Can you help us settle this debate?

[micki7337]

We need help! We are starting to finalize our plans for our trip in Oct/Nov. Just some background: We are a family of 5 - DD and DH with 3 kids DS (11), DD (8) and DD (4). We will be traveling with MIL (78) and a lady friend of hers. We will be starting off with a one night stay (2 rooms) at Pop Century before moving to our DVC 2-bedroom at OKW. We will be at OKW for4 days before taking a van to the Wonder for a 3 day cruise.

DH is insisting we take our laptop with us so we can download our pictures everyday. I, on the other hand, don't want to carry the extra bag and worry about someone dropping it or worse yet, forgetting it somewhere.

Is it really worth taking your laptop to Disney? I would love to read some PROs and CONs on the subject and if anyone has any first hand experiences.

Thanks!!

 

[bunnymkc]

this is the 1st trip he didn't take his laptop and as we were stuck at SSR we could have used it to see if SW had fares avail..had to use the phone and thank God we made it home just ahead of the hurricane..he has never left it behind and the kids love to watch a DVD on the plane with it..take it with you, you never know when it will come in handy..you could also get your pixs on a cd at wal mart or even the drugstores have the machines now and you will be taking a lot of pixs..I vote for the laptop to go with you..marianne

 

[robinb]

We always bring our laptop. Then again, my DH always works from the room, too.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I just bought a notebook on line from Dell to bring with us to WDW. My son's school puts the homework on the class websites, so we'll be able to keep up each day.

Plus I'll be able to download my photos to the notebook and burn a CD when I get home to copy over to my desktop.

 

[MommyBoo!]

We took ours on our first trip two years ago so that we could download the pictures. We never touched it, there just wasn't time. Or rather, we spent the time doing other things. And really, when we were in for good at the resort each night, we just wanted to relax. I think DH rather enjoyed not touching a computer for over a week (he has three computers with four monitors on his desk at work and 2 computers with three monitors in his office at home). I think we took over 800 pictures too.

Last year we didn't even bother bringing it. We find it best to take more than one memory card. We have 2 mega memory cards plus two smaller ones. DH used one card for movies (our digital camera takes 30 second mpgs). He also sets the camera for the largest possible picture and then edits them down later. We take several hundred pictures wherever we go on vacation and have never run out of space or lost any pictures. Honestly, it's just one less thing to carry/keep track of.

 

[East Coaster]

I'm not sure about the resorts but on the Disney Wonder you can have your memory cards downloaded to CD for about $15.

 

[RobinMarie]

I find the laptop a pain because often we find we must open the case and start up the computer for security. We did this getting on the plane, on the ship, on the plane home. AND we never used the laptop.

I say leave it home.

 

[StitchGirl]

I ALWAYS bring my laptop-- not only to download pictures, but also to check e-mail once in a while. Since you'll be in a villa, you'll be able to lock it in the safe while at the parks, so it will be safe (at PC, the safes are not as big)...

...It's always in my only carry-on, so I can't forget it. It's kind of a pain at the security line, because you have to take it out of the bag, but that wouldn't stop me from bringing it!

 

[KarlaG4Kids]

I would say it depends on how much space you have on memory cards and how many pictures you take. We went on a 3 week trip to Hawaii in May and I took the laptop. It was a pain on airlines and carrying but I loved having the ability to download my pictures on a daily basis. I wanted no chance of anything happening and loosing them. I also took the cd's so I could copy them onto cd's every few days. It worked great.

On our trip in 2 weeks I don't think I will take the laptop as we will only be gone 4 days and surely I won't use up over 300 pictures in 4 days!!!!

Hmmm, I may need to rethink this since we are taking our 4 yro grandson!

 

[micki7337]

Well it looks like most of you have taken your laptops and other than the security check points, are all for it. We had read that WDW offers transfer services and could download the pixs onto Cds for a small fee. But DH was afraid WDW would lose the cards - or we would need the empty card sooner than they could provide it. DH is definitely a shutterbug and we always come home with tons of pictures.

Since we're going to be taking the laptop, I guess I'll be packing some DVDs for the airport.

Thanks for settling this one for us!!

 

[sbdw]

When my DW and I started to travel more and more we were taking our laptop with us to to download pics but found that we never actually downloaded them. My suggestion is to my another memory card if your have a removable card in your camera. It always good to have for extra pics or if something happens to your memory card. I got mine from ebay at a very reasonable price, plus it takes up practically no space. hope this helps!

 

[oogieboogie]

I bring my laptop, not only to download the pics from my dig camera but also for email purposes. DH also then uses it for his fantasy leagues and clan games. I find that during the times when we go back to the resort for breaks, it only takes me about 10 minutes to download all my pics and then I'll have them all organized the way I want them already instead of waiting till I get back.

 

[memymomonica]

We took our laptop on our first trip too. We had 2 memory cards, plus downloaded pics each night. We had a ton of pictures. It was nice to download them and then recap the day by looking at them that night. It was a nice way to relax. I think it is worth it. I will be taking it again this next trip. I will use it for email this time too though.

 

[turnlisa]

I just bought a digital camera this year so haven't taken it to WDW yet. However, we did a big family vacation/reunion trip this summer and we took the laptop. We have a big memory card but it was good to be able to download the pictures. This way we could look over what we had, decide what we still wanted, and clear the camera off all at the same time. Will be taking it to WDW in November!

 

[disneysteve]

We always bring our laptop. We like to check e-mail while we're away. We like to send e-mails (quicker and easier than postcards). I like to write my travel reports for DIS each nite. In the past, I've also bought stuff and listed it on ebay while we were there. It also gives me something to do at nite after DD goes to sleep.

 

[Amirah95]

We are definitely taking ours. We have wireless web now and it's a god send when we are out on vacation. We also use it to store our pictures as a back up. My DH carries the laptop bag so I don't have to worry about it. If your DH wants to take the laptop then ask him if he can carry the bag and look after it.

 

[cranbiz]

I don't leave home without it.

Seriously now, I always bring mine with me. Not only to download pics, but to check email, flight info, watch a DVD on the plane. The list can go on and on. I also like to organize my pics prior to getting home so i don't forget what they were.

 

[storybookmum]

We're definitely bringing DH's work laptop. I just have to get him to get his techhie to install our digcam software so we can download (can't install anything on it without a techhie, it's locked).

It is NOT a small fee at Disney. It's $12.95 for only 100 photos, according to the email I got - that's just for a CD burn, not for any prints. I don't think that's cheap. Plus, you have to leave your card (someone said overnight!). Even with the laptop I'm anxious about losing our pictures (pictures are vital). I couldn't go with just a card, though we have a 256k card. I might well buy another one, but I sill need the laptop. My only concern now is how to get them back OFF the laptop; it doesn't have a burner....somehow I have to connect it to my home computer; we've never done that.

We're there for a week. I took over 300 pictures in a 2 day camping trip.

Sounds like you've already agreed; I wouldn't have posted except I had info about the cost of the CD download on site.

Kris

 

[Histosue]

Some real good info. I just got a vaio and it is rather small and was thinking about brining it. Can watch DVD so bringing the computer will do dual purpose instead of just brining the portable DVD. Thanks for the info

sue form nj

 

[micki7337]

Okay, I now admit I was wr..wron....wrong! I admit, I had thoughts of traveling lite and with 6 of us that's going to be a little hard. So I have agreed to stop saying no to bringing the laptop. We also have a number of memory cards - I know at least one is a 256k - but DH was not leaving our cards overnight for fear of missing out on the 'perfect' shot or not having enough memory to go on for the day. And I cannot even imagine what we would do if Disney lost our card!

Thanks for all the great comments. And I have to admit, I was afraid that people would think we were nuts for traveling with a laptop..... (they already think we're nuts for traveling with my MIL!) Have a great nite!!!