Do you REALLY need your CELLPHONE at WDW?

[!@#$%]

This is a tip I submitted to mousesavers. Just thought someone might find it worth reading.

Lately youve given many good uses for cellphones at the park. My tip is there is as many reasons NOT to bring your cellphone to WDW as there are reasons to bring it. Ive been 7 times in the past 2 years, and have noticed on the past 2 trips the increasing hordes of people walking around bumping into each other while gabbing on their phones. Is this "your" vacation or not?
I run an emergency plumbing repair business. Leaving state is the ONLY way I can get "away" from my job. While I'm at the world, I dont want to be talking people through their plumbing problems! This is FAMILY TIME! My customers keep my bills paid while I'm home, and I'm VERY greatful, but I constantly have to disreguard my plans (and family plans) for their immediate needs. Vacation is "MY time". Its one week out of the year I want to spend stress free with my family. Besides, I paid dearly for this week, and spent countless hours planning, I want to enjoy it. Here's my strategy: how I pull it off with a sucessful sole-proprietor business....
I tell NOONE that I am leaving except those who will be caring for my house and pets while I'm gone. This helps eliminate the threat of having my house robbed while away. (This happened to some relatives recently... someone cleaned them out of $12,000 in electronics while in Cancun!!) I then transfer my home calls to my cellphone. Then on the way down to FL, I change my cellphone message to say "I will be closed today and possibly the rest of the week for personal needs, If you need immediate response please call _______ (a competitor friend who does the same for me when he's on vacation) I will be returning any calls early tomorrow morning, but will not be available to work today." As I celebrate my family time I am not worried by others' troubles, and can FULLY enjoy my vacation. I dont have to worry about crushing my cellphone on a thrillride, about getting it wet, or about having to worry "Should I answer this?" It wont ring and disturb everyone while I'm on a dark quiet ride. There wont be any flashing blue lights disturbing others views of the surroundings. We use walkie talkies if we need to separate, they are much cheaper, easier to replace, and more fun as you can listen to others' conversations! Every night back at the resort, I check the messages, and return the calls the following morning. Since many of my customers are repeaters, I know who I can tell I'm on vacation, and who I cant. Most will understand. On the return trip I have 10 hours to return all calls, and usually book up a whole weeks worth of work on the drive home. The fact that I cared enough to return every single call (missed calls) even ones with no message, to see if they did in fact find someone to fix their disaster is a sign that I really do value them. Cellphones always seem to ring in the middle of an important moment. On a recent trip I overheard many business calls that seemed so trivial. I watched as parents tried to enjoy their vacation with their children while their phone rings every 5 minutes. I saw businessmen snapping at their children who wanted to board a ride because they were discussing business. I also seen many other than myself angered as teenagers' cellphones flashed and blinked while on Pirates of the Caribbean and other dark quiet rides. They waited in line for the ride, then missed the whole ride due to a phone call. Is it REALLY necessary to describe the whole ride to the person on the other end? If you survived 6 years ago with no cellphone, you can today. Give yourself a break, enjoy your time for yourself, and leave your phone in the room in the safe. I know not everyone can, and I understand to some its not possible, but many can. YES! Many of you REALLY CAN live without that thing for a single week! Just a different side to the same old story. Its just an opinion, and worth consideration. Take it or leave it.
Please dont flame me with reasons you have to take it. Like I said. Theres always 2 sides to every story, this is just one side. I'm not opposed to cellphones; in fact I LOVE mine, just not on vacation. JMHO

 

[DisneyElf]

I definitely understand why you don't want your cellphone with you ... but I will continue to bring mine with me to WDW.

My sister & I vacation together - leaving her adult children home with 4 dogs & 3 cats (one of the dogs is handicapped). In case of an emergancy - they can call us & let us know if anything is wrong - or if there is a problem with the house. YES - I know we are 1500 miles away but we can talk to our brother-in-law to make sure everything works out okay. In '04 we were stuck at WDW during Hurricane Frances .. my nephew was invovled in a serious car accident the day before (he was rearended ) and we couldn't fly home ... the phone let us keep in contact with him, family at home til we knew he was okay.

I even have a waterproof case for the phone. While in Blizzard Beach - we got a call that a close friend needed a double bypass. We were able to talk to her and then her daughter after surgery to make sure she was recovering.

We have approved of a kitten adoptation while in MGM (a feral kitten who was 4 weeks old and abandon by the mother).

Work has only called me a couple of times - I am responsible for keeping the management software running smoothly for 30+ employees. I've even had voicemail left for me on it - when I was having shoulder surgery (If your not under can you call - server crashed )

I keep the phone on vibrate on the rides - rings to Disney tunes .. and if I have to take a call - I step to the side (out of traffic) and finish quickly.

 

[disneychrista]

I can think of several reasons to HAVE my phone while on vacation. But not very many reason as to why I need to have it ON.

 

[Swimnoid]

I agree. My DD & I always get a kick out of the people standing in long lines jabbering on the phone...."Hi! I'm in the R &R line. blah, blah, blah" then call them aback 5 minutes later. "I'm STILL in the R & R line!" If somebody called me at home to tell me that I'd hang up on them. We saw this one lady walking by Spaceship Earth yelling into her phone. "I'M...AT...THE...BIG...BALL! WHERE....ARE....YOU????"

One year my PIL wanted to use them so they could tell us when they wanted to eat but they couldnt figure out how to work it so that ended!

 

[JPN4265]

When we go to WDW or any other vacation for that matter. One main rule, No papers, no news, no cell phones. If someone needs to get to us, they can leave a message at the front desk.

 

[bicker]

Our cellphones are life-savers at WDW. We don't ever lose track of each other, even when we get separated. That's really essential, especially when you're using the "FastPass runner" tip.

 

[la79al]

I am only considering taking a cell phone because last year we (very briefly) lost both kids (not at the same time). I might feel better knowing we will get a call when they are lost again (and believe me, it will happen).

 

[dsnymomof4]

We brought our 3 phones on our family plan and mainly used them to check in with each other when we were separated. A lot of times I would take the girls on a few rides while DH and DS12 went off on some "older" rides and we would meet up afterwards. At least with our phones, we would know how long to wait and let them know where we were, etc. Also, a few times when we had a long wait, for example when we got our spot for Illuminations and hour before it started, we could make a call back home to let everyone know how much fun we were having!

 

[!@#$%]

My problem isnt as much people using them for basic communication, (IE: were at Spaceship Earth... see you at 3PM at the front gate) as it is parents who cant leave their jobs. Also the teens who just distract everyone with their phones pointlessly. There is such a thing as cellphone ettiquete. The second poster made this point. Of course teens are supposed to annoy everyone else... right?

 

[bicker]

Indeed. If they didn't do it via cellphone, they'd find some other way. The cellphone isn't the problem.

 

[WantToGoNow]

Our cellphones is how we keep up with each other at WDW -- we have 4 adults (me, dh, adult dd and dd's friend) and two small children. There are times when we will split up and need to re-connect. We also use the phones to make/receive calls from family/friends from home. Anyone who's ever made calls from their room will notice that Disney upcharges your phone calls by a LARGE amount. I will give me number to a select few of my coworkers and supervisors incase something comes up that they NEED me for -- I've done this every vacation and I remember 2 calls.

 

[WDWfor5]

We brought our cellphones and it made the trip so much easier. With 3 small children, we split up often and DH and I needed to be able to keep in touch. This way when DH and DD 6 went off to a ride leaving me with the DS 4 and DS 2, I didn't have to wait in the same spot until they came back for fear of missing them - we just called each other.

We also used it for work. We are self employed and while our customers knew we were away, sometimes they need to reach us and only us. When you design and sell custom log homes there is often no one else to refer the customer to and they shouldn't have to wait for a week for an answer.

But the most important for me is there is no univeral right answer - do what works for your family and respect that other families are doing what works for their's and have a wonderful time in the most magical place on earth.

 

[jonestavern]

Yes, we're cell phone users-
As OPs noted, we use them to keep track of one another--we split up a great deal, especially when we have extended family down--we tend not to travel in packs
we do have walkies talkies but find the cells more convenient. While the Cobras are small, they are bulkier-& of course, no calling out for pizza
As OP noted, we do turn the cells off, only turn them on when we make a call.
We make ADRs &/or confirm (we go at slow times & can always get off-hours ADRs the day of or day before). We keep in touch with the kennel, too.
If work needs DH, he will call from the resort room
Yes, there are waterproof cases & we keep our phones in fannypacks, much easier than toting the cameras about
1 of our extended family teen members is constantly on her cell We will be taking her to WCC

Jean

 

[tinkrbellver06]

i take my cell phone with me..but my mom gets mad b/c all i do is text message..so she just says if we go off without them to keep in touch..i never call any1 tho unless im in my room..if it rings i answer n say im in disney ill call you later tonight...n usually my mom makes sure i am not walking around with the phone plastered to my ear or that i am not tming constantly..its our vacation..a time to get away!!

 

[minkydog]

Our cellphones is how we keep up with each other at WDW -- we have 4 adults (me, dh, adult dd and dd's friend) and two small children. There are times when we will split up and need to re-connect. We also use the phones to make/receive calls from family/friends from home. Anyone who's ever made calls from their room will notice that Disney upcharges your phone calls by a LARGE amount. I will give me number to a select few of my coworkers and supervisors incase something comes up that they NEED me for -- I've done this every vacation and I remember 2 calls.

Us, too. We have 3 cells for the 5 of us. DS19 likes to go off by himself. DH needs to go rest in the hotel. That leaves me running around with two young kids. you bet I carry a cell phone. I don't know how I ever lived without it

 

[FoodLover]

This is a tip I submitted to mousesavers. Just thought someone might find it worth reading.

Lately youve given many good uses for cellphones at the park.

I have never suggested or even discussed the issue of using cell phones at Disney theme parks. Frankly I couldn't care less one way or the other.

Also I never received this "tip" from anyone. It's not the sort of tip I would put on my site anyway. MouseSavers.com is focused on saving money and time at the Disney theme parks.

So I have no idea what the heck this is all about. It sounds like the OP is actually thinking of a completely different site, like maybe Deb Wills' site. Beats me.

Mary
MouseSavers.com

 

[tmt martins]

We love our Nextels at the Parks they let DW sleep in and find us right away when she hits the parks .
I have also called in an ADR when the TS said they had nothing ,I was standing right infront of the place and booked for an hour later.

Now i have a work Blackberry that I leave at home and caller ID on my cell so If it's not vacation related I just flip it to voicemail.

DD also likes to play games on her's when we're waiting for a show or standing in line.

 

[CleveRocks]

Like some other posters here, I used my cellphone while on vacation at WDW for two and only two reasons:

1) communication with others in my party so we can split up and reconnect without stressing or rushing or being confused.

2) saving money on calls home, etc. rather than paying the huge markup on the resort room phone. I also made some PSs (now ADRs) from Disney Transport buses, when I realized my months-ago planning didn't always apply to my real-world scenario at present. While riding the bus back to the resort, for example, I could use that time to figure out if we had other dinner options besides counter service somewhere.

I, too, HUGELY value my vacation time away from life's everyday hustle-and-bustle and worries. My wife is a physician and I am a therapist, but we both have our responsibilites covered while we're away, so we're lucky enough to not need to have an electronic leash on us. As someone else said, in an emergency, people could leave us messages at the resort (both of our offices had our resort's main telephone number).

But MAN, what an invaluable convenience it was to split our party apart and be able to hook up later without any muss or fuss. We very thankfully split apart from my in-laws one afternoon, and agreed to meet for dinner at 6:00 p.m. By 5:30, our kids were more than ready for dinner, so we called my MIL and learned that they were done what they were doing and were just hanging out in another part of the park waiting until the proper time to walk to the restaurant. We got the kids (and US!!!) dinner 30 minutes earlier than scheduled because we were able to communicate with my in-laws. Not exactly life-saving, but VERY convenient and helpful.

 

[!@#$%]

Your exacty right, my mistake, it was All Ears, (got the All Ears goodie bag for my tips for Epcot) not mousesavers, and I didnt say it was posted either now did I?
but SHEESH lady. Who pissed in your cornflakes? Why ya gotta be so hateful? It was just an opinion, and you know what they say about opinions....
JFTR 2 or 3 of my tips ARE on your website, along with my name. only not this one.

 

[!@#$%]

Just unsubscribed. Thanks to all for the nice posts. Over and out.