Internet at FW

[mamaloya]

I know that if you stay in a preferred site you can get internet for about $10 per day but is there some other way for me to get internet for less?

I have AT&T cell phone service and a laptop. I have seen some sort of card that you can put in your laptop to get internet via cell phone or something. I think AT&T had a special on it for like $30. That is cheaper than the $90 for the internet plus the additional cost of the preferred site. I can also use it along the way there and back.

Do these cards work well? How much charge do you get from your cell company for it? Do you have to add a package to your cell phone?

I also don't want a preferred loop because I hear they are harder to back into. It is important to us to have internet because that is the only way we will be able to keep in touch with dh while he is in Iraq. He bought me a laptop and cameras for each of our laptops so that he won't miss the kids growing up. I still want them to see him everyday while we are at WDW. It will be a way to keep him a part of it.

What would be the easiest and/or cheapest way for us to have internet there?

 

[Colson39]

Yes, it would be cheaper to get the card, but as far as I know it's not a one time thing. You would have to get a plan, which means you would be paying monthly, which will come out to way more in the end than just getting the internet at the Fort would. There are also satellite cards that don't require a cell phone at all, normally around the same monthly price.

The cards do work well, but it's normally around 40 bucks a month. I don't see how it could be worth it just for the short time you will be there, unless somehow you can get it, use it at Disney, and cancel it without any penalty. Not sure on that one though....

 

[ctpooh]

How about free internet?? If you have a car it is easier, there is a panera bread on Vineland near the outlets that has free internet. It is great and the outlets are nice too... Only about 8 minutes from the fort.

 

[Colson39]

Yea, if you don't mind driving off property, you can find quite a few places with free wireless.

 

[mamaloya]

ctpooh, with 7 kids in tow, I really don't want to leave WDW property at all. The time that we will have with each other wil also be around their bedtime each night.

colson, I will look into how long I would have to subscribe. Now, let's say I don't get the card and get a preferred site instead. Now we are back to how the heck do at back that big honking camper into a tight preferred site by myself. I am praying that someone will be around to help, but, as an army wife, I need to be independent. Exactly how much tighter are the preferred loops?

 

[CarolinaBlue]

Unless something has changed since I was there in May, you can go to the front of the campground where you check-in and use the internet there for free. It's in the same building as the campsite check-in.

 

[Claymax]

I have a card for my laptop. You should be able to get a card that works from your wireless provider for next to nothing with a special. You can spend more for faster transfer speeds but the entry models should be fine.

The bad news is that the wireless companies consider these to be just like a cell phone and that means they want you to sign a one or two year contract. I think they start at around $40/mo for a certain amount of minutes (but I pay $60 with unlimited service on mine).

If you wanted to cancel it you can but you'll pay the usual cancellation penalties which can be $100-300 in my experience.

It's really handy, an internet connection anywhere there's cell phone coverage, but it is expensive.

 

[bradisgoofy]

Preferred sites are no more difficult to back into then any other site. The only difference is they have a cable hookup. If you have trouble backing in ask your neighbors or a CM for help or go back to registration and ask for a different site.

Another option to hook to the internet is to see if your cellphone can be used as a modem, some of the newer phones can. You could activate that feature for a month and then cancel it when you get home. One drawback may be it will only connect at dial-up speeds. Your cellphone provider's local store can help you set it up. Generally the high speed laptop cards require a contract just like a cellphone. If you sign up for a year or two the card is free. These cards are only high speed in certain metropolitan areas, not everywhere your cellphone works. I know Orlando is one of those areas for my Sprint card. I pay $60.00 per month for unlimited use.

Setting up the cable connection for the internet at a preferred campsite is a little detailed. The kit comes with complete instructions but you need some basic computer skills to understand those directions. I have a link to the thread that talks about this setup http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1365556
Price wise I think this is your best option.

400th post

 

[drafthorsecrazy]

I have verizon for my cell phone. I use it to connect to the internet. What I did was call verizon and ask if my cell phone had a mobile office kit available. This is what you need to connect your computer to the phone to get internet. If your phone is compatible you can buy it from them or get it even cheaper off Ebay.( which I did) You don't need to buy a special package for this....it will run at the slower dial up speed however. You only use your air minutes. Since this can add up quickly I limit my computer use to evenings and weekends when its free.

One time fee of $29.00 from Ebay or around $59 from Verizon gets you connected to the internet where ever you want as long as your phone is charged.

 

[mamaloya]

OK, I think I am going to switch to a preferred site. I have heard that they are tight and crowded though. I will have no problem hooking up the modem as I am the one who does all of the techie stuff around here mostly anyway. We will be using our cameras to see and talk to each other. He likes to talk to them every night at bed time. The internet cafe would not work for us. I hope there are preferred sites left. I was playing around at dw.com and all they showed available for our dates was partial and full. We shall see. I will call the TA monday and see. I also still have to add my nephew to the package.

Thanks for all of the input.

 

[ctpooh]

Yea, if you don't mind driving off property, you can find quite a few places with free wireless.

As I said if you don't mind driving off site. There really is not much out there besides panera though. Even the library charges $10 for wireless.

 

[mamaloya]

Well, the preferred sites are all taken. My TA is going to keep checking for me though. I still have to look into the cell phone route. If I get the kit that is at dial up speed though, can we use our cameras to talk? If worse comes to worst, I will just email him using my phone and send him pics through it. With the time change, we would be talking to him in the morning I think.

Is there wifi at the settlement? If so, I may head there with the laptop a couple of times and connect with him there. That would be a cool background for the camera. I am sure it will all work out.

 

[hatchmo]

Does anyone have experience with the Verizon wireless cards at the Fort? If so, does it come in at broadband speed or dial-up speed? Broadband speed is only available in certain areas.

 

[Shannone1]

Does anyone have experience with the Verizon wireless cards at the Fort? If so, does it come in at broadband speed or dial-up speed? Broadband speed is only available in certain areas.

We used our Verizon card in the 1800 loop last spring and we had a good signal. The better your cell phone signal is, the faster your internet speed. I was able to upload pictures and post on the board with no problem. It wasn't as fast as my broadband at home...but it was much faster than the majority of other campgrounds we have been to.

 

[tacoma]

I don't want to confuse the issue any further, but here is what I know. There are wireless and ethernet connections in the little building between the two check in lines. They are available for $9.95 per 24 hour period. They also have phone lines for free internet connection. That is okay for email, but it would not work with the camera.

I also understand that there is a wireless hotspot at Pioneer Hall, but I have not used it. It would also be $9.95 per 24 hour period.

 

[Donna]

Even this guy has to pay the 9.95! i wish disney would go the way of Super 8 and just make it free for all.

 

[mamaloya]

Hey, that is going to be me. So, they DO have wifi at the settlement? I don't mind paying. It is just going to be quite a production to get all of us down there with the laptop, set up to talk, then bring the laptop back to the camper. Nice backdrop though. dh would be able to feel like he was there. Maybe I can even stop a few passers by and have them tell him "HI" too. Then he would really feel like he was there.

 

[mdoc]

We've stayed in both preferred sites and full hookup sites and from our experience the preferred sites are no tighter (or bigger) than the full hookup sites. (We have a 35' trailer with slides on both sides) It varies from site to site, of course - some are larger and easier to back into than others, but that's the case in all of the loops. You can have them note on your reservation that a site that's easy to get into is your highest priority. That's no guarantee, but I do think they try. On the other hand, I've seen people assigned to sites where it is mathematically impossible for them to get in. IF that happens, you go back and ask for a different site. Campers in general are very willing to help - I know my DH backed a fifth wheel in at the Fort for a woman who was having trouble getting in, and he's had other campers direct him when we had an exceptionally tight spot or someone nearby had their truck hanging into the road so that maneuverability was limited. You usually don't even have to ask - someone will notice you're having trouble.

 

[ftwildernessguy]

We've stayed in both preferred sites and full hookup sites and from our experience the preferred sites are no tighter (or bigger) than the full hookup sites. (We have a 35' trailer with slides on both sides) It varies from site to site, of course - some are larger and easier to back into than others, but that's the case in all of the loops. You can have them note on your reservation that a site that's easy to get into is your highest priority. That's no guarantee, but I do think they try. On the other hand, I've seen people assigned to sites where it is mathematically impossible for them to get in. IF that happens, you go back and ask for a different site. Campers in general are very willing to help - I know my DH backed a fifth wheel in at the Fort for a woman who was having trouble getting in, and he's had other campers direct him when we had an exceptionally tight spot or someone nearby had their truck hanging into the road so that maneuverability was limited. You usually don't even have to ask - someone will notice you're having trouble.

Sorry, but I gotta call you on this one. My general observation was that the preferred sites are smaller and closer together, so a few years ago on a down day I took my tape measure out and measured some empty sites. Sure enough, the preferred sites are significantly shorter than the full hookups both paved area and sand area. As far as backing in, I agree there are good and bad spots everywhere, and judging by the number of big TT's in the preferred spots, I don't think they have too much of an issue. As far as how close together spots are, you don't have to measure that, just take a ride through the 100-300 loops and then go down to the 1600-1900 loops and you decide.