Epcot yesterday - Tour Groups as far as the eye can see

RSoxNo1

RSoxNo1

Well-Known Member
wilkeliza said:
The only thing I hate about the groups is when the try to all fast pass at the same time. The other thing I hate is when a group of them is like "oh oh my group is ahead can I skip?" I always let them know that they can not skip because the rest of their group is ahead. If they want to ride the ride at the same time they should all get in line at the same time. I did have a great group last year that they let us go ahead of them so they could all go together on Haunted Mansion. A lot of these groups are polite but others are obnoxious.
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Yeah, I think my biggest problem with the tour groups is regarding the Fastpass lines. I think there are certainly ways around this that should be addressed. Most notably, there should be a group Fastpass for groups of 20 or more. This would make it so you don't have one person handing out 200 Fastpasses hovering around the Fastpass queue. This should be something that Disney can incorporate with the current Fastpass system.

The other system is the "getting the group together" issue. This is a gray area because how many people is too many people to move ahead. If you've got 20 people that want to move ahead in line that's probably too many. If it's 1 or 2 joining a group of 20+ I have less of an issue with that. I know that normally on rides with odd merge points my family (sometimes traveling 10+ deep ourselves) will typically let others pass us while we all get together.
 
rissamattmom

rissamattmom

Member
My DH always looks forward to his annnual picture with the flag holder! We have had a similar shot for the past 6 years. He offer the falg holder $50 for the flag and she flat out refused!!
 
mergatroid

mergatroid

Well-Known Member
This should be good, 20 pages, multiple bannings and a heart attack :animwink:

I can't wait for the day when a tour group is spotted using those electric scooters and drinking alcohol :eek:
 
GatorGuy

GatorGuy

Active Member
It was horrible, we stayed at the All-Star Sports for the weekend and it was invaded with over 300 of these. I wouldnt have a problem with these tour groups if they werent soo rude. They were all standing in the lobby as I tried to get through.:brick: I said Excuse me several times, none moved, so I had to be one of those shovers, and push my way out.

Then at MK after the 4th of July Fireworks they began singing the Brazilian National Anthem. I found it somewhat offensive, and began singing the Star Spangled Banner, but I guess no one else felt like joining in as I was the only one singing it. Talk about Patriotism.
 
GatorGuy

GatorGuy

Active Member
I agree, but most Americans in general don't have the same patriotism that other people from other countries have. However that isn't much of the issue in this thread.

I would recommend to stay out of the WDW during the summer months, this is when the the Southern Hemisphere is at Winter and decide to vacation North hence the Tour Groups. Also, during the summer, Florida is known for its scattered thunderstorms that can ruin your vacation and also has EXTREME temperatures and that combined with the humidity in Florida just calls for an uncomfortable day at the parks.
I prefer visiting the parks during the spring, the weather is slightly cool but the sun is usually always shinning.
 
erasure fan1

erasure fan1

Well-Known Member
Around here, Chicago land, we really have just 2 seasons, road construction season and the rest of the time. I feel the same way about Disney, you have tour group season and the rest of the time. Just like the road construction, the tour group season can be a real pain in the rump but its just one of those things I have learned to deal with.
 
ECU_PIRATE

ECU_PIRATE

New Member
As others have said the taking of all the Fast Passes is definitely one of my biggest problems with the groups in general when we go every July.

But wait there's more... I have no problem with international tour groups but when they are rude, disrespectful, and even dirty it is hard to put up with them. For example:
1. Throwing of gum at the back of the heads of my family and other non tour group visitors while waiting in line at several rides.
2. Using the floor instead of toilets in restrooms. More than once my mom and grandmother have witnessed this in ladies rooms throughout the parks and have complained about it to cast members.
3. But the one that tops it all for me was while waiting in line for the Tower of Terror there was some sort of delay that caused us to wait longer than expected. We had the pleasure of being the first people directly in front of a large group that for no reason began to shove my mother in the back to get the line moving as the others in the group cheered. It took everything I had to not let the Jersey in me come out and cause a scene.

I know complaining about it here won't change anything about the antics of the groups but I had to vent. Sorry. Anyway, the groups are aggravating but I love WDW too much to let it ruin my time there.
 
rct247

rct247

Well-Known Member
So far, these groups haven't been too bad. There are the occasional bad moments between these groups and cast members and/or other guests, but for the most part, they are just like any other large group.

And as one person pointed out, you think they are bad at a Disney theme park? Try shopping in Walmart with them. Now that is a nightmare. Most are excited to see certain brand names and have cash to spend. They buy almost anything from stocking up on Pringles to buying digital electronics (which they sometimes leave in plain sight in their mountains of bags outside of attractions). Eventually, they decide they don't want/need certain things and they just decide to leave them where they wish. So you find milk near the batteries and socks near the produce. Then the checkout lanes are extremely long. Ever wonder why your Walmart at home has self-checkout but the ones just off Disney property do not? The large number of international tourists is why.
 
Captain Chaos

Captain Chaos

Well-Known Member
Uncle Lupe said:
If you don't like them just avoid them, but looks like it could be nice to stay behind them.
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Master Yoda said:
This is especially true at the water parks.


Not that I have done anything so despicable.:lookaroun
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chris%2Bhansen.jpg
 
Kirk88

Kirk88

Active Member
ECU_PIRATE said:
As others have said the taking of all the Fast Passes is definitely one of my biggest problems with the groups in general when we go every July.

But wait there's more... I have no problem with international tour groups but when they are rude, disrespectful, and even dirty it is hard to put up with them. For example:
1. Throwing of gum at the back of the heads of my family and other non tour group visitors while waiting in line at several rides.
2. Using the floor instead of toilets in restrooms. More than once my mom and grandmother have witnessed this in ladies rooms throughout the parks and have complained about it to cast members.
3. But the one that tops it all for me was while waiting in line for the Tower of Terror there was some sort of delay that caused us to wait longer than expected. We had the pleasure of being the first people directly in front of a large group that for no reason began to shove my mother in the back to get the line moving as the others in the group cheered. It took everything I had to not let the Jersey in me come out and cause a scene.

I know complaining about it here won't change anything about the antics of the groups but I had to vent. Sorry. Anyway, the groups are aggravating but I love WDW too much to let it ruin my time there.
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That's ridiculous! The problem is that HAD you let the 'Jersey' come out, YOU probably would have been the one ejected from the park. We ran into a similar situation at AK 2 weeks ago. My wife and daughter (3) got out of the 'It's hard to be a bug' line so my daughter could use the restroom. The plan was for us (me and my 2 sons) to meet the 2 of them at the exit after the show. As we attmepted to get to them, we had to maneuver through an entire tour group (it may have been 2 or 3) camped out in the middle of the park walkway (between the 'Bug' exit and Dinoland U.S.A.). Of course none of them want to move, especially not for a Dad with a 2 & 7 year old in tow. When I got to my wife she informed me that the tour group literally SHOVED their way into the already tight space they were inhabiting. She had enough when a teenage boy in the group decided to beging shoving my wife AND 3 year old daughter to get them to move! My wife said that she wasted no time informing him (in language he would understand-she used 'Naval' speak) that if he touched our daughter one more time that he'd have bigger issues than trying to move them. Shortly after, she said an adult member of the group pulled the boy to the side and had some choice words for him. I understand 'stuff' happens but, come on! Are you really gonna 'man-up' to move a 3 year old girl?
 
blm07

blm07

Active Member
I kinda feel like they have calmed down a bit. Disney now has "super greeters" which are basically CMs from Brazil who follow the groups around in attractions to keep them calmer. It's not guaranteed every time, but it helps. I also haven't heard as much chanting as years before, maybe I'm just lucky. Sometimes the leader of the groups actually help out too.

Then again, I could just be lucky, or not going often enough while they are here :p
 

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