Communication with one another at TDL.

[SteamboatWillie28]

My family and I are going to TDL in June and one thing that we're not sure on is how we are going to be keeping in touch with one another if we get separated. We don't have international calling so we cant call each other. But most of us have iphones so we could use skype when we have a wifi connection. So one thing that Im wondering is if TDL has a wifi connection in the park. Also if anyone has any good ideas on how you kept in touch with each other (or plan to) without using phones it would be much appreciated

 

[GrtWtNorth]

I didn't use a phone on our visit, but here are some observations.

Cell phones are everywhere in Japan. If your US phones are not compatible with Japanese service, or they have very expensive overseas use plans, you could probably buy cheap disposable phones at convenience stores like 7-Eleven or AM-PM (just like Canadians do when traveling to the US).

Guests are banned from bringing 2-way radios (aka walkie-talkies) into Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disney Sea. Only cast members are allowed to use them on property. (FYI, they are also banned from carry-on luggage on most flights.)

 

[SteamboatWillie28]

OK. Thank you, I was actually thinking about getting some walkie talkies to use there, thinking that it would just be a quick and easy way to talk with one another, but i guess not. Thank you.

 

[Corbisblue]

Depending on how long you are staying you could "rent" phones there. They have them at the airport. I'm not sure on the cost per day. I'm pretty sure you can still rent phones, I would double check though before taking my word for it It's been a few years.

It would be MUCH easier if carriers didn't charge us an arm and a leg to use roaming....I looked at getting some data for when I'm in Japan and it's gonna cost me $100 for 10mb of data. That's ridiculous.

When are you planning on going to TDL? I'm planning on going there for a weekend to check out both parks.

 

[steve_rob]

Wouldn't rely on getting wireless internet access in the parks. When we were both in Tokyo and in TDR, we found free wireless signals few and far between. Even though both the hotels we stayed at had wired internet access for free in your room, we ended up having to pay to use the internet because I didn't have a laptop with me, only my iPod touch.

However, we did hire mobiles to stay in touch with each other and never had a problem with getting a signal, both in the city and in the parks. They came in very useful whenever we got split up.

 

[jsilvers]

My family and I are going to TDL in June and one thing that we're not sure on is how we are going to be keeping in touch with one another if we get separated. We don't have international calling so we cant call each other. But most of us have iphones so we could use skype when we have a wifi connection.

No publicly accessible wi-fi in the parks in my experience. But if you have the iPhone 3G or 3GS, they are compatible with the Japanese cell networks, so you simply need to have AT&T enable them for international roaming; there is no charge. (The cost per-minute is high, but if you'll only be using them for quick calls, it will still be much cheaper then renting multiple phones.)

 

[SteamboatWillie28]

Depending on how long you are staying you could "rent" phones there. They have them at the airport. I'm not sure on the cost per day. I'm pretty sure you can still rent phones, I would double check though before taking my word for it It's been a few years.

It would be MUCH easier if carriers didn't charge us an arm and a leg to use roaming....I looked at getting some data for when I'm in Japan and it's gonna cost me $100 for 10mb of data. That's ridiculous.

When are you planning on going to TDL? I'm planning on going there for a weekend to check out both parks.

Ok thanks. Yeah ill look into the cost of renting phones there. We're gonna be in Japan from June 16 to the 22, so we're gonna see both parks and a little bit of Japan.

Wouldn't rely on getting wireless internet access in the parks. When we were both in Tokyo and in TDR, we found free wireless signals few and far between. Even though both the hotels we stayed at had wired internet access for free in your room, we ended up having to pay to use the internet because I didn't have a laptop with me, only my iPod touch.

However, we did hire mobiles to stay in touch with each other and never had a problem with getting a signal, both in the city and in the parks. They came in very useful whenever we got split up

Yeah thanks, my DF keeps trying to tell me that everywhere that i go in Japan there will be free wireless, including in the parks, so it's good to know that I won't now and not find out when we get there.

No publicly accessible wi-fi in the parks in my experience. But if you have the iPhone 3G or 3GS, they are compatible with the Japanese cell networks, so you simply need to have AT&T enable them for international roaming; there is no charge. (The cost per-minute is high, but if you'll only be using them for quick calls, it will still be much cheaper then renting multiple phones.)

Ok thanks. I guess i got to go to the AT&T store to see how much it would cost per minute to talk in Japan.

 

[xmansmom]

Ok thanks. I guess i got to go to the AT&T store to see how much it would cost per minute to talk in Japan.

The info is on their website. My husband just looked it up yesterday but I can't remember how much. We're going in July. I'm sooo excited!

 

[jsilvers]

Yeah thanks, my DF keeps trying to tell me that everywhere that i go in Japan there will be free wireless, including in the parks, so it's good to know that I won't now and not find out when we get there.

My experience is that free wi-fi is much less common in Japan than the U.S. I presume there is less demand for it, since hi-tech cell phones are common. Don't count on ever finding any accessible networks.

Ok thanks. I guess i got to go to the AT&T store to see how much it would cost per minute to talk in Japan.

It's $1.99 per minute, or $1.69 per minute if you purchase the "World Traveler" plan. World Traveler nominally costs $5.99 per month, but since you can add or delete it at any time, you should really think of it as costing 20 cents per day. Thus, it makes sense to add the plan right before you leave if you expect to use a phone for as little as once per day, and then cancel it right when you get back.

Also, remember that using the data functions on the iPhone is costly in Japan if you don't buy a plan from AT&T (and even then it isn't cheap).

 

[mikelan6]

I have an iPhone and when I recently went to Japan, I just signed up for the Global Data Plan option. It was $24.99 for 20 MB, but could be prorated to the number of days/MB you need. I was able to check my emails and browse the web from the parks. It came in very handy.

 

[Corbisblue]

I have an iPhone and when I recently went to Japan, I just signed up for the Global Data Plan option. It was $24.99 for 20 MB, but could be prorated to the number of days/MB you need. I was able to check my emails and browse the web from the parks. It came in very handy.

That is SO much cheaper than what I have to pay on Rogers up here in Canada. For 10MB of data to use in Japan is $100. Which is absolutely retarded....

 

[gk90]

I was pricing the rental phones available at Narita, here are a couple of links

http://www.telecomsquare.co.jp/en/agency/jtbgmt14/
http://www.mobalnarita.com/

Does anyone have any price info on the cheap phones available from 7-11?

 

[lurkyloo]

We used this company to rent a phone for my husband. It ended up costing us about $50 for a week. The phone was at our hotel when we arrived, and we just handed it back to the desk clerk in its shipping box when we left.

http://www.rentafonejapan.com/


For my iPhone, I signed up for AT&T's World Traveler and bought a 50MB data plan. I was so careful with my data that I didn't end up using it all, which is even worse cuz I paid 60 bucks for it!