Am I the only one who travels without a smart phone and/or laptop?

[disykat]

On another thread there was someone assuming that everyone travels with internet capabilities. I don't have a smart phone because I'm not willing to pay the extra money each month and don't own a laptop.

I have two computers, but they're both desktop. I have a cell phone that I carry, but don't pay for internet. The only person in our family that has internet on his cell is our college-aged son and putting it on his phone (NOT an actual smart phone) was his birthday present.

I have to admit it would be handy to have the internet when traveling, but other than that I don't have a need to carry it with me.

Am I really THAT out of it?

 

[ceecee]

NO! Especially when I travel I like to be "disconnected"!

 

[furb & dez]

No.

When I vacation I prefer to be disconnected... that's what makes it a vacation.

 

[angierae]

I think I'm your polar opposite - I don't leave the ROOM without my smart phone in my pocket.

I use my phone to keep in touch with friends and family. I don't want to be disconnected from them. I have a few friends that I send pictures and text to throughout the day, as a way of "sharing our day". I send LOTS of pictures from WDW to people.

Now, I won't take my laptop, even with the new free wifi at POFQ. I will probably take my Kindle Fire, but that's mostly for reading (but I certainly don't mind that it'll be able to get wifi now.)

But no, disconnecting from people via leaving my phone is not something I want or seek out. My phone is my way of keeping my friends in my pocket, and I love it for that.

 

[SaraJayne]

Nope, you aren't the only one.

 

[girli565]

When I'm vacationing within the US or somewhere my phone works I need it but when we cruise I just turn it off the moment i get on the ship and don't think about it for 7 whole days.

My husband won't let me use the internet on the ship and I have to say it use to bother me but now I love those 7 full days of no texts, emails, or phone calls.

 

[Gigi22]

Nope. You aren't the only one. DH and I are retired. We don't want or need another expensive toy. We are in Canada, where smartphone fees are truly outrageous, a smartphone would cost us an extra $50/month that we can use elsewhere. I bought a cheap pay-as-you-go cell phone that we use when on vacation in the U.S., and that's all we need.

 

[horseshowmom]

I don't have internet on my phone (don't want to pay for it). I had stopped taking my laptop with me because I got tired of carrying it. I found a happy medium when I got my Kindle Fire. It slips in my purse, and I can read or browse the internet. I was at a horse show last weekend, and it was nice to have it during the downtimes.

 

[marmalade]

Nope, not the only one. Like others have stated when I am on vacation I like to be disconnected. The only time I look at my phone while on vacation is at the end of the day or if I split up with my DH during the day and need to touch base.

 

[luvmy3]

I don't own a smartphone, but I do travel with my netbook. I won't use it to DIS or anything but it is nice to have for checking weather, area attractions and directions. It doesn't leave the hotel room though.

 

[Marionnette]

My cell phone is a smartphone, so there is no way to vacation without it unless I want to be completely out of touch. Since both of us have elderly parents, that's not going to happen.

But I also find that the "smart" part of my phone is quite a valuable tool when I'm traveling. I can check on my flight, change dining reservations, rent a car, look for a hotel review, get directions and keep an eye on my checking account.

I draw the line at dragging my laptop along. But then, I don't need to since my phone does pretty much everything that I would need while vacationing.

 

[Happy Mom2]

DH takes our laptop, but does not connect to the interest. He transfers our pictures to it each night. We took over 3000 pictures in 5 days so our memory cards are large enough to keep.

As for my phone, I take it with us in case there is an emergency at home, but I don't accept calls from anyone else, I don't post to FB, and I don't play around on the internet. I do my my best to disconnect from the world when I'm on vacation. I have no problems going a week without checking email, getting on the internet or talking to anyone outside of my immediately family.

ETA: I am looking forward to using the wait time apps on our next trip.

 

[HALEYSMOMMOM]

Recently got a kindle to stay connected while traveling. Its a kindle keyboard with 3g. No monthly subscriptions, or any more cost to after the original purchase price. I love it and find it works really well for what I want. I was told on here that I wouldn't be able to check park times, etc, because it would never load up, but that just isn't the case with mine. It does everything simple very well. Even checking park times . I'm very pleased.

 

[pigletto]

We bring a laptop with us to Disney to email friends and family. It's helpful to send a quick hello without having to call everyone.
We're on a Canadian cell phone plan and our provider is ridiculous in what they charge even if I switch to an International plan for the week I am away. So I bring it in case there is a dire emergency (and we've had a few on vacation) but I don't use it.

I didn't have a cell phone 2 years ago when my son was hospitalized while we were at Disney. Calling from the room, to Canada , cost us more than 100 dollars. That was less than 5 calls, that totalled less than one hour!!!

So I bring the phone because it would be cheaper if I had to use it. But we don't even turn it on unless we have to.

 

[jodifla]

Having Internet access on vacation can save you a lot of heartache. Just asked my husband who was completely lost in the cornfields of Minnesota before he launched his mapquest app.

 

[loveysbydesign]

Nope. We don;t even OWN a laptop or Smartphone.

 

[LilyWDW]

Last trip I had to take my netbook because I had school work I needed to do. There would have been no trip at that time if I didn't have a way to send things, email, or check the school's site. I would rather take a bit of time in the morning or evening to do that then not be able to go when I want to go.

I also have a smart phone that I carry with me. I use it for multiple things in the parks which made life a lot easier. I had to change a reservation on the fly and could do it easily through the Disney site as opposed to having to call.

 

[furb & dez]

...but when we cruise I just turn it off the moment i get on the ship and don't think about it for 7 whole days.

My husband won't let me use the internet on the ship and I have to say it use to bother me but now I love those 7 full days of no texts, emails, or phone calls.

I totally agree. Everyone who matters to me knows I'm going on vacation, knows that my phone will be off and that I won't be answering (or even checking) e-mail, and that I won't be online AT ALL.

If something were to happen, tough, I'll deal with it when I get home. I'm not interrupting my vacation because Grandma's third cousin's daughter's goldfish died, and your compulsion to tell me all about it WHILE I'M ON VACATION is pathetic at best.

 

[horseshowmom]

Recently got a kindle to stay connected while traveling. Its a kindle keyboard with 3g. No monthly subscriptions, or any more cost to after the original purchase price. I love it and find it works really well for what I want. I was told on here that I wouldn't be able to check park times, etc, because it would never load up, but that just isn't the case with mine. It does everything simple very well. Even checking park times . I'm very pleased.

My daughter got one for Christmas and says the same thing. She does have the internet on her phone, but she has been pleased with her K3G as well.

Having Internet access on vacation can save you a lot of heartache. Just asked my husband who was completely lost in the cornfields of Minnesota before he launched his mapquest app.

Good point! We have Verizon MiFi for internet at home (very rural area). I can take it with me when I travel and use it with my Fire. If I'm not with someone who has internet on their phone, then I make sure to take it if I'm traveling (just in case).

 

[filafan]

I wouldn't even think about not having some sort of Smart device when i'm on a trip. It just seems like in today's age it is just easier to reference the internet when you are hunting for some information then trying to track down someone who can give that same info. All be it, i'm a 20 something so I've been raised with technology coarsing through my veins....