Do cell phones and/or walkie talkies work well in parks?

[CourtasanSatine]

Any info about Tracphone?

 

[Idahomom]

Our cell phones worked great. We took 3 and never had a problem reaching each other within the parks or from the parks to the hotel.

 

[ReggieB]

Unfortunatly T-Mobile works just fine. Picture myself and my 4 year old son stood just outside of the Splash Mountain exit waiting for my husband to finish an impromtu conference call. I hasten to add we were stood in a quiet spot, away from guests so he was only annoying us!! He was able to recieve emails and calls at all parks, plus Grand Floridian, AKL, Contempory and Polynesian hotels. This was October 2004.

 

[disneycrazzzy]

We have had great luck with Verizon. A couple of tips:

1) use *228 to update your roaming software. It can make a big difference.
2) get a fanny pack with a hip pocket and put it on vibrate/ring. I felt it vibrate more often then I heard it ring. ebags has the Columbia Sportswear Deluxe Lumbar Pack that has the kind of pocket that sits on your hip bone.

We've found our phones to be an invaluable resource. We used walkie/talkies a couple times and don't recommend them. This year I may let my son go on a few rides alone only because we have the phones that are reliable.

 

[MUFFYCAT]

The cell phones are the way to go! The 2-way radios/walkie talkie get everyone but the people you want. You'll hear every parent looking for the child.

 

[erikthewise]

We go early Dec and have not had any trouble with 2-way radios (walkie-talkies). You HAVE to have the subchannels though -- without them it is hopeless, but with them you seldom get other people on the same channel and subchannel. One reason I suspect is that a lot of people ARE using cell phones so the 2-way traffic is less than it might be.

Let's face it, if you already have a cell phone plan with multiple phones and free roaming, use them!! But if you don't, it makes no sense to pay for one all year long just so you can use it at WDW, unless you go several times a year.

 

[Vavasmon]

I have used my Verizon phone all over Disney without any problems. I mainly use it if I get paged by work (the opager is on vibrate), to coordinate meeting times when we split up, and last August to try and reschedule around hurricane Frances. I canb't stand it whne people are talking on rides or in shows.

 

[Susie51]

In our group of 7, we will have two Virgin cell phones. Will these work at WDW?

They worked in Disneyland Aug. 2004

 

[DisneyAddict_M]

I have Verizon and my cell phone worked just fine at MK.

 

[TrickyFish]

Verizon does have a Nextel-esque walkie talkie type line, called Push To Talk, but to get those you'd have to sign up for a new contract and get new phones, so I don't know if that's really worth it!

 

[Terry S]

Snappy, you have a newer Cingular phone with the newest GSM technology. Those people who have Cingular services with spotty service may have older phones or older technology like the GAIT or even analog.

 

[Skyhawk32803]

Nextel works pretty well throught out WDW. We are changing all our radios over them, so they are hoping to have almost 100% coverage.

 

[TSR6]

Nextels work great there. We even had good signal in our room at YC, CR & WL. Only problem I remember was with the Poly.

Yeah. Nextel has full coverage across property. I switched to Nextel from US Cellular while I was down in Florida, and NEVER had any reception problems down there.

Reason being, Nextel is the only provider to have cell towers actually in the parks. WDW uses Nextel's Direct Connect feature for communications now, instead of the Motorola Walkie Talkies - thus You can even talk on your cell phone in the middle of any ride on WDW property too. ( Although *strikes up dis. announcer voice* "and for the comfort of others... No talking please."

 

[Grants Mom]

I have the same question! I am going in 2007 and wanting to know if I should just take my Cingular cell phone or walkie talkies or both for that matter.

 

[tax58]

We have T-Mobile family plan and they are great in the parks.

 

[OKW Lover]

Which ever choice you make, please turn them off while in an attraction. If you are using cell phones, at least put them on vibrate instead of ring. Also, headsets will allow you to hear and be heard by the caller instead of everybody near you.

 

[brivers222]

We have verizon cell phone service but we were also considing getting a set of 2-way radios (not nextel, but the walkie-talkie type that are hot these days). Do cell phones and/or the 2-ways work well in the parks or are there way to many people using them so we'd pick up on their conversations too? Any brands of 2-ways that work better than others? Any to avoid? Thanks!

Verizon! We had full bars the entire time in WDW. Amazingly we had better reception 1,200 miles from our house.

Verizon is PERFECT for the world!

 

[sleepyone]

Has anyone with Cingular used their phones in the park? Thanks!

Cingular worked great for us.

 

[sleepyone]

If you do decide to use walkie-talkies make up "code" names for each other. We had decided on a channel to use while dh & I split up (I went to get a fast pass). Unfortunately, others were using this channel to give detailed reports of rides, etc...and the (I assume) the Dad was a grump. I needed to tell dh something and the grump told me to get off "his" channel and proceeded to get more nasty than he was with his family. We only only turned ours on when we split & up and needed it. We only really needed it that one time. But, know that others may just be chit chatting about nothing.

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

I have a GSM quad-band phone using Cingular (however, any phone using GSM service should have similar results), and usually get decent to great coverage (5 bars) all throughout WDW. The only times I have service problems are when I'm in a building, or at Miller's Road at Old Key West.