For those going soon...they're baaaack...tour groups

[CJB2002]

2 days ago we were in Animal Kingdom. A group of about 30 of the teens in a group from Latin America were dancing to/with the street performers in Africa. I usually see people walk on by these performers or just stop for a minute and then head on their way. These kids really got into it. A crowd formed to watch it, the performers loved it, the kids were having a great time it was just a purely spontaneous fun moment. We haven't had any problems with the teen groups but the larger, I'm assuming Latin American, family tour groups have been a problem. Just the other day I had my 10 year old daughter basically pulled away from me and sucked up in a crowd of people, all wearing the same shirts, following a tour guide and definitely old enough to know better. She's a small, painfully shy child and she was terrified. I had to push my way into the group and they didn't really want to let me in. It was a moment of pure panic for me. It was also the only down point of our trip but it put a damper on much of the day

 

[Violet Parr]

FWIW, I have seen them many times (lived in Florida for a while and spent pretty much the whole summer at WDW, esp. July through August.) I have never ONCE witnessed a obnoxiousness from them. I'm not at all denying it has happened to others, of course. I have just found that if they are there when you are, you are not guaranteed to have a negative interaction. We generally give them wide berth, as we would if we saw any clump of crowd in the parks. (For example, if we are headed to Living with the Land followed by Nemo and we see a group headed toward the Land, we will do Nemo first and then come back to LwtL.)

We had a HORRIBLE experience once in the line to Pirates. Behind us was a large group of Brazilian kids in matching shirts. In front of us was a family with mom, dad, aunt, uncle, and two kids. The mom was verbally abusing her children (badly...it was so uncomfortable and ugly, I was nearly in tears and I was having to try to comfort my kids, who are not perfect angels and are not unfamiliar with a very upset mom from time to time!) When we got up to the point where they split you (send you off to the other side of boats or let you get on immediately) we asked the cast member to please let us wait a second before moving on. He thought we were complaining about the tour group behind us. We said 'NO! We don't want to ride with that family!" He laughed ,and then the Brazilian boy directly behind us joked around with my kids to cheer them up. He was a very sweet teen.

It's important to remember that in spite of cultural differences, these groups are children. They are our guests and they should behave themselves, obviously, but American teenagers are not exactly immune to shenanigans in group situations. If the teens behind us had been misbehaving, we would have had something to say about it, for sure. And we definitely wouldn't let it slide if a small child was endangered. But I think just seeing the groups and automatically assuming trouble is perhaps a little unfair. The worst behavior I have ever seen in the parks has always come from American adults, sadly!

JMHO

VP

 

[Violet Parr]

Oh, and I have also been there many times during Pop Warner. Always well-behaved, cheerful groups. (We've never shared a resort with them, though.) I also recall a moment where I watched a group walk by happily, and I was taken out of that moment by an older, retiree woman who looked up from her book and yelled at my child for tapping on the garbage can like a drum (not loudly.) This was right by Dinosaur and there was TONS of noise in the park and I couldn't even hear the noise he had made standing just feet from him. She was SO nasty about her reading getting interrupted, so I mentioned that perhaps she should find a library rather than a theme park. And then she said "Well, now we know why he is the way he is, with a mother like you!" And then my phone got stolen on Dinosaur...that was a not-fun hour at WDW! Anyway, I remember thinking at that moment that the Pop Warner kids were a welcome, cheerful sight after that!

VP

 

[anniemae]

Oh, and I have also been there many times during Pop Warner. Always well-behaved, cheerful groups. (We've never shared a resort with them, though.) I also recall a moment where I watched a group walk by happily, and I was taken out of that moment by an older, retiree woman who looked up from her book and yelled at my child for tapping on the garbage can like a drum (not loudly.) This was right by Dinosaur and there was TONS of noise in the park and I couldn't even hear the noise he had made standing just feet from him. She was SO nasty about her reading getting interrupted, so I mentioned that perhaps she should find a library rather than a theme park. And then she said "Well, now we know why he is the way he is, with a mother like you!" And then my phone got stolen on Dinosaur...that was a not-fun hour at WDW! Anyway, I remember thinking at that moment that the Pop Warner kids were a welcome, cheerful sight after that!

We have been many times when the pop warner groups were there, and have also always found them to be fine. They have been polite to us and generally unobtrusive. Sure they cheer sometimes in line, but it is a theme park and they are kids.

 

[MarknTara]

I have had many bad experiences with these tour groups over the years. As others have mentioned, the locked arms, loud chanting, cutting in line, etc. Most of the time they are not respectful of anyone else. One specific incident is when my Wife and I were lined up about an hour before the parade at MK. It was a busy day and we usually like to hang out early so we have a nice spot. We were sitting next to a family of five. Kids were excited. With less than ten minutes before the parade started, a tour group of about fifty came and pushed and shoved their way past the family and tried to get in front of us. These people (including one chaparone) picked up a stroller which belonged to the family we sat next to and moved it so it was behind them..the little boy inside almost fell out. I couldnt believe what I was seeing, it was unreal!!! I flagged down a CM who tried to help but the tour group pretended not to speak english. I was pissed and stood my ground but it really ruined the mood. I ended up having the kids from the family next to us stand in front of me so they could see. I cannot stand rude people. People who act like animals and cannot respect others and their property should be thrown out or not go at all.

Or... if you are in a big group and want good seats for a parade... get there early and line up like everyone else does.

 

[CampbellzSoup]

im sorry OP I can imagine esp with that hot sun mixed in...

 

[Lothlórien]

Seriously! Ever been to Times Square and try to walk somewhere after work? UGH!!!

Yes I have and I have totally seen that.

 

[ffcheff]

I was at Hollywood studios last week at the tower of terror and saw the cast member call over an interpreter to handle a group in line to get on the ride.

 

[ffcheff]

The interpreter had on a green shirt with the Brazilian flag and a cast member name badge.

 

[NYUBwayBaby]

Seriously! Ever been to Times Square and try to walk somewhere after work? UGH!!!

Or a RunDisney race. Princess half a few years ago and there was a group four wide walking over a bridge in Magic Kingdom so people couldn't pass. They got mad that people were lightly pushing past them because the girl in the middle of the group had a sign that said something like "4 Days Post Op Princess!" Poor thing looked awful. But they were blocking the course.

 

[wilkeliza]

I hate how people always claim Disney is doing nothing or lets these kids and groups run the parks. They really don't. Disney does try. The cast members try. There just isn't much you can do if someone isn't being rowdy. Sucks that 50 may get in line at the same exact time as you but guess what they had fastpasses they got just like everyone else. So either wait a little bit and they will clear out of FP or stand behind them. If you see them locked in arms and you feel like they are going to hurt you be the bigger person and just step out of the way. No need to assault some teenagers because you want to prove a point.

There was a big group in our June trip and I have to admit that group was better behaved than the family of 5 behind us in line. When their daughter accidently hit my fiance with her backpack the adult with her forced her to apologize and told her she has to watch for other people she just can't sling her bag about. Now the family behind us their sons constantly stepped on our feet, would push us out of the way to see things in the queue, almost full on punched me because their mother was encouraging them to wildly fist pump in a very compact, and the mother even swung her daughter into me several times and just laughed about how cute her kid was and not how they were bothering other guests. I have to say even when I worked at Disney the groups weren't that bad. Yes sometimes they claimed they didn't speak english but that was quickly fixed when you would ask where their group was from and get a CM form that country to come talk to them. At that point they straightened up. No different than the other teenagers who would pop off you aren't my parent you can't tell me what to do.

 

[Jadyreen1282]

Quit whining people. It is really none of your business. You want to whine then let's talk scooters or smokers or babies or Fea waits or food prices or changes in EMH or DS traffic or dessert party prices blah blah blah

 

[mister morrow]

We all had different experiences with the tour groups and the way they acted at the time left us an impression of how we think they act, even though they always don't act that way.

 

[rs4600]

Arriving 9/15 and hoping it's over by then.

 

[Pixie Dust ✨]

A generally dont mind the tour groups, yes they are large, but most of our encounters have been pretty good....a couple of them helped get the stroller off the bus for me. My daughter sat in the back with them on the way back to the resort. But one night, I was so glad it was our last!

It was July 3rd, MK was PACKED....more so than I have seen it at Christmas. They pushed back the second night parade because the crowds on Main St just could not be cleared. It was honestly a little scary, had I not been in Disney I would have been really worried. Anyways the street is so packed people can hardly move. The tour group was sitting on the curb chanting Viva La Brazil (or something similar). It was annoying but also making others mad, it was America's 4th of July! We made it down to the ice cream parlor, sat down waited it out for an hour or so. It went on the whole time.

What the heck were people getting mad at? It was July 3rd, not 4th, and even if it had been July 4th, I doubt a 16yo from South America is going to know what that means. Believe it or not, they don't care as much about American holidays overseas as we do here.

 

[smidgy]

the problem is these tour groups have always been a problem for families visiting WDW. and since they almost always take the side of the tour groups. cause they get big money off of them.
in brazil or argentina, it is a "rite of passage " for wealthy families to send their teens to disney.. they hire "tour guides" NOT "chaperones " who are only a couple years older than the teens themselves, and are paid to make sure these kids have a good time. they don't care at all how the kids behave or if it affects other guests
(unlike the pop warner groups, who can cause some problems or the cheer groups.. they actually have real chaperones.
these groups are EXTRA SPEESHUL!!! the tour guides (aka chaperones) do everything they can to make SURE their kids in their group have as much fun as possible. and disney lets them get away with it, becuase it is big bucks.. screaming, chanting on the buses , in the line for rides, etc. etc.... disney could curb the behaviour and make them behave like everyone else.
a few years back disney kicked out a couple pop warner groups. but disney doesn't make these tour groups from othere countries adhere to the same rules the rest of us have to.

 

[Saxsoon]

I remember these groups when I was in the college program, 7 years ago

 

[CampbellzSoup]

Honestly Times Square isn't that bad to walk around in...drive? No way ever. However, walking isn't too bad as you have such a free range it's different at Disney your consistently waiting for something: food, rides, shows and parades I can see how aggravating behavior would take its toll on people.

 

[lugnut33]

OH the horrors of young people having fun. Just imagine having such a good time that you want to sing and dance. Clearly that's not appropriate American behavior.

Lighten up people. Soccer moms with double wide strollers are more annoying.

 

[smidgy]

OH the horrors of young people having fun. Just imagine having such a good time that you want to sing and dance. Clearly that's not appropriate American behavior.

Lighten up people. Soccer moms with double wide strollers are more annoying.

apparently you didn't read all the posts. we were unindated with a tour group at our resort.. refused to get off the walkway so we could get bywith our luggage. if we leftour loungers to go to the DSA they took our lougners. the chaperone's yelled at us and tried to start a figtht cause we were smoking in the DSA,which was near the touchdown field where they were [practicing soccr.
ok none of the was in the previous posts. but the kids AND the chaperones screamed, chanted and yelled on EVERY bus ride, giving us expterem headaches.
\\
now I don't mind kids using the pool till all hours of the night.. we love a quiet night swim ourselves. they were yelling screaming, still at 1 AM after manycalls to the front desk and a WALK TO the actuall front desk (not a call center);
and the soccer balls bounce twice against aour window.


FINALLY they were toldto shut down about 2 am (we had tobe up at 6 am/) and they were still upset.. a snooty CM on a segway informed us that "july is Latin month at Disney and THEY are OUR guests" what are we? staying for free?
andI over heard a "chaperone" talking to a security guard who told her "I can see both points of view" HOW is there 2 points of view???? with a pool view room I expect to hear a bit of talk, splashing, night swims. not screaming yelling chanting balls bouncing on windows. et.c

they shut it down but dsiney was veyr condescending about it.. they expected US to "welcome" our "guests"..... heck with that.. I AM a guest.

sorry lugnut, these are NOT just young people having fun.. not even close.