Brazilian tour groups - which resorts?

[Babymie]

Next year most schools will start classes earlier in January and have a break in June because of the soccer world cup. It's hard to tell if this will change the usual tour group travel dates, as each school has a different calendar and I have no idea if people (teenagers, especially) will prefer to stay and watch the matches or travel during the break. My bet is that they will prefer to stay.

 

[DeborahA]

just back today from 4 day trip. Stayed at POR. The groups were everywhere in the resort. I honestly have never seen so many rude, disrespectful children in one place. The "staff" that accompanies them are worthless as far as chaperones--a joke. I can't believe parents would send their children to a foreign country with nothing more than a body to care for them and keep them safe. Totally unable to comprehend how this could happen.

 

[DeborahA]

duplicate post--sorry.

 

[loveshak22]

So I apologize that this question is a little off topic (but related)...but when is the best time for someone to go to a.) go in a slow season AND b.) avoid lots of large tour groups?

I used to like the end of January but when we went last year (2013) we ran into so, so, so many tour groups. I wasn't too upset by behavior other than they just traveled in large groups so that you couldn't get around them and the lines and FP's and even just sidewalks were so congested it made the parks miserable. Overall I'm sure crowd levels were low but we had to leave Epcot one night because we had to pass at least 4 tour groups that had at least 50 people in it each and you'd run into one after the other and you couldn't walk because if a group stopped the whole sidewalk was like a parking lot.

 

[disneydream211]

We went last February, 9-16 to be exact, and the tour groups were everywhere!!! I think it was a mixture of Brazilian tour groups and these 15, quinceanera, groups. We stayed at AoA and there was a VERY large group of them. Basically, wherever they went, we didn't. I never really noticed a problem in the food court which I am very thankful for. I also went this summer in July and of course they were there. We had to take a bus to POFQ to transfer to a Downtown Disney bus and there was a large group staying there as well. I personally think Disney needs to control this issue more because it has definitely become a problem in the past couple of years.

 

[mom2_3girls]

My friend and I were there to run the marathon a few weeks ago and we stayed at All Star Movies in the Toy Story section and they were everywhere!! At 12:30am they were still up running around, chanting, laughing, slamming doors it was horrible. We went and talked with the manager to see if they could at least get security to get them to be quiet...because when my friend went outside to tell them to be quiet the one girl said "no english" The manager said she gets so many complaints about them. She said let me see what I can do and upgraded us to the Wilderness Lodge.

Im not kidding when I say I felt like I was one of the only people speaking English. At 12:30am there were little kids jumping on chairs in the food court, pushing strollers in the lobby and running around. I've read about the tour groups and didn't think it could really be that bad, but it was!

 

[smidgy]

one of the problems is the "chaperones" are not really chaperones. they are "tour guides".

going to wdw is kind of a "rite of passage" for the wealthier South Americans, in their late teens. and the parents pay a lot of money to these touring companies to make sure their kids have a good time. and basically that is all these Tour Guides care about. not about any of the other guests. not about discipline. only that their "charges" have a good time. they are not really chaperones at all.

and Disney makes a lot of money off of these groups. we had adults chanting on the bus as loudlu as the kids. and laughing. as I said in another thread, when we complained about soccer balls bouncing off our window at 1 am, and the noise, a CM snottily informed us that "July is Latin month at WDW" January is too. I won't go during these months again.

 

[MichelleVW]

Whatever you do don't stay at All Star Sports in July. It was awful...we got no sleep. They were running around and screaming on the football field between the rooms until 3 in the morning. Security was there but they were ignoring them and screaming anyway. Incredibly rude and I've never seen anything like it before. Thankfully we were just there for 3 nights because it was awful.

 

[loveshak22]

Whatever you do don't stay at All Star Sports in July. It was awful...we got no sleep. They were running around and screaming on the football field between the rooms until 3 in the morning. Security was there but they were ignoring them and screaming anyway. Incredibly rude and I've never seen anything like it before. Thankfully we were just there for 3 nights because it was awful.

I wouldn't have been able to stand that for 3 nights. I can't believe they didn't offer to move you? I would have thrown a fit to the manager.

 

[wdisneyaholic]

Just to add to the groups staying at the All Stars this summer, there is a big softball championship going on in June and July. The hotels they are offering are the All Stars and some of the mods. Not sure how that will impact the hotels.

 

[Southernswthrt]

I have been to WDW several times in the last 3 years and have noticed more and more tour groups each and every trip. I don't think the time of year matters. I have seen it in February, May, and December.

I think Disney is actively marketing in Latin America to fill up the "slower" times of the year and it is working and paying off for Disney, so I expect to see more and more at all times of the year. What they need to get a handle of (and quickly) is the bad behavior exhibited by some - not all - of these tour groups. The CM's should be trained on how to "acclimate" these tour groups and "promote" proper park and resort etiquette. And honestly, I've seen more and more bad behavior / foul language being used by lot of people in the parks, not just tour groups.

There is no way I would stay at the same resort as any tour group, or cheerleader competition, etc. simply because I go on vacation to escape it all. I like my down time and quiet time at a resort, which is why I stay offsite most of the time.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

I seriously believe (as was mentioned on these boards a few times) that WDW employees have been instructed to leave the groups alone, unless they do something criminal. That is why when you complain, you get back "what did you expect, it's Latin week."

They might as well be a bunch of giant walking dollar signs with matching backpacks.

Just to add to the groups staying at the All Stars this summer, there is a big softball championship going on in June and July. The hotels they are offering are the All Stars and some of the mods. Not sure how that will impact the hotels.

If they put you in the middle of a group like this, ask to be moved. Wound up with a room in the middle of a youth sports group at one of the Allstars once, and their chaperone pounded on my door at 6 in the morning yelling about getting up and out for breakfast. She apparently thought every room on that hallway belonged to her group. Unless you want to be up at 6.

 

[DeborahA]

Well I did call guest relations and talked to a very nice lady. I told her my story and she listened. I am not really sure that much will change, but she did say she was taking notes that would be shared. I really don't feel any different than I did before--I know this is not an easy fix. One thing she did mention is that they are aware that this is a problem, and they do monitor the internet boards relating to Disney. She was not surprised by anything I told her. She did state that she felt the spacial issues I had may be cultural. It seems the South Americans do not have a personal space like Americans do. They are comfortable reaching into and walking closer than we are. I tried to explain that I found it very rude that we constantly were forced to move out of the way or be run down. The walk between WS and Epcot was filled with tg walking 8 across in one direction. I do not agree with the cultural excuse, I see it as rude and disrespectful.
The saga continues. Really hard for me to drop something when I see injustice, but I don't know what else to do.

 

[HopperFan]

I leave Saturday. Explained my horrible trip last year. Put in room request and that I am expecting there to be NO groups anywhere near me. I won't be waiting a few nights before they get my complaints. First night there is anything I will be walking up to the front desk and demanding a 100% stop of the behavior or being upgraded to a resort they are not staying.

 

[GMarcan920]

We went to WDW last year, and probably won't be going back as the tour groups totally ruined our trip. They are rude and offensive, good luck to WDW if that's the way they want to run their parks. We've done Disney probably 15 times over the last 25 years, and it's definitely gone downhill relative to the tour groups.

 

[smidgy]

at all star sports, the night they were up to the wee hours screaming, chanting, playing soccer, kicking th e ball against windows.. the night that CM on the segway "primly" einformed me that July was "Latin month".
I was tole it was the groups last night, ans that was why they were "having fun".

and I actually heard the security guard talking to a mom. the mom was complaining that the kids shouldn't have to be quiet, it was their "alst night" and the security guard actually told this mom " I CAN SEE BOTH SIDES" !! huh?

the rules state that even thought the quiet pools are open all night, it is required that you be QUIET after 10 pm.!!

I have no problem at all with people coming back fro the parks, late after late night EMH and taking the kids for a night swim. or a couple going for a quiet night swim.

and if you have a poolside room (as we did, as per our request) you expect to hear a little noise at night at the pool. people talking.. maybe a kid screams when they jump in the pool, and mom says "susie. shh peopel are sleeping".

but NOT this! and the security guard saying he can see their side? and the CM "suit" looking down on me and like that?
I'm sorry to say I don't beleive disney will do anything about this, no matter what GR tells anyone. they want the $.

 

[liljunebugs123]

We are going March 2-7. First time staying at ASMu. Please tell me we will be ok from the tg!! We were there in Jan 2013 (POR) and the parks were packed!!

 

[Viva Las Disney]

I went the first week of December and only ran into 2 tour groups, both at Epcot. Luckily they weren't very large, about 30 teens in each group, and the only issue I had was they managed to completely block the entire sidewalk so no one could pass, not the end of the world but still frustrating. I enjoyed the chanting for about 5 minutes and then just wished they would be quiet, I thought it really took away from the Disney atmosphere.

I always wonder about the condition of these rooms that are the result of tg or rowdy people in general... What happens, does disney charge them for repairs? Are they not allowed to return? Disney must be making a fortune off of them to allow such horrid behavior. So sorry your vacation was like that.

I'm sure Disney makes a fortune off this. I know in Vegas we charge outrageous prices for damage and theft, 3 to 4 times the replacement or repair costs, for example we charge $50 for a missing pillow. Last year a man was charged $96,270 for damage to his Encore room, even if they had to replace everything from the carpet to furniture to the drywall I can't imagine that costing any where close to $100,000.

 

[kapoof]

Well I did call guest relations and talked to a very nice lady. I told her my story and she listened. I am not really sure that much will change, but she did say she was taking notes that would be shared. I really don't feel any different than I did before--I know this is not an easy fix. One thing she did mention is that they are aware that this is a problem, and they do monitor the internet boards relating to Disney. She was not surprised by anything I told her. She did state that she felt the spacial issues I had may be cultural. It seems the South Americans do not have a personal space like Americans do. They are comfortable reaching into and walking closer than we are. I tried to explain that I found it very rude that we constantly were forced to move out of the way or be run down. The walk between WS and Epcot was filled with tg walking 8 across in one direction. I do not agree with the cultural excuse, I see it as rude and disrespectful.
The saga continues. Really hard for me to drop something when I see injustice, but I don't know what else to do.

Sounds like you did a really good job voicing your concern. . It is really not fair on disneys part to tolerate this. Way too many nice families are having their vacations ruined.

 

[kapoof]

I went the first week of December and only ran into 2 tour groups, both at Epcot. Luckily they weren't very large, about 30 teens in each group, and the only issue I had was they managed to completely block the entire sidewalk so no one could pass, not the end of the world but still frustrating. I enjoyed the chanting for about 5 minutes and then just wished they would be quiet, I thought it really took away from the Disney atmosphere.



I'm sure Disney makes a fortune off this. I know in Vegas we charge outrageous prices for damage and theft, 3 to 4 times the replacement or repair costs, for example we charge $50 for a missing pillow. Last year a man was charged $96,270 for damage to his Encore room, even if they had to replace everything from the carpet to furniture to the drywall I can't imagine that costing any where close to $100,000.

Well I hope disney does stick it to people who leave their room in shambles. I can't see them getting the money however.