Cell phone horror

[SimbaCub]

My sister and I both have Cingular though different phones, hers is a GSM only where mine is multi-network GAIT (GSM and TDMA) and she had a slightly worse signal than I did while at VWL in Dec. Overall, we had better coverage than I have had in previous years with my AT&T nation wide coverage. I was able to use my phone in the room at VWL where she had some trouble in the room and even on the balcony. Neither of us had a signal in the main check-in area at WL or downstairs in the main area of the VWL. Once we walked out our cell service returned. I haven't stayed anywhere else yet to see how Cingular works but in visiting the resorts I did notice my signal was weaker over at OKW compared to what I had in the other resorts. This was over near Olivias. As soon as I walked away from the buildings my signal returned to almost full strength so I think previous posters comments about metal in the buildings is the culprit at OKW. I did receive a "vibrate" alert while on Spaceship Earth which I thought odd!! I had the phone turned on silent all day when we were out and about so the vibrate mode was the only way I knew if I had a call/voice message/text message. I didn't expect the phone to work on any attractions least of all that one!!

SimbaCub

 

[rbuzzotta]

We have Nextel and it works all over Disney. Once in a while DH had to go onto the balcony at OKW to get better reception.....it even works in It's a Small World............we called my mom so she could hear her favorite ride!!!!

 

[CarolA]

My understanding is that Disney will not allow Cell Phone towers anywhere on their property. That is BIG plot of land and would explain some dead spots.

Mine has been spotty and I have had two different companies.

 

[Simba's Mom]

We all have Verizon and last year at OKW, we never had a problem. Thank goodness, too-DS had just had a job interview before we left, and he got the job while we were at OKW, which involved several phone calls back and forth and the contract being faxed to OKW. So I can attest to how well Verizon worked at OKW-for DS anyways!

 

[KNWVIKING]

I find it hard to believe cell's don't work well in WDW. I think I'm the only person there that isn't talking on one. Personally, when I'm on vacation I don't want to talk to anybody- including the DW. Guess I'm just getting old. I can't undertand why kids can't go to school without a Buick sized backpack and why adults feel the need to always be on the phone. Oh well, let me crawl back into my cave.

 

[Terry S]

jel0511 .. I will report back on the GSM technology.

SimbaCub... The phone I previously had was the GAIT phone as well and it worked really good at WDW, but I wanted to switch my contract to the new deal they have going and the new deal was only with the GSM phone. They came out this week with a Nationwide no roaming plan that inlcuded 5000 nights and weekends and 5000 mobile to mobile minutes with the $49.99 600 month rollover minutes (or any bigger plan)

 

[sgtpet]

Verizon does not work at Wilderness Lodge area. It works everywhere else from what I have seen.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Originally posted by KNWVIKING
I find it hard to believe cell's don't work well in WDW. I think I'm the only person there that isn't talking on one. Personally, when I'm on vacation I don't want to talk to anybody- including the DW. Guess I'm just getting old. I can't undertand why kids can't go to school without a Buick sized backpack and why adults feel the need to always be on the phone. Oh well, let me crawl back into my cave.

LOL!
DH MUST keep his Nextel on for work at all times. He is the telecommunications person for a national security company, so they rely heavily on phones at all times! If it were up to me, I would throw it in the nearest lagoon while we are at WDW!

 

[twotoohappy]

Was at WDW in Dec. and had no problems with Cingular! I had a signal inside and out.
I even called my ds while in small world - I didn't leave a message, I just had the small world chorus in the background....

 

[jmminarik]

Originally posted by KNWVIKING
Guess I'm just getting old. I can't undertand why kids can't go to school without a Buick sized backpack and why adults feel the need to always be on the phone. Oh well, let me crawl back into my cave.

They need the backpack to carry their game boy, cell phone, PDA, iPod, extra batteries, CD collection for their unhip friends who don't have iPods, 40 oz bottles of Gatorade and maybe a textbook or two.

I agree about the cell phone use in general. We just used ours in May/October to annoy my one nephew for a few minutes and testing to see how well the PTT worked for future trips with our teenage nieces and nephews. They're getting too old to want to hang out with us old folk.

-Joe

 

[Terry S]

twotoohappy... Do you know what technology you have? TDMS, GSM or GAIT?

 

[lclrml]

Hi, the bad nextel service that started last night is due to the overwelming amount of construction workers currently in the orlando area due to the world of concrete convention - seriously.
My husband is there now and we started having issues yesterday afternoon - I can not two way him or call him from my nextel but if i keep trying from a land line, eventually I get thru. Also, if he tries to call me he has to keep tying over and over until it goes through.
We have never had problems with our nextels at disney before and the nextel rep said the system is overburdened down there.
Lisa

 

[zulaya]

Have T-Mobile and the last 2 times have had no troubles with service anywhere - BCV, the couple times in the park I called DH to find out where he was because he had the 2 way radio off.

Mostly we use the 2 way radios for the 4 of us in the parks, but have had some occasion with the cell and have had no signal problems.

 

[SimbaCub]

TerryS: You have a similar plan to my sister. I don't have the GSM only plan where I am so if I want the "national" plan like yours I have to have the multi-network phone which costs a little more each month for the plan but I too have the 5000 nights/weekends and mobile to mobile with roll over on my "anytime" minutes. I found the multi-network phone had slightly better coverage than the plain GSM phone and on the drive down there were places where my sister had no cell service. However, the map shows increased coverage now so I suspect that will change soon enough.

SimbaCub

 

[Disney Doll]

We've had generally good service at WDW. We have verizon. There are a few areas where the service is a little "spotty"...less than clear connection, but connected. At BCV, I had very good service. At OKW, depending on how the room was situated, I've had to step onto the balcony at times.

 

[JVL1018]

WE used our Nextels fine in the parks--I had one problem direct connecting with my husband while he was by PoC and I was on by the Emporium, but other than that, it was great.
For the record, we used it only to direct connect or call each other when we split up with the kids(never on rides) Oh, he called a friend at work just to rubn it in that he was at Epcot, but that's it.
I don't use my cell phone at home more than 10-15 minutes a month, I'm not going to use it on vacation to be chatting to people. I don't WANT to be available all the time to people. LOL

 

[wilderness01]

I have Verizon and have never had a problem at any of the parks or BWV/BCV. We'll be at WL this summer so I will be curious to see how it is there after reading another post that says they had problems.

 

[pat-rick]

Verizon has worked very well outside at all the parks, spotty inside some of the buildings. OKW the phone was useless in the room, had to walk the parking lots to find a place to make a call. BCV's and BWV good reception, VWL have never stayed and not sure if I tried to use it while there for dinner. Fort Wilderness also good when there for the Hoop dee doo review.

Enjoy your stay !!!!

 

[freediverdude]

I used to have problems like some people have posted where my phone was next to useless in some places (like at home), so I took it back to an AT&T Wireless store (not one of the mall kiosks, but one of their real stores) and asked them about it. I got a fairly knowledgable service person in the store who told me that a lot of it is what brand of phone it is. At the time, I had a Sony-Ericsson phone, and she said those are notorious for not getting a good signal, that they have a lot of complaints about those. So she recommended a Nokia, which she says they rarely get complaints about reception when the person has a Nokia. So I purchased that one (and it was one of the less expensive Nokias by the way), and lo and behold, when I got home, the signal strength was all the way up to the top of the bar, instead of all the way at the bottom with the Sony. And here I thought my home was in a spotty service area, when it was just the phone. So the brand of phone seems to make a huge difference.

 

[Gail & Joe]

I have Cingular and we stayed at VWL last year and I did't have any problems. I even got good reception in the room. I also used it in the MK and it was fine.