Tour Groups from Brazil Watch....

[asta]

It is sad to say but I think that Disney has adopted the attitude that if you choose to go to WDW while these groups are there that you just have to learn how to put up with their behavior.

 

[natcat117]

Just came back from WDW and yeah, I saw a lot of Brazilian tour groups. I don't remember any of them being rude, though. On my last day, at HS, a few of them started chanting, but that was it.

Really I encountered more rude families than anyone else. Older kids would jump ahead in line and parents would make the excuse that they had to catch up to them so they could cut line. Luckily large families with three or more kids would try to cut so at ToT since we were a party of two, we still got on first and got Dream FastPasses!

I also had a few bad experiences with women and strollers. A lady pretty much ran over my foot and she yelled at ME to be careful! Also, people with strollers would try to get the better seats when we would wait for a show. They'd push us out of their way with a stroller and park right at the front of Cinderella Castle. At 5ft, I was barely tall enough to see. How could their kids?

Just my experience but it's not just the teens and groups from other countries that cause trouble.

 

[JESW]

We just got back and yes, we did see a lot of the tour groups. Fortunately we didn't have any bad experiences with them and we went the other way when we saw the flags so we wouldn't be in lines with the large groups.

Here is another thing to watch out for when the groups are there. One day we were in AK trying to get lunch at Pizzafari. The place was PACKED and all the lines were long. There were 3 women together in line and we didn't think anything of it and got behind them. What we didn't know was that they were with the large group outside and were ordering for ALL of them! We quickly got in another line and watched as the entire group came in and they ordered for 40 people. (The bill came to over $600 and they paid in cash.) There was nothing bad about the teens behavior, but the large group certainly impacted that restaraunt and all the other folks waiting in line. Just a heads up.

Jill

 

[dairyqueenmom]

This thread brings back memories from our Disneymoon 13 years ago. When we encountered these groups(no nationality needed) they acted like they didn't understand English. In Honey I shrunk the Audience they would file in and sit where ever they wished, ignoring the CM's prompting to move all the way across the theater. I know darn well they understood what was being said and chose to ignore it because they wanted to sit in the middle of theater. This happened in any big venue.

We learned quickly to head the other way when we saw these groups, we don't travel in June or July for this reason.

 

[fall08CP]

About 2 hours ago I was at DHS Little Mermaid show and there was a huge group there. They weren't disturbing anyone in any way but I stayed out of their way.

 

[ilovepooh]

We were there last July and those girls were completely obnoxious...cutting lines and no regard for anyone else! We were standing at the end of Main St. waiting for Wishes to start, and about 40 of them walked up and stood right in front of us (as people often do)...... BUT....

they started pushing and shoving each other having fun. One girl pushed another into my mother and almost knocked my mother over, and then stepped hard on mom's toes (she was wearing sandals!)

Here's the BEST part.....the girls laughed as my mother screamed in pain. My mother yelled at them and they had the nerve to look at her like they didn't do anything wrong! I couldn't believe it! I avoid them as best I can!

I think these groups should have more tour guides in order to travel in much smaller groups. That would eliminate a lot of the behaviors...people in small groups vs. large groups are proven to be more conscientious for fear of being caught when misbehaving.

 

[tazdev3225]

I was down there in early August several years ago with my family. My DD was hit by a car when she was 6 and had residual damage to her leg. We had her in a wheelchair because it got very sore with all the walking. We were in line for the TOT and having trouble maneuverinng the wheelchair when a certain group forced their way past us forcing DD into the barriers and twisting us sideways. DD wound up with a sore leg and a badly sprained ankle. I said something to them and got the "No English" as they laughed. I try to avoid them now also. We are all trying to enjoy ourselves and good manners cost nothing and help the experience for us all to be magical.

 

[Flametamr]

These large Tour Groups are Disney's fault. They agressively market tour packages to schools there and invite this on all of us. I understrand it is easy money for Disney but they should realize they are chasing away their core support group. Many people here can only vacation during the summer due to kids in school. But now they avoid Disney because of the large groups. I think if Disney really cared they would assign a CM to follow each group. Then if they acted badly they could eject them from the park.

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

I totally agree that July is a time to be avoided. The heat and crowds are bad enough without dodging the groups and their flags! I have been there once in July and will never do it again. We saw them in Jan this year and one family was in front of us on the plane ride home. Boy, was that something!! The youngest kid dropped something-I think a Nintendo game & the dad is digging under the seat to get it. Well, then he starts sticking his hand in my little girls backback (that's under the seat where it should be) ! I said EXCUSE ME!! and he just keeps trying to open it! I couldn't believe it,this goes on even after I jerked the bag out of his hand--then he starts trying to open MY BAG!! He couldn't find the game so he gets back in the seat. About 15 min. before landing he starts doing it again, so once more I have to grab all our backpacks and hold them to keep him out of them. Then the stewardess comes and repeatedly tells him to buckle & put his seat up as we are descending. He acts like he can't speak Eng and doesn't respond, his wife just sat there. Finally he gets back in the seat. BUT--he didn't have a problem with English when he was asking the same stewardess early about the food and drinks! That really was the weirdest thing ever!!

 

[Shelton123]

I have been to many many places in the world, and in none of those places has everyone been rude or pushy, but how come once they get to WDW, they think it's ok to be? I'm not just saying this about Brazil. I'm saying this about most tour groups in general, whether or not from a different country. I don't care if you've paid $100 for this tour, you still don't have the right to be annoying for no reason at all!

 

[kymom99]

When we were there last week we saw 2 different American groups of elementary age kids. One group had on shirts that said Boys and Girls Club on them. This group of young children was very well supervised and behaved very nicely. Another group had on shirts that said Bulldogs and were also young children. They were terribly rowdy and obnoxious in line and the adults in charge of them said nothing the entire time. I felt sorry for the family right in front of them in the Norway ride line. They got jostled during the entire 20 minute wait.

We were at Disney in June of 2004 and 2005. I don't remember any tour groups from Brazil then. This time I saw many of these groups. Is this a recent development, or did I just miss them before?

 

[rsimon]

We've been to Disney many different times during the year and although there are times when there seem to be more tour groups than others, they have always been there to some degree.

We did some research on why they are always there and found out some interesting information. The tour group companies that put these groups together are big business in Brazil and some other countries. Specifically though, Brazil has some very good customs rules for their citizens and American goods are very cheap here for them to purchase compared to Brazilian prices.

These kids are promised these great vacations and if you look at their itinerary they always have shopping stops at the outlet malls. Many of them have pre-purchased the items they plan on taking back and just go and pick them up so they don't have to bring money. I have been told that many come without any luggage, and then they purchase the luggage and clothes to take back with the tags sitll on them. When they get home, they can sell the goods for enough money to more than pay for the trip.

So, the short answer is, they are here to have fun all year long and they are also here to make money.

 

[anonymousegirl]

Well I am going next week (no choice, it had to be this July or nothing for 18 months) and I can tell you if a large group starts chanting and yelling while in line I'll be asking a CM to quiet them down. And I won't have any problem blocking them from cutting--if I have to I'll pretend I don't understand them when they try to push past. I'm a big girl so they may have to form a rugby scrum to move me. It'll be the freakin' teacups all over again

 

[mickaholic4077]

Good luck,anonymousegirl!!!

 

[goofy4tink]

Um, this makes me very uncomfortable. And I'm surprised to see it on a site that supports a place that is supposed to be magic for everyone without prejudice.

I don't think anyone is being mean, but just reporting on their experiences. And believe me, they are valid complaints. I don't care where the group is from..they need to behave in a polite, respectful way to others.

To anyone who thought my OP was prejudiced-unless you have lived through Brazilian Tour Groups in July,you have no idea what it can be like. The stories told here are true experiences,believe me.

And in January!! We were there from Marathon weekend on, and there were a ton of tour groups from South America...I'm assuming Brazil because the flag they had looked Brazilian. And they were something else. Yes, some groups were better than others. But the groups with the larger number of teen girls...well, suffice to say, we tried to get away from their vicinity as quickly as possible. I truly believe these kids tend to be upper class, with more money in the family and are perhaps a bit entitled, or at least believe themselves to be. That's how they come arcoss.

When we were there last week we saw 2 different American groups of elementary age kids. One group had on shirts that said Boys and Girls Club on them. This group of young children was very well supervised and behaved very nicely. Another group had on shirts that said Bulldogs and were also young children. They were terribly rowdy and obnoxious in line and the adults in charge of them said nothing the entire time. I felt sorry for the family right in front of them in the Norway ride line. They got jostled during the entire 20 minute wait.

We were at Disney in June of 2004 and 2005. I don't remember any tour groups from Brazil then. This time I saw many of these groups. Is this a recent development, or did I just miss them before?

Ah, we had the same experience in late May, early June in the past. It would seem that there are a lot of area youth groups, both church and school, that head to Epcot for class outings. Man, they were brutal. I remember thinking that if you're going to wear a shirt with the name of your organization on it, perhaps you should think about your behaviour. I almost wrote down a name of two in order to write a note of complaint, but I just walked away.
Later in our trip, we headed to Tampa to visit my ds. We went to Busch Gardens. Well, if I thought I had seen badly behaved kids in WDW, I saw complete animals in BG!! And they weren't behind fencing!! One example...while waiting in line for an attraction, my dd and I were treated to a spitting contest...lets see who can spit the furthest! Man, it was disgusting. And the girls were worse than the boys if you can imagine. And again, the name of their groups was on their clothing!!


I hate to sound as if I'm predjudiced....I'm really not. But, sometimes its a good idea to change your trip dates. Much better to avoid these groups.

 

[1000th happy haunt]

The Disney CMs are very aware of the problems caused by Brazilian (and other) tour groups. We were in line for Dinosaur and I made a comment to the CM near the load area that indicated it would be a "fun" ride. She said any time you don't want to ride with a group, just say something at the load area. She actually let the group go ahead, and we were held back for another car.

 

[Jenvenza]

I hope we dont run into any tour groups like these. No matter where they are from! We are going in September, so hopefully we will be in the clear!

 

[Tigerlily952]

I realize some tour groups can get a little rowdy, but face it I have been at WDW and even a small family of 4 can be equally as obnoxious as a 30 person group from a domestic or international organization. Keep it all in perspective.

tigerlily952

 

[Hoodie]

My 12 year old cousin kinda liked the groups. He loved the "adjustments" the girls had made to their t-shirts. lol

Not exactly G-rated...or PG rated either.

As for the pp saying that they wanted to write down the groups to complain - you should have. I worked at a school for kids that weren't quite ready for juvie, but couldn't function at a normal school either. When they would go out on trips they knew to behave. If we got one call, all future trips were cancelled for the whole school for the rest of the year.

Worked pretty well at the kids keeping each other in line. I do know the temptation though. I very nearly wrote to the Brazillian ambassador to let him know that these young people had pretty much turned me off from ever spending a cent in his country.

 

[goofy4tink]

I realize some tour groups can get a little rowdy, but face it I have been at WDW and even a small family of 4 can be equally as obnoxious as a 30 person group from a domestic or international organization. Keep it all in perspective.

tigerlily952

Beleive me...theres a huge difference between a rowdy family group and a 30 person tour group. For whatever reason, those kids in the tour group (and it doesn't seem to make a difference what nationality they are) seem to beleive that if they are 'on their own' with no parents in sight, it's time to 'party hearty'!!! I have no issue with good natured funning around. I was a teenager too. But, to shove past people, knock children out of the way in order to get someplace more quickly, to use the language I've overheard, to cut in lines in order to get with the rest of the group...well, it's all too much.

As for the pp saying that they wanted to write down the groups to complain - you should have. I worked at a school for kids that weren't quite ready for juvie, but couldn't function at a normal school either. When they would go out on trips they knew to behave. If we got one call, all future trips were cancelled for the whole school for the rest of the year.

Worked pretty well at the kids keeping each other in line. I do know the temptation though. I very nearly wrote to the Brazillian ambassador to let him know that these young people had pretty much turned me off from ever spending a cent in his country.

Point taken...now I wish I had written the names down. I know that when I worked in my dd's school library, I used to tell the kids that if they had a good behaviour day in the library that day, I would send a note back to their teacher saying how well they did. It was incredible how well that worked. And if just one child's bad behaviour prevented the class from getting that gold star note, well, those other kids made the offending child know how they felt...didn't happen a second time!!!