keeping in contact?

[Naisy68]

Hello, I know that there have been other posts similar to this but my question did not get answered yet. How do families that go in different directions keep in touch at Disney. We have two 13 year olds and a 10 month old so obviously we will be splitting up some. I know my cell phone will not work down there without costing us an arm and a leg. How can we keep in touch with each other? Is there anyone out there who has experience with two-way radios? Could I be at the resort (CBR) with my DD and still be able to reach my DH and the boys via the radio? Sorry if this question seems silly but I am clueless about them. Wal-mart has a lot of specials on their radios right now.

 

[all4fun]

We bought the Cobra two way radios that have a 2 mile range and have used them with great success at WDW. I have also seen 2-way radios with a five mile range as well. The range usually depends on how many obstacles (large buildings, hills) are in between you and those you are trying to talk to. The radios we have are extremely easy to use and have come in very handy.

I would recommend only buying the radios that say they have SUB channels. (All radios have 14 channels, some say that each channel has 38 sub channels, which makes it much easier to find a channel that others aren't using as much.)

The one thing to remember about these radios is that other people with two way radios that may have their radio's set on the same channel as you can hear your conversation and visa-versa. If you have a radio with sub channels it is much less likely you will be heard and be hearing others conversations. Because this is a very economical alternative to cell phones, a lot of people use them in the parks.

Discount stores like Walmart are a great place to find good deals on these radios. If you have more questions you might go to your local electronics store (i.e. Radio Shack or Circuit City) and ask a sales person. They will probably be able to answer all your concerns.

 

[Rpsemont]

We've used both cell phones and radios. The radios are great if you're in the same park (generally) What we usually do is set meeting times and places and use the radios as a back - up. It allows flexibility to wander around a bit if both parties aren't at the meeting spot. I would also take the cell phone. To me "an arm and a leg" (as you put it) it worth not standing around for an hour, if there's been a complication to a meeting. What I would not plan to do though, is use the voicemail at your hotel. The last time we tried this (which was three years ago) we found out you couldn't access the voice mail in your room from outside your room. What a disaster! I had told someone to call the room and leave a message and I'd pick it up later and lo and behold, I couldn't get the message. Not only that I was on hold with the switchboard for 45 minutes while they tried to find someone who could help me resolve this! As a side not, we bought the radios last year and have used them at other parks we've gone to, at malls, and other places where we split up. I gave one to my DD when she went to the park one day. That way I could just call her home! Amazing how much you use them when you have them.