Brazilian Tour Groups

OK - I’ve never experienced the Brazilian Tour Groups, but am reading a lot of people complaining about them online - and have a friend who was there last week and says horrible is a kind word for them. My question is - is there anyway to know when they will likely be in the parks? Or are there certain times they’re worse than other?

I’ve seen - heard - them and for the most part I didn’t find them to be all that bad. It’s frustrating when one beats you to a FPP return and you suddenly have 40 people ahead of you (I just find something else to do and come back 15-20 min later). The only time one really bothered me was on a bus when about 10 or 15 of them started doing one of their chanting/clapping things - very loud. I know there’s a one to two month period when they are most common, but I don’t remember off hand when that is…

Look up when the Brazilians have school in session. They were awful in late January…

I have been in the world with many different tour groups . I honestly prefer the Brazilian groups since they are usually chaperoned. In April there are often HS senior trips and often those groups are unchaperoned and running in packs (groups cutting lines , smoking, swearing).

2 Likes

Summer vacation in Brazil is January/February, between Christmas and Carnival, so I would imagine that’s when there are more tour groups.

The most interesting group is when you see a bunch of buddhist monks. Quiet, and not too bad.

9 Likes

It must have been my late Jan solo trip then…

January and July are the worst. If you get stuck behind them in a line they drive you demented with the clapping and chanting, they are so loud! But other than that they aren’t hard to avoid.

I believe Disney did lay down the law regarding the chanting/bouncing. I haven’t seen them doing it for a couple of years now. Thought we were going to be trampled one time waiting in the crush for Fantasmic. That was our single worst experience on WDW property.

Their economy has taken a huge dive over the last few years too, so that has reduced the overall number of groups.

@Jedilogray I’ll be on the look out for those rowdy monks next time!

1 Like

Oh, there were monks! I thought they were sand people…

2 Likes

I have experienced them twice, and didn’t really find them to be a bother at all. Yes, they sometimes get in the way, but I’ve found them to be mostly orderly, and much better than roving groups of unattended teens, like @PrincipalTinker mentioned. They really seem to be aware of their surroundings and at often least look abashed if they realize they’re causing a problem. We were seated right amidst a couple of the groups for Fantasmic once, and the clapping and chanting was pretty festive. The nearest ones spoke passable English and they were teaching my niece (6 at the time) the chants.

2 Likes

I was reading yesterday about people saying they were chanting on the buses, etc. And read a lot about them cutting in lines (or have one person get in line and then the rest join them later). It’s nice to see a few people saying they aren’t that bad!

The line cutting is usually teenagers and not South America tour groups (I think groups from many countries are sometimes referred to, online, as “Brazilian” tour groups.

I think the people who are claiming they aren’t that bad have no actually experienced them. As a CM, I witnessed nothing but rude behavior and a complete disregard for others. But as a guest, I’ve experienced it as well. The chanting coming from every which way does not end. It’s loud and obnoxious… I’ve never witnessed linecutting from them. That’s usually small families who think they can sneak on the fastpass line without anyone looking. But you will be thoroughly annoyed if you share a park with more than one group of Brazilian Tour Groups.

Actually, I have in fact had multiple experiences- in the park, on buses, in DS. I stand by my post- I prefer their behavior to unsupervised high school groups.

1 Like

I’ve definitely had experience with them twice, as I mentioned. Yes, they are loud, but loudness is not something I really can count as a defect… I don’t go to WDW expecting a serene, peaceful environment! No line cutting, they stayed with their guides, and as long as you were aware of your surroundings you could see them coming a mile away (they’re impossible to miss) so you could give them a wide berth in most cases… there are certain characteristics of being a large group that are unavoidable (like taking up space, causing a slightly longer wait if you get in line right after them, people trying not to get separated from the group, etc). They were also friendly with us. Maybe I just experienced only the rare nice people on both of those trips?

1 Like

@JerrySkids, did you pop into this thread for a podcast topic? I am honestly interested.