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

[MeganMango]

This is the reason I won't go back to All Stars. They tend to book the value resorts and they overtook the place the last time I was there in August. Never again.

My stay at Pop Century was filled with tour groups and it was extremely disruptive in the food court drink machines

 

[MariMama]

They are obnoxious and very entitled. this can be said about a great many people from all backgrounds

The economy and politics in South America are a mess, Disney would never build anything under those circumstances, also, do you think building a park in South America will make people from those countries stop coming to Orlando? Wouldn't you want to visit Shanghai if you had the means?

I have the means but no desire to visit Shanghai.

 

[SJMajor67]

You know that Brazil is not the only country in South America & that most of the tour groups are in fact NOT from Brazil, right?

Yes, I do understand that. I was just stating that I'm surprised groups from Brazil can still go because of how bad their economy is.

 

[WEDWDW]

I'm surprised groups from Brazil can still go because of how bad their economy is.

The WDW trip Is HUGE to The 15s-they save and look forward to it for YEARS-they will "sacrifice" in other areas in order to take the trip if necessary and also for some of them,finances are not an issue despite the economy.

 

[Lothlórien]

Sure, if you think so.

That comment you responded to was obviously an attack on you/your post since you were the only person at that point who had said anything.
I didnt think you were rude or self-centered. ???

 

[Mambo Junkie]

I stayed at AoA last time and the food court was a zoo but not with tour groups. I avoided it a a much as possible.
I think it's unfair to paint every tour group with the same brush. I have seen far more well behaved groups than not. In fact, having gone more than 65 times I have yet to see any of the behaviors talked about on this thread, though I have witnessed boorish and bad behavior from regular visitors. Not saying that some of you haven't had negative experiences, but it isn't right to say they ALL act like that ALL the time. And yes, I have seen large groups so I have been there when tours were present. I've been there at the same time the cheerleaders are at the parks and they have been well behaved also. (a little loud from being excited, but no more than any other excited group of kids).

 

[WEDWDW]

I remember being there at the same time the 15s from Argentina were there. I don't speak Portuguese (or Spanish for that matter), but I found those girls respectful and they tried to be helpful. We use a wheelchair, and they were always holding the door for us, and smiling. I remember getting on a bus to DTD. We were the only ones on the bus that were not part of the group. I'm by nature a friendly person, and don't mind chatting with people. The girls tried to converse with me too, which made for some confusion and a lot of grins. Some of them started singing loudly, and I must have shown my disapproval because someone yelled something in Portuguese and they stopped singing. We of course were the first on the bus, and the last ones off the bus. As we made our way into DTD, the girls parted for us to pass, and yelled to the girls ahead that we were behind them. They in turn yelled ahead to the others as they parted and made way for us. Now, they could have been saying in Portuguese "Watch out for the crazy lady with a wheelchair", but I don't think so.

The Brazil Tour Groups are the ones who speak Portuguese.

So it looks like you had a nice group of Brazilians!

 

[bryanb]

"Orlando tells nervous Brazilian tourists: don't worry"
http://www.marketplace.org/2016/06/23/world/orlando-tells-nervous-brazilian-tourists-dont-worry

I just heard on the Marketplace radio show a story about Brazilians going to Orlando. It's a really interesting listen if you have the time. It tells the story about how for many Brazilians, going to Disney World is a huge part of turning 15-years-old.

The story is also about how Orlando really relies on the 700,000 Brazilians who go each year, and the message they're sending to keep people coming. The article is interesting, but if you have a chance to listen to the audio you get the more complete story I think.

 

[Hunterr]

You've never truly experienced a tour group until they are behind you in line for an attraction.
Holy hell, shouting/chanting the same thing over and over and over and over and over.

And of course, you don't wanna look like a debbie downer and stuff. You can't be mad about other people having a good time, no matter how much you want to.

 

[Shanan]

From older post "and that is the difference from pop warner, the band or cheer groups, etc. there is no one IN their actual group to rein them in."

Several years ago I went to WDW during same time as our local high school band was there. I was NOT a chaperone - one of my church kids was graduating & a week stay at WDW was our gift to her.
I was in ToT que inside the boiler room when bunch of kids from the band started doing the Marco Polo crap & you know how it echoes. Well there were several other adults with the local band that were ignoring the loud chants. I turned to a couple of the kids in the band & told them to stop it right now....you are being inconsiderate & rude & there are other guests in line. The kids apologized and no more Marco Polo. I was thanked by other guests in the que.

 

[BoatDriver]

First, in full disclosure, I did things at 15 that my adult self still cringes over. Kids will be kids, and I can accept that.

With that said, whether it's some individual running people down in an ECV, a self-centered family that thinks the queue is for their use only, an obnoxious parent whose precious little snowflake thinks it's cute to kick someone in line, a large obnoxious tour group of any nationality with little to no supervision, or any other behavior that is outside the normal bounds of decency, I'm going to react appropriately.

I'm a kind person by nature. In fact, on my last flight, I not only declined a free drink from the parent sitting behind me to apologize for their lap-seated toddler daughter kicking my seat, I offered up my iPad and the open seat beside us to keep her entertained and give her Mom a break. The difference in that situation is that Mom was doing her best and simply had an antsy little kid on a long flight.

Obnoxious individuals need to be treated like obnoxious individuals, rudeness begets rudeness, and if anyone elbows one of my little ones out of the way or knocks them down through sheer malice, this mild mannered guy is going to show his teeth and training.

It has nothing to do with nationality, group size, or age. It has to do with the fact that society is quickly devolving into billions of individuals who think only they matter.

 

[WEDWDW]

Well I'm sitting at the airport waiting for my flight to Little Brazil,excuse me I mean Orlando,Florida.lol

This is my annual Birthday Celebration/SATG Experience Trip!lol

I have been brushing up on my Spanish and Portuguese,but I do have to admit my chanting definitely could use some work.lol

Ciao!

 

[pampam]

The Brazil Tour Groups are the ones who speak Portuguese.

So it looks like you had a nice group of Brazilians!

My bad. Sorry. Actually we had a nice group of Argentinians. I had the languages mixed up. (I said I didn't speak Portuguese or Spanish). But no matter. I enjoyed their company, and even the BTGs are ok, generally speaking. I must add that I've not interacted as much with the Brazilians, but any time I have, it has been a good experience.

 

[Otter49]

Was at Epcot for a few hours today and while the overall crowd was light, there were several very large BTGs.

No chanting, singing, locking arms or any of that. Merely following their flags in groups of threes and fours.

 

[Party.Of.4-NY>>>FL]

First, in full disclosure, I did things at 15 that my adult self still cringes over. Kids will be kids, and I can accept that.

With that said, whether it's some individual running people down in an ECV, a self-centered family that thinks the queue is for their use only, an obnoxious parent whose precious little snowflake thinks it's cute to kick someone in line, a large obnoxious tour group of any nationality with little to no supervision, or any other behavior that is outside the normal bounds of decency, I'm going to react appropriately.

I'm a kind person by nature. In fact, on my last flight, I not only declined a free drink from the parent sitting behind me to apologize for their lap-seated toddler daughter kicking my seat, I offered up my iPad and the open seat beside us to keep her entertained and give her Mom a break. The difference in that situation is that Mom was doing her best and simply had an antsy little kid on a long flight.

Obnoxious individuals need to be treated like obnoxious individuals, rudeness begets rudeness, and if anyone elbows one of my little ones out of the way or knocks them down through sheer malice, this mild mannered guy is going to show his teeth and training.

It has nothing to do with nationality, group size, or age. It has to do with the fact that society is quickly devolving into billions of individuals who think only they matter.

So I pushed the "like" button over and over but it still only lets me like your post once.

...and about the free drink on the plane; I laughed when I read that because I can relate. Wife and I were on a flight with our daughter who was 2yo at the time. She had a tough time on the flight to say the least. Crying, vomiting, whole nine yards. No matter what we did, daughter kept kicking the gentlemen's seat in front of us. We were so embarrassed by this and apologized to all passengers around us. I offered "open bar" for the remainder of the flight to the man and his wife in front of us who were about 20years our senior. Also offered to switch seats to any configuration they would like as long as my wife could be next to our daughter. They politely declined all offers with a smile and reassurance that it was OK, they were in our shoes once and knew what we were going through. Ahh memories!

 

[CaliTex]

usually january and july. we were at all star sports in july one year with a very unruly group. the kids AND the chaperones were unruly. loud at the pool till 1a, kicking the soccer ball against our window.
of course we complaoned . while they were eventually made to leave the pool area since they wouldn't' be quiet, a smug Cm informed us that "July is Latin month in Disney. they are our guests."

WOW! And have you been back since this DB told you this?

 

[CaliTex]

I was there one year and the chanting was particularly bad...until the rest of the queue we were in drowned them out with a rousing rendition of America the Beautiful.

LOL! Loved this.

In line for BTMMR they started that soccer style chanting garbage. The line in there is very noisy anyway, so it was annoying. I just began chanting USA USA USA and it shut them up.

Celebrate diversity? Sure, but along with that, let's celebrate civility. Let's not go out of the way to be annoying arrogant AWipes while traveling to other countries. I've heard the blah blah about accepting/excusing it for cultural reasons, and I'm not buying it. Knocking people down, pushing through lines and scaring children is unacceptable---and I don't care if you are Brazilian, American, Canadian (yeah right, ha ha) or Martian.

I'm waiting for Disney to make December "Civility Month" and give a 30 percent discount to people that wait their turn, DON'T TAKE FLASH PHOTOGRAPHS ON RIDES, treat other guests with courtesy and treat CMs with respect. Heck, I might even pay 30 percent MORE to not have to put up with all those afflicted with **** syndrome.

*A Special Snowflake syndrome; chief symptom--thinking you are the center of the actual universe.

 

[CaliTex]

If we say that tour groups should be ejected just because they are chanting and walking 5 across and maybe bumping into people we would have to say that drunk people should be ejected from Epcot during their "drink around the world" trips, or bachelor/bachelorette trips or Food and Wine
I've seen much worse behaviour coming from people in Epcot (every race/color/country) that are drunk than any of these tour groups. Puking/peeing on the bushes, using foul language, tripping over people, climbing the Mexico pyramid, going into the fountain of nations...

Works for me. Kick 'em all out. Include people that use their flash on rides (ignorant morons) use strollers as battering rams and scam fast passes.

Bye, Felicia.

I hereby declare December: WDW Civility Month. Huge masses of people, not massing, in matching tee shirts, following the rules, waiting their turn patiently and remaining being polite and courteous--even in challenging circumstances. Giving up their bus seats to the elderly and children. Actually NOT insisting they get in front of someone else, just because they could.

Think about it.

 

[Whilykit]

So ... these large groups walk arms linked and just go full-force? If they encounter any person in front of them they just keep walking at their same pace and just plow through? That sounds awful!
How are they in line?

We got RUN OVER by them yesterday. Literally, RAN, pushing our group of 6 (with a 5 year old) out of the way on Space Mtn. The Cast Members were trying to stop them and couldn't even scan 1 out of (estimate) 4 of them into the ride. Then they proceeded to RUN up the queue - passing others in line. We got stuck in the middle of them and they kept pushing past. Finally the leader showed up and asked us to move and I LOST it on him. He pretended not to speak english. I was polite, but let him know that with young children around, running and pushing isn't appropriate! We are ALL waiting for a ride and they should let people go in before them NOT plow over others with locked arms. when they started chanting and screaming, he did his best to quiet them.. I know he understood every word we said. (AND they all had selfie sticks.... which made me even madder!)

 

[Whilykit]

Hopefully someone will post a video to display the types of behavior being objected to here.

If I wasn't trying to stop my 5 year old child from being knocked over - literally in the wave of 60+ teenagers running/pushing past us in the dark on the Space Mountain line - I would have certainly taken a video, I'm not above that. But, safety was an actual concern here...