Cell phone use at WDW

[BackSlash3]

Forgive me if this has been said before, because I just couldn't make it through 12 pages of thread. On my last trip to WDW (Christmas '07) I bought 2 AT&T wireless pre-paid phones at Walgreens for $20 each. They came with $10 of credit on them.

Although I did have to register them on the AT&T website before using them, AT&T has a plan that for $1/day you can get unlimited calling to other AT&T phones and $0.25/minute back to Canada. So for $2/day those phones were much more reliable than FRS radios in the parks when my family split up to do separate activities and I didn't bother spending the $30 to unlock my Rogers RAZR.. Until a trip to Europe, but that's a different story altogether.

Good Luck.

 

[WDWcanuck]

I'm heading to Disney in September and looking to get a US based cell phone.

For those of you with Tracfone experience, I have a few questions:

I'm looking to pick it up from Wal-Mart in Buffalo. Would I be able to choose an Orlando number even though it's purchased in Buffalo?

If I buy it there, can I activate the phone online at home before I go on my trip? Or should I wait to activate it in Disney?

Are the rates the same if I'm in Orlando as they are in New York? I'm connecting through JFK.

Does anyone have experience with creating a local number for family to call your Tracfone while you're in the States?

Thanks in advance.

Dan...

 

[MikeyA50]

 

[beavdisfan]

yes in a word
i sell and own a rogers phone it works perfectly here, when i cross the border i put in a u.s. cingular sim card and away i go

 

[Step]

I just ordered 3 Aloha phones (free with $10 airtime) from virgin mobile. I'm staying at ASMU, arriving 8 days from today.

Adr.1: 1801 W. Buena Vista Dr.
Adr.2: Guest Arr. 01/09/2008
City: Orlando
State: FL
Zip: 32830

When I clicked submit my paypal account came up and I was able to change my address to the above (for the paypal shipping address).

I'll let all of you know if this works out smoothly or not when I get back from my trip.

 

[SaskDisNut]

I'm heading to Disney in September and looking to get a US based cell phone.

For those of you with Tracfone experience, I have a few questions:

I'm looking to pick it up from Wal-Mart in Buffalo. Would I be able to choose an Orlando number even though it's purchased in Buffalo?

If I buy it there, can I activate the phone online at home before I go on my trip? Or should I wait to activate it in Disney?

Are the rates the same if I'm in Orlando as they are in New York? I'm connecting through JFK.

Does anyone have experience with creating a local number for family to call your Tracfone while you're in the States?

Thanks in advance.

Dan...

I bought 2 Tracfones for $9.88 each in Walmart in Billings, Montana a couple of weeks ago. I haven't activated them yet but from what I have read so far you can get a number for just about anywhere you want and activate them online. So when I do activate them closer to my trip, I will get an Orlando area number assigned to them. Airtime costs depend on how many minutes you buy, either online or from a card purchased at Walmart or wherever. A 60 minute card cost $19.88 at Walmart but I didn't buy one. I'll buy minutes online later.

Airtime costs are the same no matter if you are calling from cell to cell, long distance or to Canada. A minute is deducted from your total minutes for each minute you use the phone.

I'm not exactly sure how setting up the Canadian number works for people to phone you on your US phone so hopefully someone who has done it can respond.

If this all works good for us we will probably use them again on another trip. If not, I'll look into using the Virgin Mobile phones next time as that also looks like a good way to go.

 

[biggroofy]

We got two phones (K10 Royale) from virginmobileusa.com in March. Upon planning our Jan 2009 trip, I noticed that one of the phones is no longer valid - guess it has expired - I could not logon to my web account anymore.

Can I still re-activate and top-up the phone? If yes, how?

Thank you.

*The 2nd phone was fine since a colleague borrowed it in June and topped up around that time.

 

[DearDaisyinDurham]

bump - any new info? TIA!

 

[lisalonglash]

We have Rogers cell phones and will be taking them with us to WDW. We will need to be able to receive calls, make calls and send/receive texts while we're there. What should I be asking Rogers when I call? Thanks!!!

 

[Fellowship9798]

I just purchased, received, and activated a Virgin Mobile "Aloha" phone in preparation for our trip next week. We live close to the US border so we're able to have it shipped to a US address in WA state and drive 10 minutes accross the border to pick it up.

As stated before, $9.99 USD including the phone, shipping (to a US address), and $12.50 credit on the account good for 90 days. Calls within the US are $0.20/min and calls back to Canada are $0.35/min.

Sounds good to me so far. The phone feels like light plastic toy phone, but what can I expect for $10? As long as it works, that's all we need.

 

[Wilec]

I would avoid using your rogers phone down there The airtime will hurt... We are using 2 Tracfones which include free calls to Canada and a local Canadian number that family can dial to call us.

 

[lisalonglash]

I would avoid using your rogers phone down there The airtime will hurt... We are using 2 Tracfones which include free calls to Canada and a local Canadian number that family can dial to call us.

I called Rogers directly to ask what the charges would be for our cell phones while we're in the US. Here's how it shakes down:

- 25 cents per text message sent (it's free to receive texts though)
- 60 cents per minute to call a US number. LD charges will apply for calls to/from a Canadian number plus 70 cents per minute.

There was an International Text Messaging package offered ($7.00 per phone per month for up to 50 text messages in the US), but we didn't take it (I doubt we'd need that many texts anyway lol).

So, we'll just bring our cell phones

 

[DearDaisyinDurham]

Hi Lisa!
We used call forwarding (from home phone to the cell) when we were there. Rogers rep was really helpful once I explained what we needed. There is a super nice Target by the really nice outlets (sensing a shopping theme? ) and we picked up a phone card from Target to make calls form the hotel room.

Have fun!!!!!!!!
xoxoxoxoxo

 

[Beechnut]

We used call forwarding (from home phone to the cell) when we were there.

When you call forward who get the charge?
If my cell is 'long distance' from the house phone is it billed to the house phone account or the cell account?

thanks

 

[MVA]

We have 3 cell phones with Bell in BC. There is zero cost to call each other in Canada. Will it be costly to use them to call each other in WDW?

 

[ericsgm]

I'm looking to pick up 2 phones just so our large group can stay in touch. It's good to hear that there are at least a couple cost-effective options. Yes, we are prepared that they will be pretty much disposable, but for the peace of mind, they will be worth it! I am hoping we might be able to reactivate them on future trips. Does anyone know if that would work?

 

[katscradle]

Buying a prepaid phone sounds like a great idea.
Since I am heading for WDW on the 11th of Dec. Walmart is going to be a first stop for me. However we are taking Magical Express where is the closest Walmart?

 

[Ham Ham]

Buying a prepaid phone sounds like a great idea.
Since I am heading for WDW on the 11th of Dec. Walmart is going to be a first stop for me. However we are taking Magical Express where is the closest Walmart?

You can order a Virgin phone on line and they will ship it FOC to your resort.
http://www.virginmobileusa.com/rates/minute.do

Or you can go to the Virgin Mega Store in DTD West Side and pick one up.

 

[Charleyann]

Buying a prepaid phone sounds like a great idea.
Since I am heading for WDW on the 11th of Dec. Walmart is going to be a first stop for me. However we are taking Magical Express where is the closest Walmart?

Do you have a Walmart nearby? (In the States?)With the Tracfone you can purchase now and activate later from any state or area code. That is what I did. You can also order it directly from the Tracfone website and have it sent to you at home if you have time before you leave on vacation....

Charleyann

 

[Beechnut]

Does either Tracfone or Virgin Deliver to canada?

How much duty/taxes do you have to pay?

thanks