Never had a problem with SA Tour groups until...

[JillianLeigh]

I've had mixed experiences with those groups. One year I went they were awful! The standard cutting in line, breathing down your neck, don't speak English stuff that they seem to be known for. Then last year I went and most of the groups were very polite and even let my 5 year old niece cut in front of their huge line for a drinking fountain at Epcot.

I'm going again in July 2010 and hope we encounter the polite Brazilians and not their rude friends.

 

[JillianLeigh]

They don't go on Disney Cruises do they? I'd be a little scared to be trapped on a boat with them for days. lol

 

[mickaholic4077]

They don't go on Disney Cruises do they? I'd be a little scared to be trapped on a boat with them for days. lol

 

[natnelliesmom]

They know, but they are mostly kids away from home for the first time, with little supervision, so they don't care.

Disney will never ban them, because like the Pop Warner kids, they bring in too much money.

OP here,
We didn't see any tour groups of teenagers this trip. These were all groups of families. There would be a leader with a flag- who seemed to be encouraging the mayhem by saving seats, gathering fast passes and holding places in line. Then 20-40 people, parents, grandparents, young kids etc. all wearing matching shirts would follow behind. They move through an area pushing people out of the way and running over your feet with their strollers.
It is easier for me to understand the behavior when it's teenagers. They are away from home, and having crazy fun with their friends. That's not to say that I like these groups- I just understand where this rudeness could come from.
But this trip it was all family groups. It was so upsetting for me to see that these people thought they had the right to get what they wanted regardless of other people. They seemed to have the idea that they should have the best parade spots, that they shouldn't have to wait in lines, that they should be allowed to save seats for shows, get seated right away at restaurants and pretty much have the best WDW can offer at the expense of others.
It was very difficult to ignore them. They were everywhere.

We did our best to have our own fun and avoid these groups. If I saw them at a counter service place, we'd pick a different one. We'd even avoid a ride when we saw them standing in line. It just made our trip more enjoyable to not have to deal with them.
That moment on the carousel was the breaking point for me. I almost feel like I don't want to go back to WDW if it means dealing with these rude people!!

Thanks for all of the supportive remarks... it's nice to see that others feel the same way! I was hoping this wasn't just me taking this too personally.

-Sarah

 

[wendylovesdisney]

My sister has breast cancer and a few years back we were in the wheelchair line for the Movie ride at MGM. A large foreign family (Brazil? Spain? Not sure) came and stood in front of us. In front of us! They were asked to move by a CM and they pretended they did not speak English (even though we had heard them speak English). They refused to move, it was explained to them my sister had a GAC card, etc and suddenly one of the men said he had problems too! My sister could have killed him. She very loudly said she had cancer, what was his problem?
They never did move, in stead of calling security they let them through (in front of us on top of everything) and I was so steamed. It was Grandma, Grandpa, the parents, kids cousins, whatever. And Grandma and Grandpa climbed over the rails to get to the spot too so please don't think they had issues of any sort with health.

My 2 cents.

 

[melisandes]

I am so sorry to hear how bad those tour groups behaved. I was once an employee for Disney as well as Busch Gardens. I still have bad dreams about those tour groups. Sometimes I wonder if I need therapy for the drama they inflicted on me. When it has been nearly 15 years since you have worked in a theme park and the SA tour groups still invade your nightmares it is not good.

 

[tinkbyday]

As several previous posters have said - I agree that these tour groups can be out of control - BUT - I've seen many an American family act just as obnoxiously and inappropriate.

I just wish that some parents would care enough to bring their children up with manners and to teach them how to behave in public.

My DD (10) was mortified at the behavior of some children during out last trip - it is truly a shame.

 

[granmanh603]

OP here,
We didn't see any tour groups of teenagers this trip. These were all groups of families. There would be a leader with a flag- who seemed to be encouraging the mayhem by saving seats, gathering fast passes and holding places in line. Then 20-40 people, parents, grandparents, young kids etc. all wearing matching shirts would follow behind. They move through an area pushing people out of the way and running over your feet with their strollers.
It is easier for me to understand the behavior when it's teenagers. They are away from home, and having crazy fun with their friends. That's not to say that I like these groups- I just understand where this rudeness could come from.
But this trip it was all family groups. It was so upsetting for me to see that these people thought they had the right to get what they wanted regardless of other people. They seemed to have the idea that they should have the best parade spots, that they shouldn't have to wait in lines, that they should be allowed to save seats for shows, get seated right away at restaurants and pretty much have the best WDW can offer at the expense of others.
It was very difficult to ignore them. They were everywhere.

We did our best to have our own fun and avoid these groups. If I saw them at a counter service place, we'd pick a different one. We'd even avoid a ride when we saw them standing in line. It just made our trip more enjoyable to not have to deal with them.
That moment on the carousel was the breaking point for me. I almost feel like I don't want to go back to WDW if it means dealing with these rude people!!

Thanks for all of the supportive remarks... it's nice to see that others feel the same way! I was hoping this wasn't just me taking this too personally.

-Sarah

We were there last week too and were confused too because of the families with the flags and ladies with 100 passes in line getting fast passes...I had heard about teenage SA groups but not families. Well we were staying over at BWV and there were buses from Gartner's, Brazil and Mexico written on the side ,all over the place last week at the area hotel and some one told me there were 5000 of them and they took over and closed part of Epcot I think it was Wed night they closed Soarin and Nemo etc early and they were all up there...we went to the back so didn't see them. So maybe that explains that...

 

[DizzyStitch]

My DD9 has decided that all these folks who won't speak English are just using it as a way to say bad things about her. It is tough when people converse in another language, look at you and then laugh. I keep trying to explain to her that maybe not everyone in the party speaks English so just don't worry. Of course in the times I have travelled overseas, I don't think I ever tried to talk about people. It's just not worth it. Life is too short. Maybe someday an example set by others will come thru. Or just stand big in the line so the can't walk by

 

[Dreamer & Wisher]

OP here,
We didn't see any tour groups of teenagers this trip. These were all groups of families. There would be a leader with a flag- who seemed to be encouraging the mayhem by saving seats, gathering fast passes and holding places in line. Then 20-40 people, parents, grandparents, young kids etc. all wearing matching shirts would follow behind. They move through an area pushing people out of the way and running over your feet with their strollers.
It is easier for me to understand the behavior when it's teenagers. They are away from home, and having crazy fun with their friends. That's not to say that I like these groups- I just understand where this rudeness could come from.
But this trip it was all family groups. It was so upsetting for me to see that these people thought they had the right to get what they wanted regardless of other people. They seemed to have the idea that they should have the best parade spots, that they shouldn't have to wait in lines, that they should be allowed to save seats for shows, get seated right away at restaurants and pretty much have the best WDW can offer at the expense of others.
It was very difficult to ignore them. They were everywhere.

We did our best to have our own fun and avoid these groups. If I saw them at a counter service place, we'd pick a different one. We'd even avoid a ride when we saw them standing in line. It just made our trip more enjoyable to not have to deal with them.
That moment on the carousel was the breaking point for me. I almost feel like I don't want to go back to WDW if it means dealing with these rude people!!

Thanks for all of the supportive remarks... it's nice to see that others feel the same way! I was hoping this wasn't just me taking this too personally.

-Sarah

Please consider writing Disney about your experience. I think the only way to change things would be to write letters. The previous poster who was suggesting groups be prohibited from coming back had the right idea. Disney is private property and they have the right to eject those who behave this way.

We were there last week too and were confused too because of the families with the flags and ladies with 100 passes in line getting fast passes...I had heard about teenage SA groups but not families. Well we were staying over at BWV and there were buses from Gartner's, Brazil and Mexico written on the side ,all over the place last week at the area hotel and some one told me there were 5000 of them and they took over and closed part of Epcot I think it was Wed night they closed Soarin and Nemo etc early and they were all up there...we went to the back so didn't see them. So maybe that explains that...

I hope their trips are over now. . . we were run over by them a lot on our trip in January. We were hoping to avoid them this time around.

 

[golden6911]

Wow! I'm so sorry that your special moment had to get ruined like that. That is one of the worst stories of rudeness I had ever heard.

 

[nancydrew79]

My DD9 has decided that all these folks who won't speak English are just using it as a way to say bad things about her. It is tough when people converse in another language, look at you and then laugh.

When I was a teenager me and a friend of mine would do the same back to those who would do this to us. Granted, we were making up a nonsense language as we went along, but when we would talk our nonsense "language" look in their direction and laugh, they would knock it off and you could sense they were just as uncomfortable as we had been. Last time me and my family went to WDW I taught this to my DH, so it made all those uncomfortable moments into an inside joke for us

 

[GetGlowing]

A wise person I know says bullies only understand the language of bullies. I am SO non confrontational -- but if this had happened to me, especially at 1am, I probably would have gone off. uggggh.

I wonder how these groups treat the hotel properties where they stay, if they trash the rooms or whatever. Boorish behavior tends to spill over to many aspects of life.

 

[ppmcoj]

I'm sorry about your experience with them OP. This thread makes me thankful that we haven't encountered this during any of our 7 seven trips and I hope to goodness we never do. They sound dreadful. Hopefully they won't be there, or will at least be better behaved, for your next trip.

 

[DizBelle]

Yep!!! I agree!! I don't want to offend anyone here.... but it's part of their culture to be agressive and rude!

That doesn't make it acceptable.

 

[henrylovespooh]

We were there last January, and the tour group people got to the Fastpass machines and clogged up everything, getting 100s of FPs. The CMs asked a few of them to get in the same line so they wouldn't inconvenience everyone, and they pulled the "I don't speak English" bit. At this point, WDW should teach the CMs some phrases in other language.

Thanks to the person who posted some key phrases. If we encounter the tour groups on our next trip - late January, early February, I just might try a few out!!!

 

[POF]

We encountered a brazilian family ( I know a bit of Porteguese ) when we were at Epcot late Sept. We wanted one last ride on Test Track - so the 4 of us opted for the Single Rider Line. A group of 4 young adults also got in the line. I heard the mother say in English - that;s single rider - oldest bot ( early 20's said that's OK - they will let us ride together ). I pointed out to them the signs saying you WILL be separated. He shrugged at me and said - doesn't matter.

Well a great CM - young gal - told them to split up or leave the line. They refused to split up - she told them again. They then tried to climb under the bars and get in the regular line - she told them to leave and she called security. GOOD FOR HER !


99% of the folks I have met from the UK have been super sweet - including a very nice man - who insisted on buying my iced coffee at BB. I gave his daughter my tube in the wave pool when I saw she was scared - I also told her a funny story and made her laugh. I ran into him later and he insisted on treating me.

Contrast that with the british gent and his son who pushed by me on the path and made me trip on the way to Crusher Gusher and then grabbed a tube out a little girls hands who was inline to get the tube. .... the CM and I were really stunned and my DH and another guest were going to say something to him - but ehh I let it go .... it was that important to go 5 seconds before me.

 

[DisneyGerry]

I, in general like the big groups esp what they bring to FLA.

I wonder why you dont see big groups like the Brasilians from other countries--such as large group of German or Chinese teens roaming the parks?

 

[Jaymie]

Last January I had my fill of the SA tour groups. We always got to WDW in Jan & July, the same time as the SA's. I was 7 months pregnant coming through the doors at ASMo. They were all laying and sitting on the floor in the lobby, from the back door to the front door towards the busses. I said "Excuse me" in English of course. They pretended to not understand me. Well I just had to push by DS in his stroller over a few hands & feet, they started to move. Exact same think happened at MK just after Wishes. They lined the sidewalk on one side of Main Street. I didn't even say excuse me this time. Common sense should dictate that completely covering the sidewalk anytime, let alone such a busy time would be a bad idea.

To the OP: I'm glad you had such a magical moment and didn't let your kids see your anger. That's a moment with M&M that they'll never forget.

 

[kaleighmariesmom]

off topic but OP... do you have a picture of your time with Mickey and Minnie? it sounds AWESOME!!! minus the rude people..