South American Tour Groups

[BJW3]

I am planning my next trip to WDW
During the last trip I made to WDW there was huge horde of South America teenagers invading our resort causing all sorts of problems and the same huge hordes of South American teenagers would be roaming the parks causing issues there also.
Is there any way to avoid visiting when these groups are there?
Is there any way to know if your resort will be infested with these teenagers?

 

[Barbydoll8]

If I'm not mistaken, the SA groups have been asked to tone it down a bit. They typically visit in the summer months but I've seen them during our spring break as well.
If you are staying on property, you can always call your hotel in advance and ask. Not sure if they will divulge that kind of info but if you don't ask, you don't get.

 

[Hootch]

There were groups a couple of trips ago at POFQ. They were quite loud. They typically got to the parks later in the morning and were up late. There were discussions with the hotel management and the noise levels went down.

The South American economies are not doing well right now. There will likely be fewer tours. In past years, people from Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, et al, would come to visit and shop. It was cheaper to visit the US and buy clothing and other items and take them home.

 

[NJ Goofy]

We saw them on our trip last January. The groups were large but fairly well behaved in the parks. I believe I Googled it and found their school break to start prior to Christmas and run into February. So January and early February might be prime time for them.

 

[MamaPoppins1987]

I live in Louisiana and we took our last trip a couple of years ago during Mardi Gras break, which is basically a state-wide, week long holiday. Brazil also celebrates Carnival, but their work and school break lasts MUCH longer than ours. The parks were PACKED with Brazilian tour groups, especially MK. There were loud, rambunctious, insanely rude hordes of teenagers EVERYWHERE. I had never seen so many- and I'm a former cast member! We were pushed around, shoved, and packed in like cattle everywhere we went. It was miserable. The worst was the MSEP. A few big tour groups showed up last minute, cut in front of everyone else who had been standing there for over an hour, and sat down on the ground right in front. The cast members doing crowd control tried to stop them, but they laughed it off and totally ignored them.

From what I've been told, it wasn't as bad this year. Everyone here pretty much goes to Disney over Mardi Gras, and this year the South American groups were largely absent from the parks during Carnival. Maybe it's because of what Hootch said- the economies aren't doing well right now.

 

[Ben Pieper]

One thing to keep in mind is that many come to WDW in big groups for their Quinceañera. Birthdays don't have a high and low season, unfortunately.

 

[DAKDarling]

July and August are Tour Group season.

 

[Lupeix]

I went to WDW in a Quinceañera trip from South America (too many years ago to actually say, so please don't hate me). So I can offer some insight.
Those trips do happen when school is out, because no one is missing high school. The school year is in opposition to the US. There's three breaks during the school year: the 2 week winter break in July, the one week spring break in september and of course easter week. Most of the "teenage tour groups" go to Disney in July, because you can go on a longer trip then. You can find out the exact weeks of the winter break by googling school calendar in Brazil or Argentina (most other countries will have similar schedules). To be safe avoid the entire month of July, the winter break rarely happens in august. Some groups go during the summer break (Xmass- late February/early march), but those are few because most kids don't want to go when it is summer and miss the beach fun. It is much nicer to escape the winter and go in July.

As for resorts, the groups usually stay either offsite or at values (I envy the kids that stayed at the moderates but most don't, it is an expensive trip as is). And it is going to be rowdy, they make 4 teenagers sleep in each room and there's something like 3 tour guides (aka adults) for the entire group. It is total chaos/too much freedom.

I really don't think the current economy is going to affect the number of tours in July, it is a tradition that is over 20 years long. They may just shop less or skip going to Miami afterwards.

 

[DreamFlightCpt.]

I used to come with my parents during summer break, and the tour groups were always out in full force. Last time I visited with my wife during the summer (about 2 years ago at this point), there didn't seem to be many. This last time I was down there weren't any at all that I noticed. Like someone said earlier the economies aren't doing so well so that could be a reason for that. Also with the whole "anti chanting" guidelines WDW has started enforcing, disruptive behavior hasn't been as much as an issue as it was previously.

 

[Branflakes]

Imo. The vast majority of these teens are ill mannered and ill managed. We experienced the tour groups in July 2013, it was the WORST trip we'd ever had. You just couldn't get away from the obnoxious chanting in their given language in a volume almost deafening. They were in huge groups, I understand the group size has to be smaller these days. Seriously sucked the magic right of the vacation.
They were cutting lines, foul mouthed, and generally disrespectful. And while I realize in their country the dress may be a little more relaxed, we saw more T&A than any one person needs I n a lifetime. Disney was not on top of the butt cheeks completely hanging out of shorts. Tops cropped ridiculously high without an undergarment. Frontal and rear views I wish I could erase from my memory. Even my grown sons,who were 17,20 and my husband were bothered.
I thought however, they typically stayed at the value resorts. A cast member confided to us that they were defecating in the pools as well.
They need a manners and standards check up for sure.

Thank goodness the fast pass system is online. Because there was nothing like trying to get a paper fast pass only to have the group leaders empty the machines with a stack of cards four inches high. It was nuts.

 

[Westcoastwild]

One thing to keep in mind is that many come to WDW in big groups for their Quinceañera. Birthdays don't have a high and low season, unfortunately.

Yeah, I was fascinated to find this out from some Brazilian roommates in New York. The expectation is that they will either have a huge expensive party, or they will travel. One of my roommates said her parents practically begged her to go to WDW instead of have a party. Apparently the travel group would save her parents $$$$$ in comparison to the party.

I suspect the only way you can really avoid them at the resorts is stay at a Deluxe or stay at fort wilderness. Those are the only resorts I did not see them at.
Editing to say that according to them, there is a "season" though. Holiday breaks. Although I could not tell you when those are. One of them did both a trip there and then came back for the CP. but interestingly, she did that during her break as well- she said she was surprised that her US roommates were doing it during their actual semesters.

 

[SimonSez]

We've gone in July and August, and August has had far less in the way of SA tour groups than July. That's been our experience anyway, but we haven't been since August 2014 and things may be different now.

 

[DFerrig]

It seems no matter when I come they are here. I’m here currently and have seen at least 6 groups of them. Although they haven’t been loud at all. But then again they’re not at my resort.

 

[Punkrockbebop]

We were in Epcot today and encountered several of these groups blowing whistles, cheering and chanting.

 

[Spencer Wright]

If I'm not mistaken, the SA groups have been asked to tone it down a bit. They typically visit in the summer months but I've seen them during our spring break as well.
If you are staying on property, you can always call your hotel in advance and ask. Not sure if they will divulge that kind of info but if you don't ask, you don't get.

Do you know what Disney does to tell groups to tone it down?

I know when I went on trips in high school (not to Disney), we were given VERY strict rules to follow, or we were to be sent home. And a few people inevitably got sent home every trip. For instance we did a trip to France, and were told any wine drinking, breaking away from the group, or really anything that was not quiet, orderly behavior and you were to be sent home immediately. I know most high schools in my area (southeastern Pennsylvania) keep this standard up.

 

[Barbydoll8]

I haven't witnessed this but I've read postings that the CM's have verbally asked the groups to quiet down. Not sure if they escort from the parks.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

It seems no matter when I come they are here. I’m here currently and have seen at least 6 groups of them. Although they haven’t been loud at all. But then again they’re not at my resort.

We saw a bunch of groups at the parks, but we were at Saratoga Springs, so we didn't see any at our resort, in January.

As others have said, very loud and what I considered to be obnoxious. I can't tell you how many times I was swamped by them walking, as a group, around me. I would have to stop and wait until they cleared. (I'm in a scooter.) It seemed worse at Hollywood and Epcot. I don't remember it happening at the Kingdoms.

 

[Disneylovingmomof2]

I saw a few groups last week. The loudest I saw them get was in AK where they started clapping and singing with music in Africa. None of them were at Poly though so they didn’t bother us.

 

[disneyseniors]

We were at WDW this time last year, from Feb 6th to the 16th.
I was honestly very apprehensive about the BTG's that I had read about.
We saw only 2 of these groups while there, and both were small groups. One had about 20 teens, and the other about 40 maybe.
The larger group was lead by an older woman who made them organize into 2 lines and be quiet before she led them onto splash mountain. I was very surprised at this. The smaller group (both were at MK) walked by in Adventure Land while quietly "chanting". No problem.
I feel that Disney has done something to address this problem, at least it seemed that way while we were there.
We also encountered large numbers of cheerleaders, but we just went the other way when we saw them. We avoided getting in line behind them.
I really hope Disney is doing something about this obvious problem, but it seems they might have already started.

 

[Dr.JackieOgden]

We just left HS and there was one HUGE group of quincenara girls that was really rude and loud during Fantasmic. One of the CM’s asked them to tone it down and I saw several of them giving him the middle finger. Pretty much same behavior from a group we kept crossing paths with at MK on Tuesday.