When I went to the Magic Kingdom for the first time in 2 years, I headed back from the newly-refurbished Haunted Mansion to the parade viewing spot my mother allotted for us. Some British lad bothered me a bit by throwing mulch at my glutes, otherwise, I had a nice wait until Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmastime Parade. As I ate my trail mix and grapes, a herd in yellow jumpsuits headed out of the Haunted Mansion, with one girl bearing a flag. I couldn’t discern the text on the pendant, but it said something like “Olinda” and the word “Brasil.” After seeing those Latinos file by into Frontierland, I carried on into waiting and watching the parade. The next day, after reading some threads on the Web, I found out that I saw one of the pet peeves in which a gaggle of guests and Cast Members alike loath – Brazilian tour groups. (Actually, it was a Sao Paulo-based tour group, Lagetur.)

Loads of patrons of the Walt Disney World Resort (speaking of the fine quartet of theme parks), as well as its Cast Members, depict the groups as people wearing monotonous T-shirts, having a flag-bearer (often female), cutting in line, mobbing costumed characters, and chanting as they pass by. Luckily, I didn’t encounter such a gaggle of them in the rides (such as Space Mountain, in which I had the opportunity to ride it before refurbishment in 2009) while spending a half-day at the Magic Kingdom. That Pernambuco-based tour group just filed past me before the parade, with minimal chatter – no chanting as if warming up for a soccer match or shouting as if it were September 7 (their Independence Day). They just thought of  me as if I’m an invisible spectator of the parade. I just encountered a group from Colombia while ordering lunch in the Land Pavilion at Epcot and they just noticed me as a courteous stranger. In contrast to that, the Brazilian one that strolled quietly through the Magic Kingdom is more interesting.

Most other patrons and countless Cast Members are more or less unlucky when encountering those groups. One Cast Member reported his wallet missing at a Denny’s during breakfast. The manager called him that he found it, so he retrieved it – only to discover that his Cast Member ID was missing. After several attempts to go to work, he was fired. One of the Brazilian hoodlums was the culprit for his predicament – he stole his ID after ditching his wallet.