Cell phone use at WDW

[encinc]

Thanks for the info! We fly out next Saturday, so I hope they have them then.

[seashoreCM]

If there are courtesy phones with free local calls where you will be, then you could buy an ordinary calling card with no per-call surcharge from a place such as Rite Aid or Walgreens or even Walmart.

This strategy does not work with Charge A Call phones or pay phones because there is always surcharge equivalent to something like 20 minutes for each call.

Watch the expiration date, or (in your case) find a card with reasonable per minute rates for intra-U.S. and intra-Canada and U.S.-Canada calls which you can finish up after you get back home.

Disney hints: http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

[JenH1969]

I guess I just buy a package from my provider (Bell) but it is $40 for 100 minutes (if I remember correctly)- seems a bit crazy-

What have you done?

TIA, Jen

[Ham Ham]

Less than $0.40 a minute not bad. If I'm not mistaken it also includes any long distance in North America.

I bought US minutes through Rogers last month $40 for 60 minutrs.

Here's my first portable bag cell phone supplied by my employer back in '88.

[jtdl]

Originally Posted by Ham Ham

Less than $0.40 a minute not bad. If I'm not mistaken it also includes any long distance in North America.

I bought US minutes through Rogers last month $40 for 60 minutrs.

Here's my first portable bag cell phone supplied by my employer back in '88.

I have a Solo phone and I buy the prepaid cards. Does anyone know if you can buy US minutes for them? I called to enquire why the phone doesn't work as soon as I cross over into Michigan and they told me I would have to register a credit card on my account to enable the roam function and then I would be billed $2.99/minute!!!!! So I would definitely love to be able to pay $40 for 60 or 100 minutes.

[DisFan2]

I bought a Tracfone for $14.99 once we got to the US. Bought prepaid cards and used it as needed. After the first week, I set up automatic payments via my Paypal account. The phone doesn't work here in Canada, but it was still a lot cheaper than using my Canadian phone in the US.

I mapped out a Walgreens store before we left (we bought it just outside Binghamton, NY), but it turns out I didn't really need to worry; you can't throw a rock without hitting a "pay as you go" cell phone in the US!

[Kurby]

i was wondering the same thing - when we went down in May last year Cassandra was only 7 months old and my mother made me call back every night while travelling

some nights i called collect from the hotel and other times i used my cell phone - a month later mom got a bill for over 200 bucks and my cell bill wasn't far off.

the hotel collect calls were charged at over 3 bucks a minute - good lord - i complained to one hotel and said that with all these 1010 numbers who can give you 1-5 cents a minute their $3+ was robbery. not to mention they didn't tell me and there was no written notice on how much we would be charged.

i was wondering about buying a pay as you go in buffalo the next time we cross the boarder but would love to know what the rates back to Canada would be if i did.

what are the cell companies down there - maybe i'll look up the rates.

[Kurby]

i just looked up a few places and found this from T-Moble

Call Canada for just $0.09 per minute.
T-Mobile is your Canadian connection. For just $4.99 per month, you can make unlimited calls to Canada for only $0.09 per minute. That's a savings of $0.11 per minute over our standard rates!



but i can't see if that means that you have to sign up for a year contract - i'm still looking

[drag n' fly]

Originally Posted by JenH1969

I guess I just buy a package from my provider (Bell) but it is $40 for 100 minutes (if I remember correctly)- seems a bit crazy-

What have you done?

TIA, Jen

That's what we do (Bell) but remember that includes roaming charges so that is actually a good deal. You can easily rack up 40 bucks pretty quick otherwise.

[JenH1969]

I just checked Bell online again- the info I saw before (couple of months ago at most) is gone- there was a plan for all the states or Florida only for snowbirds.

I have a calling card to call anywhere in North America- my problem won't be calling home

I wanted to be able to call others in my family and my friends who are going with us while at Disney- right in the parks while were are separated- to meet up kind of thing-

So you can buy a pay as you go for $15 - that includes the phone? We would have to buy two per family probably but not bad- how many minutes do you get? Are there trusted sites to view?

Thanks, Jen

[jtdl]

Originally Posted by JenH1969

I just checked Bell online again- the info I saw before (couple of months ago at most) is gone- there was a plan for all the states or Florida only for snowbirds.

I have a calling card to call anywhere in North America- my problem won't be calling home

I wanted to be able to call others in my family and my friends who are going with us while at Disney- right in the parks while were are separated- to meet up kind of thing-

So you can buy a pay as you go for $15 - that includes the phone? We would have to buy two per family probably but not bad- how many minutes do you get? Are there trusted sites to view?

Thanks, Jen

My husband's cell is with Bell Mobility and I took his phone the last time I went to Michigan and he had my Solo. We texted back and forth (my Solo has free texting anywhere so it didn't cost anything for him to text from Canada to his phone while it was in Michigan, but my Solo phone will not work at all in Michigan) and it ended up costing the same per text message from Michigan to Canada as always (10 cents each). We just got his bill last week. So if you are with Bell Mobility you can probably still text each other while there for no extra cost.

[debbiet1]

Because we arent driving this time we are going to pick up a phone card in florida 10.00 for 1000 minutes. Give the ones that need our phone number incase of emergencies the phone number of the hotel. Otherwise just use the calling card to call and say merry christmas.

[Ham Ham]

Originally Posted by debbiet1

Because we arent driving this time we are going to pick up a phone card in florida 10.00 for 1000 minutes. Give the ones that need our phone number incase of emergencies the phone number of the hotel. Otherwise just use the calling card to call and say merry christmas.

$0.01 a minute? That's pretty good. Who makes that calling card?


"Pennsylvania 6 5000 please"

[CanadianGuy]

I just signed up for the Rogers US Roaming Add-On for the month of December. This includes roaming, per minute and long distance charges (even to Canada!).

I got 240 minutes for 75$. Roughly 0.31c a minute. I can live with that and know I have WAY more than enough minutes no matter what!

Knox

[Mickey&JoshNut]

Originally Posted by jtdl

I have a Solo phone and I buy the prepaid cards. Does anyone know if you can buy US minutes for them? I called to enquire why the phone doesn't work as soon as I cross over into Michigan and they told me I would have to register a credit card on my account to enable the roam function and then I would be billed $2.99/minute!!!!! So I would definitely love to be able to pay $40 for 60 or 100 minutes.

I would call Bell again and inquire.....I have a Solo phone and use prepaid cards....I have the roaming feature on my phone and didn't have to register a credit card.....I know I can't be billed $2.99 a minute because I check my balance after each call and it doesn't seem to go down very quickly...now I don't use my phone all the time...only when it is necessary.