free wifi internet access

[csnkrushin]

Does anyone know where the closest place would be to get free internet access. We are going to be staying at POR...my husband will need to get online each evening to check his office email. He wants to be able to drive somewhere close by once we put the kids to bed in the evening.

Thanks

 

[Sea-Donkey]

If my company expected me to waste my personal time on vacation with my family to check email, I would put the internet fees for the week on a separate bill and get it reimbursed.
If he works for himself, I'd try the hotels around the Downtown Disney area.

 

[DebbieB]

You could get 2 nights for one charge by checking one night at 11:00pm and the next night at 10:30pm.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) McDonald's near CSR.
2) All Star Cafe in WWoS.

 

[safetymom]

http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/Resorts/wireless.htm If you scroll down the page there are some offsite locations.

 

[Micca]

I agree with Sea Donkey, charge it to the company. It's only $9.95 for 24 contiguous hours.

Tme is a valuable commodity on a WDW vacation. I'd think it's worth $10 to have the convenience of internet access in the room.

Besides, then you can post a "live" report here on the Dis.

 

[Dokietoes]

Since local calls are free at the PO resorts, why not just use dial up. I do when we go just to check email, browse the DIS, and if the time is right, check in for my return flight on SWA. The connection is fairly speedy for dial up. I have Juno Free on my laptop just for this kind of situation, and it works fine.

 

[bzzelady]

Panera Bread out by the outlets.

 

[csnkrushin]

Thanks for the info we really appreciate it

 

[dburg30]

Do you have a cell that has a data plan on it? If so, a lot of times you can connect that to your laptop and use that as your modem to connect to the net.

 

[unicorn1]

The sad thing is this is even a question. A local hotel here that I wouldn't even want the in-laws to stay at has free internet access, but WDW continues to charge, even after the rates they are charging for a deluxe or mod. room. Sorry - this continues to be at the top of my short list of WDW pet peeves.

 

[DebbieB]

The sad thing is this is even a question. A local hotel here that I wouldn't even want the in-laws to stay at has free internet access, but WDW continues to charge, even after the rates they are charging for a deluxe or mod. room. Sorry - this continues to be at the top of my short list of WDW pet peeves.

Because they can. Higher end hotels are the ones who charge - Hilton charges the same $9.95 per 24 hours. But their budget hotel Hampton Inn does not.

 

[rt2dz]

Because they can. Higher end hotels are the ones who charge - Hilton charges the same $9.95 per 24 hours. But their budget hotel Hampton Inn does not.

Just an FYI, most Hampton Inns are franchised and it is the individual owners who make the decision to or not to charge for internet access. It is not a corporate thing. A lot of big hotels are franchised—including some Marriotts & Hiltons in our area. Amazingly, all of them that I know that are franchised, don't charge for internet access. Outside of the Disney area, most hotels that I've stayed at (including true 4 & 5 star hotels) do not charge for internet access.

 

[Lynne M]

The sad thing is this is even a question. A local hotel here that I wouldn't even want the in-laws to stay at has free internet access, but WDW continues to charge, even after the rates they are charging for a deluxe or mod. room. Sorry - this continues to be at the top of my short list of WDW pet peeves.

The great majority of high-end hotels charge for internet access. WDW is relatively cheap as these things go. The last hotel I stayed at in NYC charged $16.95 a day, and friends of mine have paid $19.95.

The low-end hotels give you free internet access because they're trying to lure business customers. WDW doesn't need to throw freebies to get people to stay at their resorts, so they don't.

 

[dburg30]

I've also used some of that 'free' wi-fi at a couple of hotels.. What a JOKE it was. Unless you are close to the front desk where they hooked their linksys $50 router up to their internet, you could't hardly get a signal to use anyway. Connecting my cell to my laptop was faster then the 'free' internet was. The 'free' internet was still too expensive.

 

[DebbieB]

I travel frequently for work and all the full Hiltons and Marriotts (not Courtyard) I have stayed at charge for internet. Marriott is even worse, it's all or none, they charge daily not per 24 hour signon. I have been questioned a couple times regarding work I did in my room if I expensed the charges. I will intentionally send e-mails at night so that they know I am using it for work (at least part of the time ). Usually when I stay at these hotels I have no reasonable alternatives.

I doubt there are too many people who decided to stay offsite because they offer free internet and Disney does not.