Cell phone use at WDW

[PrincessNED]

Okay, so this is the FIFTH thread on cells. We really do need a sticky. Now I'm interested in the US prepaid phones, but no one really answered how to do it exactly when you're down there. Does it matter what phone # you get if you buy 2 & want to call back & forth to each other (we don't need to call Canada). For instance, do we need to ask for an Orlando phone #?

I will buy the phones on the road to Florida & have internet with my laptop the night before we hit Orlando.

(Another sticky we need is "flying out of Buffalo or Detroit"; even though we don't fly!)

When I did it I just put the zip code of the hotel in and they assigned phone numbers for that area- ie I have 2 phones now with orlando ph #'s. I guess if you were driving down you could just as easily buy once you get there, I purchased on the net with delivery to the resort as we were using ME and I did not want to chance not having them and having to run to virgin mega store immediately after arriving.

 

[wee-haggis]

Well its been awhile since I checked as since then I have had monthly plan and wasnt worth using it in the US (so not sure about this new pay as you go thing maybe call them up to make sure)

The TracePhone is great the calling cards I think expire every 6 months IF you dont use it as we bought one in July/Aug and it was to expire in Dec so I think thats better then the Canadian ones LoL and as others said no difference calling locally or long distance I just used up more mintues when we left Florida as I had activated it with a Florida # and we were driving so one we left it was like a tiny bit more per min but not a HUGE difference, we picked it up in Georgia as finally wanted to stop at a Wal*Mart just to take a look and didnt activate it til we got there.

Here is thier web page http://www.tracfone.com/index.jsp I bought and activated my phone in July and it will deactivate Feb 2008 so when I go to the US I will have to reacivate it and I havent bought any prepaid cards since Aug

If anything else just e-mail me myasmum@hotmail.com
Robyn

the calling cards expire 6 months from the time you first use it.

 

[PrincessNED]

I just checked virgin mobile site and they don't have long distance charges for domestic (u.s.) calls - so it looks like the area code is actually irrelevant

 

[CindyCan]

I just checked virgin mobile site and they don't have long distance charges for domestic (u.s.) calls - so it looks like the area code is actually irrelevant

That's good to know. I appreciate all the info because I'm running out of time to do research!! Off to look at the tracphone website now....

 

[biggroofy]

For simplicity sake.. Get 2 x tracfones with Orlando numbers.. that will make it nice and easy.
You can activate them on the internet thru the Tracfone website.. or you can call a special number to activate them..
More information available here..
http://www.tracfone.com/index.jsp

Hello, I'm from Toronto and I am trying to understand how this works. I am traveling with my parents and would need two phones - just to communicate with them (e.g. when we go to park while they go to outlets), no need to call Canada (but good to give this 407 number to colleagues so they can call me in case of emergency). Hopefully the phone works in Orlando + Port Canaveral.

If I am on the right channel and go with Tracefone - do I have to buy phones from them, or just Airtime (SIM Card)?
I have unlocked GSM phones and proved to work when I was in Asia (Hong Kong) - I just took out the Rogers SIM card and inserted a prepaid SIM card from Hong Kong.

Looks that they do not ship to Canada. So our best bet is to have it shipped to WDW resort? Are we able to know the phone numbers before we activate the phone?

 

[CanadianGuy]

You need to buy the phones from Tracfone.. or from a Tracfone dealer (ie: Walmart ... most convenience stores etc..) You can't just take a GSM phone down and put their card in it.

In terms of getting the numbers .. you can't get them prior to activation is my understanding..

 

[MECH8T7]

We were just at WDW last week.

I did the same thing as PrincessNED -- ordered the "free" Oystr phones with the purchase $19.99 of airtime x 2. I placed the order in the day on 12/24, the order shipped via FedEx ground on 12/26 and they arrived at our resort (AKL) by 12/28. When we checked in on 12/30, there was a note on the resort computer that there was a parcel from FedEx waiting from us and the resort put it in our room for us.

I had Virgin ship it to me at the resort but, on the first line of the address space, I put the name of the resort and indicated that I was a guest (i.e., "DAKV - guest arr. 12/30")

The phones worked fine, particularly considering the cost.

 

[digskat]

We had a death in the family while we were at WDW, when we returned our phone bill from Bell Mobility was $150 for me (usually around $25) and Hubbie's was $55 (usually $25 also).TTFN Kat

 

[Allegro]

So I've been checking out our cellulaire options. Tracefone won't work for us since we are flying not driving. So we've been looking at Virgin mobile. I noticed a lot of people taking advantage of the free Oyster phone offer. Great as it is you can go cheaper (the web site is a little deceiving because it brings up the Oyster phone offer right off the bat). They have a K10 phone for free when you purchase $9.99 in air-time. At $.10/minute that's 100 minutes. DH pointed out to me that if we're just using the phone to keep in contact with each other in the parks for a week 100 minutes each is MORE than plenty. And as the phone will be useless to me on return to Canada - cheap is good!

Anyway, just wanted to share. This thread has been VERY helpful to me. Thanks all.

 

[CanadianGuy]

So I've been checking out our cellulaire options. Tracefone won't work for us since we are flying not driving. So we've been looking at Virgin mobile. I noticed a lot of people taking advantage of the free Oyster phone offer. Great as it is you can go cheaper (the web site is a little deceiving because it brings up the Oyster phone offer right off the bat). They have a K10 phone for free when you purchase $9.99 in air-time. At $.10/minute that's 100 minutes. DH pointed out to me that if we're just using the phone to keep in contact with each other in the parks for a week 100 minutes each is MORE than plenty. And as the phone will be useless to me on return to Canada - cheap is good!

Anyway, just wanted to share. This thread has been VERY helpful to me. Thanks all.

If it's at all helpful, you can order the tracfones (or any of these) from their respective website and have them shipped to your resort just prior to your check-in.

 

[CdnDisneyBride08]

I just added the 100 US minutes to our Bell cell phone for our upcoming
trip. It is $40.00 which includes your long distance and roaming. Much
cheaper than not adding the plan at all. The customer service person that
I spoke with said that you can also text while you're there which is a lot
cheaper than talking, she said that the regular texting fees apply.
We have used our cell phone in the states in the past without adding the
US plan and the roaming fees are absolutely ridiculous!
You can add it for 1 month and they will automatically remove it from your
plan the following month so you won't have to worry about forgetting to call
and being charged for it when your trip is over.

If anyone does add the Connect USA (minimum 1-month term) or the Connect Florida (minumum 2-month term) I would still call customer service when you return to have this feature removed. I deal with Bell customer service on a daily basis and what one representative tells you may vary drastically from what another representative tells you. I would hate for someone to be told that they won't have to call in, that the feature will be removed automatically, and then turn around and have it charged again on their next bill.

 

[Oscar T. Grouch]

we have rogers and this is what we do.

we just add on a US travel plan for the month we are gone, and it is like 90 minutes or something for not much money. Call and ask them about plans for travel.

 

[JenH1969]

Both of the virgin ones talked about need to be activated in early Feb and we aren't going till late April- I hope a newer similare option will come out-
Jen

 

[Kurby]

"I noticed a lot of people taking advantage of the free Oyster phone offer. Great as it is you can go cheaper (the web site is a little deceiving because it brings up the Oyster phone offer right off the bat). They have a K10 phone for free when you purchase $9.99 in air-time. At $.10/minute that's 100 minutes. DH pointed out to me that if we're just using the phone to keep in contact with each other in the parks for a week 100 minutes each is MORE than plenty. And as the phone will be useless to me on return to Canada - cheap is good!"


but don't forget that you have to buy the plan for $20 and currently the international rate for canada is .15 not .10

here's the link http://www.virginmobileusa.com/rates/internationalCalling.do

the phone is also free with the plan but how long is the plan for? do you have to have a year contract to get the free phone?

i was looking a few months ago and all of the carriers said that the long distance minutes cost more if it is a pay as you go and that you could get cheap minutes but you have to sign up for at least 12 months - which if you're canadian doesn't make sense unless you are going once a month for at least 2 weeks and using up your 100 minutes a month.

i think we'll just make it easy on us and the next we go across the Falls we'll pop into Sams and buy a calling card that doesn't expire and while we're driving we'll use the $40 added minutes from Bell and use the calling card once at the parks at a pay phone.

 

[Kurby]

just a little fyi - i called Virgin and asked. what she told me is that you don't have to have a contract with them but you do have to buy their phone and "top up" a minimum of $20 every 90 days or loose your phone number.

then you're billed every minute at .18 per minute plus what ever the l.d. charge is so calling back to canada would be 18 cents plus 15 cents for a total of 33 cents per minute.

if you let the "top up" laps then thats fine and when you go back the next time you add the top up and get another number and your off and running again.

33 cents for virgin or 40 cents with my bell - not much difference and i don't have to worry about all this top up stuff plus at&t calling card is cheaper then both those fees.

 

[Allegro]

just a little fyi - i called Virgin and asked. what she told me is that you don't have to have a contract with them but you do have to buy their phone and "top up" a minimum of $20 every 90 days or loose your phone number.

then you're billed every minute at .18 per minute plus what ever the l.d. charge is so calling back to canada would be 18 cents plus 15 cents for a total of 33 cents per minute.

if you let the "top up" laps then thats fine and when you go back the next time you add the top up and get another number and your off and running again.

33 cents for virgin or 40 cents with my bell - not much difference and i don't have to worry about all this top up stuff plus at&t calling card is cheaper then both those fees.

I guess it depends on what you purpose for needing a cell phone is AND what plan you have.

We have pay-as-you-go Solo so I would end up dealing with roaming charges in the neighbourhood of $3/minute to call my husband in the lobby of the hotel! We're basically getting the phones to keep in touch with each other in the parks in case we are seperated. Calls back to Canada are unlikely to occur and even if they did - 33 cents a minute is fine as they would most likely be a "call me back at yadda-yadda land-line number" call.

Oh and .18 per minute it only one of their plans. The 20/10 plan gives you .10 between Virgin phones (ideal if you're using your phones to communicate with others in your party.)

 

[Charleyann]

The phone with charger and double minutes for life was just $12.88. It came with 10 minutes of free calling. A call to Canada was just a cent per minute and text messaging was only three cents. This is the cheapest rate to go!

Charleyann

 

[Kurby]

i've been busy today making phone calls LOL

i called tracfone and found out the following.

first and foremost - they do not deliver phones to Canada so if you want on you have to pick it up in the States.

2 - there is no activation fee

3 - calls are minute for minute - meaning it doesn't matter if you are calling a land line in the states, another cell phone or calling back to canada - 1 minute costs 1 minute.

4 - they have a $50 double your minutes for life card that you can buy that means a regular 60 minute card for $20 will give you 120 minutes this year, next year and every year (as long as they are in business)

5 - my example was travelling down this april. If we went down, bought a phone put 60 (120) minutes on it, used it came back to canada and didn't touch it again until next april what happens when we want to use it again. thats when he said no activation fees but since our phone expires after 90 days of none use we'd have to receive a new phone number (not a big deal since no one would remember the old one anyways LOL)

they seem to be the best one i've seen yet - even better then the AT&T calling card i found at Sam's because if you use them at a pay phone there is a $.75 fee charged which makes a quick phone call very expensive

 

[Saskmom]

My cell phone package is with Sasktel Mobility. I phoned them to find out what the charges would be for using our cell in Florida. They told me it was a flat 95 cents per minute for roaming in the US. I asked about additional roaming charges by US companies and he said they used to do that but they don't anymore. After reading all of your posts I am beginining to wonder if he knew what he was talking about. Anyone else used Sasktel mobility?

 

[angelkk]

We were just at WDW last week.

I did the same thing as PrincessNED -- ordered the "free" Oystr phones with the purchase $19.99 of airtime x 2. I placed the order in the day on 12/24, the order shipped via FedEx ground on 12/26 and they arrived at our resort (AKL) by 12/28. When we checked in on 12/30, there was a note on the resort computer that there was a parcel from FedEx waiting from us and the resort put it in our room for us.

I had Virgin ship it to me at the resort but, on the first line of the address space, I put the name of the resort and indicated that I was a guest (i.e., "DAKV - guest arr. 12/30")

The phones worked fine, particularly considering the cost.

I have some questions ...

Upon Activation (I assume you are doing it by phone) - do you have to give them your credit card information?

When the 19.99 airtime used up, do they automatically charge your credit card per minute, or the phone just expired (i.e. you can't make any further calls until you buy more airtime)?

I browsed www.virginmobileusa.com and it seems phone number is assigned UPON ACTIVATION? In other words, I could have the phone mailed to New York, while when I activate the phone online, I can enter Orlando address to get a (407) area code?