What months do the chanting teen groups go to Disney?

[WEDWDW]

And yet last week at the Studios the pink and white group left a pile of what looked like 100 pink and white backpacks against a wall near RNR. I wish I had taken a photo, it was quite a sight. My husband thought that maybe that is all the luggage they are allowed and were flying home directly from the park?

Believe me the backpacks are not their only luggage!lol

The backpacks are part of their "tour package" along with their matching shirts.

 

[ChimCher-ee]

I expect Disney to be crowded, noisy, and, yes, even to have its share of rudely behaved people at times. And I can accept, say, large family reunion groups heading me off at Haunted Mansion mere seconds before I make it through the chains (curse that search for soap that slowed me down during the bathroom break!)--and grit my teeth when the long lost branch of the family shows up pushing past me to rejoin the ones holding their place just ahead of me. It happens, and I try to set a good example for my daughter about patience and humor (not always successful at that but hey life is a jouney).

I think what bothers me most in any person's or group's behavior is when they are oblivious (or worse, aware but insensitive) to the effect their rude or self-centered behavior has on those around them. So, when it comes to tour groups, it's their sheer size that amplifies the obliviousness and self-ceneteredness to levels that I personally have to avoid in order to maintain my sanity. In my experiences with tour groups before I wised up, that meant squeezing me more and more against the curb outside Fantasmic as I waited trapped in increasingly loud (read, deafening chanting and clapping) crowds for more than an hour, or practically sitting on my lap on a bus back to the hotel (thankfully, my DM, DD and I were among the 9 people who arrived ahead of the tour group--too bad for the dozens of families who got to the stop after them)--but many of you here have much, much worse experiences to relate. I'm just lucky our room wasn't in the same section at the hotel (or worse, I read an account once of someone whose room was in the middle of such a floor and it ended in threatening to call the police).

So now I turn the other way when a tour group is beelining it for the same place I am. I return to my FP 15 minutes later if I can, I find something to kill the time before going to that QS, and I hope to get out of their way fast enough walking down the sidewalk. I even chose AoA because I was betting there would be no tour groups (it paid off, not only no tour groups but we discovered a really charming resort!). They are definitely on my radar and figure in my strategies for every July vacation.

But I think there is such thing as inappropriate behavior, whether it's tour group behavior or out-of-control food/wine behavior, whathaveyou. Disney certainly can come up with rules (I agree, PPs, lots of good ideas here about group size, etc.) and ways to enforce them, to maintain as much magic for as many people as possible. After all, we do come for the magic. Even though we all define it a little differently, there is a zone of common expectations about what that magic is, and in no one's book does that include many of the behaviors described here. I imagine even the tour groups would stop coming if, when they arrived, they were greeted by no one other than tour groups acting as tour groups are wont to do, as far as the eye could see.

And Disney could start with having tours use their own buses to take the groups to and from the parks. (Sorry, pet peeve there.)

 

[jeneric997]

We just got back yesterday and saw a couple of tour groups- no chanting or rude behavior. My daughters did tell me that one group of mostly girls started screaming under Spaceship Earth when they heard thunder. I had to laugh as I've heard my girls overreact to lots of things while with their friends- big groups of teenage girls are loud no matter where they are from!

 

[Hunterr]

I would imagine they typically are there during summer because of no school, but sometimes here and there during other times of the year.

In any case, I certainly wouldn't plan around them! They are annoying when screaming the same thing over and over, but not enough to shift around travel plans. As long as they aren't behind/in front of you in a long long, you'll be fine.

There's always going to be tourist groups.

 

[mimi1016]

OP I went in the middle of August and did not see any large tour groups in any of the parks during our stay.

 

[CinderElsa]

No matter how many times these threads appear, the bottom line is that Disney has no plans to discipline these groups. The screaming, "time of your life" experience is in the marketing. Disney even provides them with special events that other guests do not have access to.

http://www.fifteens.com.ar/index.php

To many girls turning 15, this looks AWESOME.

If the groups annoy you, don't travel during January & July, but they're not going anywhere, and their behavior won't change. Disney wants them, as they are.

 

[nhtinkerbell]

We were there the week of the 13th (and my husbands first time on property) and it was the worst i had ever seen it.
I even got into a tiff with one for sitting on my feet and another one for pushing us out of the way to get on the bus. That was only one group. We seem to have something happen with each one. Although on a happy note we did have one of the security guard tell them to stop chanting and quite down. Coulnt help but applaud and thank them and i wasnt the only one.
I heard alot of other guest complaining to management and demanding something be done.
Im hoping that our next trip wont b as rough as this one.
Not saying that we didnt have a good time, cause we did but to have people rude like this is so not called for. I really dont care how much money they spend or bring in cause we also spent quite a bit.

 

[palmtreelover08]

Went the first week in Dec- same time as Pop Warner a few years ago. Ended with us transferring hotels due to a druken parent:chaperone attempting to break through our window and screaming/cursing as he thought we broke into his room. No problems in park so if I went that time of year again- I would be at at a different hotel then the Pop group. Ps- Disney security did a good job handling the situation. July- never again due to large tour groups together- not even for a free trip. I am not a turn the other cheek kind of person and have a difficult time just letting things go- so better to just avoid the situation.

 

[aimathy]

Silly, happy, fun screaming is obviously a part of teenage excitement. Overwhelming, obnoxious, can't-hear-over it chanting is another. Disney was created with a certain atmosphere in mind, planned in a way that all people get to experience something similar, in an enjoyable way. I'm NOT scrimping and saving all year to find a way to be politically-correct or diplomatic with a group of rude, ignorant, careless people. I don't care if they're green or purple, Lithuanian or South African, young or old. If there is a group that compromises the experience of the many, just so *they* can have fun....then I have every right to be upset about it. It is rude to consider any venue to be free of rules or respect, simply because you want to have fun. Even if cultural norms are a part of the behavior, then the onus of teaching the group how to act in that venue should belong to chaperones. If they don't respect the rules, then they should be asked to leave. Period. We traveled to Disneyland Paris last summer and there were definitely some cultural norms, some of which we didn't love. However, we were in their part of the world, not ours, and we conformed to fit in properly.

 

[Turk February]

We had to deal with them in July 5 years ago. They are the absolute worst.

 

[Katelly]

And Disney could start with having tours use their own buses to take the groups to and from the parks. (Sorry, pet peeve there.)

I totally agree. When my daughter went to Disney with her HS marching band/kickline/cheerleaders they stayed at POFQ but had their own chartered bus to take them to the parks. They also had to break into smaller groups (of about five to seven) to tour the parks. Every two hours or so they had to check in with one of their chaperones at the park. Her group consisted of teens aged 14 to 18. They were responsible for getting their own fp (thereby they never entered an attraction as a huge tour group).

If anyone wasn't behaving they were warned that they would spend the rest of their vacation touring each day with the band director - not their friends.

Disney really needs to address the situation with large tour groups. I don't care if the group is American teens, teens from Finland or teens from Japan. Loud chanting/singing is rude, I don't care what kind of spin you put on it. It disrupts the atmosphere for other guests.

 

[ChloesDaddy]

I expect Disney to be crowded, noisy, and, yes, even to have its share of rudely behaved people at times. And I can accept, say, large family reunion groups heading me off at Haunted Mansion mere seconds before I make it through the chains (curse that search for soap that slowed me down during the bathroom break!)--and grit my teeth when the long lost branch of the family shows up pushing past me to rejoin the ones holding their place just ahead of me. It happens, and I try to set a good example for my daughter about patience and humor (not always successful at that but hey life is a jouney).

I think what bothers me most in any person's or group's behavior is when they are oblivious (or worse, aware but insensitive) to the effect their rude or self-centered behavior has on those around them. So, when it comes to tour groups, it's their sheer size that amplifies the obliviousness and self-ceneteredness to levels that I personally have to avoid in order to maintain my sanity. In my experiences with tour groups before I wised up, that meant squeezing me more and more against the curb outside Fantasmic as I waited trapped in increasingly loud (read, deafening chanting and clapping) crowds for more than an hour, or practically sitting on my lap on a bus back to the hotel (thankfully, my DM, DD and I were among the 9 people who arrived ahead of the tour group--too bad for the dozens of families who got to the stop after them)--but many of you here have much, much worse experiences to relate. I'm just lucky our room wasn't in the same section at the hotel (or worse, I read an account once of someone whose room was in the middle of such a floor and it ended in threatening to call the police).

So now I turn the other way when a tour group is beelining it for the same place I am. I return to my FP 15 minutes later if I can, I find something to kill the time before going to that QS, and I hope to get out of their way fast enough walking down the sidewalk. I even chose AoA because I was betting there would be no tour groups (it paid off, not only no tour groups but we discovered a really charming resort!). They are definitely on my radar and figure in my strategies for every July vacation.

But I think there is such thing as inappropriate behavior, whether it's tour group behavior or out-of-control food/wine behavior, whathaveyou. Disney certainly can come up with rules (I agree, PPs, lots of good ideas here about group size, etc.) and ways to enforce them, to maintain as much magic for as many people as possible. After all, we do come for the magic. Even though we all define it a little differently, there is a zone of common expectations about what that magic is, and in no one's book does that include many of the behaviors described here. I imagine even the tour groups would stop coming if, when they arrived, they were greeted by no one other than tour groups acting as tour groups are wont to do, as far as the eye could see.

And Disney could start with having tours use their own buses to take the groups to and from the parks. (Sorry, pet peeve there.)

Great post. A fine example of expecting a standard of behavior while being thoughtful and considerate. Bravo.

I did chuckle about groups choosing not to come anymore if all there were at WDW were tour groups. Reminds me of the Yogi Berra line about a popular restaurant - "Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded."

 

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

Well there is DEFINITELY tons of that going on right now, definitely started more late June I think. In my own personal experience, its not the teenagers necessarily, as the adults were the ones instigating it? And then the screaming ones including young boys around 7-10 maybe? So I'd say it's less the teens although it certainly can include them! I believe it much more to be a cultural thing. They really feel like the alley way to RnRc must be like a futball stadium and they are having a blast! And I actually just smile and move along. They are having fun, and generally don't scream during the shows etc when you would need to hear (at least not my experience.)

However, I do have an issue with 45 people in a single tour group not keeping up with their party and then all cutting in front of us while they point at the other 20 wearing matching T-shirts who are way up ahead. A line is a line people...

 

[polineedyan]

This topic is very sensitive. I would say that enciting people to disruptive behavior is against policy. The behavior can be defined as distracting which is also against policy

 

[Dug720]

Another safety issue that I worry about is unattended bags that Disney lets these groups leave around the park. Unfortunately in the times we live in we have been trained that it is a huge safety risk anytime someone leaves a bag unattended. I have seen bomb squads called in when a bag is just left in other places. And yet last week at the Studios the pink and white group left a pile of what looked like 100 pink and white backpacks against a wall near RNR. I wish I had taken a photo, it was quite a sight. My husband thought that maybe that is all the luggage they are allowed and were flying home directly from the park? Whatever, this should be a huge safety no-no. With the attacks on Americans and others around the world I would think that an explosive in an unattended bag placed with all of these others would be a security problem.

That is still happening? Happened several years ago during Presidents' Week (so, February) outside of TOT. In that case a CM did come over and ask those of us in line if we knew whose they were. We didn't, but the old teen "chaperone" came over and said they were for his (yep...the "chaperone" for the girls was a guy) group, and the CM required that he collect the bags and keep them with him until the girls returned and said at that point they needed to stay with the girls.

Several of us had been joking that if we just grabbed a bag or two we could totally pay for our trip.

I would say maybe getting bags stolen would make them change, but in all honesty these girls come from wealthy families so a call to Daddy would have more money to her by the end of the day.

 

[oceanmarina]

I totally agree. When my daughter went to Disney with her HS marching band/kickline/cheerleaders they stayed at POFQ but had their own chartered bus to take them to the parks. They also had to break into smaller groups (of about five to seven) to tour the parks. Every two hours or so they had to check in with one of their chaperones at the park. Her group consisted of teens aged 14 to 18. They were responsible for getting their own fp (thereby they never entered an attraction as a huge tour group).

If anyone wasn't behaving they were warned that they would spend the rest of their vacation touring each day with the band director - not their friends.

Disney really needs to address the situation with large tour groups. I don't care if the group is American teens, teens from Finland or teens from Japan. Loud chanting/singing is rude, I don't care what kind of spin you put on it. It disrupts the atmosphere for other guests.

I think if all tour groups were organized like your daughter's, this would address a lot of the unacceptable behaviors. Small groups, actual consequences for inappropriate behavior, adult chaperone who enforced behavior code. Sounds to me this needs to be applied to all touring groups to make this a better, safer park experience for all.

Yep, I completely agree, from the responses I have read on this post sounds to me that this is a big issue and Disney needs to address the large tour group situation.

 

[BrokeMack]

I didn't have a problem with the quinceanera groups back when I was 15 if you catch my drift.

But nowadays, so help me if you cut in line...

 

[BigHeroKen]

When we went in February of 2014 it was our worst trip ever thanks to the roaming band of teenage girls there for the cheerleading event. Many of them didn't have chaperons, they would cut in line with their friends, or practically knock you over when walking by and they were quite loud.

Apparently it was a big enough problem because we got free tickets when we complained about how we and others were treated by these teenagers.

 

[TSR6]

They don't always just chant. Sometimes they just do whatever they want - like walk onto an active parade route...lol

 

[AlexaofArendelle]

This is not about where you come from or what language you speak. I am hispanic and come from an Island that is a territory of USA. With that said, I consider these groups to be annoying sometimes. I mean, you can do your singing and stuff in open places, but in a full bus all the way back from MK....No!!! That's really disrespectful!

I have not seen the human chain, but I would get in a bad mood if I see a huge group of people holding hands and limiting people walking by.

Like some of you said it would be nice if they tour the park in smaller groups, have limits on what areas their chanting/singing is allowed, and have an adult chaperone with them.

Definitely Disney needs to address this. I experienced only once and would not like to experience it again.