tour groups

[mel]

wow, there are alot of tour groups at disney right now. (can you say brazilian?) How do they arrange for such large groups to que up on rides? Do they get special priviedges such as special acess to rides?

[Young@Heart]

Oh, that sure does stink! We'll be there in just a few days.

[Mousemates]

How do the queue up...unfortunately if they don't break into smaller pods, all at once...we had the misfortune of getting in a fast pass line with a large group on a couple of occasions the last time we did a late summer trip. They must have ahd several peopletake the tickets and get fastpasses for everyone...it made fast pass very slow and practically stopped the standby line "until the hippo worked its way through the snake."

[PrincessEmmasMommy]

Not to mention the fact that they are undersupervised, loud, and quite disprespectful. Last year we had several run-ins with these lovely tour groups. Hopefully this year will be better when we leave in 11 days.
Jen

[mel]

now that you mentioned it.. several of the tour groups were not very well behaved.. pushing and all that... I think this must be a summer break thing because we have never encountered this problem before in june..

[ParkMan]

I don't remember queuing up behind one before, but I do remember scores of tour groups very vividly. It's hard not to notice them - large groups of brightly colored shirts walking around is a large mass.

I'm always just amazed the people sign up to go on the tours. If someone asked me to go to Brazil and hang out in a bright yellow shirt with 30 other people dressed exactly the same way, I'd think they lost their senses. I have a hard enough time sticking in a group with 4 or 5 other people for more than a few hours.

[EditReject]

Next week will be my first summer trip in 10 years. Before that, each time I was there in July there were loads of tour groups from Brazil. For the most part, they were fine and many times while waiting in line they would break into song. Now I do not speak Portuguese but they made the lines fun anyway. I am looking forward to seeing them plus spending a week full of summer evenings in WDW. There is just something about a summer night in WDW, especially in the MK!

[Mousemates]

There is just something about a summer night in WDW, especially in the MK!

You got that right!

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

We had an issue with some on our last trip....the problem was there would be 1 or 2 in line and right before boarding they would get on these walkie talkies and have a conversation in a foreign language and all of a sudden 10-12 would come running in, cut ahead and get on the ride with them....and don't try to say something a man made a mistake of saying something when we were there and they kind of ganged up around him until he quieted down....as for the CM's they kind of pretended not to notice what was going on....I guess they were intimidated as well....and BTW, most foreigners at the world are delightful and respectful, I wasn't picking on any one culture its just we ran into that same group over and over again doing the same thing over and over again.....

[Imagineer1981]

We had an issue with some on our last trip....the problem was there would be 1 or 2 in line and right before boarding they would get on these walkie talkies and have a conversation in a foreign language and all of a sudden 10-12 would come running in, cut ahead and get on the ride with them....and don't try to say something a man made a mistake of saying something when we were there and they kind of ganged up around him until he quieted down....as for the CM's they kind of pretended not to notice what was going on....I guess they were intimidated as well....and BTW, most foreigners at the world are delightful and respectful, I wasn't picking on any one culture its just we ran into that same group over and over again doing the same thing over and over again.....

We've had the same issue over and over again. Unfortunately Brazil is a different culture. I have had the privelge of going to other countries like China and several European countries and I must say that people of different ideas of what is "polite and correct manners." To them it might not be a big deal...plus they are teens, so what do they care

[Young@Heart]

We had an issue with some on our last trip....the problem was there would be 1 or 2 in line and right before boarding they would get on these walkie talkies and have a conversation in a foreign language and all of a sudden 10-12 would come running in, cut ahead and get on the ride with them....and don't try to say something a man made a mistake of saying something when we were there and they kind of ganged up around him until he quieted down....as for the CM's they kind of pretended not to notice what was going on....I guess they were intimidated as well....and BTW, most foreigners at the world are delightful and respectful, I wasn't picking on any one culture its just we ran into that same group over and over again doing the same thing over and over again.....

It would be really hard for me to say something in a situation like this. I can't believe the CM's wouldn't say something.

[TheRustyScupper]

1) They have no special privileges.
2) They must wait like everyone else.
3) Sometimes they try to cut in line to join others.
4) I DO NOT LET THEM CUT IN LINE.
5) When I am in line, I will block anyone trying to do cuts.
6) Fortunately, they don't try to mess with me for long. *
7) Unfortunately, I spend 3-6 weeks per year in Brazil and understand them.
. . . I first complain in English
. . . I hear their snide remarks, since most do speak English
. . . Then I reply in Portuguese (sometimes easy, sometimes roughly)
. . . They usually are taken aback and quiet down


* Ex-Big-Ten defensive linemen have a tendency to intimidate people when we wish. Sometimes even when we don't wish to.

[ILoveLegos]

I saw lots of Brazillian teens last week in WDW. I saw only one line cutting incident and technically they were waiting for most of the line, then they cut out of it to sit on the side walk in the sun while a few in their group waited in line for Little Mermaid - it technically allowed more non-Brazillians into the relatively small queue. The cast members let them back in line with their party and probably told them to wait on the side in the first place - for all I know. No one around me attempted to complain, I assured my park companions (my Aunt and 4 cousins) that the'd be squished like little sardines in the interior waiting room area soon enough with everyone else. We all were in there, it was no big deal. That was the worst behavior we witnessed.

The singing was a nice diversion in the heavy down pour rains in the afternoon - we didn't mind hearing them one bit. Lastly we shared shelter with a group of about 50 Brazillian teens during an afternoon down pour and even helped them get their rain ponchos unfolded & on so they could venture out into the "not so safe intense electrical storm raging outside" - their choice not mine, but they were having a lot of fun, and so were we! If I'm in Disney World I just expect to see them there - it's part of the experience now for me and I go roughly 4 to 5 times annually Summer, Winter, Spring and Fall - as long as there is no bullying or really rude behavior (I've not witnessed any of that yet). Of course I would speak up as the need arose, but I haven't had the need to

[Going2HeavenRU]

Anyone ever enjoyed the shouts and endless cheers of the cheerleaders when they are at Disney? Let me tell you, it is a joy to hear them cheering late into the night and all over the parks (NOT!)

[dizknee531]

We STOPPED taking July vacation because of this. When we walked in our hotel lobby, they were all over the floor. Very unnattractive. they have cut in front of us during the parade and we were FURIOUS!!

[Daddy Mouse]

Imagine any large group of teenagers without a great deal of supervision from almost any country in the world and you can imagine the chaos or problems that can arise. I've experienced the tour groups. If I were their age I'd be right with them. I wear no halo on my head! Although I would not do the things Ive seen today. (large numbers of FP, Holding lines for large groups, not listening to lifegaurds, etc..) I just try to take most things in stride with the exception of letting a large group ahead of me in line. Last time I was at Disney there were very few tours (Aug).

[Grim Grinning Marathon Runner]

I have seen the large South American groups (it's kind of hard to miss that large of a group all dressed alike following someone carrying a flag around), but, for the most part, they haven't bothered me.

One question I have is this - where do they usually stay? Do they stay on property?

I tolerate them in the parks, but I could only imagine how rowdy they'd be in the hotels.

[joelkfla]

One question I have is this - where do they usually stay? Do they stay on property?

I dropped off a large group at All-Star Music yesterday.

They were loud and over-energized, but friendly and courteous.

[dmallan]

We encountered several large tour groups on our last trip in January. As others have said they were loud and disrespectful.

From the various posts here, it sounds as if the Brazilians are there spring, summer, fall and winter!
So, when are they NOT there? Do they ever go to school? Or are these school related trips?

We're planning a September trip. The last time we were there in September we walked on almost everything - crowds were pretty much non-exsistant. I'm wondering if things have changed since then.