The Impact of Brazilian Tour Groups

[ransam]

actually i like them...for the most part they hve been polite. I like their excitement, and i think they add to my fun.

[johnO]

I failed to mention, it was an American cheer team that was being loud....

[Ian]

Agreed! The cheerleading/ dance teams are far more..um..spirited than the BTG.

It's a good comparison actually and should help illustrate that it's probably more "group-think" going on than it is any kind of cultural differences.

Some of the worst behavior I've ever seen in a Disney theme park was perpetrated by Christian teens on Night of Joy. FAR worse than I've ever seen out of BTG's ... does that mean Christian teens are inherently bad people or offensive in some way? No ... it just means that, like everyone else, when you get in a big group you tend to behave differently than you would when you were by yourself.

[Polynesian Dweller]

Dual post

[Polynesian Dweller]

It's a good comparison actually and should help illustrate that it's probably more "group-think" going on than it is any kind of cultural differences.

Some of the worst behavior I've ever seen in a Disney theme park was perpetrated by Christian teens on Night of Joy. FAR worse than I've ever seen out of BTG's ... does that mean Christian teens are inherently bad people or offensive in some way? No ... it just means that, like everyone else, when you get in a big group you tend to behave differently than you would when you were by yourself.

Ian, an absolutely great and well expressed post. It is good to see a thread on this topic with such thoughtful posts.

We live (and hotelier as well) in a tourist area and have observed the group effect in a varioety of nationalities (including Canadian and American), cultures and groups. And that's what it is, s large group on vacation. Thanks for expressing it so well.

[Gator]

I saw them quite a bit last week, and I can't say they really bothered me all that much. Sure, the sight of 50 girls chanting songs and cheers can be a bit frightening at first. But I would avoid the lines they went to, and would try to beat them into an attraction.

I did see them once hit a fastpass line, which probably clogged it for hours.

Fantasmic was full of them, and there must have been a famous Brazilian there because all the girls were screaming for half an hour. Wonder who it was.

[Ed]

Remember that winter in the Northern Hemisphere (U.S.) is summer in the Southern Hemisphere (Brazil).

From Wikipedia~~~

In Brazil the school year usually begins during the first week of February. There is a 3-week long winter break in July. The Brazilian school year ends in December, summer in Brazil.

Which explains why the South American groups are so prevalent in January and July.

I've never had any problems with these groups; it's actually kinda fun seeing their exuberance. And let's not forget that these large groups bring quite a lot of bu$ine$$ to the area.

[Mousemates]

Which explains why the South American groups are so prevalent in January and July.

I've never had any problems with these groups; it's actually kinda fun seeing their exuberance. And let's not forget that these large groups bring quite a lot of bu$ine$$ to the area.

hey some great information...and the BTGs don't bother me any more than any of the other large groups at WDW...we just try to make sure we never follow them into a ride queue.

[Hebbynan]

We stayed at All Star Movies in January 2010. Honestly, the Brazilian Groups weren't that bad. Yes, it did make the food court a mad house in the morning, but we learned to patiently get our food - and eat in our rooms!! They were only bad one night - it was their last night some of them said. But it was BAD - they were so loud. They sure kept security busy hoping from one row of rooms to the next. But like I said, it was only one night. Other than that, for the most part, they were very polite and if you could engage them in conversation on the buses....you could really learn a lot from them about their country!!

[SpecJoe Magic]

I find it interesting that I used to see those tour groups a lot when I was a kid in the 80s and early 90s, but then I hardly ever saw them from about the mid 90s through the early 2000s. It's only been in the last few years that I've started seeing them again on a regular basis. I wonder what happened. Did travel from Brazil to WDW decline rapidly during a certain time period and then pick back up?

[peemagg]

We were talking to a CM about these groups and he told us that the groups used to tear up the rooms and things. Disney told the government and the tour groups if they couldn't keep their groups under control, they weren't going to be allowed to come. He also said that they were banned for sometime from coming. Maybe that is when you didn't see them. He said it only in the last 5-10 years that they have been allowed back.

[johnO]

The economy of Argentina collapsed in the mid to late 90s when their currency was inflated and the banks simply didnt open one day.

Perhaps that had something to do with them disappearing as well.

[Granny Jill A]

It's a good comparison actually and should help illustrate that it's probably more "group-think" going on than it is any kind of cultural differences.

Some of the worst behavior I've ever seen in a Disney theme park was perpetrated by Christian teens on Night of Joy. FAR worse than I've ever seen out of BTG's ... does that mean Christian teens are inherently bad people or offensive in some way? No ... it just means that, like everyone else, when you get in a big group you tend to behave differently than you would when you were by yourself.

Ian has hit the nail on the head. I can remember doing some blush-inducing stuff when I was a teen with a group of friends.

The good news is that tour operators are taking time to educate their groups about American customs like forming a line and waiting your turn.

[ShanPooh]

Ah, I remember Brazilian tour groups...
"Beep, beep, beep!" - instead of "excuse me" probably because they figure folks in the states wouldn't figure out "Com licença" or "Perdão".