cell phone coverage?

[gctong]

My one year contract is up in a month or so and I wanted to see how coverage is for cell phone and their companies. I currently have the old AT&T system phone (which is terrible!)

I'm looking at AT&T's new GSM system, T-Mobile and possibly Cingular. How are they for WDW? I've read in other threads that T-mobile is pretty good. Is there a particular phone model I should go for or wait for?

I also travel a lot between NYC/Tri-State and Atlanta...so I need to take that into consideration for reception and price! Any advice?

 

[MommaluvsDis]

We have Cingular and have been very happy. We had excellent coverage at the parks when we went and the thing I like most is that there are no "hidden" charges with Cingular. Whomever you choose, go with a gate phone as the regular ones will soon be obsolete!

 

[ripleysmom]

Verizon has the best network handsdown, especially in the Northeast.

 

[don8life]

I'm going through the same thing right now. I'm really torn.
I have verizon, it is excellent. We never had a problem even in the grocery stores. We get a signal everywhere from Florida to the mountains in NY. My husband wants to switch to Tmobile for some new features they are offering. My mother has Tmobile and we live in the same area. Where I get signal, she doesn't. I think we are going to stick with verizon.

 

[gctong]

Thanks for the tips.

I don't want to go with Verizon because they cost more (same price, less minutes = not as good of a deal). So I'm considering T-mobile. But I have no idea are they that good and if so, which phone model. But if reception is that good with Verizon, I guess I might have to pay for that privilege. I've just always had a problem with their customer service and it's completely turned me off from them.

MommaluvsDis - what's a gate phone?

 

[cooldisneymom]

Another vote for Cingular!

 

[gchiker]

I've had excellent reception throughout WDW using Verizon. I agree that it is more expensive than other companies, but the coverage and quality are worth the difference to me.

 

[Nanu57v]

I go with none of the above. Did you look at Nextel? I have fewer dropped calls and the freedom to call anywhere in the nation without having to worry about if I'm in my local calling area.

 

[jeancbpugh]

Originally posted by MommaluvsDis
the thing I like most is that there are no "hidden" charges with Cingular.

Depends on your plan. I had Cingular last fall and ended up with $150 bill between roaming charges etc. for a long weekend.

What are gate phones?

 

[iceskatejen]

I have AT&T and had really good reception at WDW. I even had good reception in my room. I did turn it on and get "no service" once in my room but I went and stood by the window for a minute and got service and was able to make a call to my sis no problem. I do have a newer phone because I only started the contract in March. I can tell you for sure that they don't charge roaming there. I made lots of calls from there and wasn't charged beyond the normal national plan monthly service charge.

 

[brivers222]

we just dumped T-Mobile the first chance we could. Coverage in our home area is 100% horrible.

We went with Verizon Nationwide plan and didn't have a ounce of receiption problem the ENTIRE time we were away from Michigan.

I love Verizon because of this... very dependable and hands down they do have the best towers around.

My wife and I used our phones because A) we got reception and B) we have free calling in-network calling between Verizon customers.

We were never roaming all. Our bill was no more than normal for the 11 days we were down in Florida... Just our basic monthly fee.

 

[MommaluvsDis]

A gate phone is another type of frquency meaning better reception, coverage and less roaming. They share more towers and eventually all cell phones will be phased out to be either gate, GMS, or something similar. Sorry it took so long to answer but I lost this tread!

If you are a member of Sam's Club, you can go to the club and get a phone with only a one year contract. Also, at any Cingular store they will let you try the phone for 14days and if you don't like it and bring it back, you pay only for what you used.

We've had Centinnial, AT&T, USUnwired and now Cingular and we love our Cingular service. They have so many good plans out now that I'm sure you'll find the right one for you. The only overages we've ever had to pay for was DS going over his minutes, and that's it. I can always count on my bill being pretty constant. And I like that!

Reception is great and I live in the Louisiana woods! There will always be places that any cell phone will not get reception but my DH works on the railroad and got reception in places that his conductor's AT&T couldn't. In fact, the conductor used his phone!

 

[mom0104]

I switched to ATT GSM right before our trip. I had excellent service at the HIFS. I only had a couple of times in the parks where I couldn't find coverage but I didn't use my phone very much. For the most part it worked well.

 

[SyracuseWolvrine]

I've got Nextel, and haven't had any problems (except a localized tower problem lately here at home, but that was apparently due to a thunderstorm, and Nextel's troubleshooting dept was very helpful about getting it resolved)

I was with Verizon when I first got a cell phone, had bad billing problems, and switched as soon as I could. Verizon was not good to me, and I refuse to recommend them, no matter how good their coverage may be (in my experience, I have gotten just as good of a signal with Nextel as I did with Verizon)

 

[hauntedcity]

Just a note about Verizon -- I never had any signal issues in the parks, but I got absolutely no signal in our room at POR. During our time there, I did see a couple other people talking on their mobile phones outside their rooms, so I'm not sure if it's a Verizon issue, or perhaps Riverside is just well-shielded.

Doug

 

[minmate]

our cingular phones worked everywhere we went... BUT I had a problem hearing it ring... I had it on as loud as it would go but usually didn't hear it... I only have the standard rings to choose from and thus don't know if this is the problem.... I know it's a bit off topic, but what has everyone else encountered regarding just hearing your phone ring? I turned it to the vibe & ring option and didn't feel it either... was too weak... I thought maybe it was just too loud in the parks and restaurants as I could hear it in the room and such. Maybe I'm deaf... hm....

 

[gctong]

I love the disboards! You all are always so helpful! Thanks for the tips! There is a lot to think about. And THANK YOU for the explanation of a gate phone. I've got a little more time before my contract runs out so I'm going to see what plans or new phones come out and then make my choice then.

I'm tempted to go with T-mobile since a family plan has 2 lines for only $50. Verizon would have cost me and my BF $80 (and this is all without Tax). Since we only use our cell phones maybe twice a week, the $80 price just can't be justified. Any particular phone model works better than anohter?

 

[DJT]

My DH and I have T-Mobile. He has a Nokia and I have a Samsung. I like mine better than his because it's a smaller phone and it's a pretty blue color. I've used it on four trips to Orlando and have never had a problem. It worked in the parks and in hotel rooms. It works great where we live, too. We drove to Virginia Beach last June and the only time we didn't have a signal was when we went through the mountains.

 

[Dana49]

I have to vote for Verizon. I changed over from Sprint when we returned from WDW in April, to Verizon. Sprint's signals are extremely limited, and when I couldn't get a signal in the World, that was the last straw. My wife has always had Verizon. No matter where we go, she has a signal. Now I have the same luxury.

 

[vmkids]

Just got back and don't know why but we could not get verizon to not lose calls anywhere in Flordia. We have the nationwide plan and the vacations in the past had great reception but this time it would not hold a call. Maybe just older phone but works fine everywhere else. Last time we got signal easy and clear.