Canadian cell service in WDW

[Lizziejane]

Just picking up on a thread started on another board about cell service at WDW. Any Canadians use their cells down there? If so, any problems? Our "kids" (18 and 20!) will likely be wondering off on their own on our next trip, and just curious if we can count on being able to stay in touch using our cells.

 

[Rob&Jan]

Speaking from experience, make sure you understand what your plan covers.
Your phones will work in florida but if you do not have a plan that covers calls from the US the roaming & LD charges will be outrageous. My expeirence 2 years ago following bad advice from Bell Mobility we used are phones to keep in touch in the world and made a few calls home, long story short my cell phone bill was just below $1000.00. After my wife revived me I called Bell and after much coaxing they reimbursed me half of the bill.
Since then I found that bell has a Florida plan that covers calls made in Florida to florida at the time it was $30.00 for the month.

I have since switched to Telus and they have a talk North American Plan that allows X minutes from anywhere in north America to anywhere north America.

Just be sure to do your home work, good luck

Hope this helps

 

[connorsmom911]

We're with Bell Mobility and were in the "world" in April. Our phones worked fine. I did call about the roaming and long distance charges before we left and they offered to add the extra thing on to the plan that would cover such an instance. I'm pretty sure it was $40/mo. and we could add it just one time, but we opted not too as we were only planning to use the phones in an emergency. We did use the phones for a few minutes and the roaming charges weren't too bad, but I knew what to expect.

 

[almacdonald]

My boyfriend and I both have Telus. We brought our phones with us for emergencies only. His worked, mine didn't. So, it might work, it might not. BUT either way, the price will be astronomical!

 

[sean-1966]

I just signed up for Bell Mobility's Florida plan. $20 a month for 100 minutes, 2 month minimum. Long dostance and roaming included. I figure it'll save us money in the long run.

 

[Rachael Q]

DH and I both have Bell plans. We were in WDW in April and DH had a US Add-on. It was anywhere in the US for a month and was $22.00. Later the same month he was in Seattle for a week for work. Our home phone forwards to our cell (DH works from home) so it was worth it for us.

My phone also had service, but I only used it once. We used DH's the rest of the time.

 

[BitsnBearsMom]

Why not get a set of 2 way radio's. That's what we are thinking of getting for FIL to carry around - Papa is a 65yo wanderer and I KNOW we will loose him and he won't be able to find his way home!LOL

If not the 2 way radio's we could always get him a hand holder strap.

 

[F4disneyfan]

We use Bell and have had no problems either time we did use it while at WDW. The cost was very prohibitive though so we switched over to the new 10-4 system and it was flawless and at no cost for long distance or anything.

 

[tone.def]

I used my Telus Mobility cell phone on my balcony at the Polynesian to call my cat sitter for 3 minutes. It cost me $3.00, not a good deal!

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Since I am with Bell I purchase a Florida plan for $20.00 & it's good for 100 minutes. So if I need to call someone it will go as a local call & I will not be charged roaming prices.

 

[Think I'm Tink]

What about text messaging? Wouldn't it be cheaper to send a quick " We r at PoTC, where r u?"

On our Telus plan it's either 15 cents or 25 cents (can't remember which?) to send/receive a text message. Even at 25 cents, though, you could send and receive 12 messages for the cost of a 3 minute phone call!

Does anybody know if this would work? Or are text messages long distance applicable?

 

[SuAnne]

Hi Donna,
Just found this on the Bell site

"Exchange up to 75 text messages with friends and family across Canada and the U.S. Most incoming messages are free and there are no long distance charges" It's $5.00/month

We have this on our phone...never use it...but we might try this route for checking in with each other next month when we go

 

[Minnie's Friend Dar5]

I just talked to bell yesterday. They added a contact us to my phone for one month. You get 100 minutes for $40.00 instead of paying $1.74/minute. Glad to know that the 10-4 service works at WDW. : :

 

[SaraMc]

We have Rogers. We have the couples plan so when we called each other in the park it was free from phone to phone. Now, however the reception was HORRIBLE. DH was in Epcot and I was in MGM, complete static. It was just a couple of quick calls when we did our own thing if he saw something that I might like etc. But we had better service the time before when we used FIDO. We use our cel's when we are in NY state all the time and they work fine.

Sara

 

[Lizziejane]

I hadn't even thought about the COST! I was simply thinking reception, but you have all given me something to think about. I will definitely be making some phones calls tomorrow!

 

[coastgirl]

We have Rogers. We have the couples plan so when we called each other in the park it was free from phone to phone. Now, however the reception was HORRIBLE. DH was in Epcot and I was in MGM, complete static. It was just a couple of quick calls when we did our own thing if he saw something that I might like etc. But we had better service the time before when we used FIDO. We use our cel's when we are in NY state all the time and they work fine.

Sara

Hmm. We have the couples plan too with Rogers, but it doesn't work when we are away from home--still get LD charges as we are "calling" NS even if we are calling a few hundred metres away. I wonder if our plans are different or if you're just doing something we're not. We asked before we left and were told it would be $40 for the month, but each phone had to have it. (As we mostly wanted to be able to call each other if separated.) Hoping our deal with them will expire by the next time we go--I should check! I didn't actually see our bill last month, a mailing error, but it was $80 more than usual (for VERY FEW calls, maybe--10 short where-are-you things), so we might as well have gotten those two $40 plans for the month.

More research for me next time, it's the perfect use for cell phones.

I have heard from others that walkie-talkies and radios tend not to work well as lots of others have sets competing on a relatively narrow range of frequencies.

 

[F4disneyfan]

Hmm. We have the couples plan too with Rogers, but it doesn't work when we are away from home--still get LD charges as we are "calling" NS even if we are calling a few hundred metres away. I wonder if our plans are different or if you're just doing something we're not. We asked before we left and were told it would be $40 for the month, but each phone had to have it. (As we mostly wanted to be able to call each other if separated.) Hoping our deal with them will expire by the next time we go--I should check! I didn't actually see our bill last month, a mailing error, but it was $80 more than usual (for VERY FEW calls, maybe--10 short where-are-you things), so we might as well have gotten those two $40 plans for the month.

More research for me next time, it's the perfect use for cell phones.

I have heard from others that walkie-talkies and radios tend not to work well as lots of others have sets competing on a relatively narrow range of frequencies.

We have GMRS radios that we use around the resorts and parks we just bought new ones with a 28KM range the GMRS is much better than the FRS many more channels and sub channels and a greater distance I would reccomend those over the cell phones. We just picked up the new ones at home depot is was 89 dollars but you have them for longer than your 40 bucks each phone for 1 month plan.

 

[coastgirl]

We have GMRS radios that we use around the resorts and parks we just bought new ones with a 28KM range the GMRS is much better than the FRS many more channels and sub channels and a greater distance I would reccomend those over the cell phones. We just picked up the new ones at home depot is was 89 dollars but you have them for longer than your 40 bucks each phone for 1 month plan.

This is totally worth looking into for us...I can see other applications already.

Thanks.

 

[F4disneyfan]

This is totally worth looking into for us...I can see other applications already.

Thanks.

My wife uses them when she goes camping with the kids we also use them when car pooling with others each vehicle has one so you can contact each other for pit stops etc. They work great.

 

[pollioni]

I have done some research on the whole GMRS thing, and have come up with an issues but don't really know how they can inforce it.

In the U.S. the FCC requires that you have a licence to operate a GMRS radio. I do find it hard for them to determine how to find who is using it inside a place like WDW or what they would do about it.

More info on this can be found at the FCC website.