laptop question

[DISNEYFOURME]

Forgive me for this, probably, stupid question. My kids got their own laptops and ipod touches for xmas. We are going to AKV in about 2 months. We plan to bring one of the laptops/ipod touches with. What will we need to bring with us to be able to use these?? I believe internet is free for members but I am doubting it is wireless. Do I need to bring cable of some sort? Does anyone feel concerned leaving a laptop in their room? Also does anyone know if there is internet service available at the park? The Ipods have some great applications about wait times, etc. but require internet service. I am sorry if these are stupid questions. We have finally joined the rest of the world with our technology but we aren't sure how to use it..

 

[erionm]

The internet in the rooms is wired and is free for members using their membership. This can be either points or cash as long as the room is booked by MS. There will be a cable in the room. It will be in a bag hanging in the closet/armoire. To use the iPod Touch to access the internet in your room you would need to bring a wireless router. There is no internet access in the theme parks.

 

[habg1]

Hello! We had these same questions. We had never brought our laptop to Disney before and had concerns.

He's what we discovered:

There is an ethernet cord in the closet.

We brought our own because we didn't realize there was one.

We left our computer out on the table. We figured Housekeeping wouldn't be in there daily, so we felt okay. We made sure the door was shut when we left.

On the day we forgot (at BWV) that the housekeeping was due, we forgot to put it away. It was fine.

Internet was free for members . No problem connecting.

I don't think there is an internet connection in the parks, I could be wrong.



At Bay Lake, we did put it in the safe once, and it fit fine; 15".

And last, but not least ---- bring your AC cord. We left ours home and we ran to Walmart and bought a $69.00 one.

 

[erionm]

The supplied ethernet cable is only about 5 feet long. If you are not going to take a wireless router and want to be able to move away from the desk with the laptop, bring a longer cable.

 

[Chuck S]

As others have said, the internet is wired. I just returned from OKW and took my laptop for the first time. I took my wireless router that I usually use at home. I left my laptop out while we were in the parks, but made sure all entrances to the room (including balcony entrances) were securely locked. The laptop would not fit into the safe of an OKW one bedroom, as they are a very small safe. On housekeeping days I put the laptop in its case and put it in the closet of the master bath. I also disconnected the router and put it away, so it wasn't obvious that there was a wireless device being used.

 

[jco_direwolf]

A number of us haul a Apple Airport Express to Disney.

Personally I love drinking coffee on the balcony, with my laptop reading e-mail. Simplest way is with a AAPE. The Airport Express is a basically a wall wart with a Router/Firewall built into it.

johno

 

[twinklebug]

Forgive me for this, probably, stupid question. My kids got their own laptops and ipod touches for xmas. We are going to AKV in about 2 months. We plan to bring one of the laptops/ipod touches with. What will we need to bring with us to be able to use these?? I believe internet is free for members but I am doubting it is wireless. Do I need to bring cable of some sort? Does anyone feel concerned leaving a laptop in their room? Also does anyone know if there is internet service available at the park? The Ipods have some great applications about wait times, etc. but require internet service. I am sorry if these are stupid questions. We have finally joined the rest of the world with our technology but we aren't sure how to use it..

1) There are no stupid questions.
2) Kids got Laptops & ipods for xmas!! Woohoo!
3) AKV - can't go wrong
4) Need a cable (supplied in room - just put it back when done) or wireless router. (There's a really cool pocket sized one available now... D-Link DWL-G730AP Wireless Pocket Router)
5) Yes, internet is free for those staying on points at the villas.
6) No concern, in fact, if staying at Kidani the safes are HUGE and will fit a laptop easily. I've left mine out before and mousekeeping didn't touch it.
7) No internet at the parks unless you tether your device to your phone or have a wireless service card for the laptop. Don't laugh - I saw a man sitting on a bench with his computer in the MK on our last trip.
7) There are no stupid Questions! (just dumb answers, hehe)
8) You're going to have a blast with or without technology! Enjoy AKV!

 

[AKV707]

I am going to have to get a router that i can keep in my Owner's Locker. I use the wired service when at WDW, but it would be nice to be able to move around, and it will only be a matter of time until DW wants to bring her MacBook.

 

[DISNEYFOURME]

You people ROCK!! I knew I could get the answers here! Thanks for the input. The idea of a travel size router sounds cool. Sipping tea on the balcony, watching the animals AND checking email.. sounds like heaven! lol! Hope we never are so attached to our technology that we ever need to bring laptops to the MK!! lol! Now to start getting excited about our upcoming trip!

 

[jco_direwolf]

If your kids have iPod Touches. You'll need a wireless router/Access point, since they are wireless only devices.

johno

 

[BroganMc]

or wireless router. (There's a really cool pocket sized one available now... D-Link DWL-G730AP Wireless Pocket Router)

I brought that one down with me for NYE a couple weeks ago. Works fine in default mode but setting up security was a PITA. Make sure you shut off file sharing and use your computer's built-in firewall.

For regular travel I bring a Linksys 4 port router down. Easier to setup security and due a pass through. (Dlink has no wired pass-thru.)

 

[kdzgon]

One of the best moves we made was adding a wireless router to our OL.

I love having my laptop as I use it for so much - looking up info for the area, backing up my pictures, watching (non-kid friendly) dvds or surfing online rather than watch those incessant DVC infomercials or cartoons or 9 million sports update channels....

With at least one young (6 or younger) grand with us we generally opt for early mornings vs late nights. Since my bedtime is (usually lol) later than his, it's a nice perk to have my laptop available and the wireless just gives me more options.

 

[dromio42]

Is there any way to print something off a laptop while at DVC?

 

[jco_direwolf]

Is there any way to print something off a laptop while at DVC?

If you bring a printer

I think all the resorts have a business center. With printers so just bring your flash drive so you can haul want you want to print down. You can also "fax" it to yourself at the hotel, I've done that before too (but not a Disney.)

johno

 

[Chuck S]

If you bring a printer

I think all the resorts have a business center. With printers so just bring your flash drive so you can haul want you want to print down. You can also "fax" it to yourself at the hotel, I've done that before too (but not a Disney.)

johno

Only the convention resorts have a business center. AKV, OKW, SSR and VWL do not have business centers. BCV, BWV and BLT/Contemporary should have a business center.

 

[drusba]

As a number have mentioned, you can bring a wireless router. If you have one at home (and you do if you have wireless access in your home), and you have all your computers and Itouches in the home, including theirs, already able to use it, you can bring that router, its electrical hook-up, and ethernet cord (or just use one in room), and just connect it to the ethernet socket in the room and a electric socket and wella you will have wireless access (if you are using a password with the router -- you should be -- you just need to make sure their new computers and the itouch have already logged into your router at home with that password and saved it and also make sure you know what the password is just in case you need it when there).

 

[pkgman]

If you have Apple equipment with an airport card, you can hook wired network to the MB or MBP's. You then need to turn on internet sharing over airport card. One less thing to bring for connecting ipods and iphones. Only thing is that the MB or MBP's need to be turned on for the wireless sharing. This has worked great for us during our stays.

Not sure if Windows can do this or not.

 

[jco_direwolf]

If you have Apple equipment with an airport card, you can hook wired network to the MB or MBP's. You then need to turn on internet sharing over airport card. One less thing to bring for connecting ipods and iphones. Only thing is that the MB or MBP's need to be turned on for the wireless sharing. This has worked great for us during our stays.

Not sure if Windows can do this or not.

Yep windows will do connection sharing too. That said your laptop is still tethered to the jack at the desk. If you are like my you want use your laptop on the balcony/living room. The Airport express base station is fantastic, and doubles as a USB charger

johno

 

[photobob]

Just an FYI, when I was at Vero last year it was wireless. We brought our wireless router and didn't need it. The resorts at WDW are all wired.

 

[jco_direwolf]

As a number have mentioned, you can bring a wireless router. If you have one at home (and you do if you have wireless access in your home), and you have all your computers and Itouches in the home, including theirs, already able to use it, you can bring that router, its electrical hook-up, and ethernet cord (or just use one in room), and just connect it to the ethernet socket in the room and a electric socket and wella you will have wireless access (if you are using a password with the router -- you should be -- you just need to make sure their new computers and the itouch have already logged into your router at home with that password and saved it and also make sure you know what the password is just in case you need it when there).

So I just want to interject a quick comment. If your home router (sometimes also called Customer Premise Equipment, CPE) is provided by your ISP, it may or may not work. As configured for your home service.

Reasons for me saying this are FIOS comes with a router, but it basically has an integrated cable modem in it. It's set up to so the "cable connection is the upstream connection." You can mess with the configuration, and get it to route via the ethernet, but by default it doesn't do that.

Some home services, almost all DSL services and some cable services, use an additional protocol called Point-to-Point over Ethernet, PPPoE. If your router/modem is setup to do this you'll need to change the settings so it just routes/NATs without the PPPoE. If your service is via PPPoE your account and password will be saved in the router.

I would not advise people to do this, in general. If they do this you should backup your home configuration before you take it with you. So they can get it back to where it was working when they left.

Personally, I don't don't take my home equipment on the road for 3 reasons. 1) it works where it is, and a second pocket router to carry with me was only $80. 2) I have gear at home, like my Tivo (so it will continue to get updates), and my Network Attached Storage, NAS (so I can backup my photos to my home) which I like to keep running when I leave. 3) I'm paranoid about getting my gear stolen/broken durning travel.

Finally you can duplicate your home wireless setup with your travel unit. (which is what I do.) The computers don't care, unless you are using thing more for home wireless security than just WEP/WPA2 Personal.

johno