Alright, so what I'm learning from some people here tonight is that it's ok for vacations to get ruined by large touring groups.
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Tour Groups and what to do to handle them...
- Thread starter mousehockey37
- Start date
mouse_luv
Well-Known Member
Because there were no BUSES AT EPCOT, and was staying at an on property resort that makes me have to go through the TTC!
I_heart_Tigger
Well-Known Member
There are no Disney resorts where you have to go to TTC. All of them have bus transportation from Epcot. What happened that the busses at Epcot had stopped running early? Did you wait for one or just not see one immediately there so you took the monorail. They run two hours after park close.
mouse_luv
Well-Known Member
Yeah the SOG buses do right? NO! And I know this for a fact, because I had to CALL the resort from the TTC to see if another bus was coming or if they could send someone out to get us. We got the answer, the bus was done running and no one could help us.
We also asked then at the TTC bus info desk and they said there was no one that could help us back to our resort. Thank goodness my friend was able to flag down the utility van.
I_heart_Tigger
Well-Known Member
No one has said it's OK to have their trip ruined. What have they done that has ruined your trip? You have the right to complain as I did when a tour group tried to cut in line. Honestly, unless you have first hand experience of a tour group ruining your trip you may just be buying into the exaggerations and cultural stereoptypes of other people or maybe things that would ruin your trip wouldn't ruin other peoples.
Unless you get into specifics of how a trip would be ruined I can't really comment but while I don't think anyone's trip should be ruined I think that's more dependant on your attitude than anyone elses.
I_heart_Tigger
Well-Known Member
How strange, I just had some clients staying at SOG in April and when they had missed the last bus (by about an hour) SOG sent a driver to pick them up no problem. I know they've done that other times as well.
mouse_luv
Well-Known Member
Well then apparently I set a good example back in 2009 when I complained to the desk that there should be some way for guests to NOT be stranded in the parks, esp EPCOT when they cant control how long it took the restaurant etc and for them to be able to get out of the park. Thanks for letting me know, so if I should happen to get in this same mess this year I'll call and relay them what you have told me. Hopefully, they know what you are talking about.
You answered your own question. Because we let them get away with it.
The chanting, shoving, line-jumping, and other forms of rude behavior...it is accepted. It is accepted by CM's, and it is accepted by us, the paying customer. I have encountered these tour groups on many occaisons. I've seen them do things that often make me wonder: "Why isn't someone giving them the boot outta here for that?" I work at a business which caters to tourists. And if I EVER saw someone shove past an elderly person, almost causing injury...they'd either be removed from the property, or at least verbally warned at best.
But at WDW, there is a different form of punishment used for such behavior....the "dirty look"!!
What's that, you say?? The DIRTY LOOK??!!
Yes...the dirty look. The stare from offended guests or CM's who don't have the spine to actually (heaven forbid) SAY SOMETHING to them about courtesy. A glare or dirty look is about as useless as waving your index finger while chanting: "Naughty, naughty." Correction: It's less effective than that.
And it's not just tour groups alone. An example would be (this one disturbs me) from when forum member Fable McCloud was injured at a park once:
Dirty looks?? The CM was giving dirty looks when a paying guest is on the ground gushing blood??? Why not call security? Why not remove the offender from property? An innocent woman's leg has been split open...and your resolve is a dirty look?? Hell, I feel like I can get away with anything at WDW now. And if I get busted for something, I'll only have to face the glare of doom. Ok, sorry to get on a soap box. But that really gets under my skin. So...back on topic. Tour groups, cheerleaders, or any individuals who ruin other's vacations only get away with what we allow them to get away with. I guess I could've just said that rather than getting into a sermon. But....too late.
flynnibus
Premium Member
What you should be learning is that generalizing and vilifying a group is pointless and tactless and instead you should be focusing on how Disney should be enforcing their existing policies that are being abused by some.
I_heart_Tigger
Well-Known Member
It's happened earlier than 2009 as well but hopefully it won't happen to anyone else. I was delayed getting out of Japan in 1999 and asked the restaurant if there would still be busses running, They said no but made a call and there was a shuttle van waiting for me at the park entrance by the time I got there to take me back to the Poly.
You answered your own question. Because we let them get away with it.
The chanting, shoving, line-jumping, and other forms of rude behavior...it is accepted. It is accepted by CM's, and it is accepted by us, the paying customer. I have encountered these tour groups on many occaisons. I've seen them do things that often make me wonder: "Why isn't someone giving them the boot outta here for that?" I work at a business which caters to tourists. And if I EVER saw someone shove past an elderly person, almost causing injury...they'd either be removed from the property, or at least verbally warned at best.
But at WDW, there is a different form of punishment used for such behavior....the "dirty look"!!
What's that, you say?? The DIRTY LOOK??!!
Yes...the dirty look. The stare from offended guests or CM's who don't have the spine to actually (heaven forbid) SAY SOMETHING to them about courtesy. A glare or dirty look is about as useless as waving your index finger while chanting: "Naughty, naughty." Correction: It's less affective than that.
And it's not just tour groups alone. An example would be (this one disturbs me) from when forum member Fable McCloud was injured at a park once:
Ok, sorry to get on a soap box. But that really gets under my skin. So...back on topic. Tour groups, cheerleaders, or any individuals who ruin other's vacations only get away with what we allow them to get away with. I guess I could've just said that rather than getting into a sermon. But....too late.
Bob.... You wanna get away with something? Apparently you can get free stuff for being an adult and dressing up like face characters!!!! You can get fastpasses and tshirts, tv time, EVERYTHING!!! What character are you gonna be???
If you find it's taken 60-90 minutes after park closing to leave the park, ask for a main gate van. There will always be a CM at a park entrance, be it custodial, transport, BOH or Security.
As for the tour groups they are a pain, yes, but since The Mouse makes so much money from them the complaining guest will be comped/moved room before they turn to the groups In question. The simply make too much money to restrict them. Tis topic pops up about this time each year.
Or do what we do, never visit in June-July again unless you expect to handle them.
As for the tour groups they are a pain, yes, but since The Mouse makes so much money from them the complaining guest will be comped/moved room before they turn to the groups In question. The simply make too much money to restrict them. Tis topic pops up about this time each year.
Or do what we do, never visit in June-July again unless you expect to handle them.
Kandi
Active Member
Maybe i'm missing something but if the guy in front of me at a fastpass machine had a big pile of tickets and was getting fastpasses with all of them, wouldn't it make more sense to line up at a different machine and get your fastpasses quicker than him? Surely a line with 2 people in it getting 2 fastpasses each will move quicker than someone getting loads of them and that way you aren't missing out on fastpasses. Just realised i said fastpass a lot in this comment
Surely a line with 2 people in it getting 2 fastpasses each will move quicker than someone getting loads of them and that way you aren't missing out on fastpasses. Just realised i said fastpass a lot in this comment 
olinecoach61
Well-Known Member
Wow, if someone who bought a ticket and used a fast pass ruins your vacation you have issues. If the tour groups bother you that much go to a different attraction. They are pretty easy to spot and avoid if you so desire. As I said in previous posts, the tour groups are no worse than any other youth groups traveling through the parks.
Pumbas Nakasak
Heading for the great escape.
You can handle them? This is an excellent piece of information.
captainkidd
Well-Known Member
The problem is perception. Not all groups are bad. But, when you encounter one bad egg, the rest sadly stick out like sore thumbs.
I've said it a million times and I'll continue to say, whether it sounds racist or not. I dislike the Brazilian tour groups. The majority that I have encountered are rude and disruptive. The whole chanting, clapping, singing, taking up spots all over the place for a seat. It's rude behavior. Maybe it's considered acceptable in Brazil, but WDW isn't in Brazil. If you want to act like that, stay in Brazil. If you want to come to the United States, be respectful of others.
Now, that being said, there are obviously plenty of US citizens who are rude and act like animals as well. They're equally as bad, if not worse. The difference being, they're in smaller groups so it isn't as obvious or noticeable.
I've said it a million times and I'll continue to say, whether it sounds racist or not. I dislike the Brazilian tour groups. The majority that I have encountered are rude and disruptive. The whole chanting, clapping, singing, taking up spots all over the place for a seat. It's rude behavior. Maybe it's considered acceptable in Brazil, but WDW isn't in Brazil. If you want to act like that, stay in Brazil. If you want to come to the United States, be respectful of others.
Now, that being said, there are obviously plenty of US citizens who are rude and act like animals as well. They're equally as bad, if not worse. The difference being, they're in smaller groups so it isn't as obvious or noticeable.
ShookieJones
We need time for things to happen.
They're annoying and disruptive - We can all agree on that. Just like rain other extreme weather or a favorite attraction being closed.....what should we do about that?
Zummi Gummi
Pioneering the Universe Within!
Where has anyone said that? You continue to make sweepeing generalizations without any support at all, in some vain effort to rile people up.
I'm going to continue to call your bluff on this. Disney has never, ever, stranded guests at a theme park. I still have no idea why you went to the TTC in the first place as the SoG buses depart from the front of Epcot just like every other resort bus. Had you gone to the dispatcher they would have arranged transportation for you, regardless of when you finally exited the park.
Neither chanting, clapping, nor singing is illegal. It's people having fun in a theme park. Is it a little annoying? Yes, but it's very easy to avoid. When I see a large group like that approaching, I simply turn around and go in the opposite direction. Never once has my vacation been "ruined."
I still find the behavior of the cheerleaders and Pop Warner exponentially worse and more "offensive" than anything the Brazilians have ever done, but of course it's more fun for people in this thread to display their ethnocentrism, isn't it?
wannab@dis
Well-Known Member
We've found the Pop Warner groups to be worse than the Brazilian groups. Most of our recent trips have been around the first of December so Pop Warner is usually what we try to plan around. We end up with only one or two days at the parks at the same time as they are. The chanting, cheering is annoying, but some groups are respectable. We even had one group of cheerleaders start singing Christmas songs on the bus. Everyone joined in and the trip back to the resort actually seemed too short! That said, I've seen the rude behavior towards others, destruction of property, the juvenile yelling and banging on doors in the middle of the night. I usually call the front desk and within a short time, they calm down. I think WDW needs to be firm with the groups at booking and let them know there is zero tolerance of destruction / disruption and the group will be asked to leave if the get too many complaints. I know groups have been asked to leave.
I think the main issue is they move around in large groups. They stay together so they descend on restaurants, fastpass machines, lines and buses. It only takes 2 or 3 jerks in the group to make the whole group look bad.
As for the "what to do about it" question... we've found one solution that's worked several times with the Pop Warner groups in lines / food courts. Strike up a conversation with a few of their group closest to you. Ask how their trip is going, what they've enjoyed the most, how the competition has gone, etc. Then make a nice remark about how you wished it wasn't so loud in the line or restaurant and the kids you've been talking to will usually tell the others to be quieter. We've politely asked someone at a FP machine getting a stack for others if we could quickly grab 4 passes and I've never been told no. Sometimes simply asking nicely is all it takes to get their attention!
I think the main issue is they move around in large groups. They stay together so they descend on restaurants, fastpass machines, lines and buses. It only takes 2 or 3 jerks in the group to make the whole group look bad.
As for the "what to do about it" question... we've found one solution that's worked several times with the Pop Warner groups in lines / food courts. Strike up a conversation with a few of their group closest to you. Ask how their trip is going, what they've enjoyed the most, how the competition has gone, etc. Then make a nice remark about how you wished it wasn't so loud in the line or restaurant and the kids you've been talking to will usually tell the others to be quieter. We've politely asked someone at a FP machine getting a stack for others if we could quickly grab 4 passes and I've never been told no. Sometimes simply asking nicely is all it takes to get their attention!