Best mobile phone tactic

[dabecs]

Just saw on Touring Plans that Magic Kingdom now has free wifi

So I think our plan will be to buy 2 cheapie prepaids to call each other if we split up and then use iPhones in the park (for Dis and Lines style apps).

We will try to Skype the inlaws but don't plan to call anyone else, can skype from my laptop - think I will buy a dongle for that rather than rely in wifi hotspots though..

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

So is there a website that it's best to purchase this from? And do they have international internet options for laptops?

 

[dabecs]

My hubby is very tech savvy so I have left this job to him (the only part of the whole holiday he has to organise!), so it will probably be done at the last minute! I haven't looked into it myself but will let you know when he does.

Can anyone recommend a wireless dongle for a laptop?

 

[Andona]

So is there a website that it's best to purchase this from? And do they have international internet options for laptops?

I looked into this as well but decided that it was easier just to use the free wifi at our hotels as well as Starbucks and Maccas when we needed the laptop. I read some reports that indicate you may be able to get an Optus dongle unlocked and just buy a sim for it while travelling but it limits you to AT &T or T Mobile in the USA (they're the only ones with sims) and there is also some questions about whether your dongle will be compatible with their networks.

I read several posts that said Sprint and Verizon had the best coverage/speeds etc and that the best thing to do if you really had to have wifi while on the road with your laptop is to go into a telco store and buy a dongle plus a prepaid plan. There's some good info here http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trav...-buy-dongle-stick-modem-travel-usa-south.html

I wish the Americans made this a bit easier, Shuttergirl I imagine you'd really like a modem/dongle that you could use in both the USA and Europe ( I know I would!) but it seems that's a reall challenge.

I also wondered about tethering my laptop to my phone and using the unlimited data on an AT&T phone sim but I've read that AT&T disable tethering with their prepaid plans

If you do get onto a really good solution for mobile wifi for the laptop I'd love to hear about it. DS would love to be able to use Facebook etc on his netbook on the long drives through Texas etc .

Andona

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

Just saw on Touring Plans that Magic Kingdom now has free wifi

So I think our plan will be to buy 2 cheapie prepaids to call each other if we split up and then use iPhones in the park (for Dis and Lines style apps).

We will try to Skype the inlaws but don't plan to call anyone else, can skype from my laptop - think I will buy a dongle for that rather than rely in wifi hotspots though..

I would love to leave this to my husband because he is far more techy than me but alas I can't handle things being organised at the last minute. I'd have an ulcer and he's a bit unreliable hahaha.

He's pretty keen to unlock our iphones and get the travel gear sims.

I looked into this as well but decided that it was easier just to use the free wifi at our hotels as well as Starbucks and Maccas when we needed the laptop. I read some reports that indicate you may be able to get an Optus dongle unlocked and just buy a sim for it while travelling but it limits you to AT &T or T Mobile in the USA (they're the only ones with sims) and there is also some questions about whether your dongle will be compatible with their networks.

I read several posts that said Sprint and Verizon had the best coverage/speeds etc and that the best thing to do if you really had to have wifi while on the road with your laptop is to go into a telco store and buy a dongle plus a prepaid plan. There's some good info here http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trav...-buy-dongle-stick-modem-travel-usa-south.html

I wish the Americans made this a bit easier, Shuttergirl I imagine you'd really like a modem/dongle that you could use in both the USA and Europe ( I know I would!) but it seems that's a reall challenge.

I also wondered about tethering my laptop to my phone and using the unlimited data on an AT&T phone sim but I've read that AT&T disable tethering with their prepaid plans

If you do get onto a really good solution for mobile wifi for the laptop I'd love to hear about it. DS would love to be able to use Facebook etc on his netbook on the long drives through Texas etc .

Andona

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

Andona - last time we went Aussietravellers put me onto the Virgin dongle through Best buys and I used my internet everynight on my laptop, updating all you Disers on our daily adventures and it was perfect speed, no worries. I think we paid $99ish plus perhaps some credit. It doesn't work for me to rely on free wifi for 2 reasons. I want to be able to use the internet for my business when it suits without having to leave my room and also my family go to bed so damn early, playing on the laptop is my nightly entertainment .

I think I might get something from Best Buys again since you say that there doesn't seem to be a good "international" solution for both my holidays. We get free wifi at our London and Paris apartments so I just need to fill in the blanks for Scotland and Ireland I think.

 

[Andona]

Andona - last time we went Aussietravellers put me onto the Virgin dongle through Best buys and I used my internet everynight on my laptop, updating all you Disers on our daily adventures and it was perfect speed, no worries. I think we paid $99ish plus perhaps some credit. It doesn't work for me to rely on free wifi for 2 reasons. I want to be able to use the internet for my business when it suits without having to leave my room and also my family go to bed so damn early, playing on the laptop is my nightly entertainment .

I can so identify with that! We are all seriously addicted to our internet access and I always count WiFi ( preferably free) as a major factor when selecting our hotels. I was sooooo relieved when I heard that Disney now have free WiFi in all their resort rooms Still, I'll be glad to have the iPhone and iPad as a backup if the resort wifi is too slow.

We had to pay for WiFi in a few places in Europe last year and found it really irritating that with some of those places we could only have one concurrent connection at a time - lots of discussion about who needed to be connected more than the others. After that I was really keen on getting a combined Wifi modem/router for our next trip so that we could share a single connection between all of us but, as it's turned out, we won't need it in the USA as everywhere we're staying has free wifi.

DH and I both have to be contactable for work ( although we'd prefer NOT to), he has to update his travel blog every night, I email home to my parents every night and DS is your average internet addicted 15 year old.

Andona

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

I can so identify with that! We are all seriously addicted to our internet access and I always count WiFi ( preferably free) as a major factor when selecting our hotels. I was sooooo relieved when I heard that Disney now have free WiFi in all their resort rooms Still, I'll be glad to have the iPhone and iPad as a backup if the resort wifi is too slow.

We had to pay for WiFi in a few places in Europe last year and found it really irritating that with some of those places we could only have one concurrent connection at a time - lots of discussion about who needed to be connected more than the others. After that I was really keen on getting a combined Wifi modem/router for our next trip so that we could share a single connection between all of us but, as it's turned out, we won't need it in the USA as everywhere we're staying has free wifi.

DH and I both have to be contactable for work ( although we'd prefer NOT to), he has to update his travel blog every night, I email home to my parents every night and DS is your average internet addicted 15 year old.

Andona

So is that true that all WDW resorts now have free wifi? Wowser.

The wifi dongle I was going to get from Best Buys would service up to 5 devices I think it said which made my DH .

It's such a technological age. I just want it to talk to my Disers

 

[Andona]

So is that true that all WDW resorts now have free wifi? Wowser.

Yes, isn't it great! ( otherwise we might have had to stay offsite ! ) Info here- http://allears.net/acc/internet.htm

Andona

 

[ExcitedSam]

Sorry to re ask the question again, but just went on the travel gear website and it seems the plans/options have changed? Or I am confused! It seem to be a lot more now and instead of it including Aust calls you have to add that as an extra? Help please! Which is the best option for an iphone4, we are going for 3.5 weeks.

Maybe I'll just get a cheap prepaid once we get there seems easier!?

 

[Andona]

Sorry to re ask the question again, but just went on the travel gear website and it seems the plans/options have changed? Or I am confused! It seem to be a lot more now and instead of it including Aust calls you have to add that as an extra? Help please! Which is the best option for an iphone4, we are going for 3.5 weeks.

Maybe I'll just get a cheap prepaid once we get there seems easier!?

Yes, I noticed the changes on the travelgear site too. I think the basic options are much the same but they have totally reorganized the way they offer them, although they have also increased their prices for the monthly plan.

If you're going to be away for about 3 weeks or less then they suggest that their $2 per day unlimited talk,text& 2g web is the best option. That will cost you $29 for the sim and then you'll have to purchase a top up value to cover the number of days that you think your likely to make calls. The costs for calls home to aud are pretty high so if you think you'll call home often and you don't want to use Skype for that you'd best buy the extra International unlimited feature.

If you are away for a month or so you'd be better to buy the monthly plan. They have changed their site so that the cost for that now covers the cost of the sim AND the extra you need to cover the monthly fee. You would also need to add the international feature if you want to make a lot of calls home. With an iPhone you only need the $89 option for this sim, I.e. 100mg plus unlimited Edge as an iPhone cannot use the 3G that TMobile offer anyway. No point paying extra for more 3G data that you can't take advantage of.


If you want to get 3G data on your iPhone you would need to buy an AT&T sim but that's a whole other story....

Most people report the 2g /edge speeds are adequate for getting email, using the maps and Disney apps on the iPhone.

This phone thing certainly is a minefield in the USA, they don't make it easy. I've decided to get a T Mobile sim for one phone. And an AT&T sim for the other to give us the best possible coverage. We're travelling through some pretty remote areas this trip.


Andona

 

[Sugarglider]

Ms Shuttergirl, I have found that there is always free wifi within arms reach in Orlando and have never bothered with a dongle. And yes - my trip last year there was free wifi in every resort and a few other places - now in the parks - so I will definitely be doing more through the internet on my Dec trip.
However, I had great success using my smart phone as a wifi hot spot for my tablet - worked everywhere and even the 2g/3g/4g compatibility problems was no problem! I was impressed with how well it worked.

Check out travelsim cause they have 1 sim card that can country hop and similar rates to travelgear plans

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

Ms Shuttergirl, I have found that there is always free wifi within arms reach in Orlando and have never bothered with a dongle. And yes - my trip last year there was free wifi in every resort and a few other places - now in the parks - so I will definitely be doing more through the internet on my Dec trip.
However, I had great success using my smart phone as a wifi hot spot for my tablet - worked everywhere and even the 2g/3g/4g compatibility problems was no problem! I was impressed with how well it worked.

Check out travelsim cause they have 1 sim card that can country hop and similar rates to travelgear plans

Thanks so much Sugarglider. I've sent the link to my DH and asked him to investigate. He has to organise at least one thing right

 

[Saskiwi]

We bought $14 prepaid mobiles from Walmart - included $10 credit on Verizon - we still have some credit left for our next trip!

 

[JessNewbs]

We bought $14 prepaid mobiles from Walmart - included $10 credit on Verizon - we still have some credit left for our next trip!

Damn, that is so cheap! I need access to facebook to be happy though!

 

[JennyN]

Hi Saskiwi, did that allow you to ring back to Australia or New Zealand. What about texts? How did you go about activating the phone. We have bought sim cards from AT&T in the past and it has taken us almost an hour in the AT&T shop to actual do the paperwork and activate them each time. We would love a cheaper, faster, easier way.

 

[mareeld86]

We bought a t mobile 79 dollar cap sim card it allowed us to ring all land line phones in Anywhere and text anyone in the world for the 79 dollars and it lasted a month! It was great for us being away for 9 weeks!

 

[JennyN]

That sounds great for a long trip mareeld86, but we are only going for 10 days and there are 15 of us each needing their own phone or sim card so we need something much cheaper.

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

I can so identify with that! We are all seriously addicted to our internet access and I always count WiFi ( preferably free) as a major factor when selecting our hotels. I was sooooo relieved when I heard that Disney now have free WiFi in all their resort rooms Still, I'll be glad to have the iPhone and iPad as a backup if the resort wifi is too slow.

We had to pay for WiFi in a few places in Europe last year and found it really irritating that with some of those places we could only have one concurrent connection at a time - lots of discussion about who needed to be connected more than the others. After that I was really keen on getting a combined Wifi modem/router for our next trip so that we could share a single connection between all of us but, as it's turned out, we won't need it in the USA as everywhere we're staying has free wifi.

DH and I both have to be contactable for work ( although we'd prefer NOT to), he has to update his travel blog every night, I email home to my parents every night and DS is your average internet addicted 15 year old.

Andona

Did you say your husband has a travel blog????????

 

[Andona]

Did you say your husband has a travel blog????????

Yes, but he's not a professional or anything.

He worries a lot about his elderly Mum, she misses us a lot when we travel so for our last trip he started a blog and bought her an iPad so that she could read it every day and keep up with our travels. I like it too as its a permanent record of his impressions etc while we travel.

I write a long email every day and send it home to my parents and our two oldest kids. After the trip is over I print off all the emails and bind them , it's my travel journal of our trip. I love going back and reading through our past trips, lots of lovely memories

Andona

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

That's kind of what I did with my DIS TR last time. Just printed it off, without all the DH, DD, etc abbreviations and put it in a folder. Very lovely way to remember everything.

That's great that your husband has the travel blog. I did a daily email last time to some family, might do that again this time too.