cell phone question

[dawnrose]

Just wondering how the cell phone reception is around WDW..... We have cingular and need to use our phones to find each other (even at home-what did we do without them for most our lives?) Anyone had experience/trouble with using their cell phones on their vacation?

 

[liznboys]

I'd like to know this too, but I am interested in Nextel and Virgin Mobile. Anyone use those in WDW??

 

[Mady/Sophiemom]

Used cingular last week, and had no problems with coverage. My phone read cingular extended a few places, but called cust. service, since I have national coverage, to ensure that I would not be charged roaming.

My only problem was hearing my phone. I got a new phone for Christmas, and the ringer is much lower than before, plus is does not vibrate as strong. DH, and I kept missing each other's calls.

 

[wkrider]

My Nextel works great...push t talk and cell.

 

[snowglobe girl]

I also have Cingular and we didn't have a bit of a problem. Mainly used the phone to call back home and not each other, but had strong signal, good reception. I also have nationwide, so no roaming applied.

 

[bytheblood]

I have a Nextel phone and it works great. Only place I had an issue was MCO.

 

[mickeyluv]

What about US Cellular? That is what we have and are planning of using these. I haven't seen any talk about US Cellular and didn't know if anyone had any experience with them.

 

[disvaclub92]

No problems with coverage. It's not like we are outside the country.

 

[Brianne]

We have Tmobile, and have never had a single problem with our cell phones while at WDW, no matter where we've been (except inside the Soarin' building--reception was DOA in there, but it might work in the Land area? I don't know).

 

[Metallicat]

DH and I have the nextels with the two way walkie talkie features. the only place I have ever lost signal in was the hotel rooms at Contemporary or Pop. even then all I had to do was step by the window or outside to get a signal.
I have never had a problem in any of the parks, but then I don't use my cell phone that much while touring. my DH was able to beep me (two way radio) while walking around the MK to let me know a friend had passed away.
I was even able to use the two way feature while under water at the living seas and he said I sounded crystal clear. I was even able to two way him inside the pre-show at the Rocknrollercoaster to let him hear Aerosmith. oh yea, he was in north alabama and I was in Orlando HUNDREDS of miles away.

9 more days and I'll be doing it again!

 

[pooh2001]

We have Verizon. DH was able to call his clients from EPCOT, MGM & MK, He did not do any 'work' at AK. Hey at least we were on vacation - even if DH can't let go of work

Call your cell phone company. See if they have a way to update your cell phone with local towers. Verizon said to press *68 (I think) and the cell phone would automaticallt update its cell phone tower 'locator' - for free.


If you have two phones - and call call each other for free - it's a great way to stay in touch if your group gets split apart.

Good luck and enjoy

The Pooh Crew
:thewave:

 

[kareneast]

We have Cingular. Last week the only places we didn't have signal was in some of the buildings (like The Land at Epcot). Also, in our room at POR we had to be either standing by the window or step outside the door for signal. That must have been a problem for a lot of people because we saw quite a few standing outside their room on the phone.

 

[NotUrsula]

B/c of the hurricane building codes, most hotels in Florida are built with steel studs in the walls; they do interfere with cell reception. You need to go into an area where the walls are further apart to get a good signal.

I find that there is too much ambient noise in the parks to be able to hear a phone very clearly. Text-messaging eliminates that problem, and you don't have to feel bad about ignoring your phone while on a ride if you know that it is only a text message.

 

[justcantwait]

I have Cingular too, and reception was not a problem. Hubby & I both had our phones on to reach each other when we went in different directions (the kids never want to do the same thing at the same time!), and had no trouble receiving calls from each other, or from outside the area. The only problem was, as one other poster mentioned, the ambient noise. Unless you have the phone out of your pocket/fanny pack/wherever, it's hard to hear when it rings. So, turn up the volume as loud as it'll go, and rest easy!

Kathy

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

How about Tracphone users please?

Slightly Goofy

 

[crow11ad]

We have Sprint. Used it every where at Disney. Not one drop call...Strong signal. Don't forget the best part, no roaming... unlike that other "C" company...

 

[NewEnglandDisney]

I just switched to T-Mobile and am excited to try it out. My last trip I was on a regional plan so I felt so guilty calling my friends at home from WDW. They really get a kick out of me calling them at work from funny places in WDW - none of them are Disney-freaks like myself and they really find it amusing.

This time I'm using a national plan and excited to try it out.

I chose T-Mobile because I figured, "Hey, if it's good enough for Paris Hilton, it's good enough for me!"

N.E.D.

 

[Aidensmom]

I just switched to T-Mobile and am excited to try it out. My last trip I was on a regional plan so I felt so guilty calling my friends at home from WDW. They really get a kick out of me calling them at work from funny places in WDW - none of them are Disney-freaks like myself and they really find it amusing.

This time I'm using a national plan and excited to try it out.

I chose T-Mobile because I figured, "Hey, if it's good enough for Paris Hilton, it's good enough for me!"

N.E.D.

T-Mobile has excellent reception at WDW.

I am, however, very disappointed to hear that Cingular has good reception. That is the phone I have for work and was hoping to have a good excuse not to answer when I am on vacation!

 

[Susie51]

Thanks for the info. I have Cingular, but my daughter has Virgin and my niece has Virgin. Will they be able to have reception at WDW?

 

[C.Ann]

My son-in-law switched us over to Nextel (with the walkie-talkie feature) and it's been great! Worked everywhere I tried to use it in Florida (including the airport) and my DD used the walkie-talkie feature to contact me in Florida while they were riding in the truck up here in NY on their way up to my place in the Adirondack Mts.!! (Of course once you actually reach my place at the lake, NO cell phones work.. It's a "dead zone".. )

However, my sister (who is in Florida - up at Lady lake) has Cingular and is constantly losing her signal when she tries to talk on the phone..

We had Verizon when I made my first trip to Florida in February and the service was no where near as good as the Nextel.. Had a hard time getting a signal, hard time hearing people on the other end, etc..

I rarely use the phone, but I thought it was pretty neat how they could get me all the way down in Florida on the walkie-talkie feature and they were as clear as if they were standing right next to me.. I could even hear my granddaughter in the background saying, "Grandma - when are you coming home?"