Tour Groups: What's Your Solution?

[keishashadow]

I got back yesterday and I am sorry but the tour groups definitely took away from my experience. I was there with my 18, 17 and 11 year old children. These groups of virtually unsupervised, uncontrolled children was ridiculous. They ran over both me and my daughter. My ankle is still swollen and my daughter twisted her knee. I ended up at minor care with her and then had to push her around in a wheel chair the rest of the two weeks. When I spoke to Guest Relations they said it was just a cultural difference. it is not a cultural difference. It is a huge amount of unsupervised children running through a park.

I was talking with one of the chaperones and she said that there were two chaperones with 93 15 year old girls from another country. These kids were yelling and running and lying in the middle of every walk way. They were impossible to avoid. Luckily we were at The Contemporary so there were none at our hotel. I cannot imagine sending my kids to a foreign country unsupervised like that. I sent my boys to Australia when they were 15. There was a chaperone ( a certified school teacher with People to People) for every 10 kids.

I have been during very busy times--two separate trips the park was closed for entry by 11 a.m. It is not the crowds that bothered me it was this crowd.

We still had an amazing time because we worked a plan around them.

There can be quite the lack of personal space in the parks. thankfully they typically excel at crowd control. My rule of thumb is when I see 'the flag' of the tour groups, I immediately turn the other way.

btw, I've been run into several times, usually clipped while standing still in line for somethingby a stroller or ECV. However, on one occasion, I take full liability for straying from straight line heading down main street out of MK after Wishes one night. I now refuse to walk 'in the herd' and wait for it to clear, rather claustrophobic feeling anyhow to part of that throng.

 

[Gareth& Hayley]

Nothing brings out the magic in a luxurious, high priced vacation quite like a formal briefing and being read the riot act by management. What would your reaction be if Disney gave you and your party a sternly worded lecture and list of punishments for rule breaking prior to park entry?

As a youngster when we travelled as a youth group or with the school we would always been read the riot act... how were are representing the school etc.

 

[TinCup]

Over the years I have encountered the large tour groups on many occasions. For the most part I have found that the behavior of the kids in these tour groups to be similar to the behavior of other groups of kids (sports groups, cheerleading, etc.) that I have seen at WDW. Based on my experiences it seems that all groups of kids get a bit rowdy and carry on a bit when enjoying their time at WDW.

So if the big tour groups are behaving in a similar way to other groups, why do the large tour groups seem more annoying and disruptive?

The answer I came to is that the size of the tour group tends to take over whatever location they are at and overwhelm the other guests at that location. The larger size of the groups magnifies the group’s behaviors to the point where they become annoying and disruptive. To illustrate my point I will use examples of issues that other posters have identified.

Cutting in line – If one or two people cut in line to catch up to their group it is a minor inconvenience. When 20+ people cut in line to catch up to their group it is a major issue and no longer an inconvenience.

Chanting/yelling – When a group of about 10 people get loud it’s usually no big deal. When 50+ people get loud it’s a major disruption.

Bathrooms – A group of 10 people using the bathroom and sink area is not much of a problem for other guests. 50+ people using the bathroom and sink area is a major problem and inconvenience for other guests.

Walking as a group – A group of 10 or so people can navigate through the crowds with no problem. A group of 50+ people trying to move through a crowd tends to disrupt the flow of traffic and causes problems for other guests.

Fast passes – A group of ten or so people getting fast passes is usually not going to cause a problem for other guests. Someone getting a hundred fast passes for the large tour group does cause a problem for other guests.

Again, these large tour groups are not doing anything different than other tour groups are doing. The issue, in my opinion, is the size of the group trying to do these things. This is what’s causing the annoyance and disruptions to other guests. JMHO.

As other posters have suggested, a simple solution would be to require and enforce smaller tour group sizes while in the parks.

 

[swebb0310]

I was at Disney last week, and I did notice the groups. However, they were not as bad as I had heard. What I noticed as the biggest obstacle was that they were large groups, and that they were probably worse than other large groups because there was a language barrier for me.
They were annoying at times, but I felt that it was mostly because teenagers are annoying. There were a couple of times that I was slightly bothered by their behavior, but I was equally bothered by behavior of smaller groups and families. (Including adults!)
They only hindered my plans when we found ourselves eating at pizzafari at the same time as them and there was no where to sit.

 

[Odelay]

As a youngster when we travelled as a youth group or with the school we would always been read the riot act... how were are representing the school etc.

You were read the riot act from Disney park security, and not your group chaperones? I have never experienced nor heard of that occurring, even when on band trips that went backstage.

 

[patsal]

Usually these types of people come from Guest Relations. They could be utilized in that role when not assigned a tour group.

It's expensive, but I think it's the best solution.

Regarding enforcing the rules, it's a problem of CMs A) not having enough power and B) not caring

Case in point - inappropriate shirts. Did you know the ONLY frontline CM that can ask someone to turn a shirt inside out is the person at the turnstiles? Yeah, that person dealing with people who can't stick it in and put a finger on it(or slide a wrist now) are supposed to also monitor shirts. Anyone else, including security, who wants to confront a guest has to get a manager. So you have a line 30 people long at a cash register, are you going to confront that guest, hold up the line, and get a manager? No...

The same goes for the other "rules" that simply don't get enforced. With line jumping, unless a CM sees it AND acts by getting a manager, nothing can be done. Even then, the managers don't wanna deal with that, they're more likely to get a warning, one that no other manager is going to be aware of.

The best defense against these things quite honestly are guests saying "no, you can stay back there, you enter together or you don't move ahead of me" As a guest, I'm the first one to yell at someone for not going to the end of the row, using flash, or talking on a cell phone during CoP. I like the fact that I can have a very annoyed tone that a CM is not able to have.

Well, that explains how the shirts with the huge letters spelling out *UCK YES were wandering through Epcot on Monday morning.

I think explaining and enforcing rules has got to be done.
This past trip was the worse I have ever seen it. As it was the parks were very full, elbow to elbow, I have been going the same weeks every summer for the past 11 years and the crowds were nearly unmanageable except for very early in the morning. Add to this, tour groups who would physically sit on the sidewalk paths blocking them at all parks...one whole side of Epcot as unpassable because kids decided to park themselves in the walking paths. THe land pavillion was impassable on one side since a tour group was resting on the side blocking the path and recharging electronic devices in every available outlet they could find. Not only is this annoying, but very dangerous. They need to split up like field trip groups do, 1 adult for every 8ish kids. What do we know about teens (I'm a high school teacher so I know teens) groups empower them to do stupid things they would never have done on their own. Once they are empowered with the ability to get away with things they will continue to push the envelope and be even more rude and selfish. Nearly the entire food court in the land was filled with at least 6 different tour groups on Monday. No tables, kids running dropping things and no one cleaning up after themselves. Tables were left for the CMs to clean off. I am sure many of these children have servents at home, but they need to understand they have to clean up after themselves.
My guess is the profits outweigh the rights of the other guests. If I had a choice when I could visit I would abandon summer, but I am unable to do that with my current employment.

On a lighter note it must be heavenly in their native countries during this time period as it must be free of all teenagers!

 

[Skyhawk341]

Anyone else wondering if Rio is having the same problems with our World Youth Day groups (and their flags, chaperones, chanting, and matching t-shirts)?

 

[threedisprincesses]

My family was at WDW July 9-16. The tour groups were chanting, walking in lines, holding hands multiple people across, running towards the exit at HS after Fantasmic...
Having been to WDW several dozen times, I've certainly seen these groups before but never have I seen the behaviors I saw this year. While it did not ruin our trip, at times it was a very uncomfortable situation. There was a mob mentality that was going along with the chanting/yelling that was especially uncomfortable. I am a city school teacher, and i know having 60+ kids to 2 adults acting in this manner is never a good idea. The CM even were looking at each other like they knew it was wrong but had no idea what to do.
I will never be back mid June-July because of this experience. Nor will I recommend anyone going during this time period. It is not a good situation.

 

[beer dave]

solution? raise the prices. when there is overcrowding it is usually because of ease of availability.

 

[patsal]

solution? raise the prices. when there is overcrowding it is usually because of ease of availability.

lol, that was what my DH said, first he said "guess the recession is over" and then he said "maybe they need to raise prices".

 

[newlife]

this thread never seems to go away. i have been reading about these groups since 2002 when i first joined. the issues with the tour groups have been here and will always be here at WDW for one reason, MONEY!! and anyone who thinks the WDW is interested in controlling the tour groups is fooling themselves. if you put too many restrictions on the tour groups they will eventually find alternate places to spend their massive funds.

do i find them irritating, most definitely. do they ruin my vacation, only if i allow them to. i have had only a few interactions with these groups that i considered annoying and only once did i have the misfortune of being behind the massive distribution of fastpasses. i wasnt happy about it but i dealt with it. whenever i see the flags and the mass of same colored t-shirts i wait and see where they are headed and the other way i go lol!!

honestly people, i have had more annoyances with the "natives" then i have had with the tour groups.

lets face it, the tour groups are cash cows for WDW and until somebody gets hurt badly enough that warrants legal action nothing will get done

 

[KatieCharlotte]

We have been at DHS when there were several huge groups. We generally went the other way and did not directly experience any behavior issues. We found the soccer chants at Fantasmic entertaining because they stopped before the show started.

However, the sheer size of the groups was a major issue, especially because several of the groups, all from the same country, hit the same small park on the same day. Disney could have strongly suggested they not all tour together. To give you some idea of the crowds on this mid-January, non-EMH day, the fastpass return time for ToT at 11 a.m. was after 5 p.m. We had grabbed TSMM fastpasses at RD and then got ToT fastpasses as soon as we could because my DD was dying to ride. I did not properly appreciate the crowd size and thought this would be easy. I gave up on RnR when I saw the return times.

As someone said earlier, it would have been nice had someone at Disney at least anticipated the Fantasmic issue, not waited until the last minute to add a second showing, and encouraged the groups to attend the second showing. Families like ours with small children had a greater need to be at the early showing. We made it through the gates only because I skipped ToT, grabbed our dinner on a tray, and got in line very early with my non-ToT-riding child. Many families were very disappointed that night when Fantasmic filled so fast. We sat closer together to make room for a woman and small boy from another country because she was nearly in tears when told it was standing room only LONG before the show started.

As someone who was lucky enough to travel internationally as h.s. student, I also know behavior is a major issue, especially at hotels, and a sufficient number of effective chaperones are essential. I would definitely enforce a teen/adult ratio.

 

[sonofanarchy]

Ban them from the parks.

Of all the things they do the one thing I can't stand is the chanting of "BRAZIL" or "ARGENTINA". Show some respect. You're a visitor in our country. I can't imagine a tour group of children from the United States visiting South America chanting "U.S.A." as it paraded through its streets.

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

Having just returned and experienced the "tour groups" in full blossom I will say that they seem to be a little better behaved. I had read on another site that Disney has set dow some rules for them. That being said it is really frustrating to try and go to the park with a FP and have to out run a group of 75 heading to the FP return. IN the past their behavior was atrocious! Now they are relegated to two turnstyles and must stay with the group on entering. I know that they are paying customers too but here is my question with the quantity of tour groups I saw in the park is there any one left in their country under the age of 20? Also I saw maybe 2 chaperones with a total of 50 to 75 kids in these groups.

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

Ban them from the parks.

Of all the things they do the one thing I can't stand is the chanting of "BRAZIL" or "ARGENTINA". Show some respect. You're a visitor in our country. I can't imagine a tour group of children from the United States visiting South America chanting "U.S.A." as it paraded through its streets.

Open a park closer or in their country and then let them block the way and monopolize the fp return. See how fast that lasts then!