Cell phone use at WDW

[M_T]

Watch your cell phones by the pool
I had my iphone stolen from the beach pool at the GF.

 

[Hockeychic]

Anyone know what the charges are if you use your bell phone in the states but for text messages only

Thank you

 

[H-Rad]

So say I have an iPhone with a 6gb plan through fido, does anyone know if it's just the roaming charges I would pay for data or is there an extra charge? And what is the roaming fee?

 

[cslittle999]

So say I have an iPhone with a 6gb plan through fido, does anyone know if it's just the roaming charges I would pay for data or is there an extra charge? And what is the roaming fee?

That data is only usable on the Fido network. Roaming data can bankrupt you. If you have the US Data Roaming add-on ($10 per month) US data costs $1 per MB. You can also buy U.S. Data Travel Packs. Travel packs are valid for one month. There are three different plans. You can look them up on Fido's site.

 

[H-Rad]

That data is only usable on the Fido network. Roaming data can bankrupt you. If you have the US Data Roaming add-on ($10 per month) US data costs $1 per MB. You can also buy U.S. Data Travel Packs. Travel packs are valid for one month. There are three different plans. You can look them up on Fido's site.

Thanks a lot, I was just going to use my data there, didn't realize it was only for the fido network.

 

[H-Rad]

Called fido, the plans are $25 for 10MB, $50 for 25MB, and there is a 3rd, I think it was $100. I went with the $50 so I can use my gps while there. Thanks for the help. Just thought I'd pass the info on.

 

[mbb]

We're Bell customers.

Both DH and I have phones, and just added the North America package.

It was $70, no roaming, 75 minutes (I think).
That was for the month of March 2009.

He's on the phone right now, setting it up for our trip to the World for Halloween.

I'll post the particulars.

 

[mbb]

$80 for both phones..
100 minutes

Price went up a little, but so did minutes.
Easy - works for me

 

[petbren]

$80 for both phones..
100 minutes

Price went up a little, but so did minutes.
Easy - works for me

So that is $80 total for both phones?
Does that include text and/or browser use?

DH and I both have blackberrys we are hoping to set up with Bell for our trip too.

 

[Camilo]

I just came back from Disney this week.
Before I went, I stopped by a Fido store. They wanted 40.00 to allow me to talk for 70 minutes while there (too little for me).
I decided not to take my cell phone with me and bought an LG one one from Net10 at a Walmart SuperCenter in Buffalo.
Phone costed me 15.00 (there were more expensive models) and it came with 100 minutes to USA or 67 minutes internationally (which would allow me to call Canada and Brazil forthe same rate - .15 per minute).
I brought another card for 20.00 for extra 200 minutes and had a total of 300 USA minutes or 200 international minutes for U$ 37.00 total price taxes in.
I came back with 40 minutes left and the phone is mine to keep for whenever I decide to fly there again (although they will give me a new number then, I don't care about keeping the number).
The sales guy at Walmart activated for me, it was totally worth it.

Camilo

 

[wdwexpert]

We have an unlocked World phone and intended to buy a US SIM card for our stay and it was a nightmare.

Due to the cheapness of cell phones in the US, almost none of the US cell phone carriers sell SIM cards. We went to four cell phone suppliers in Syracuse on our way down and after an hour and a half of frustration, went to Best Buy and bought a disposable cell phone for $30.00 (including 300 minutes!).

While it is a difficult task to activate it (you have to use another line to activate it...hotel phone...) once it was working it worked well for us to communicate with the other family we were travelling with who already had a US cell phone.

We used NETZero the first time and our international calling never did work. You have to have the company enable international calling and something happened so we could never phone home. But, home could call us, and, you can get a free Canadian phone number with your US cell phone, so your Canadian family can call a Canadian phone number when they are calling you on your US phone so there are no long distance charges.

Most recently we bought two Tracphones (brand name) which worked out just fine.

We have a Rogers phone as well, and despite paying additional money for US minutes you still pay roaming charges which WILL add up. we just turn ours off.

We are considering a phone plan on the two tracphones since I shop in Watertown and Syracuse regularly and we travel to Disney at least twice a year. We can get a family plan for the two phones for $14.99 per month total, no contract. Phones are SO MUCH CHEAPER in the US...

You can buy these dispoable phones at US Best Buy, Walmart, Sam's Clubs, Target, etc. Cheap and cheerful but difficult to activate, you must make the time to do it properly so that all of your calling features are activated.

Sorry to be so long winded...cell phones trials in Disney has been a long process for us!

 

[kevinedenmarg]

Hi friends,
I bought this phone last Christmas challenge. In fact, I bought two. One for me and my then 15 years old step daughter, and I have a little less expensive to buy with my credit card at the time.

 

[romburgundy]

we picked up a $30 phone as well from an FYE store (like HMV) it came with a prepaid 300 min cardand we used it for an entire week calling and texting home. lent it to a friend who went to Florida and it came back with minutes to spare.

 

[Susan R]

I've scanned as much of this post as I can so if it's already been asked I'm sorry!

Is there a place on Disney property that I can buy on the the "Cheap" phones that people are buying from Wal-Mart? I don't have access to a car while I'm down there.

Thanks for any info,
Susan

 

[pampam]

I can't really answer your question, although I doubt very seriously that cheap phones are available on site. However, if you don't have a car, just take the bus to MK, take the ferry or monorail to TTC and catch the #56 Lynx bus. It goes down hwy#192 past Walgreens, Publix, etc to a Walmart. It's about a 40 minute bus ride.

 

[Susan R]

Thanks pampam! That's a good option but I don't know if I want to spend a couple of hours out of my Disney time to go to Wal-Mart. I thought there might be a store in DTD or maybe MCO that might have some for sale. I'll probably just shell out the $40/100 minutes on my Bell Blackberry...after all it will be a lot cheaper than calling home collect and getting the $200 phone bill that I had a few years ago!

SusanR

 

[pampam]

Here's another idea. Go to No Frills, Value Mart etc., and pick up a Presidents Choice long distance card. It's 4 cents a minute long distance. You can call home from a pay phone or your own room. We use it all the time. A $10 phone card lasts us for a 3 week vacation calling home once or twice a day.

 

[glendalais]

Thanks pampam! That's a good option but I don't know if I want to spend a couple of hours out of my Disney time to go to Wal-Mart. I thought there might be a store in DTD or maybe MCO that might have some for sale. I'll probably just shell out the $40/100 minutes on my Bell Blackberry...after all it will be a lot cheaper than calling home collect and getting the $200 phone bill that I had a few years ago!

SusanR

I believe there's a store that sells prepaid phones at the airport. Near the Food Court, I want to say.

There's certainly nothing on Disney property, except for perhaps at the Hess Express gas stations.

 

[stefanospops]

As a DVC member I have free Internet as a perk when I am in the room. So I bought a Magic Jack for $40 and it gives my unlimited calling to anywhere in North America. All I need is a computer to connect it to which I bring anyways since I have the free Internet. Just plug the hotel phone into the Magic Jack and I get to keep the same number. I turn my cell phone off and return any calls when back in the room. Works like a charm.

 

[Kurby]

that's a good idea about the magic jack.


we have skype and for 2 bucks a month we get unlimited North American calls. if we paid more we could get a number associated to our account but we don't need to.

we use skype to make clear phone calls whenever we are away in NA.

I don't know if it will work when we're in London next year but we'll try it and see