Foreign Visitors???

[eddiewells]

Does anyone know if foreign visitors go randomly or is there information on when which groups go? Last time we went to Disney World, we were there when like 3 different South American countries had their.....conferences (i guess thats what they're called?). They all had on the same t-shirts so I know they were all in the same groups. The lines were horrendous and we somehow wound up at the same theme park as these groups every single day. There were tons of them! I remember one of the groups was from Brazil......on Big Thunder Mountain, there was an absolute minimum of 20 minutes just for Brazil's group to get through.

Does anyone know of any dates in 2003 when these type of groups will be at Disney World?

 

[drusba]

Well they can be there any time of year but it sounds like you went in July when there is often a large contingent of tour groups from Brazil and other South American countries (remember that is mid-winter in their countries)

 

[eddiewells]

Yeah, we went about the third week of July. It was near impossible to go ANYWHERE without seeing one of those group shirts that are permanently embedded in my brain. Do you think June 22-28 (our dates for this year) are somewhat safer alternatives?

 

[CrzyforPiglet]

We only saw I think 2 groups from foreign countries 12/7-12/14 and only had one line problem which I was able to resolve quickly. However, pop warner was that week and I think affected the parks later in the week and that weekend (we had no problems) I agree with drusba though, that large groups can happen anytime.

 

[FlavioRJ]

About South American groups (basicaly from Brazil and Argentina) you'll see them mostly in July, that's when kids and teenagers have a winter brake at school (about two weeks) and their parents send them in groups with travel agencies. When you see a horde of kids with the same t-shirt that means that they are with the same travel agency, becasue as they travel in great number without their parents it's easier for the travel agency guides to keep track of their groups (that's why some of the guides use flags ).
This July you may see those groups but you shouldn't expect too many of them because due to economic reasons int'l travel become very expensive for people both in Brazil and Argentina

 

[n2mm]

I say July also. Took our grandson and stayed at the All Stars and guest what? The tour groups where all staying there too! It was a terrible time, but we tried to make the best of it. After that I swore, no more All Stars in the summer. It was one thing to deal with the crowds in the parks, but at the resort too, that was too much for even me, a seasoned WDW visitor. My grandson couldn't go to the pool because it was too dangerous. The food courts were impossible and forget about taking the buses, glad we had a car. Last year we stayed at Dixie and didn't encounter any problems, but not sure if that's because it rained for 11 straight days! This year we are staying at the Contemporary for his trip. I love the All Stars and stay there in the fall and spring. We are there in the spring during Music Days and find the large kid groups to be mostly polite and under control and well supervised.

 

[drusba]

During the June dates you mentioned there is seldom any large tour groups from South America. You may see some but you will hardly notice them.

 

[gschmerl]

We have also encountered the South American groups during our Easter week visits.

 

[Cinderella03]

I would say June-August..Everytime we've ever been to Disney in the summer, they were there--EVERYWHERE!!!