Where did they come from???

[dancin Disney style]

I'm with you regarding the cheerleaders. We were at one of the All Star Resorts in Feb 2007 and the cheerleaders were a bit loud but the parents were the worse. At some point, it was like 2am and people kept banging on our door, i looked by the window only to see some older folks running around, screaming, laughing loud WITH the cheerleaders!!! The next time they banged on our door, we were ready for them with a bucket of cold water

OMG...the time I was mentioning was Feb 2007 and we were at ASMo.

 

[lustergirl]

We should not limit the discussion to "foreign" tour groups. Unfortunately, it is not only they who sometimes behave badly. I think that any group of un or under-chaperoned kids will push the limits. We all know that kids feed off one another and will do almost anything to gain the attention and approval of their peers. In truth, the only tour group I have ever had issue with was a group of American students. There were about 15-20 of them and they were all wearing t-shirts that said "John Jones Junior High School." They were profane and repeatedly pushed their way forward in line on Test Track. The good news is, when they got to the front of the line and attempted to board the cars he CMs put them off the ride!

Incidentally, this doesn't only happen with groups, it is really with any unchaperoned kids. One year there was a group of about 4-5 kids running around and up and down the stairs at ASMu, yelling loudly. I think they were playing some sort of tag game. It was late, after midnight. I had to come out of my room (in my PJs, so that scared them enough!) and ask them to please stop as they were waking my children. I don't know where their parents were.

Off topic- I was admiring you puppy pug. My hubby wants to get one and if we did I would want a black one.

 

[wdwmaw]

I love October !!!!!!!

We use to go in July and found Oct. fall break and don't miss it at all. We have never experienced any other tour group except for the Brazillian ones and I have to say that was enough. We stood in line with several of them and they were really nice but when the leader was around they changed. They would, about 40 of them....

~Sing Brazillian National Anthem before Fantasmic and once in American Adventure during the show
~Walk hand in hand making a huge line down a walkway or on parade route
~Fast pass 30-40 people at a time
~ sleep everywhere
~pretend not to understand English ( they were speaking till they were spoken to by CM)
~sit in the water at Typhoon Lagoon and make tea to drink
~pushed my beach chair forward at TL with me on it, I was so glad a life gurard saw this one.I think they thought if they pushed us into the water we would leave or life gurard would make us leave.
~One adult forgot to put a shirt on, no kidding she was told by CM that if she did not put a shirt on she could not be admitted to AK. She only had a bra on!!!!!
~Our last July we were approached by about 10 different Brazillian children asking us if they could use our cell phone. They had one in hand and spoke English. The approach was one would act as if she was going to cry and pretend her phone battery was dead. She really needed to find her party. We would not have done it but there was a CM watching her and he came up to us as soon as she finished her spiel. She walked away and he went on to tell us this was somthing new they were doing to call home. I don't even think my phone would call Brazil?


We love October !!!!!!!!

 

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

most cell phone will call to other countries, if they know the country code.

unless you have it blocked by your service provider.

I know a bunch of tourists near the Mexico border in San Diego got a BIG suprise when they called home and realized that they were hitting the cell tower in Tijuana (after they get the bill!) hehehehhehehehe

 

[williamson_ja]

I have taken groups on trips before and this reminds me of why I have my rules. We always travel with one adult per every 5 students. On our last trip on of our chaperones thought I was the meanest person in the world because you don't get a break as one of my chaperone's. You have to be the responsible party with your group at all times. Those kids were not allowed to so much as go to the pool without an adult once ever. Having said that, my chaperones would never have acted like mentioned in some of these posts. We are a christian homeschool group that sometimes travels and the behavior expected is FAR above most tour groups. We've never done a Disney trip, but would like to in the future....
I do have to say that groups like this are why it is hard for responsible groups to get hotel rooms, etc. They see tour groups coming and don't care how many rooms you are going to pay for. They really just don't want to deal with you. It is a real shame.

 

[mickaholic4077]

I think these BTGs are only going to get worse,because Disney won't do anything to stop them because they need their money more than ever.

 

[ScrapperBelle]

I have taken groups on trips before and this reminds me of why I have my rules. We always travel with one adult per every 5 students. On our last trip on of our chaperones thought I was the meanest person in the world because you don't get a break as one of my chaperone's. You have to be the responsible party with your group at all times. Those kids were not allowed to so much as go to the pool without an adult once ever. Having said that, my chaperones would never have acted like mentioned in some of these posts. We are a christian homeschool group that sometimes travels and the behavior expected is FAR above most tour groups. We've never done a Disney trip, but would like to in the future....
I do have to say that groups like this are why it is hard for responsible groups to get hotel rooms, etc. They see tour groups coming and don't care how many rooms you are going to pay for. They really just don't want to deal with you. It is a real shame.

ITA!!! A few years ago we went to Dollywood at the beginning of May. There were lots of school groups apparently on field trips. EVERY ONE of those schools had their kids in small groups with AT LEAST ONE or TWO adult chaperones. Those kids were extremely well behaved. If they even thought about acting out, an adult was there to set them straight.

A few times DH and I would start talking to one of the chaperones in line and one of them told us it was Dollywood's policy that the children be chaperoned in manageable groups. Now there were times when the chaperones would "sit out" a ride, but they waited right there for the kids.

OK, I know Dollywood is much smaller than WDW and these groups were all local to the area, but why can't WDW enforce similar rules? I'm sorry, but singing the Brazilian National Anthem in the middle of the American Adventure is completely unacceptable to me. I would never go to another country and sing the Star Spangled Banner during a presentation on their history or culture! Why would I even be in another country if I didn't want to experience it and all I wanted to do was impose America on them?

 

[picktails]

Totally agree this is not a "foreign" thing, as when our kids are abroad they are the foreigners. It is OUR responsibility to learn the cultural norms so they can behave appropriately.

Teens need to be reminded of appropriate behavior, therefore the blame here lies with the CHAPERONES. Unfortunately the "grown ups" who are supposed to set the example do not always do so, even in our own country (as recounted here.)

We also try not to be the "ugly American" when on vacation, something we have run into numerous times in the caribbean. Trust me, the tour groups in WDW do NOT have the monopoly on rude behavior!

Thanks to those who wished my son a great trip in Europe - he saw the lights "turn on and sparkle" at the Eiffel Tower today and will be home on Wednesday.

 

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

Well, I think that the Disney corporation has taken the "guest is always right" mantra a bit too far, sometimes the guest is a rude idiot.

What they do not seem realize is that the tourist dollar can go somewhere else, and that if enough problems like that keep showing up, some guests will stop going, and then the parks will get a reputation that only the rowdy and line jumpers will get their way.

maybe kicking out a few groups that do that, and then a PUBLIC announcement that they did will send a bit of a message.

That is interesting that Dollywood has a policy on groups. maybe they know something that Disney dosn't?

 

[yaksack]

Thats the good thing about being a 30 year old DVC owner.....you can tell the groups to get out of your way. I have. I know people will say thats not magical. But if i'm at a park with my family and a group(any group) tries to bully their way in front of me, i do not allow it to happen. PERIOD. It's not a national thing, it's not ANY thing....except a personal respect thing. I will lay down in the mud to help an old women across the street, but I will also tell the ignorant group where they can go. That's me. I would do the same thing at a sporting event, a muesuem, anyware. I'm not saying I make a scene....and making a scene is not a "cool" thing to do to me. But we are all there. We all want our family, kids, friends to have fun.....and it's Disney.....so you have to wait to do it. That wait will not be by jumping past me....no matter what visa you carry.

President Obama says we must re-establish oursleves in the eyes of the world. I think that this is a good place to start.

These people are guests in our Country and we should be accepting of them and their culture.

 

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

President Obama says we must re-establish oursleves in the eyes of the world. I think that his is a good place to start.

These people are guests in our Country and we should be accepting of them and their culture.

PARTIALLY right

how about this change?:

These people are guests in our Country and we should be showing them how to act if they are not gracious enough to act like a guest and be respectful of our culture.

 

[kaffinito]

PARTIALLY right

how about this change?:

These people are guests in our Country and we should be showing them how to act if they are not gracious enough to act like a guest and be respectful of our culture.

 

[yaksack]

And people wonder why President Obama apologized to every country's leader when he visited.

 

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

And people wonder why President Obama apologized to every country's leader when he visited.

??

dude, ya need to get a t.v. with sound, junk that old analog tube and get a flat screen!!

and cable!!

trying to read his lips isn't working out for ya!!!

hehehehhehehe

RUM?

 

[Shagley]

And people wonder why President Obama apologized to every country's leader when he visited.

President Obama apologized because of the rude tour groups at Disney World??

 

[yaksack]

He apologized for the arrogance of Americans.

 

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

He apologized for the arrogance of Americans.

umm, yeah.....

discussing politics is strongly discouraged on the DIS, there is a sticky about it,

perhaps you were unaware..

at any rate, it would detract from the current discussion,

and now back to the discussion!!!!

RUM?

 

[yaksack]

umm, yeah.....

discussing politics is strongly discouraged on the DIS, there is a sticky about it,

perhaps you were unaware..

at any rate, it would detract from the current discussion,

and now back to the discussion!!!!

RUM?

Rum? Only if you throw in Kiera Knightly!!

 

[Goin2Disney2006]

It's the pack mentality and as Carol said it does not matter where they are from and actually it can be any age.

We were there in late Febuary and we were almost run down daily at Epcot by large packs of Snowbirds on scooters, they were worse than any Hell's Angels.

It was a group of about 20 all on scooters with this one woman with blue hair, leading the pack with a flag on her scooter, and my golly she was determined to mow anyone down in her way.

They had brought their scooters with them and they were not the slow, pokey ones Disney rents, these bad boys were fast.

We just all ran the other way when we saw "Granny Smurf" parting the crowds with her pack, they even traveled in a "V" formation with her in the front.

I still have nightmares.

I can totally picture that. I agree, people driving those scooters are very dangerous.

 

[Goin2Disney2006]

PARTIALLY right

how about this change?:

These people are guests in our Country and we should be showing them how to act if they are not gracious enough to act like a guest and be respectful of our culture.

I completely agree