for sharing, asta. Sad you & your girls were subjected to that.

It sounds like Universal may be a bit more proactive about stopping some of the most egregious behavior. We're planning 3 days in those parks so I certainly hope so. We don't intend to do more than 2 days at WDW this trip, but that will be cut to 1 if the situation warrants.

This kind of stuff does not bode well for any future Central FL vacation planning for our family. Even if it's "just" a month or two of the year, the anemic response it sounds like the parks have given so far really leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Of course I'll wait to see for myself, but reading so many negative experiences doesn't make me want to run down and spend thousands of dollars with these companies.

 

[Dizisfun]

Not getting a warm fuzzy feeling here, folks...

Are we talking real in-your-face, "violent" kind of stuff??? We'll have 3 little girls with us. I don't want to have to spend the kind of money we're spending (esp. on-site at UO) only to feel we have to "run away" at the parks! And trust me, I'm not the type of mama who will run away quietly! Should I be looking into a date change???

They are RUDE! But they are not in your face violent. Stand your ground. Dh had to put a few in there place when we were at Disney in 2010. They will "act" like they don't speak English. But trust me, they understand what you are saying to them. Don't let them line jump, which they will try to do.

If we see them ahead of time we just try and avoid wherever they are going. Lol

 

[Dizisfun]

It is not that bad or we would not go each year. Just be prepared for some rude people. They are not in your face violent. They normally play the no English card and don't understand. You should see the TM's when putting them in rows on the coasters. They don't listen and go where ever they want. After a few times it gets comical.

We ran into one issue last summer on hulk. Most of the group was ahead of us when about 10 others were trying to cut all the way up to the rest of the group. Well the guy in front of me and myself blocked the line and they got pissed. They kept yelling up above to rest of the group that we won't let them by. We told them they can wait for you. After a few minutes the group ahead waited. When we past them I'm sure they were saying nice things to us in their language.

We have done the same thing! Well my husband gets me to follow his lead. We look at each other and then block them. They do get pissed! Lol

 

[princessmerida]

The worst experience we have encountered was this past February. We in line for the monorail after Wishes and there was a group pretty much surrounding us. They were cheering so loudly that they were waking little kids up and some kids were even covering their ears and crying. The more people asked them to stop, the louder they got. People did conplain to cast members and if I remember correctly nothing was done. We made sure we got on the opposite end of the monorail than they did.

 

[bumbershoot]

Well, some eye-opening remarks here, for sure.

It will not go well if my kids are pushed around, out of line, etc. I don't care what someone's "culture" or "status" is, that simply will not go well. Welcome to America, dig?

Because Americans are so good at respecting the cultures of countries they visit? Ha!

 

[MDer2FL]

Because Americans are so good at respecting the cultures of countries they visit? Ha!

Why yes, we are. Down to our military (even to our detriment, IMO).

BTW --- Happy Memorial Day Weekend and God bless all veterans, active serving, & their families!

 

[asta]

Because Americans are so good at respecting the cultures of countries they visit? Ha!

I don't believe this. I also don't believe that all groups of teens behave as terribly as theses South Americans.

I never accept the argument that it is OK for me to behavie poorly because someone else is also behaving poorly. That is the worst, most pitiful excuse ever.

 

[MDer2FL]

I never accept the argument that it is OK for me to behavie poorly because someone else is also behaving poorly. That is the worst, most pitiful excuse ever.

 

[SwirlyGirly]

We had an awful run-in with them last year. We spent the morning in the studios and got in line to enter IOA after lunch. My 2 young kids and I were about 14th in line at our turnstile. There were what seemed to be hundreds of these young girls sitting on the ground all around, just hanging out. It turned out that the guy who was 2-3 people ahead of us was a tour guide, and suddenly we weren't 2nd or 3rd in line, we were 102nd. All those girls on the ground were "in line" via their tour guide.
I was pissed off. So I went to the 2 people who were running the turnstile and expressed my opinion. The were 2 working it, a woman and a man who had on a Brazilian flag pin! He was just letting them all in, and wouldn't even acknowledge the fact that I was trying to speak to him. The woman working the turnstile was also getting upset and was telling him to stop. He completely ignored her too. She called in a manager. The manager was a large man, both tall and with girth. He yelled at the turnstile worker and then GRABBED the tour guide by the shirt and told him that he is putting the word out that this particular group will be watched closely, and if they try to cut again in this manner, they will be turned out of the park. The tour guide sure seemed as if he understood then.
I finally, 45 min later, got through the gate and took off to take my kids on Cat in the Hat. I didn't stick around to hear what else the manager had to say to the man running the turnstile, but I'm sure it wasn't pretty.

 

[SwirlyGirly]

My children go to a school where the students are from the higher, upper classes of many countries, including, by the way, Brazil! They do not act this way. When they travel, they behave very well. They've been raised to in a way that all but guarantees they will behave properly. So I'm not buying that the reason they're so rude is because they are wealthy.

It's not so much as not respecting personal space as it has to do with their "caste". Remember, these are the offspring of the very upper class of their country, and they are a spoiled bunch - very used to being catered to. An international trip to a well known destination is so far out of the reach of the common person in their home country that they may never set foot in a destination we take for granted (i.e. WDW, DL, USO/IOA, Seaworld, etc.).

We usually run into the large, chanting teen crowds at WDW when we travel in February (their summer - Southern Hemisphere). We were standing behind a group that wouldn't be still or be quiet while attempting to watch IllumiNations. My wife said to me "what are they chanting? You speak Spanish (native Texan)". I laughed and told her "honey, they speak Portuguese, they're from Brasil, and aren't smart enough to speak Spanish". That's when I learned that they really do have a pretty good amount of English comprehension.

 

[Bluer101]

My children go to a school where the students are from the higher, upper classes of many countries, including, by the way, Brazil! They do not act this way. When they travel, they behave very well. They've been raised to in a way that all but guarantees they will behave properly. So I'm not buying that the reason they're so rude is because they are wealthy.

I think they were talking about the kids from Brazil that live there and just visit with these tour groups. Not a generalization of Brazilians. .

 

[DryCreek]

Because Americans are so good at respecting the cultures of countries they visit? Ha!

As a young sailor, I did!
Probably the most severe cultural taboo I violated was to be too casually dressed for an event. This was is Perth, Australia - where it was explained to me (quietly, and off to the side) that in more civilised countries, casual attire did NOT include blue jeans. This was with a pair of Wranglers in good repair, my nice boots and a pearl-snap western cut shirt. My Texas heritage tended to show through.

Now, the advertisement did state that dress was casual (my interpretation error). Oh, the name of the venue? Dirty Dicks Bawdy Banquets!

This was in 1983.

 

[winkytink]

I have never experienced these groups but I can share my personal experiences with other cultures. My godmother is Brazilian and she is certainly not like these brats. Her kids aren't either and they didn't even speak English until they were ten and twelve, having been raised in Brazil.

I think this can be explained by their caste system as well as having less regard for personal space. Americans have the largest radius for personal space versus any other culture. Chinese I believe have the smallest radius.

Earlier this year DH and I took DD and DS to our zoo (we are members). We wanted to watch the elephant show so we found some standing room since the bleachers were already full. Cue two adult males who proceeded to stand practically on top of DS (who is 3 and short for his age) and start speaking loudly to one another in a Middle Eastern dialect. They kept pressing and pressing. I started pressing back. They acted like they didn't notice but they inched off just a bit. What finally got them to move TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AMPHITHEATER? DS placed his hand on one of the men's backsides! *hysterical laughter* Apparently small children don't have personal space boundaries either!! DS has always been like this; he will walk past ANYONE and if they are too close, he will brush his little hand right across their bum!! It is usually mortifying but this time it worked to our advantage.

Now, speaking honestly concerning young people with zero regard to culture - I have had children as young as nine push through my kids and I while holding hands like they are in a game of Red Rover and not say a word. I've dealt with tweens and teens who cause scenes and curse, smoke, make out, roughhouse, and cut in line in very public places in front of my preschoolers. They were all American. I think this is less about one culture and more about the devolution of human society.

Of course, I do see that the numbers concerning WDW and these Brazilian groups are strongly turned in the same direction. And now I know - stay away from WDW (and Florida in general!) in January and July.

 

[Bluer101]

This past stay for the 9 days had a lot of tour groups again. But this year I'm proud to say that they seemed not as rude. Both DW and I commented on what we saw. The only thing that was still a problem was the laying all over the place right outside rides and the chanting in lines. I understand the excitement but chanting is a little much.

 

[MaestroTK]

I am here in WDW now and was told that the sidewalk was closed outside Fantasmic at 6:30pm because hundreds of students from the Brazilian tour groups were lined up already. The cast member told me to come back for the 10:30 show. I told him that with a 5 & 7 year old I would not be back.

To me the tour groups should be asked to attend the later show. They groups are all young teens who can handle the later time.

For the first come, first served crowd... There is no way to compete with 2.5 hours ahead. What's next, 3 hours?