It's Brazilian Tour Group time again...

[lilogirl]

And here I thought cheerleaders were supposed to cheer only at games? Okay, I can understand being excited to be at DLR/WDW, but don't they tell those girls to shut up and enjoy their trip without making so much noise? Somebody needs to find those girls' cheer button and completely disable it. Or have them under escort at all times, with a strict no cheering, no horn-blowing, no being an SG warning. In my day, the cheerleaders I knew were upstanding citizens who would never think if doing their cheer thing in a theme park, or anywhere other than at a game.

From what I have seen the "escorts" are worse! I can't tell you the number of time the cheer "mom's" encourage the yelling etc.

[CBeilby]

As a non-CM,I am curious about what a 101 is.

All shall be answered here...

[Freak]

Dang, beat me to it. :p:

[elfuddo]

Thanks all!!

[February]

Okay, so you guys ready for my story? I think I'm up to telling it now (if the fingers hold out- the swelling from using my crutch- OY)

So I'm staying at one of the value resorts (doesn't really matter which one) and I checked in Sunday- was in a building way far out- so they offered me the upgrade to pay for a preferred room. I took it.

I moved the next morning into the building right by the main one- lovely location. Really liked the resort, for what it was...it did feel really 'disney', all that, room was clean, I was happy.

I had a big day and was really tired and was going to meet a buddy from here for lunch the next day (I had a blast I hope they did too, I will leave it to them if they want to disclose their identity) and so I decided to get to bed early which I never do.

I was out cold at about 2:30 or so when, out of the dead silence- suddenly there is this ungodly screaming and banging on my door. All at once. No warning a group was coming, nothing. Just BAM.

Folks, I was so startled that I had chest pains- and this isn't good considering I've been undergoing a lot of testing for similar pain in the past two months (they say the heart is okay but they don't know why the nitro is the only thing that helps when it gets really bad). Additionally I do have issues with panic and so this was not helping. Add to it I'm travelling alone, otherwise disabled and had no way to stop anybody if they decided they were really coming in- well I was not happy.

I called security and they offered to stop by my room after dispersing the revelers (I said no- I didn't want them to know who had called!) I found though that the pounding was the only noise that stopped. They had propped open the door to the next room with the lock, so every ten seconds (literally, I timed it for awhile) someone was banging the door against the lock, shaking the bed I was in. They were chanting, running around the pool- the girls were all wearing very skimpy "princess" dresses they had obviously brought with them.

I gave it awhile and then finally I realized it wasn't getting better- and seeing Security was still around outside, I decided to visit the front desk.

In my jammies.

I put on a sweater over them and pulled on my flip flops and off I went. I found a crowd of them swarming the desk, claiming all to have lost their keys. There were only two CMs working the desk at the time- and while the one tried to field the group of key replacements, the other CM called me over. I explained to him what had happened, showed him how my hands were still shaking, and I said "I don't care what it costs me, I have three nights left of my trip, I'll pay the difference but you've got to get me out of here."

He went to speak to the "person in the back" (My new favorite Disney CM role) and came back a little while later- and he told me that they only had availability at one resort, Animal Kingdom Lodge.

"Perfect. I'll take it." I said, though honestly of all the resorts that was one I had never considered staying in, I would have stayed in Minnie's house in Toon Town if they'd let me. "What's the rate?"

"No change in your rate," he said. "I'm so sorry this happened to you. Would you like to go in the morning or would you like to go now?"

"Is now an option!?" I asked, and he nodded.

"We will take you over in a van as soon as you're ready."

I informed him that he was now my hero and I headed back to my room. As I gathered up my stuff, I packed up in eight minutes flat, folks, and walked back out, groups of girls were laying down on the ground outside my room. Some were running around the pool, groups of boys were running around, nearly knocking people over and spitting on the ground.

This CM took me himself, in a Disney van, and delivered me and my suitcase to the Lodge at quarter to four in the morning. I was so grateful- I am definitely going to write a letter about him. Then the staff at the Lodge took over and they were so good to me. They apologized that they couldn't check me in until the computers came up at four, I said "I don't care! I'll wait in the lobby all night if I have to, I'm here that's all that matters!"

[February]

So then, after check in, I was so loopy and tired and with the low lighting levels in the resort (part of the atmosphere) I couldn't find my room. Yes, people, I got lost.

I found my way back to the desk (even a cleaning lady working in the hallways couldn't help me find the right set of rooms so I didn't feel quite so bad) and the very sweet CM there walked me to my room, towed in my suitcase then asked me if I needed anything else.

I could have cried, I was just so grateful to be there.

I thanked them all profusely during my stay- bragged to several managers about how great the cast was to me, and I will write a letter as soon as I recover from my return trip.

I had actually thought about coming back home early if they couldn't move me. I wouldn't feel safe staying off property alone and I was too rattled after that night to stay where I was. They saved the rest of my trip and I had such a wonderful time there.

So I guess in the end i should thank the rude (and I believe, intoxicated) group of young people who altered my vacation- but I felt so sorry for the families in that hotel who didn't have a chance to move. My parting words to the CM who dropped me off was "You might want to suggest they assign a couple extra managers for the morning shift- I think people are going to want to speak to them."

I happened to have a conversation with a guest services CM I happened to meet up with outside the park one night (I had no idea, thought they were another guest until they said they were a CM playing in the park for the day) and they said that groups were showing up with far more people than they had booked rooms for- so families who had booked packages were being bumped up to other resorts (and I heard this a lot at bus stops while I was there) she said that the only resort on the entire property that had any availability the past few days had been AK Lodge.

I got incredibly lucky. I won't ever push that luck by trying to go back to WDW during this time of year again. It was just nuts.

My heart goes out to the cms so much. I saw so many of you getting mowed over (at times literally) by these groups, and I felt so bad as you kept smiling and trying to just do your jobs. You rule.

For the record: I did see many groups where the kids were well behaved. Just a couple that really got out of control while I was there. So it wasn't all of them- just enough to make it more difficult for everyone. And I don't think it has anything to do with them being from any particular place- I just think any time you take dozens upon dozens of teenagers and put them with two chaperones that you're going to have trouble no matter what country said teenagers are from. They needed more supervision, period.

bru

[IndyandMarion]

They all need to die. And their little Venezuela horns too. Or whatever the hell it is.

I was at the beach today (Cause I've got that kind of time on my hands these days :rolleyes :) , I was relaxing in my chair on the beach. The waves crashing onto the shore. Surfer's riding some of the best waves I've seen in a while (And they sucked today). Pelicans fighting the winds going to wherever the hell it is that Pelicans go. Sun, sand, alcohol, beautiful girls and then...

BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUR

The GOD DAMN THINGS FOUND ME AT THE BEACH!!!

So I reached for a stick of dynamite out of my bag and realized. . . I don't have that power anymore. . .

So I stuffed my ears with sand, packed it with a seashell and just waited it out.

[Freak]

I finally had a Brazilian Tour Group bumrush me at Hollywood Glowfest tonite. Luckily I had a strobe sword in my hand (I was hawking glow in Glowfest) and I started to make large waving motion to keep the morons away from me. They were smart enough to not get smacked in the face by a strobe sword, but they were running full speed down the Hollywood Backlot stage, nearly knocking over a few people. They stormed and took over Award Wieners, the poor CMs were overwhelmed by a dozen plus ill behaved annoying children.

Even worse, they had parent chaperons, and they did NOTHING. :mad:

Hopefully that'll be the only group I see out here in SoCal.

[DragonFox98]

Bru, I am so glad they were able to move you to another resort! I wuold have hated for this vacation to be ruined for you (or, at the very least, cut short). And I feel for the families stuck at that resort with that ignorant group.

[GaTechGal]

Holy COW Bru!! Glad they got things sorted out for you. What a nightmare. I pity all you CMs that have to deal with this sort of foolishness.