If you take your laptop with you,

[acjsmom]

do you leave it in the room or in your vehicle? And why? Or do you just leave it at home?

I am debating taking my laptop with me. I have taken it to different place on vacation before, and always leave it in the vehicle out of sight. Now, I am not so sure since we will be away from the vehicle for several hours.

The main reason I want it is to be able to download my pics and video each day in case I run out of space on the memory card/camcorder.

Should I just leave it at home? What would you do?

 

[Colinsmom]

Why not just purchase a couple of extra memory cards to take with you? Or even stop by the Kodak shops in WDW and have your memory card downloaded to a CD? If you take your laptop, I'd buy a cable lock (as much money as the other alternatives I listed) and lock it in the room (of a hotel, I presume), although it is even better to leave it in the safe in your room or in the safe at the front desk.

But it seems like an expensive gamble just to back up your photos when there are other cheap photo back-up options readily available.

 

[acjsmom]

I like the option of loading to the CDs. Do you know how much it costs?

 

[safetymom]

I would not leave a laptop in the trunk of a hot car. I would invest in a laptop cable. One end goes in a special slot on the laptop the other end has a loop that you wrap the cable through and then around a support on a table or bed frame. That way no one could walk off with the laptop. They cost about $20.00

 

[JerseyJ]

I would not leave a laptop in the trunk of a hot car. I would invest in a laptop cable. One end goes in a special slot on the laptop the other end has a loop that you wrap the cable through and then around a support on a table or bed frame. That way no one could walk off with the laptop. They cost about $20.00

Safetymom,

Once again you have helped find solutions to peoples problems. Just hoped on as I are doing a 5 day trip to Universal (with a quick visit to Cape May
Buffet @ Disney to meet family)

Saw your post & just wanted to thank you are all your help when we went to Disney 2 years ago & stayed @ the CBR. You helped make our trip a total success. Thanks for what you do.

Loved the pix of your little one. We have a new granddaughter 20 mos old now.
JerseyJ

 

[earthelves]

On Both Visits I Have Had My Laptop With Me And Both Times I Have Left It In The Room In The Closet,,Both Times I Have Stayed Offsite

 

[earthelves]

On Both Visits I Have Had My Laptop With Me And Both Times I Have Left It In The Room In The Closet,,Both Times I Have Stayed Offsite

 

[safetymom]

JerseyJ, thank you.

Earthelves, you are very trusting. It only takes seconds for someone to take a laptop that isn't secured. Most insurance companies will ask what you did to secure it if it is stolen.

 

[wayneg]

Same here, take 2 laptops away with us upto 10 weeks of vacations a year, put them in drawers, in a cupboard, or just down side of bed. Too trusting I guess.

 

[Captain Nick]

I went last month and was nervous about taking my laptop with me too. I just took extra memory cards but there were plenty of photo shops around where you can transfer all your pictures to a CD for a couple of bucks if you want to go that route.

 

[cassmat]

Me too. I just leave it in the room...took a picture of it...

 

[CarolA]

On Both Visits I Have Had My Laptop With Me And Both Times I Have Left It In The Room In The Closet,,Both Times I Have Stayed Offsite

And both times you were lucky...

There were posts on the DIS just a few months ago about a lap top walking off I think at SSR.


And I have no idea what good "taking a picture" of it does. The hotel will still not be liable when it walks off!!!!!

There is NO Pixie Dust in Orlando or at Disney that protects your "laptop"


LOCK IT UP!

 

[Mainebound]

My laptop is like an appendage -- I am never more than a few feet from it, unless I'm swimming or park touring.

But even I wouldn't leave it in a car in Florida (or in Maine in the winter for that matter!).

I leave it in the hotel room when I travel. you don't need to leave it in plain sight. There are ways to make it more secure, as others have suggested.

 

[Northstar]

Depends on whether it's a cheap laptop designated for storing pics and fooling around on vacation... or a laptop used for serious work.

We've got an old laptop, almost a palm-sized, that has been semi-retired and is now pretty expendable. It gets stashed in the room safe if we remember. It often gets left in a drawer or under a bed.

When DH brings his current laptop because he has to work, he actually carries it in a backpack and refuses to go on any rides where he might get wet! Reminds me of those diplomatic dispatch bags they used to handcuff to the wrists of couriers and bigwigs.

 

[wayneg]

Depends on whether it's a cheap laptop designated for storing pics and fooling around on vacation... or a laptop used for serious work.

I think thats the main point. How important is the laptop to you?
If its very important to you then more care needs to be taken, if like the 2 we take they are used for photos, internet browsing, messaging and playing VMK. then you don't tend go for security. Ours are only cheap ones, probably replace for about $700 each and get better spec.

 

[safetymom]

I think spending $20 to secure a laptop multiple times is cheap insurance. I wouldn't want to lose a $700 laptop.

 

[wayneg]

Its like all security, don't think it will happen to you so don't protect it.
If anything happens to these and replace them with better models, maybe think more about security.
If ours goes missing its 2 days wage and no hassle to replace, for someone else it might be a lot of stress and worry, all depends how much you value your laptop.

 

[dioxide45]

Its like all security, don't think it will happen to you so don't protect it.
If anything happens to these and replace them with better models, maybe think more about security.
If ours goes missing its 2 days wage and no hassle to replace, for someone else it might be a lot of stress and worry, all depends how much you value your laptop.

Don't forget about personal/financial information you may have on that laptop. The cost in the end could be more than just a $700 loss.

 

[mrstrombley]

I also feel completely naked without my laptop with me. So, we took my laptop when we went in May to download the pictures from our camera among other things. I have a Dell Inspiron 600m (not a brand new computer, and I know some newer computers are bigger) and it fit perfectly in the room safe at Pop. We just took the key with us in our park bag. We also locked it to the table when we left it on the table to go eat in the food court or something short.

 

[wayneg]

Don't forget about personal/financial information you may have on that laptop. The cost in the end could be more than just a $700 loss.

Yes thats what I am saying, there is nothing on the laptops of any value, they are just used for Vacations we have our main computers at home. If any value then protect them. Dont use these locks http://unoriginal.co.uk/footage39_4.html