GPS Advice

[poohfan]

GPS users... I'm thinking of driving to WDW but I hate driving anywhere because I always get lost. I've been considering splurging on a GPS and the drive is giving me a great excuse to buy one. But there are so many out there. I want one with a larger screen, 4.3 or 4.5 inches, but can't decide which one. Would love to hear from someone who has a GPS.

 

[mrmagicmph]

I've got the Garmin Streetpilot 2720 (current model is the 2820) and am EXTREMELY satisfied with it. I do probably 30,000 miles of driving per year, and could NOT be happier with it. I have the ability (via optional accessory) to have it warn me about upcoming traffic problems and route them around it, a large memory for locations that I may wish to return to soon, and it gives turn by turn directions INCLUDING the name of the street upon which I'll be turning (A HUGE advantage).

YMMV, but, enjoy the magic whatever you do!

 

[Jeanne B]

Do you have a cell phone? Many cell phones these days are GPS capable and you just need to pay a monthly fee to access it (I think you can carry it just for a month and then drop it after your trip).

 

[OKW Lover]

I've had the Garmin Nuvi 660 for over a year now and it works well. Garmin has a newer series that starts with a 7 rather than a 6, so you may find the older models at substantially reduced prices. Shop around - I got mine on the internet at buy.com

 

[1000th happy haunt]

We're going to use our GPS for the first time at WDW in May. I downloaded the GPS file from Mousesavers, with POIs for WDW and the surrounding area:
http://www.mousesavers.com/gps.html

If you get a Garmin or Tom Tom GPS you can use the files too.

 

[pumpkinboy]

For Fathers' Day last year my DW got me a Magellan Roadmate at Costco for about $150: a REALLY good deal. Now I must say, it doesn't work as well as the Garmin that we rented with National one time, but it does the job. Plus, I bought the new map update pack ($72 after AAA discount), which is making it smarter than it was.

AAA has discounts on GPS, mainly on Magellan units (the Maestro series, a better model than mine, but pricier) and on updates and enhancements. But the Costco deals are close to unbeatable, almost worth it to join just for that.

What I like about the Magellan is that it speaks the street names when you need to turn, which is a nice feature.

Good luck!

BTW my 8 yr old daughter has a fantasy of installing Stitch's voice on the GPS device, so you get directions like "You missed the turn, stupidhead! Make a legal U-turn where possible". Just imagine...

 

[OKW Lover]

We're going to use our GPS for the first time at WDW in May. I downloaded the GPS file from Mousesavers, with POIs for WDW and the surrounding area

A good source for POI files for just about anything you can think of is:
www.poi-factory.com

 

[mgilmer]

Another vote here for Garmin. I also drive a lot (over 40,000 miles a year) and my Garmin 2730 is wonderful. I have added a lot of POIs that show all Wal-Marts, Super Wal-Marts, various gas stations and other things I am interested in. You can find a POI for a Garmin for just about any interest or purpose.

 

[UConnJack]

My best advice about GPS is always review your route before you start driving. GPS is great, but not infallible, so its good to have a good sense of where your going beforehand.

 

[LoraJ]

Another vote for Garmin. We have the Garmin Nuvi 360 and love it.

If you want a widescreen, I would go for the Garmin Nuvi 660.
The bluetooth option is great for hands free calls.

I tried the GPS on my cell phone, while it worked well, the volume is too low and I can't prop it up anywhere to see the screen.

The Garmin is really easy to program. But as someone said, it isn't flawless. It has turned me the wrong way a ouple of times, but nothing major.

But the good news is, if you are lost, you can search for your destination in the Garmin and if connected by bluetooth, hit the dial button and it will call the place you are going to. (Well, as long as it is a business). Then you can ask them for directions.

 

[LivingtheWDWdream]

We have a Garmin Nuvi i don't know the model it was a Today Special on HSN a few weeks before Xmas 07.

We took it to Ft Myers in March and it was great and easy to navigate with. We are going to Orlando FL in May and will be using it a lot as we are looking for a new home to live in as we are moving in September.

 

[juliana_sd]

I have the TomTom One XL - nice big screen. It's the only one I've ever had so I can't compare it to anything else. (I bought it used from my BIL's mom.) There is a bit of a learning curve, but I'm happy with it! The biggest quirk is that if you turn it on somewhere where it can't "see" a satellite" it takes quite a while for it to pick it up once you're outside, but once it connects or whatever, it very rarely loses the connection. If you wait to turn it on until you're outside it picks up right away. It also doesn't hold a charge very long, but since it's normally plugged in while I'm driving that's not an issue for me.

 

[sgtdisney]

I have a Mio C520. I got it around Christmas time. It has a lot of features for the money, I thought. It has the 4.3 inch screen, text-to-speech (which means it will say the streetnames), 6 million points of interest that are catagorized, it is easy to program. All that plus it has bluetooth functionality so you can hook it up to your phone and make calls through the GPS, and you can listen to music, look at pictures or watch movies on it as well. It has a SD card slot for those features. It is pretty nice, I am very pleased with it.

I found this site http://www.gpslodge.com/ very helpful when I did my research.

 

[I Love Pluto]

We have a Garmin Streetpilot c330. It would not work on WDW property last July.

 

[JonS99]

I bought an awfully nice atlas at Wal-Mart for $4.97 for our upcoming trip to WDW, really couldn't be happier with it..

 

[Gee Wally]

I've had the Garmin Nuvi 660 for over a year now and it works well. Garmin has a newer series that starts with a 7 rather than a 6, so you may find the older models at substantially reduced prices. Shop around - I got mine on the internet at buy.com

I recently purchased the Nuvi 660 on line through Best Buy for $349-.

I love it ! Very accurate.

Simple to use right out of the box. The only suggestion I would make is to get the friction mount for the dashboard as opposed to useing the suction cup. Just easier when it comes to security IMO.

 

[Mike]

I bought an awfully nice atlas at Wal-Mart for $4.97 for our upcoming trip to WDW, really couldn't be happier with it..

And he used a slide rule to figure out how much change he was due at the register

 

[Jeanne B]

I recently purchased the Nuvi 660 on line through Best Buy for $349-

This one can be purchased from beachcamera right now for $319. They're very reputable, often recommended on the photography board here and I've purchased cameras and accessories from them myself several times. Very fast shipping even when you select free shipping (I always have my order within 1-2 business days).

http://www.beachcamera.com/shop/product.aspx?sku=GRNUVI660

 

[peel]

http://www.buydig.com has some great prices on Garmins as well.

 

[Jeanne B]

http://www.buydig.com has some great prices on Garmins as well.

They're the sister site to beachcamera.