Brazilian Tour Groups

[eandrsmom]

I'm sure this has been addressed here before, but when do the Brazilian tour groups visit? We are going the last week in July, and I read on another site that they visit in June and July. Do they really make that much of a difference as far as crowds? Will they still be there the last week of July? Any tips or advice? One site really warns of them being obnoxious. Is this true or an exaggeration?

[Strmchsr]

They are there through July and January.

Are they obnoxious? Well, I suppose it depends on your definition. If you're near one of the groups, by American standards they probably are. They are loud and boisterous and tend to chant and sing a lot as they move about. They're having fun. Doesn't bother me (except when they're in line right behind me, then it can get a little overbearing).

As for the impact on the parks, yes and no. If you're in an area where they are it can feel very crowded because there's a large number moving in a pack. In general, if I see one of their flags I just go another direction or hit something else until they are past that area. They're aren't too difficult to avoid. There have been one or two times in January where there were a bunch of groups at one park. I hopped to another park and it was no big deal.

[Melanie]

Definitely January and July, and a bit into August too.

They are here now and in force. sigh

[TinkerbellT421]

Not an exaggeration. I have been stepped on, hit, practically run over, seen them relieving themselves in the bushes of Epcot, loud, screaming in your ear while standing in line and taunting of cast members. But you get the idea.
We go in January and they are there in the hundreds. When we spot that little flag, turn around and hit the park in the opposite direction. They go to the parks and go around typically from the left side to the right. If you see them ahead of you or behind you just tackle the park the opposite way. This way here by the time you are finished with one side they have already been through the other side. If you handle it that way you should be able to get through with little or no interference.

[BugeyedMuggy]

They actually shut down R&RC 2 mornings and BTM once that we noticed last week for the tour groups to ride at opening. Very disappointed to see they are doing this during regular park hours and not before the park opens. The chanting is one thing that can make it a bit old after awhile.

[Dickson Thunder]

We went in both 2007 and 2010 in July and encountered the tour groups. The one's we ran into the first time were well behaved and actually added to the experience. I cannot say the same for the 2010 trip but they still did not ruin our vacation. As far as the overall crowd level I don't think they impact it that much. However, as others have said they tend to dominate the area they are in. You need to find another ride when you see them coming.
:mickey:

[CMCTxMom]

They go to the parks and go around typically from the left side to the right. If you see them ahead of you or behind you just tackle the park the opposite way. This way here by the time you are finished with one side they have already been through the other side. If you handle it that way you should be able to get through with little or no interference.

I'm going to have to remember this - thanks! We're going in January...

[SBETigg]

Strangely enough, my biggest run-in with a Brazilian Disney tour group was in New York City. They were staying in my hotel before a Disney visit or after. It was surreal. They had their shirts and flags and Disney things and chatter. I just turned to my husband and said wow, we can't escape them. And we laughed.

[eandrsmom]

Thankfully we have park hoppers, so I'm thinking we'll utilize them if needed. As far as shutting down the more popular thrill rides for a little while, I'm fine with that as long as it isn't for a significant amount of time. (More than an hour or so.) I'm thinking that it's done to prevent them from getting all of the fastpasses. We'll just keep an eye (or ear) out, and go in a different direction.

[BugeyedMuggy]

Park hopper will not matter. We had them. There is not just one or two groups per park and trying to dodge them it seems like you just run into another one. If our company did not close for 2 weeks in July we would opt out of July for one of our yearly trips. But we always try to find something else to do than parks. I just feel bad for people who have that time for their once in a lifetime experience.

[buzznwoodysmom]

Oh boy! Looks like our trip in a few weeks might be our first encounter with these tour groups. In all our trips we've never seen a single tour group, but we've also never traveled in Jan. or July. I was a bit concerned with the heat, but now I'm more worried about these tour groups.

Anyone know what resorts they usually stay at? I think I can handle them in the parks. We can do like many suggest and go in the opposite direction if we run into them. The resorts are totally different. We want to spend lot of time relaxing at our resort pools, but the thought of chanting at the pool is not something I would want to have to deal with.

[TinkerbellT421]

Buzz, it's my understanding that they typically stay at the values, All Stars and POP. One January trip we encountered MANY at POP. They invade the food court by what seems like the hundreds, and wherever they go there's never less than 10 or so together so it is very inconvenient in the food courts, pools, bathrooms, etc. I was literally tackled down by a group of girls in the bathroom one year at Epcot. But that's a whole other story lol. I among sure about moderate resorts but I do know for a fact about the values.

[Tigger's Mom]

We dealt with them last summer and they were overbearing at times. Some seem to think they're the only ones on vacation. When they go to the fastpass machine, forget it. When my husband asked a cast member about them on our trip last year, he commented that they can be difficult at times because they feel they have the right to all travel together onto an attraction and the cast members get caught trying to keep everyone happy. We're not talking little kids in these groups either, they're all teens and some of the chaperones didn't appear much older. The cast member recommended that if we had any real problems with any of the groups to let guest relations know. I think what started as a small tour has gotten overwhelming even to the cast members at times. We tried to head in the opposite direction and hit other attractions when we saw them. Like any large group, not all are loud and obnoxious, but the ones that are more than make up for the quiet ones. You'll still enjoy your trip, we did. We just did things a little differently when we saw them.

[Mackflava99]

For the most part they are ok, but the chanting was pretty annoying. During the last World Cup i actually routed against Brazil just to hopefully quiet them down.

One time at the WL a group started doing running flips into the Quiet pool. Quite dangerous, they stacked up chairs and noone really stopped the, It was exciting to watch, but i am pretty sure the CMs didnt like it.
But they did not intercede or tell them to stop jumping off or over stacked chairs ...

[buzznwoodysmom]

One time at the WL a group started doing running flips into the Quiet pool. Quite dangerous, they stacked up chairs and noone really stopped the, It was exciting to watch, but i am pretty sure the CMs didnt like it.
But they did not intercede or tell them to stop jumping off or over stacked chairs ...

Oh my, this is exactly what I'm afraid of.

[#1donaldfan]

We just returned and they were EVERYWHERE !! I have never seen so many groups !! We stayed at AKL so didn't see any there, but the parks were full of them. To be honest they were well behaved from what I could tell. In times past I've seen some bad behavior from them, but this time they were ok, just lots of them !! I did see one representative from a group getting FP's at Toy Story and he had a pile two inches thick !! :cool:

[KylesMom]

We went last year from July 10 through 24th, and group behavior was the worst its ever been. We have encountered groups on several late June/July trips and were expecting them, but the rude behavior and sense of entitlement has grown, in our opinion, substantially over the course of the past few years. It was disappointing to see. The previous year we noted that the tour groups were all but gone the first week of August - and you could hear the CMs talk about how relieved they were that they were gone. Pretty sad when something is that out of control. We thought we were experts at avoiding them, but not this time. They were everywhere. :down: I have absolutely no problem with groups who visit Disney and get the enjoyment out of it that we all do - but this past trip was ridiculous.

[CuteAsMinnie]

O My.

We've been there in July, never saw them.

June, we did see a bunch, specifically in the bottleneck by SP and TMRR. We just went in the other direction.

We always stay at the WL and never encountered large groups of any kind.... Just the groups who reserve the shady spos by the pool with their towels and such, then leave the resort for the entire day.....

We're scheduled for next July. I think I will call to ask if there are any large groups staying at WL during our stay.

:marg:

[Tinkerbella16]

I am so happy I only got to WDW in the fall months so I don't have to worry about all of that lol. I went once in July, back in 2005 and they were all over the place.. they were rude and obnoxious. Its hard to not let it get to you, because they cut in lines, scream in your ears and are just overall annoying.

I read somewhere earlier that a man and his girlfriend were staying at CBR.. the tour groups were staying there too at the same time. The couple was walking over one of the bridges to Old Port Royale, and a group of them came running by like a stampede. They knocked over the mans gf, and she rolled her ankle. She had a hard time walking the rest of the week there. They went and complained to a CM, and the staff at CBR offered to move them over to the Wilderness Lodge, at no extra charge. They were so thankful, and really enjoyed the rest of their stay in peace. That was a very nice gesture from Disney to move them, but still these tour groups need to learn how to act!

[Melanie]

Something was pointed out to me this weekend by Christine (cantgetenuff) that I had never noticed, mainly because I don't normally go to the parks in July because it's just too darn hot. Anyway, we were walking around Epcot and there these groups were asleep and lounging on the grass areas in World Showcase. For example, the area between Morocco and France where they put the Belgium F&W Fest booth, or the playground during Flower & Garden Festival. I was shocked to say the least! They don't do it in January because it's not hot.

They also gather nightly (or rent out) at the area leading into World Showcase between the two shops. There they do chants and cheers leading up to Illuminations.

[j2k]

we noted that the tour groups were all but gone the first week of August

I hope so. We'll be arriving the first week of August.

[CMCTxMom]

Are they as bad in January as the horror stories in July??

[TinkerbellT421]

Are they as bad in January as the horror stories in July??

Yes. In my experience anyway. We always go in January and the stories here do not seem much different.

[Strmchsr]

Are they as bad in January as the horror stories in July??

Yep.That's why January is no longer a "quiet" month.

[CMCTxMom]

Yes. In my experience anyway. We always go in January and the stories here do not seem much different.

Fantastic. :(

[ibelieveindisneymagic]

I really wouldn't worry! We've been in January, and although we had a couple of issues it really wasn't a big deal at all.

We did avoid them where possible (ie - like other posters have said, when you see a HUGE group going on to a ride come back to it later), but that only happened a couple of times.

We had one meal with "chanting", but again we just sat away from them and it was more than managable.

Our greatest problem was while waiting at Crystal Palace, but once seated, they were all seated together and the "rest of us" together, so it worked quite well.

Any large group can be a problem, and this one, with the lack of chaperones is a particular challenge, but you'll be OK. :)

[DisneyDINK]

I booked a trip the first weekend in February instead of January around my birthday to avoid the groups. I figured they would want to be back hone for Carnival the weekend I'm there (8th-10th).

In their defense, I didn't experience any bad behavior from them, but seeing a few hundred of them streaming down Main Street last trip did bum me out a bit; I chose to go in January to avoid crowds, but you can never really totally do that anymore.

[Tink#64]

We've encountered the BTG's in mid to late June both of the past two years! CM at Soarin told us that they are heavy mid June thru August! But it seems the emphasis is on July with them. For the most part we were able to steer clear of them, but when we weren't - UGG! :bang: Thankfully we never saw any of these groups at Pop & our stay there was as quiet & pleasant as always!

[arm00leg]

Our last trip we decided to try a different time of year, January. Never again! We didn't know about the tour groups and was told about them by our driver taking us from the airport to our hotel. Wish we would have known ahead of time. It's not just a few large tour groups - it's many many large groups, groups so big they have someone carrying different colored flags so they know which group is theirs. We were pushed, shoved, cut in front of, disturbed at restaurants. They have one person from their group hit the fast passes as soon as the parks open and they take them ALL. Lines for the very popular rides had waits of an hour and half. I really wish Disney would do more to control the groups but I am sure they bring in a ton of money - so they are allowed to run amok. Never ever again will we visit Disney when the Brazilian tour groups are there, it's too much money spent on a vacation to be disrupted by huge groups of unruly teens.:mad:

[Kenny1113]

And it's not just limited to Disney....

While in DC earlier this month we encountered several tour groups (I'm not certain where they were from). And it was pretty much the same. One thing that really ticked me off was that 1 person would rush to get in line then 20-30 people would get in line in front of us to "join their party". Really?????? :confused:

[special ed teacher]

Even though large tour groups bring Disney a lot of money, I still believe that they all should be given rules for large groups at Disney . If Disney made a policy to make sure large groups did not break regular rules that are for all guests, it could be enforced when rules broken. Disney could figure out ways for large groups to dine and use fast pass without the stories that are told by other guests. I am talking about all groups.

[SandmanGStefani24]

Even though large tour groups bring Disney a lot of money, I still believe that they all should be given rules for large groups at Disney . If Disney made a policy to make sure large groups did not break regular rules that are for all guests, it could be enforced when rules broken. Disney could figure out ways for large groups to dine and use fast pass without the stories that are told by other guests. I am talking about all groups.

Last visit I saw that some of the groups were doing this, so let's hope this catches on. What's crazy is, when I went in '95 with our band trip, we were told we HAD to break into groups of no more than 6, but more so that nobody had to be alone. (I'm sure it was to keep us controlled too) It should be a rule!

[Morpheous]

Just got back from WDW my self, and usually go in late july/early august. There are pretty much always the big tour groups but this year they felt alot more noticeable then they have before. They weren't really overtly rude or disrespectful or anything.

They were just very very loud with singing and chanting, and at one point almost dancing down the street like a parade. Didn't really bother me when they did the chanting and singing outside but when they did it in a line, in a confined space it was very very irritating.

The groups I ran into, weren't bad people or anything just sort of in their own world doing their own thing. It gets annoying but it didn't ruin the trip or anything.

[Sweetpea29488]

We were there June 1-6 in 2011 and didn't have any problems. We'll be there June 2-8, do you think there will be any problems?

[chefmickey3]

We went in January last year and saw a few groups but nothing like July. We were alone on Test Track and rode multiple times without getting off because there was no one in line. Remember in July there are also many other guests beyond the groups. Personally, January was a novelty but we prefer the aliveness of July.

[MinnieMommie]

Any large group can be a problem, and this one, with the lack of chaperones is a particular challenge, but you'll be OK. :)

Could not agree more! Any large group, especially of enthusiastic young people, can be a bit on the loud side. We have seen these and other groups on many of our trips and have not encountered any problems. However we do tend to avoid any large groups when possible. :mickey:

[lettripp]

Just got back from WDW my self, and usually go in late july/early august. There are pretty much always the big tour groups but this year they felt alot more noticeable then they have before. They weren't really overtly rude or disrespectful or anything.

They were just very very loud with singing and chanting, and at one point almost dancing down the street like a parade. Didn't really bother me when they did the chanting and singing outside but when they did it in a line, in a confined space it was very very irritating.

The groups I ran into, weren't bad people or anything just sort of in their own world doing their own thing. It gets annoying but it didn't ruin the trip or anything.

We actually had a few terrible experiences with these groups this past week. I'll elaborate more in the trip reports but I was violently shoved out of the way while in line at least 3 times... they also chanted and clapped through all of Splash Mountain, seriously harming the magic (you couldn't hear any of the music or dialogue AT ALL).

Next year, I plan to know a few lines of Portuguese... some of their behavior was completely and utterly unacceptable and I want to be able to advocate for my personal space and safety.

[lettripp]

Our last trip we decided to try a different time of year, January. Never again! We didn't know about the tour groups and was told about them by our driver taking us from the airport to our hotel. Wish we would have known ahead of time. It's not just a few large tour groups - it's many many large groups, groups so big they have someone carrying different colored flags so they know which group is theirs. We were pushed, shoved, cut in front of, disturbed at restaurants. They have one person from their group hit the fast passes as soon as the parks open and they take them ALL. Lines for the very popular rides had waits of an hour and half. I really wish Disney would do more to control the groups but I am sure they bring in a ton of money - so they are allowed to run amok. Never ever again will we visit Disney when the Brazilian tour groups are there, it's too much money spent on a vacation to be disrupted by huge groups of unruly teens.:mad:

I couldn't agree more... however talking to some of my cast members friends, if you are visiting during the summer it sounds difficult to predict the weeks they overrun the place. Unfortunately, I have to take my vacations during the summer so instead will have to figure out how to manage a magical trip with them around.

[lettripp]

Oh boy! Looks like our trip in a few weeks might be our first encounter with these tour groups. In all our trips we've never seen a single tour group, but we've also never traveled in Jan. or July. I was a bit concerned with the heat, but now I'm more worried about these tour groups.

Anyone know what resorts they usually stay at? I think I can handle them in the parks. We can do like many suggest and go in the opposite direction if we run into them. The resorts are totally different. We want to spend lot of time relaxing at our resort pools, but the thought of chanting at the pool is not something I would want to have to deal with.

I believe most of the groups were staying at the All Star resorts... we didn't see any at Wilderness Lodge or on any of the MK resort transportation...

[special ed teacher]

I hope they go back to school the first week of August like I've been reading.