Tour Groups from Brazil Watch....

[RustManFan]

My only complaint about any non-English speaking people at WDW is when they talk loudly and continuously during something that I am trying to listen to and I can't hear. (like during Norway or Canada movies, for example)

I wouldn't do this when traveling in a non-English speaking country....

 

[ntsammy5]

is to grab the flag from the leader and take off running with the entire group following me all around the park chanting all the way!

 

[krissyh]

We hear this discussion on a regular basis.
It is the "tour groups that must not be named", "the football groups", etc.

Disney could very easily to put an end to this terrible behavior and up to now has chosen to turn a blind eye. Most teens are good kids that will behave appropriately but to put them, with far too little supervision, into this type of environment, sugar them up and go into sensory overload, and to think there will not be problems is naive at best and frankly, horrible customer service.

I am a high school teacher. I have never had trouble with students on any type of trip and that is mainly because the expectations are known from the beginning. Kids, no matter what group they are associated with, will often rise or fall to the expectations. WDW needs to crack down and hold tour providers / parents responsible.

For what it is worth, here is my take on what WDW should do with all large tour groups, especially those involving kids:

1. Contract - this should be handled through the tour company. Parents and kids need to sign an agreement (in their native tongue) stating that they are responsible for the full cost of the trip and getting their child home, should WDW revoke their right to stay on property.

2. Group Meeting - when the groups arrive, they should be taken to a meeting with several forceful CMs who will explain (in the language of the group - do not count on the "leaders" to translate) the rules. These include - not pushing, that they will be removed from a park if they chant during shows, the entire group will be removed if there is an incident of line cutting.

3. Crowd Control / CM Authority - no fastpasses for groups traveling together, no flag poles, one adult per ten kids and no more than twenty traveling together. To limit the size of the groups together, problems will be limited. There is less need to push to the front of lines to get with the groups, and the leaders cannot say that do not see what the group is doing. Even if they join up for parades, there will be more adults present. As for authority, CMs need to be empowered to toss misbehaving groups. They do not like to deal with it either.

Now, I have no hope of WDW ever doing any of this as these "group problems" have been going on as long as I can remember, but if they were to crack down and toss out (ban) even one group, I guarantee the others would learn quickly. I would also suggest that they can ban certain tour providers if their groups cause problems.
Just my two cents...

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

krissyh-- I totally agree with you!! What exactly is the protocol to start some type of complaint/petition or whatever?This has been going on for years! If we seriously complained in a way that would make Disney understand how hard it is for families to deal with this, maybe they would enforce the type of guidelines you have suggested. Does any one know? Maybe we could all add our experiences, or call. I don't know-I am sure a moderator would know the proper channels to work through. Any ideas mods?
And again-for those of you who percieve this as being mean or rude, it's not. Everyone wants their fams to have a good time at disney world and if you feel like you & your small kids are getting shoved around like we are on a football field, and shielding them from yucky language...what kind of relaxing vacation is that? We all want to be nice and have a good time--but when people continual push the envelope, we should stand up and say something.

 

[mickaholic4077]

is to grab the flag from the leader and take off running with the entire group following me all around the park chanting all the way!

 

[carj]

We were eating at 1900 Park Fare and there was a group of about 120 15 year old girls! It was just my 4 year old daughter and I for this meal.

The problem that I had was that they got up and wandered around the restaurant and came to the tables while the characters were visiting with other guests. There was one occasion when Tigger had to leave because the girls were hanging onto him and grabbing him. It was really a little scary because they were pressing in around him, (and our table). One of the girls leaned on our table and I looked up at her and shook my head and her friend told her to move. Until they left, I just held my daughter in my lap because it was too uncontrolled for my comfort.

The manager, the waitress, and other staff all asked them to sit down and wait for the characters to come to them and to not go to the tables of other guests. The manager spoke to their leader several times and the leader told them to stay seated as well.

Our waitress was great and got the characters to visit us once the group left.

 

[mirmartinez]

I read these post and was amazed at this horrid behavior, so I did what I always do GOOGLE THE SUBJECT
found many on disney on it, but this one sums up out of control dangerous behavior

http://www.wftv.com/news/9953087/detail.html

 

[pweyl36]

I read these post and was amazed at this horrid behavior, so I did what I always do GOOGLE THE SUBJECT
found many on disney on it, but this one sums up out of control dangerous behavior

http://www.wftv.com/news/9953087/detail.html

 

[Moonpie]

I read these post and was amazed at this horrid behavior, so I did what I always do GOOGLE THE SUBJECT
found many on disney on it, but this one sums up out of control dangerous behavior

http://www.wftv.com/news/9953087/detail.html

OMG! They took over the intercom on the airplane?! That's scary!

 

[THUNDERMOUNTAINMOMMA]

We were at Cirque Du Soleil in DTD Friday night. 45 minutes into the show, a group of 55 teen girls enter the theatre and proceed to stand in the two rows in front of us. We missed the whole BMX bike part of the show while they figured out where they were going to sit. Totally annoying! Then they all break out their cameras and start taking flash photography! Again, totally annoying.We kknow there were 55 because a CM confirmed it after the show when we complained about it.

 

[melancholywings]

We had one of those tour groups shut down a ride on us too. By overloading the line, cutting infront, pushing and shoving, and doing the arm locking thing. The CMs got smart though, split the line up weird (don't know how they did it) but the tour group meshed in with regular guests.

I don't blame the kids so much as the leaders, I actually felt bad for some of the kids who were sitting against a fence in the hot sun waiting for the whistle to blow for the next stop. How much fun could it be to have that whistle squaking at you all day?

 

[Aisling]

The Europeans are saying the same thing about the loud, obnoxious US tourists descending on them this summer.

The British family standing in line with my family where we were all pushed aside by a chain-link of Brazilian girls would DEFINITELY disagree with you. This family had a child in a stroller and one at hand, and the father was livid! We let the Brazilian group get away with it, but to hear a man use obscenities with a proper British accent was hilarious!

I don't care how politically incorrect it is for me to say this, but the Brazilian tour groups are well-known for their bad behavior. Try sitting in a counter-service restaurant with your family and have 50 of them come in chanting in your ear while you eat. It's wrong, plain and simple, and they laugh it off.

I've learned that unless I'm physically pushed by them, like the last time, I let it go, and head in the opposite direction.

 

[PRINCESS VIJA]

I didn't read the whole thread, so sorry if this has been posted already, but what months typically do the Brazillian tour groups go to WDW?

 

[Aisling]

I didn't read the whole thread, so sorry if this has been posted already, but what months typically do the Brazillian tour groups go to WDW?

I've been going in early July for years, and that's a prime time for them.


As a side note, they don't just go to WDW with their tour groups. I live in NYC, and I've seen them in large department stores, same behavior, but with less tolerance.

 

[pigletto]

I can not speak with experience regarding Disney.. but I have worked in the tourist district of a VERY busy tourist destination and have seen these tourist groups as well. Culturally there does seem to be a huge difference in what is acceptable.
I am a person that tries very hard to not lump people into one size fits all labels. But the reality is with some nationalities (mostly teenagers) I can sadly say they don't just reserve this kind of stuff for Disney.
Luckily I have been spared the whistle.. but I am all too familiar with the chanting. What the heck is with that anyway?!?

 

[GalDisney]

Ugh, I forgot about the groups in July. o well. I will be at WDW next week with relatives. I will be concentrating on my relatives so hopefully the groups wont diturb me too much. Does anyone know which resorts these groups stay in. I am guessing values and moderates? I will be with my relatives at the Boardwalk Villas, hopefully these groups wont populate that resort.

 

[Markstudy]

Someone has to drop the "PC" and call these groups out!

The teen tour groups from Brazil have shown some of the worst behavior I have ever seen.

People of Brazil should be ashamed of the way these kids are representing their Country.

We were in line for Splash Mountain, when about 30 of these kids started play fighting in line. I saw them trample kids and any other people standing in line. I YELLED AT THEM AS THEY CAME TOWARDS US (AND GOT TOO CLOSE TO MY WIFE). THEY STOPPED...BUT ITS SAD THAT DISNEY's FAMOUS SECURITY SEEMS TO RUN AND HIDE WHEN IT COMES TO THESE GROUPS.

These kids acted like animals. And I was ready to fight for my safety... and I think they saw that when I took a stance and made it clear that it all stops NOW

Before some "PC" cop comes along and calls me small minded... my wife and her large family is from Cali, Colombia... and I've had plenty of experience in South America. But I won't go to Disney during Jan/July anymore. THANKS DISNEY its just not fun for me dodging tour groups (that don't have to follow the rules). I'm not worried about my safety, but some day a small child is going to get hurt bad!

I've run into them at Sea World and Bush Gardens also...same groups, same problems. (saw another fight at Bush Gardens in the line for River Rapids).

 

[j109]

Perhaps this link which lists helpful phrases in Brazilian Portugese will be of some use?

http://www.ielanguages.com/portuguese.html

I think I'll start with memorizing how one would say "What's the matter with you?" and, uh, let's see..."Shut up" (middle column, last row)

 

[pigletto]

Is "Stop that incessant chanting!!!" on that list??

 

[Markstudy]

When they pull the... "I don't speak English"...thing on you (its usually as they are cutting in line or breaking some other rule)...

Here's what you do

Look at them and ask "did you just drop that $20 bill? I saw it fall from your pocket?"

When they look down at the ground, they're COLD BUSTED!!!