iPod Touch in the Parks?

[MJ6987]

Hi all, just wondering....
I was thinking of getting an iPod Touch but do they work properly in WDW? Ie are there free WiFi hotspots around in the Parks etc? I expect the answer is probably "yes" as I hear that the US is way ahead of the UK in terms of this. Thanks
Matthew

 

[luke]

Sadly the answer is no!
You **may** hit the odd wifi hotspot, but they're purely accidental rather than implimented by WDW

 

[wishspirit]

Hi all, just wondering....
I was thinking of getting an iPod Touch but do they work properly in WDW? Ie are there free WiFi hotspots around in the Parks etc? I expect the answer is probably "yes" as I hear that the US is way ahead of the UK in terms of this. Thanks
Matthew

You can get free internet at DVC resorts if you are staying there, you can also pay for certain hotspot places at certain resorts. But free available wi-fi is very rare on Disney property! Sorry!

 

[starwood]

I think there is a spot around innoventions that is supposed to have wifi. Not sure which one it is though.

 

[Ringmaster]

The only place on property that has "free" WiFi is at Disney Wide World of Sports.

 

[dgthree]

You can get free internet at DVC resorts if you are staying there

Yes, but that's wired internet, not wi-fi. And I think it's only free if the reservation is made using DVC points.

I've heard of people bringing wireless routers with them on vacation so they can have wi-fi in their rooms, but I haven't tried it myself.

 

[Brandis]

Another solution would be Mi-Fi. That's Wi-Fi via the Mobile Network. You need a Mi-Fi Router and preferably a US data plan. Then you are basically taking your own Wi-Fi wherever you go (provided there is mobile coverage).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MiFi

 

[MJ6987]

Another solution would be Mi-Fi. That's Wi-Fi via the Mobile Network. You need a Mi-Fi Router and preferably a US data plan. Then you are basically taking your own Wi-Fi wherever you go (provided there is mobile coverage).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MiFi

Does that basically mean get an iPhone instead of an iPod Touch? Would you need to pay for a mobile network subscription for that to work?

By the way the "no" answer does seem quite surprising in this digital age! Surely it is only a matter of time?

 

[Brandis]

Does that basically mean get an iPhone instead of an iPod Touch? Would you need to pay for a mobile network subscription for that to work?

If you want to buy an iPhone anyway, yes. But if you just want to take an iPod it still would be a cheaper solution.

 

[Sphyrna]

Does that basically mean get an iPhone instead of an iPod Touch? Would you need to pay for a mobile network subscription for that to work?

By the way the "no" answer does seem quite surprising in this digital age! Surely it is only a matter of time?

You would think it's surprising but I'm not surprised. They still don't have WiFi at most resorts! Plugging in a LAN cable is so 90's!! So based on that alone, I'm not surprised.

 

[Brandis]

I think Disney is not really interested in providing too easy access to Internet. People surfing online stay in their rooms and don't go to the parks to spend money.

 

[Mrs D]

Are you kidding me? I just got an ipod touch today (mother's day gift ) and bought eticket and got Lines (touringplans) expecting to use it in the parks ?!?!?!

 

[wishspirit]

Does that basically mean get an iPhone instead of an iPod Touch? Would you need to pay for a mobile network subscription for that to work?

By the way the "no" answer does seem quite surprising in this digital age! Surely it is only a matter of time?

I have never used mobile internet abroad, but I would heed the strong warnings I've heard- it can get VERY expensive!

Have a look into roaming charges before committing to any plan.

 

[jediobiwan]

Unfortunately, the US is not nearly as progressive when it comes to high speed internet in general and public Wi-fi in particular. We have slower speeds than a lot of countries and very little access for people that cannot afford broadband on their own. I think eventually Disney World may implement wi-fi, but somehow I doubt it. The amount of money to install a large wi-fi network would be in the hundreds of millions, and quite frankly they probably do not have the market for that in the parks in the current day. With cellular networks becoming faster and faster, by the time they had anything installed it would be obsolete and underused.

 

[Brandis]

Some might remember the AT&T internet booth in Innoventions some years ago. I once talked to a CM working there and said I was surprised that Disney couldn't provide a faster connection as it was pretty slow. He said that this wouldn't be a problem but that AT&T kept it slow on purpose, because they wouldn't be able to provide that speed at most peoples home and would get complaints about the network not being so fast as they had experienced at WDW.

For my iPhone, I will use the free Internet at the DVC resort by plugging in WiFi router. I also have the Lines app on my iPhone which I would like to use while in the parks. As the phone is still sim-locked, I cannot use a local sim card, so I bought a Huawei MiFi where I will put in an ATT prepaid card with a data plan that is at least less expansive than the data roaming fees of my home provider.