Should the South American Tour Groups Be Allowed Through the Fastpass Line?

[zeroFantasy]

They clog any line...
and I agree with the poster that said they're loud and rude. They also have no respect for other people's property, like the ride. I've heard that they're not allowed to stay on Disney Property because back in the day they used to destroy everything!
They think they're above all us little middle class people in U.S. Respect for cast members? Nope. CMs are "only dirty little disney workers" Yeah I've seen enough of them to notice it.

 

[hedgewick]

Groups that large should split up into groups of 25-50 when using fastpass so they go at different times and actually make the line "fast".

 

[rbrower]

Wow, can I quote you on that?

Ha Ha :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[BeachClubVillas]

I've heard that they're not allowed to stay on Disney Property because back in the day they used to destroy everything!
.

I just got back last week, and I know for a fact that there was a tour group staying at All-Star. We saw them at the bus stop numerous times.

On another note, I'm surprised by the amount of disrespect and downright racism that is going through this thread. Why should certain groups of people be treated any differently from any other group? Isn't Disney about making everyone's dreams come true?

Think about it from the point of view of the "large foreign tour groups" for a minute. These are teenagers, kids really, in a foreign country where they don't understand the language or the customs, probably on their own for the first time. Wouldn't you be scared? I know I would. And I would want to stay with familiar people and cling to familiar customs. They don't go to WDW with the idea of ruining everyone else's vacation. They're trying to enjoy themselves, same as everyone else.

 

[Stitch69]

Yes if they swipe for fast past let them in. by the way i do not beleive Disney says the fast pass line is a 10 minute wait. They say it is a shorter wait then the stand by line.

 

[slappy magoo]

I just got back last week, and I know for a fact that there was a tour group staying at All-Star. We saw them at the bus stop numerous times.

On another note, I'm surprised by the amount of disrespect and downright racism that is going through this thread. Why should certain groups of people be treated any differently from any other group? Isn't Disney about making everyone's dreams come true?

Think about it from the point of view of the "large foreign tour groups" for a minute. These are teenagers, kids really, in a foreign country where they don't understand the language or the customs, probably on their own for the first time. Wouldn't you be scared? I know I would. And I would want to stay with familiar people and cling to familiar customs. They don't go to WDW with the idea of ruining everyone else's vacation. They're trying to enjoy themselves, same as everyone else.

Ah, the beauty of racism...sometimes you don't even know you're contributing to it.

I was trying to put my earlier comments in a little rosier, all-encompassing, everyone-kind-of-stinks vibe, but yeah, I've been more than mildly disconcerted by some of the comments on this thread. It's that "I'm not a racist" racism that's most brutal, because people are in denial of their own feelings. A flat-out racist, well, at least you know what you're dealing with. But this sort of offhanded "I've got nothing against anybody, I just find all the little brown people rude and offensive" crap doesn't jibe with me at all.

As I said, I find large groups from anywhere to be more obnoxious that smaller groups, because people feel a strength in numbers, and a desire to show off in front of friends. Those "obnoxious" kids from all those awful awful brown countries are usually throwing a little bravado around to cover up the fact thar all us pure god-fearing white folk are looking at them like they just took a dump in the fountain. Start treating anyone like a jerk, sooner or later they feel like they got nothing to lose by acting like jerks anyway. There are plenty of American high school groups that act like such imbeciles, I wish I had a big bucket of SARS to throw on 'em. It's not just the South Americans...

And as for the notion that WDW is excluding groups of people from another country because they're SO rude and obnoxious-my heavens!-I'm pretty sure that's a load of horse hockey. What would be easier to believe is that WDW has a list of organizations who have benefitted from group sales before, but due to repeated instances of bad behaviour from THOSE GROUPS, regardless of their origin, they might be on a banned list. If a high school class from Kentucky, for example, got caught getting out of the flumes in Splash Mountain to mess around with the AAs, or running around en masse from one side of the park to the other scaring all of the other guests, then that school might be exempt from staying in a WDW resort or getting any sort of assistance from group sales by WDW again. And the same would hold true if it were a high school from Brazil.

 

[cdunbar]

I do agree that some of these comments can seem and are a bit racist, but the simple fact is that if these kids are in such a hurry to keep up with their tour groups that someone gets hurt in the process they gone too far! I mean Ill give u a great example, I returned from the World appx. 2 weeks ago. We were in the stand-by line for TOT it was a 50 min wait, so we decide to stick it out there were a few members of a tour group in front of us and we thought nothing of it. About 15 min later, appx. 15 more tour group folks decide that being in the back of the line isn't working for them so they decide to join their counterparts in front of us. We said excuse me but butting in front of someone is not kind, this girl who was maybe 14 goes you american I go yes yes I am, she responds we stay then. They have no respect for the parks, the cm's, the country, or the people of the country. I mean this girl blantly tells me that b/c Im an american she will stay where she is at. And this happended at lots of attractions, and also them not speaking any lick of english is something they should not use an excuse if we were to go to their country we would most certainly be expected to know some of their languge so as not to trouble them why should we not expect the same courtsey that they ask out of us? Also 60 tour group memebers entering a single rider line is such a no- no in my mind, and the same goes for fastpasses. They should have to use their tickets to get it like everyone else, none of this handing it to u stuff!

 

[CrashNet]

I'm sorry but I laughed when I saw this thread. Sure they should be allowed to use the FastPass lane. They are guests. It wouldn't be any different than a huge class from a school coming down staying together as a group.

Think about it this way: the FPs are spaced out, so the same number of people are going to be there at any given time anyway. If the line is too long, you can always come back. Plus, if you have a FastPass, its honored at any time that day after your scheduled time.

 

[CommandoDisney]

Ah, the beauty of racism...sometimes you don't even know you're contributing to it.

I was trying to put my earlier comments in a little rosier, all-encompassing, everyone-kind-of-stinks vibe, but yeah, I've been more than mildly disconcerted by some of the comments on this thread. It's that "I'm not a racist" racism that's most brutal, because people are in denial of their own feelings. A flat-out racist, well, at least you know what you're dealing with. But this sort of offhanded "I've got nothing against anybody, I just find all the little brown people rude and offensive" crap doesn't jibe with me at all.

i wouldnt say its racism, just unfair generalizations. i think everyone how has made a comment about the large groups have been more directed to the fact that they are large groups, and not beacuse they are simply from south america. i dont think anyone would have made a comment if we were talking about a single family from south america.

and it really is just a matter of what people have experienced. like many people have said, theyve seen more Americans behaving badly than South Americans. in my experience, ive probably seen more British people behaving badly. but i dont say i have a problem with groups of british people in the parks, because i dont care. it all depends on the time of year you go. its not on purpose that this happens, its just bound to happen. its like if everytime you got involved in some sort of traffic accident, everytime there was a honda civic involved, it would be very easy to develope the idea that people who drive honda civics get in more accidents. that may not be true at all, its just your experience.

i think we can all agree that just large groups IN GENERAL can cause problems, but many times, these large groups cant be helped.

 

[coasterphil]

The problem is, 200 people filing into the FP line at once is going to cause a backup. I know you can't do anything to stop that, but it is a pain.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

i ive probably seen more British people behaving badly. .

As the largest non US group visiting Florida this is almost a certainty, but its the Ingurlish, honest.

 

[slappy magoo]

I do agree that some of these comments can seem and are a bit racist, but the simple fact is that if these kids are in such a hurry to keep up with their tour groups that someone gets hurt in the process they gone too far!

But that could be true of any large group, regardless of nationality.

I mean Ill give u a great example, I returned from the World appx. 2 weeks ago. We were in the stand-by line for TOT it was a 50 min wait, so we decide to stick it out there were a few members of a tour group in front of us and we thought nothing of it. About 15 min later, appx. 15 more tour group folks decide that being in the back of the line isn't working for them so they decide to join their counterparts in front of us. We said excuse me but butting in front of someone is not kind, this girl who was maybe 14 goes you american I go yes yes I am, she responds we stay then. They have no respect for the parks, the cm's, the country, or the people of the country. I mean this girl blantly tells me that b/c Im an american she will stay where she is at.

So because one person with an accent acted like a jerk, everyone with the same accent is bound to behave the same way? Sounds sort of like a generalization to me...

And this happended at lots of attractions, and also them not speaking any lick of english is something they should not use an excuse if we were to go to their country we would most certainly be expected to know some of their languge so as not to trouble them why should we not expect the same courtsey that they ask out of us?

I usually don't make a comment like this, but I feel the need to, in order to counteract your xenophobia...

For someone who is so rabidly defending the use of the English language, you're doing a dandy job of butchering it. You might want to try reading what you wrote aloud first, before submitting it, so you get a better idea of whether you're getting your point across. As it stands, you may as well delete that entire part of your post and replace it with the word "irony."

Also 60 tour group memebers entering a single rider line is such a no- no in my mind, and the same goes for fastpasses. They should have to use their tickets to get it like everyone else, none of this handing it to u stuff!

If a large group enters the single rider line, I have no problem with it, as long as no accomodation is made to get them all on the ride at the same time. If theyr'e willing to split up, so be it.

I have no idea what you're talking about in the last sentence of your post. Sorry.

 

[LudwigVonDrake]

Plus, if you have a FastPass, its honored at any time that day after your scheduled time.

Is this something new they've implemented? I have never heard of this before. I thought the time window printed on your FP (give or take a few minutes) was when you could use it?

 

[slappy magoo]

Is this something new they've implemented? I have never heard of this before. I thought the window printed on your FP (give a take a few minutes) was when you could use it?

There was another thread about it, somewhere. Apparently, many, if not all, CMs only rigidly enforce the start time on the FP, not the end time.

 

[LudwigVonDrake]

That's a good thing to know....thanks

 

[slappy magoo]

Well, try it out at your own risk. Just because people here say it is so, doesn't mean it will be so when you get there, knowhutimean?

 

[MissM]

While everyone is entitled to use the FastPass system, it should be spaced out further to prevent backups and congestion clogs. It's a crowd control, crowd flow issue. Doesn't matter who the group is, it's just a bad crush to the system if that many people arrived all at once.

Spacing such large groups out into smaller groups would be fair to everyone and ensure the FP system operates smoothly for tour groups and non-tour groups alike.
-m

 

[Marjorie]

Hello,

I returned yesterday from Disney World, and I know what you all mean. There where a lot of this tour groups but neither of them was bigger than 50 or 60 persons maybe they are so many groups and alike uniforms or clothing that you think they are together.

What I saw was that the group leader got the fast passes for the group while the group was on a ride, that way they where quickly on another ride.

But what I experienced also was that it didn't matter if the had fast passes or just did the regular line the wait time was the same. What I tried to do was just do the line on a ride without those groups or just do the line like everybody else.

I am from Puerto Rico and I know whose countries tour groups you are talking about, and I myself had some experiences. Talking a similar language I could understand what they speak and I know for sure most of them speak english and understand and/or speak spanish.

Most of them come from wealthy families, and go to the best schools that teaches them english, so they pretend they don't understand and/or speak it.
While doing the stand-by line for expedition everest there was a tour group and from nowwhere 5 more of them appeared and when the cast member ask them what they where doing they said "we are with the group", and she just let them in, and those 5 children followed to skip the line and after being the last ones from their group suddenly where the first ones of the group on the line. I was so mad, but I told to myself that I was there to have fun and I would not let anythig to disturb me but I said to my sister that if any other teen from the group that arrived after me sneaked in I would sneak in front of them. Affortunately they were the last ones.

The most awful thing happened to my family while waiting for spectromagic. We were already seated at 6:40 to get a good place at 8:00 it was already packed. Before the parade starts the is a cast member that play with the kids. At our side there where two kids and went top play while their parents where buying sodas and food, they put their bags on that spot so the people knew they were reserved, and the people could even thought the bags were ours. Suddenly from knowwhere 2 tour leaders seated on that spot whitout asking , seeing those spots were reserved and when the parents arrived and saw where very mad not for them but for the kids then up knowwhere 20 more kids from the group arrived and make themselve a space. I said loudly to my sister that if they tried to take me out or dare to stay in front of me but I will call the security( Disney Police) that was close and one of the group leader look at me and I knew she understand every word I said, because I knew they understood spanish. But very smart of our part we put our bags in the middle of each of us, and as soon as the parade started we put those children in front of the parade and boy, they were happy.

So I understand their attitude. But if they get fast passes it is fair that they used as any other visitor get's the right of this benefit. They are loud I know but I do like that happy spirit while visiting the parks or while going from a ride to another.

 

[MMP]

The South American tour groups don't act any differently than groups of highschool cheerleaders, band members, big family reunions, church groups, etc. Basically it's group behavior combined with a South American zest for life.

 

[LudwigVonDrake]

Well, try it out at your own risk. Just because people here say it is so, doesn't mean it will be so when you get there, knowhutimean?

I've gotten into a few attractions with an expired FP but most times, I show up just after the time it starts....