Free Internet Access????

[IowaGrumpy]

When will Disney resorts or even just DVC resorts, as a perk for DVC members, offer free internet access in the rooms for their guests???

It almost unbelievable that you can stay in a budget motel off Disney property costing as low as $34.00 per night and have free in room internet access.

All hampton Inns, Drury Inns, Courtyards, Hilton's, and many more chains all offer free internet access...

Disney rooms are far from inexpensive and internet should be a standard feature...

At the very least DVC resorts should offer free internet access to it's members....

That would be a GREAT perk.....

 

[DebbieB]

I'm staying in a Hilton in Glendale CA right now and it's $9.95 per day. The low budget hotels use it as a loss leader.

 

[Anewman]

Seeing that "Free" internet access is not so free when members have to pay for it, I say let those that want internet pay for it. I dont want to pay a single cent in increased fees so that others could use the internet.

I would say that if having access is more important to you than all the other "perks", maybe you would be happier if you vacation at that $34 per night budget motel.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

Disney's HSIA is managed by a third party operator, so such a perk really would be dollars out of every member's pocket. We used it at BWV last month and, unfortunately, had to deal with the supplier more than once due to problems. They were very professional, but unable to get us access until the next day on 2 occassions. Once was internal to our room (the phone man had to come and fix it) and the other was resort wide (during a big high-tech conference!).

I needed HSIA for my work, so we just planned on the cost as part of our vacation expense. I felt it was worth it for the time it saved so I could get back to having fun, but if you don't, dial-up is still an option.

Best of luck -- Suzanne

 

[BCV23]

Wouldn't most of the cost be in the initial wiring? Some for tech support I guess but probably not worth $9.95/day.

I thought upscale hotels charged because their clientale would pay regardless. Even so that may be changing. We were at the Pittsburg Marriott this week and internet is free there now as well.

And we're all paying for those phone lines in the villas although I bet not many of us use them for anything other than WDW calls.

 

[LordAthens]

Wouldn't most of the cost be in the initial wiring? Some for tech support I guess but probably not worth $9.95/day.

They have wireless access already installed in all of the deluxe resorts and any of the "meeting & conference" resorts, like CRS and BWV's, so the inital investment is\was already done and I would assume even at BWV, it was all at Disney's cost, not DVC's.

Tech support costs are VERY small, especially when farmed out to 3rd party.

There is no reason why WiFi access at Disney shouldn't be free, other than the fact that they know they can charge for it. Unlike other hotels\motels, if you want to stay on Disney property, you have to play by their rules. With a hotel\motel, if the Holiday Inn is giving me free WiFi for the same rate that the Marriot accross the street is giving me without WiFi, i'll be staying at the Holiday Inn.

Disney knows this and will make a buck everywhere they can. I think a lot of people lose sight that while it very well is the happiest place on earth, Disney is a business, a huge money making machine, ranking 60 in the Fortune 100 (up 1 spot from last year, might I add). They know where people will pay and where people won't and they know their profit margins (WiFi access has an extremely high profit margin). People pay for WiFi at Disney

 

[CarolA]

I pay for it and I don't mind..

If you get if "free" the costs get added someplace. So those of you who don't use it will be paying for my access.....

As for the "Free" hotel access. My experience has been it's worth what you pay for it... Disney's service is pretty reliable. Fairfield Inn gives free service... in the rooms it works in.. I tried three at the last hotel before giving up.

As for WiFi... It's free and SOMEONE is probably pirating your data.... BE CAREFUL!

 

[BCV23]

I don't mind paying for it either. But it is an interesting idea. We all pay for the stove whether we use it three times/day or consider it a kitchen ornament. Some people probably never use the sleeper sofas as beds yet we all pay for the linens and maid service for those. I would think that upkeep on internet lines would be much less costly than stoves or beds.

As far as I know, no WDW resorts offer WiFi in the rooms. Did this change recently? Some resorts do have it in the lobby,pool area and business centers but not all. In fact, even high speed is a recent addition to our beloved Polynesian.

BTW, the internet service at the Marriott is at least the equal of BCV and the Polynesian.

 

[CharlesTD]

I don't agree that it should be free many other resorts offer it is a perk to get more people into the rooms Disney doesn't need to if people want it it should be a perday/week or whatever expense.

 

[CindiR]

I really wish they would offer it free for the owners, at least.

I also own at an Orlando Marriott, where high speed internet access is totally free. I really do appreciate that.

 

[BCV23]

And the Marriott I was speaking of is not a time share but a full service hotel in downtown Pittsburgh. I don't know how common free access is becoming in full service hotels. It probably still varies by market.

 

[Jhalkias]

There was a recent article in the USAT that said that WiFi is getting more prevelant, but most top scale resorts charge, while economy resorts offer it for free.

That being said, I can see both sides of this. We all also pay for the TV and cable, but we hardly watch it while on vacation, except before bedtime. I usually prefer to do the things I cannot do at home while on vacation, and prefer to sever ties (including the computer) as much as I can while on vacation. It helps me unwind more to not be tethered to the keyboard - the cell phone where I can be reached at any time is bad enough.

I would also think there is not as much to the wiring with WiFi access - heck, Google is going to offer it in all of SF soon! But, there is a cost in getting that access back to the web, and somewhere there must be an ISP that must be paid for that access back to the web. We would all have to pay for it, and I would rather the people who really want or need it pay the cost rather than seeing my dues go up - even if incrementally.

Although, when I pay $35 a month for great high speed access, $10 a day is gouging as far as I am concerned! I think DVC members would be happy if they could get access at a reasonable cost - how about $2-$3 a day?

John

 

[DrTomorrow]

[...]Although, when I pay $35 a month for great high speed access, $10 a day is gouging as far as I am concerned! I think DVC members would be happy if they could get access at a reasonable cost - how about $2-$3 a day?

John

At first glance, that seems right. However, with my high-speed internet, I set it up myself (picked up a kit at the Cox retail store) and they haven't heard from me in almost 2 years. However, can you imagine what the tech support must be like with thousand of new people checking in (and configuring) every week? Plus, I bet a lot of people who use PCs on vacation aren't necessarily the guys/gals who set them up at the office - I'm thinking they're business/marketing/sales folks who depend on the IT dept to keep things running. This certainly justifies some premium....

IMHO - YMMV

 

[LordAthens]

At first glance, that seems right. However, with my high-speed internet, I set it up myself (picked up a kit at the Cox retail store) and they haven't heard from me in almost 2 years. However, can you imagine what the tech support must be like with thousand of new people checking in (and configuring) every week? Plus, I bet a lot of people who use PCs on vacation aren't necessarily the guys/gals who set them up at the office - I'm thinking they're business/marketing/sales folks who depend on the IT dept to keep things running. This certainly justifies some premium....

IMHO - YMMV

Actually... The tech support at a resort facility is roughly the same as the tech support at a "public" WiFi HotSpot via T-Mobile, Panera Bread, McDonalds, etc. It's actually MUCH less than you would think. AOL requires a higher tech support to customer ratio.

 

[mwehttam]

The Disneyland Resort Hotels have free access so I think it is more of a WDW policy. I think this has to do with less total rooms (only three hotels) at DL.

WDW on the other had has thousands of rooms. My thoughts behind WDW not offering free access has to do with the network backbone. By having guest pay, they are minimizing the size of the backbone needed.

Let's say hypothetically, 10% of guests pay for the access on a given day. If you then make it free, chances are that number will increase. Even if it only increases to 20% when free, they will still have to double the size. I think the overall size of WDW and the number of rooms make it cost prohibative to offer it free. WDW is sure not your local Holiday Inn that offers free wireless to all guests.

Just my thoughts on the matter.

-Matthew

 

[drakethib]

I don't mind paying for Internet Access but $9.95 a day is a total rip off IMHO.

$20 bucks unlimited for a week I wouldn't mind (or something like that).

As the internet is getting more prevalent in many peoples life, I almost compare it to cable TV, a telephone, etc. Things that are not essential to live, but more then just a luxury.

As far as other members not wanting to pay for things they don't use, that opens up a can of worms in itself.

For example, I don't smoke and I see ashtrays all over the place. I doubt if they were free. But they are a necessity for those who smoke and a means to control litter so all pays for it.

 

[HUFF590]

You are vacation leave the lap top at home.

 

[qgallo]

I think it should be a option. I love the internet, but if I go to Disney and leave the internet at home , then I shouldnt have to pay for somebody else checking their emails. Keep DVC as cost effective as possible.

 

[LordAthens]

You are vacation leave the lap top at home.

I always email some of my first-day-there pics to friends and family to rub in the awesome weather, since it's always cold and nasty up north when we go

 

[Chuck S]

For example, I don't smoke and I see ashtrays all over the place. I doubt if they were free. But they are a necessity for those who smoke and a means to control litter so all pays for it.

Really apples to oranges...those ashtrays serve not only as a convenience to smokers, but also to protect our investment. Burn marks, holes in the carpet, cleaning the butts from the shrubbery and walkways all costs $$$.

Providing internet service does nothing to "protect" the resort from damage.