Cameras and Soarin

Thanks for the advice and warning, this could potentially save some one else from a ruined camera and sorry about yours.

Oh my goodness! Thanks so much for the heads up!

Oh wow... sorry to hear that. I know ill be paying more attention now. So thank you for the heads up.

Wow, thanks for the info and so sorry you had to find out like that.

It never occurred to me to check the baskets first. I will sure do that in October before I put anything in them! Thanks for the heads up.

we have a big problem with stuff like this in Star Tours. People put those resort mugs full of drinks in their net bags and when the ride bumps around, everything spills out and into every row. Then we have to take the cabin down and give it to custodial to be cleaned since its usually soda, which takes about 15-30mins. We're allowed to say no drinks that don't have screw-top lids or are in resort mugs, but resort mugs seem to be the biggest problem with leaks!

So I guess we now know what to blame when it says Wait Time 10 minutes and jumps to 30? lol

...well, that and Brazilian Tour Groups of 300. But you guys wont have to worry about waiting in the standby line when you come to Star Tours.

Hey Jessi...how do we avoid those dang Brazilian Tour Groups of 300?! Just thinking about them now gives me a headache.

The only way to avoid the tour groups is go to another park. Look for the flags and head the other way. I think AK is the worst with the tour groups because there is less to do there.

Well right now, there's no real way to avoid them because this year there are a TON of them. There are about 20-30 groups here at any given time, so you're bound to run into them no matter what park you're at (even DTD!) But the best thing to do is not to come this time of the year! Its hot, humid, and crowded with Brazilian Tour Groups. They come from July to September mostly, so its the worst time of the year to be here.

Yes....I think summer is the worst time for the tour groups. That's one of the reasons we took to going in November. Almost anything is better than being stuck with those groups.

Take a vacation in Brazil. They are all up here now.

Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry! I also would never have thought to look!

I keep saying this is what I'm gonna do! I'm gonna go around and cut everyone who is waiting in a line.

Oh, the tour groups. I get a bit miffed when they TALK all the way through a show or attraction. I also found this to happen often with families visiting from South American or Middle Eastern destinations. I do not mean to "profile," but I just could not believe how some of these families would talk at full volume during the WS movies, the American Experience, the Hall of Presidents, and anywhere else you are supposed to be quiet. I even took to turning around and issuing a teacher "look" (read "glare"), but it had no affect on them.

Yesterday we were walking across a bridge in EPCOT and a Brazilian tour group was coming the other way. they totally took the whole bridge over, not letting us get by and pushing us out of the way. I tell myself not to judge that it's a culture thing and they are guests in our country (and helping our economy), but I still feel that they are so rude! It's terrible, there are different groups all over, you can't escape them!

Tour groups wil NOT repeat NOT push me aside. I will go through no matter what, I guarantee it, I have the beef to back it up and I have done it. I will not be intimidated.

Mike is big and he does not get pushed, but I lost him in the crowd. He pushed his way through the sea of red shirts but lost me so I just waited til they were over the bridge to pass. I'm not intimidated by them, I was mad that they are so rude and pushy. I have stood my ground in line many times when they come up and try to push in front of me (guess I look intimidatable). I glare and hold my space and with my body language they back off. They don't even try it with Mike because he is big and intimidating, no one would dare get in his space. It's not like it happens all the time, but once in a while we have bad experiences w different cultures. It seems like there are more big tour groups every year.

Good for Mike and you as well.

This year to help us with the tour groups we have these people called Super Greeters and they are people my age from Brazil. They walk around in Green shirts with the Brazilian flag on them and work at prettymuch all the parks. They are AWESOME! What they explained to us was that the kids who are at Disney on the tours are like 15-17 and are the kids of the wealthy people, so they already think they own the place and expect to have things handed to them. The Super Greeters are just kids from middle-class families who came up here to work for Disney and help out with these kids. They are very stern with the tour groups and its amazing the difference it makes. The only problem is that there aren't a whole lot of them so its not like they can follow each tour group around and make sure they are being nice. They mostly spend their time in attractions helping with the loading process. They are really great people and I watched as one fussed-out an entire tour group the other day and told them that they would have to leave the park if they didn't listen to me. It was crazy the difference it makes.
When they're not there, things can get rough. I'm a small person so they think they can just rush me and get into rows and do what they want, but little do they know that they have just come across the loudest person at Star Tours. And I'm not afraid to yell at them and threaten them.

Hey Jessi, it was so nice to meet you last week! Everytime we go to HS we go on Star Tours to look for you, and we finally met you, yeah! BTW we had the coolest Star Tours ride yet that day!

That's great to hear about the Disney - Brazil- employees, kinda like ambassadors. Glad they help, but they need more!

It was so great to meet you guys too! Next time you come hopefully I'll be in a better position and I can actually help you guys out like get you into the fastpass line!