Bringing my own cell or Buying one in the US

[eryn the pooh]

This will be the first time DD is allowed to spend time away from me at the parks. She'll be bringing her BFF. We would prefer to use phones for communication because with walkie talkies there are alot of people using them and finding a chanel is hard.
Last trip I changed over my payntalk from Telus to a monthly, because our payntalks dont work in the US, that I was told. I didnt really have much luck anyway, even when it was on a plan.
But I just called again to ask about changing it over to a plan again while we are gone, and the guy suggested I just buy a pay as you go phone when I got there and use that. He said it would probably be cheaper. I never thought about that.
Just wondering if anyone has done that, if so, do I need to put a US address when signing up, the cost if its better or any other experiences with taking Canadian cell phones to the US.

Thanks in advance :)

[DeniseinNS]

I used my canadian cell phone when we were down last month, ANY call I made down there (even local) was around $1 a minute! and texts were 60 cents each.

[DbleTheFun]

Doing the prepaid ones when we are there. Net10 are great deal. 300 minutes, the phone, text messages... all for $29.00

[dancin Disney style]

We have a US pre paid and it's super cheap. We hava a Tracfone. You can get a phone with minutes included for $10-$15. They are often on sale at Walmart & Target. The least expensive minute card you can buy is $20.

I would suggest activating the phones with a Florida number.....that way all calls are local.


At home I'm also a Telus prepaid user and I recently did all the research on changing over to a plan only because we are in the US a lot. In the end I did the math on a 3 yr plan VS what I currently pay X 3 yrs. Staying with the prepaid is signifcantly less money. So the best thing for me is to stick with my Telus phone and then also keep my Tracfone.

[DaniB]

We have a US pre paid and it's super cheap. We hava a Tracfone. You can get a phone with minutes included for $10-$15. They are often on sale at Walmart & Target. The least expensive minute card you can buy is $20.

I would suggest activating the phones with a Florida number.....that way all calls are local.


At home I'm also a Telus prepaid user and I recently did all the research on changing over to a plan only because we are in the US a lot. In the end I did the math on a 3 yr plan VS what I currently pay X 3 yrs. Staying with the prepaid is signifcantly less money. So the best thing for me is to stick with my Telus phone and then also keep my Tracfone.

If we were to walk into a Wal-Mart in Buffalo then, could we walk out that same night with a couple of fully activated, ready-to-use in WDW Tracfones?

Will they activate with a Florida number if requested or do they have to activate with Buffalo since that is where they will be purchased?

[almacdonald]

Definitely a pre-paid phone from the USA!!! We bought a phone from 7-11 for $9.99 and a $10 air time card, waaaaaaayyyyy cheaper than paying for roaming and long distance. You'll have to activate the phones yourself though and that will take about 10-15 minutes, just use the zip code of the area you are staying in and get a "local" number.

[dancin Disney style]

If we were to walk into a Wal-Mart in Buffalo then, could we walk out that same night with a couple of fully activated, ready-to-use in WDW Tracfones?

Will they activate with a Florida number if requested or do they have to activate with Buffalo since that is where they will be purchased?

No...just like here the phones are packaged. You have to buy the phones and then take them home or where ever to activate. I got mine and brought it home then did the activation online. The only thing is that the phone can't update the on screen info until you are back in the US.

To get a FL number you either request it or you need a zipcode for the area you want. Sorry, it's been a while since I did it so I don't remember exactly. I do know that you can have a number for any state that you want.

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Since I am with Bell I always purchase the Call America plan that gives me 100 roaming free minutes for $20.00 and I also purchase an American texting plan that gives me 100 text messages which are romaing free, so I am not charged 60 cents for them.

[eryn the pooh]

Sounds easy, and cheap, enough to just buy one when I get there. Thanks so much for the responses! I told DD we would be buying new phones when we got there and right away she said, I want an iphone:lmao: I said I didnt think they would be $10 at Walmart!

[Tatalee]

I never worried about this last year since there was never an issue of my party splitting up. However, this year, my best friend and her son will be joining us - and I am worried about losing her somewhere in the parks.

While we both have cell phones, they are with different providers with vastly different rates - so neither of us want to purchase a US roaming package if we can help it.

My question is this - I have no option of picking up a pre-paid phone in the US before we go, and when we get there, we're relying solely on Disney transportation. Does anyone know of anywhere in Canada (namely Halifax, NS) that I can purchase a pre-paid phone before the trip and activate it that way?

[papertraveller]

What a great idea!
Might they sell these phones at the MCO airport?
Not to hijack the thread, but can you reload with additional time whenever you want?
And do you need to have access to a computer to activate them? (i.e., if I'm at a hotel and don't have my laptop...)

[YukiPhnx]

I'll be bringing my own CDN phone and texting. I have a Virgin mobile contract and to send a text plus roaming will be 40 cents/text.

Instead of going through the trouble of getting a phone when you're down there, you should consider texting. You can put a limit on the number of texts she sends you. Recieving one should still be free for her.

[OntFamily]

I also have a tracfone (we've used it for several WDW trips) - actually 2 tracfones, so we can keep in contact while in the parks.

Yes, you can buy the phones @ Wal-Mart or Target, and activate them quickly. You can either activate them online (many places have free wifi, such as Panera Bread, to faciliate online use), or there is a toll free number to call for activation (validate from any paypone).

To refill the minutes you can either:
1) buy minutes online @ tracfone.com (I couldn't get this to work with my Canadian credit card).
2) most retailers (such as Wal-Mart, Target, CVS, Hess etc) sell tracfone minute cards
3) buy minutes online at @prepaidwireless.com (this is what I do -- it's slightly less expensive then buying from Wal-Mart -- the "minute" codes are emailed to you (makes it easy to add minutes).

[eryn the pooh]

I had so many problems with texting last time we went, only 1 in maybe 20 actually went through. I had to use calling, ended up with over $800 in one week!! But they refunded it ALL because I complained about the texting not working numerous times on the trip.
I dont want to rely on my phone company again.
I think $20 for 2 phones and maybe $20 for minutes is worth it to have a reliable phone while there.

[minnie56]

I'm with Bell...all 4 of us are and have tried the Florida calling (or whatever it is called) and the USA plan. Have also bought pay as you go phones at Walmart. They end up being MUCH cheaper and work fine!!! I even used the same phone in Arizona last yr, just had to call ahead and have a SIM card sent to me.
Somewhere--somehow--Bell always find something to stick in there that isn't covered and you have to take their plans for 2 months anyways soooo...buy a phone. Better deal.

[capitalmom]

We bought two AT&T GO phones at Walmart for about $20 each (including a $15 airtime credit). We activated them online and were able to choose Florida as our "home" number - 407 for Orlando! But we use them any time we go across the border (we often go shopping in NY state) as calls between the two phones are unlimited once the daily rate of $1 is deducted (note the $1 per phone daily charge is only deducted on the days you actually use the phone).

[disneymath]

I'm with a Bell subsidiary and so can get teh Call Florida or Call USA plans - I've gone with the CF plan the last few trips. For $40 I get a total of 100 minutes to use on roam free calls in Florida and/or back to my local area code in Canada. This works for us since we actually spend more time checking in with elderly relatives back home than we do checking in with the people we are travelling with.

The pre-paid Trac-phones sound like a good deal, but how are they if you need to call back to Canada?

[noelk]

As my DW mentioned above, we use a set of two AT&T prepaid "go phones" whenever we go the the USA! The charge for calling to Canada on them is 30 cents per minute, plus 10 cents per minute airtime.

We actually keep our phones active most of the time. A $5 prepaid card is good for 30 days, and is usually all we need for short 2-3 day trips, since most calls we make are between the two cell phones, and are "free" after the $1 per day charge. After the airtime expires, if you want to keep the phone you must add more airtime within 60 days...otherwise, the phone is "deactivated" and you'll lose your phone number and will need a new SIM card to use it again (not sure if there's a charge for a new SIM card, but it's certainly a hassle). We usually just add $5 to each phone every three months...makes for an annual cost of $20 per phone...

Another alternative...before we had these phones...our cell phone here in Canada is the prepaid service with PC Mobile (you know, Presidents Choice, available at Loblaws...). PC Mobile has an option to allow US roaming...to use it, you must sign up for automatic refills of your phone using a credit card...the catch is, their roaming is charge is C$1.80 PER MINUTE! and, they charge an extra C$0.99 PER minute for calling back to Canada! One short five minute call home would cost $13.95! Or, if you had two of these PC phones, and made 10 one-minute calls between them, the total cost would be $55.80! Picking up prepaid phones in the US is definately more cost-effective for most people!

[dancin Disney style]

The pre-paid Trac-phones sound like a good deal, but how are they if you need to call back to Canada?

They have a 1-800 # that you call before you dial the number you want to call. That # allows you to make long distance calls for only the number of minutes that you are talking. There are no roaming or long distance charges.

Also, you can go online and register your phone to receive long distance calls. After you register they give you a local number that the folks at home or where ever can call and then you receive the call again with no long distance charges.

[roberthodgson]

We use ATT&T Pay as you go its $1.00 per day when you use the phone
and unlimited calls between the ATT&T Phones
and 10 cents per minute localy


its the best deal we have found

Have Fun

Rob

[Think I'm Tink]

I'd highly recommend having an American prepaid phone. To the poster in Halifax looking to buy a US phone in Canada, I'd check the websites and see if you can order a phone online to be delivered to Halifax and then activate it once you are in the US. It's a good idea to check the websites anyway to find the one that will work best for you.

I have a TracFone that gets turned on after we cross the border, and my Telus phone gets turned off until we return. Something I love about my TracFone is that the minutes don't expire in an unreasonable amount of time which is much different than my experience with Canadian pre-paid phones. That was why I hesitated to get a TracFone until I found out that little tidbit. My phone cost around $20, and it came with double minutes for life. So if I buy 100 minutes, I automatically get 200 minutes and I have to double check this, but I believe double the length of time before they expire. It's a pretty sweet deal. I got it on a military base in FL when my friend took me to the BX, so I'm not sure if that double minutes for life thing is normal or a military perk, but they do sell cards with double minutes at Walmart and online.

Like mentioned above, calling back to Canada is done by dialing a 1-800 number first. It costs me 1 minute for 3 texts (incoming or outgoing). Other than using minutes, long distance and local calls are free and there are no roaming fees or long distance charges so I have used it a LOT. The money it's saved me in roaming/long distance charges from Telus is crazy! The roaming charge in the US on Telus is $1.45/minute now plus long distance charges (I have to check my DD's bill but I think it's around 90¢/minute).:eek: My DD now owns a TracFone too. :laughing:

You are not allowed to use the TracFone in Canada because that's a violation of the Terms and Services so I usually make sure I'm about 25 miles inside the US to make sure I don't bounce off a Canadian tower. I have a sweet deal and I don't want to mess it up!

[Sue M]

Sounds easy, and cheap, enough to just buy one when I get there. Thanks so much for the responses! I told DD we would be buying new phones when we got there and right away she said, I want an iphone:lmao: I said I didnt think they would be $10 at Walmart!

:rotfl: I'm on Telus, contract. I just add the US add-on calling plan for however long I'm down there. they give several options. It's pro -rated. When I get back I let them know I'm back and cancel the add-on. So I don't pay for roaming, have my same cell # etc. Because I have a text plan at home, I don't have to pay for US text, the roaming for that seems to be incl. in the US phone plan.

[DISDANCEMOM]

My question is this - I have no option of picking up a pre-paid phone in the US before we go, and when we get there, we're relying solely on Disney transportation. Does anyone know of anywhere in Canada (namely Halifax, NS) that I can purchase a pre-paid phone before the trip and activate it that way?

We bought our phones on line from Virgin USA in 2008 and had them shipped to the hotel. Because they will not let you use a Canadian credit card you have to pay for it using paypal and add the hotel address as an alternate shipping address on paypal. It was super easy. The phones were waiting for us when we got to the hotel and we just called Virgin from the room to activate. Each phone was 9.99 and came with $10 in calling minutes. Calls are $0.10 per minute anywhere in the US and $0.15 to Canada. Virgin to Virgin calls are free...we didn't get texting as we are not texters. We have kept these phones and use them any time we are in the US. My dh took one to Vegas last year and he called home ever day and called his buddies quite a few times too. His total usage on the phone was less than $20 and his buddies ended up with $200-$300 cell phone bills when they got home!!!!

[CrazyDisneyMommy1]

We bought two Virgin Mobile phones two years ago when in Florida. We paid $15 for each phone and then $20.00 minute packages. When we first used them only in the parks it was $0.10 a minute if calling only in the US, but we use them every time we go across the border and sometimes call home with them to. So it then changes to $0.20 a minute because we are calling the US & Canada. We love having them. We did the walkie talkie thing, but the channels are way to busy and they are bulky to carry around. We just bought ours at a Walmart and activated them online.

[GrtWtNorth]

US pay-as-you go phones work great with some exceptions:
* Net 10 phones have "no international calls / text" by default. Changing this requires the calling Net10 to activate international calling, and waiting with the phone active for up to 24 hours. I tried to change my setting while flying (phone off) and it failed. It was another 48 hours before I could call Canada. I paid $30 in hotel phone charges before I could us my cell to call Canada for $0.15/minute.
* some US pay-as-you-go phone providers cannot process Canadian credit cards to top up a phone with a US number. You should buy top-up cards seperately, just in case.

[tamarabannon]

Do you know, does DW sell additional minute cards?

[GrtWtNorth]

Do you know, does DW sell additional minute cards?
Maybe. It appears that Disney stores do not sell them. However, you might find them at the military-run store at Shades of Green, the Hess gas station in Downtown Disney, or non-Disney hotels in the Downtown Disney area. I'm trying to pin down a more definitive answer on other threads and through Bob Sehlinger.

[Cdn Friends of Pooh]

:rotfl: I'm on Telus, contract. I just add the US add-on calling plan for however long I'm down there. they give several options. It's pro -rated. When I get back I let them know I'm back and cancel the add-on. So I don't pay for roaming, have my same cell # etc. Because I have a text plan at home, I don't have to pay for US text, the roaming for that seems to be incl. in the US phone plan.
We're with Telus too and change over to the "Talk North America" plan for our trips and then when we get back home, call and change back to our home plan (time used is pro-rated as well). We too have a text plan at home, so don't have to pay for texting in the US. :thumbsup2