Cell phones

[Rroo]

We will be travelling to Orlando with two other couples. We will mostly all be doing our own things while we are there but will want to communicate with each other (to make plans for dinner, etc.). I checked into my cell company (Telus) and it is will be costly to use my phone to make calls. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[wee-haggis]

We will be travelling to Orlando with two other couples. We will mostly all be doing our own things while we are there but will want to communicate with each other (to make plans for dinner, etc.). I checked into my cell company (Telus) and it is will be costly to use my phone to make calls. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks!

I think a lot of folk buy cheap ,pay-as-you-go phones down there.
Very reasoanable price

 

[Mickey1Fan]

We used text messaging. We have unlimited text messaging within North America with Bell Mobility.

I am not sure what happened with the one person who had a different carrier if they had additional costs.

I would certainly caution against using it for voice calls between Canadian cellular numbers. I had a $300 roaming/long distance bill from my recent trip to the states.

 

[SherylR]

If there is a roaming charge for texting? That's what my dh and I will be doing - texting. We pay .15 per text. We wouldn't use it all that often, just on the day he goes to golf.

We used text messaging. We have unlimited text messaging within North America with Bell Mobility.

I am not sure what happened with the one person who had a different carrier if they had additional costs.

I would certainly caution against using it for voice calls between Canadian cellular numbers. I had a $300 roaming/long distance bill from my recent trip to the states.

 

[1000th happy haunt]

Check at the airport and see if you can rent a US cell phone.

 

[F4disneyfan]

We will be travelling to Orlando with two other couples. We will mostly all be doing our own things while we are there but will want to communicate with each other (to make plans for dinner, etc.). I checked into my cell company (Telus) and it is will be costly to use my phone to make calls. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks!

We use the Cobra GMRS radios with the 26kilometer range to keep in touch with everyone they work great and they are 80 bucks a pair with batteries and chargers.

 

[canron]

get a trac phone..$19.00 ar ant walgreens or kmart...we got one 2 years ago..it works great.kids are useing it next week then we go in may again and take it..its cheaper then any plan you can get from here to use there,

 

[CanadianGuy]

Both Rogers and Bell offer short term packages for jsut this sort of situation.

Check with your carrier. Telus maybe the exception to this.

Knox

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Since my Dad and I both have Bell cell phones we always purchase the Connect Florida plan which includes the following.

100 Florida travelling minutes
Includes both incoming and outgoing calls
$20 per month

 

[Mickey1Fan]

There should not be roaming charges on any text message within North America but check with your provider. You should also be able to get a text message package that may save you money.

 

[CanadianGuy]

I forgot to mention.. for my upcoming 5 day trip to CSR, I'm getting a $19.95 tracfone delivered to the resort ahead of my arrival. It includes 120 minutes AND the darned phone.

That's cheaper .. (for 120 minutes over 5 days straddling 2 billing periods) than anything I can get from Rogers.

Knox

 

[siobhan1997]

We just changed our plan for the month we were in Orlando with Telus to Talk North America. Changed back to our regular plan upon my return.

 

[yxe dad]

Both Rogers and Bell offer short term packages for jsut this sort of situation.

Check with your carrier. Telus maybe the exception to this.

Knox

Rogers has NO, may I repeat NO packages for just this sort of situation!!! And yes there is roaming charges for texts in the US on the rogers network!!
This thread has brought back the memories of the nightmare bill I received after I returned home from 14 days in WDW. $861. I "added on a text and a long distance plan" but they are only vaild for calls and texts originating from Canada, not what the customer service rep said when she sold me the packages. Sorry if I'm ranting but Rogers SUCKS!!!!

 

[Rroo]

I forgot to mention.. for my upcoming 5 day trip to CSR, I'm getting a $19.95 tracfone delivered to the resort ahead of my arrival. It includes 120 minutes AND the darned phone.

That's cheaper .. (for 120 minutes over 5 days straddling 2 billing periods) than anything I can get from Rogers.

That sounds great! Can you tell me how I could do the same thing?
Thanks!

 

[petbren]

I forgot to mention.. for my upcoming 5 day trip to CSR, I'm getting a $19.95 tracfone delivered to the resort ahead of my arrival. It includes 120 minutes AND the darned phone.

That's cheaper .. (for 120 minutes over 5 days straddling 2 billing periods) than anything I can get from Rogers.

Knox

Where did you order this from, one of the grocery delivery places, or direct with a phone company?
Did you have any problem with the resort holding your package until you arrived, and which resort was it?

 

[snowy76]

Tracfones are available at many stores in the US or can be ordered online... but I did a search on their website for retailers in the WDW area and it looks like you can even buy them at the three Hess gas stations on property!

http://www.tracfone.com/jsplib/verify_retailer_location_mapquest.jsp

 

[disneyfan2]

We use the Cobra GMRS radios with the 26kilometer range to keep in touch with everyone they work great and they are 80 bucks a pair with batteries and chargers.

i wondered about that? did they actually work that far without interferance? We have some that are 5 mile but even within 1mile you lose reception. i wondered about buying a larger range and how efficeint they are.

 

[CanadianGuy]

Rogers has NO, may I repeat NO packages for just this sort of situation!!! And yes there is roaming charges for texts in the US on the rogers network!!

I'm very sorry you got a bad Rogers representative. But I can assure that Rogers DOES have a plan for this situation. More info is available by clicking here. That informations is from their wireless site for business users, but individuals can sign-up for it as well. I am NOT a business user, and they added it for me and it worked.

I just used it and it saved me big. It was 40$ for 60 minutes of airtime including long distance with no roaming charges whatsoever.

They have packages with more minutes available. It's an ADD-ON to your existing plan and doesn't involve changing your package. You can put it on for 2 months (as I did) .. My trip straddled my billing period date. So.. the days leading up to my billing date.. I had 60 minutes.. (Wednesday) and then for the days following Wednesday, I had another 60 minutes.

I got my bill last week.. all my phone calls while I was in the U.S. were included in the plan at 0.00$... including my calls to Canada. The only exceptions were 800 numbers.. they charge 10c or 25c or something for those calls. Again, there were only a few calls to 800 #s and I knew that going in.

I got a couple of text messages but I failed to check exactly how much I was charged for them on my bill. They were NOT included in that plan. I knew that. I think they were like 40c each.. I only got a few so.. that didn't add up to very much.

Sounds like you got a very bad representative from Rogers. I would think you could argue with a supervisor about your situation. I'm sure you've tried I won't debate whether they suck or not.. but my experience was good. I fully accept your word that yours was not.

Anyway.. for 120 minutes with Rogers using my own phone number etc... that cost me 80$.

Regarding my TracFone idea... 120 minutes for 20$ including the phone....

That sounds great! Can you tell me how I could do the same thing?
Thanks!

Where did you order this from, one of the grocery delivery places, or direct with a phone company?
Did you have any problem with the resort holding your package until you arrived, and which resort was it?

I Googled the word TracFone and went to their website and under "Buy A Phone" the deal I mentioned is there. I haven't bought YET.. but I will buy and have it sent either to a friend in Orlando .. or directly to the resort.

Lots of people have packages sent to the resorts ahead of time. There are threads all over these boards about that. I think I need to put my name, and reservation number on one of the address lines along with the address of the resort. I'm going to double check with a CM friend of mine about this to be absolutely sure.

Knox

 

[dhluvsDisney]

I just checked with Rogers yesterday, and their plan is an add-on for texting of $4 and $7 for the U.S. text plan. They assured me there were no roaming charges for this plan. I guess we'll see. I've emailed them to confirm this in writing.

As well, I called MTS mobility yesterday, they said there was no roaming charges for the unlimited text plan the kids are on. I'll see if I can email them as well to re-confirm.

 

[cpbjgc]

We have MTS as well and the text messaging 20 cents/message and the calls in Florida were charged 99 cents U.S. per call for roaming and 25 cents CDN / minute on airtime(which for us was no big deal as we used the phones rarely).

What was worse was when I my phone battery was out and I needed to call DW using a payphone (trying to organize a meeting place in the middle of a sea of ponchos during a thuderstorm, and contrary to what the boards say, NOBODY left the MK). That call ended up being $8 to call my wife's cell because it was long distance (We were in different lands - me and DS were at Space Mountain in Tomorrowland and she and DD at the judges tent at the Toontown Fair )