TracFone at WDW?

[YEKCIM]

I'm going to be visiting WDW later this year with my 12 year old daughter and looking for a relatively inexpensive way for her to communicate with me in the unlikely event we were to get separated in The World. TracFone has a refurb LG phone with 60 minutes of air time for $19.99, which seems like a pretty good deal for my particular needs.

Does anyone have experience with TracFone coverage at WDW?

Thanks in advance!

~Y

 

[canron]

trac phones are crap....no signal or very weak and drops calls hard to call international..get a t mobile i junked y trac phone got t mobile fior $9 .00 at walgreens i call canada and its direct dial.

 

[rstamm]

We have had tracphones for years and use them at WDW they are great and I have never had any problems, I would highly recommend them.

 

[seals]

We have had tracphones for years and use them at WDW they are great and I have never had any problems, I would highly recommend them.

I've used one for years and I bought another one for my DSs when we went to Disney in March. Cheapest phone and minimum minutes. We used it most at DisneyQuest where I let them roam while I played pinball and skeeball and then called periodically to check on them.

 

[freshlybarked]

DH and I both have Tracfones and we use them at Disney and have never had any problems. In fact I have never had a call dropped with my phone and I've had Tracfone for 8+ years.

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

I use a Tracphone all the time and it is perfect for someone like me who does not need a cell a whole lot. I basically use mine at DW. I am getting my sister one to use when we are there together.

I have to admit that there have been places where I could not get reception, mostly my resort, but if she is in the parks she can call the room or the reverse.

I have also lent my Tracphone to people in some places where they could not get any bars and I could. Go figure.

Slightly Goofy

 

[jillyb]

I have a TracFone and love it (although I haven't used it at WDW yet)! We had a very expensive plan with Verizon and, although I loved Verizon, we didn't renew with them. We had 450 minutes a month and never came close to using them all. It aggravated me to be paying for those minutes and losing them every month.

I have a basic TracFone, get double minutes for life of the phone and never lose any minutes at the end of the month. Once in a blue moon a call will drop but other than that I've had no problems with it.

 

[baler31]

We have used multiple tracphones for just these types of applications and never had a single problem. No dropped calls or reception problems. I think it is perfect for what you are doing.

 

[YEKCIM]

We have used multiple tracphones for just these types of applications and never had a single problem. No dropped calls or reception problems. I think it is perfect for what you are doing.

Thanks to all. Sounds like this may be what I need. Here is the specific plan I'm looking at:

http://www.tracfone-orders.com/bpdi...action=view&productVariantExtensionId=6958303

If I understand this correctly, for twenty bucks, I have 60 minutes of talk time, which would be more than enough. Are there any issues with "roaming" since the WDW area code would be different than mine?

 

[lucyem]

I agree with the others. I used a tracfone for years. We lived in the mountains and I would get service in areas no one else could. Never had a problem with it.

 

[AmberHeartsDisney]

Walmart also has smart talk phones i think there called and they are good too.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

The easiest thing is to set up a specific meeting point at each Park, such as Guest Relations. If you do get separated go immediately to that location or tell her that if she gets misplaced to go to any CM for assistance. I would really not worry about a 12yo getting misplaced or not being able to take care of herself at a Park. So she would really not need a phone.

 

[shoes99]

We have a tracfone, and use it primarily for travel. The only resort I could not get a signal was the All Stars. I got a signal everywhere else. We love it for the cost and convenience..

 

[kaytieeldr]

No (more) roaming issues, if I recall. There used to be, years ago. Roaming cost twice as many minutes as using your phone locally, but no longer.

You might want to go into Walmart, if there's one convenient to you. You may be able to get a new phone for that price or less, and possibly with double minutes for the life of the phone.

 

[mickeystoontown]

My mother has a TracFone which she took to Disney this past May. She had no problems using it but there were times that we tried to call her (we were in the parks and she was in the resort room) and it would go straight to her voice mail. Other than that, no problems whatsoever.

 

[policycobb]

I have had a tracfone for 5 years. I use it in Disney every year and never had a problem. I use it everywhere I travel.

 

[luvthemouse71]

Any cell phone is going to have reception issues at certain areas of WDW. My tmobile Android phone did well last year, but there were still areas where calls dropped. I'm sure it'll be the same thing with the iPhone this time.

Tracfone has been around a long time. I know lots of people who use them and are very happy.

 

[POOHsie]

I have had a Tracfone for years. I use it strictly in the car or traveling. I got a Tracfone with double minutes for life at Walmart (Target didn't have them), an LG flip phone, and once a year I buy a year-long minutes card (400 minutes) for $99+tax. I really get 800 minutes, plus all the minutes I haven't used roll over month after month. Right now I have almost 2,000 minutes. Cost per month? $105/12 mos = $8.75 and I only have to worry about renewing once a year instead of every 60 days.

My Tracfone works fine at WDW, and keeps up with relatives' expensive phones and plans.

 

[bartleby1]

I have the LG flip phone (probably the one you are looking at) through tracfone and just returned from disney in august. I had no problems in the parks, never dropped a call and never lost service that I remember. I actually had service in the tower of terror "basement" waiting to get on the ride when my mom did not (she has verizon).

However, I usually did not have service in my room at POR. I had to go outside to make a call. But, for the record, my DH didn't have service in the room either with his Nextel and my mom didn't have service in the room with her verizon.

BTW, my current tracfone uses T-mobile. My old tracfone used verizon wireless.

 

[Hugpug]

This is great news for me. I have had a Tracfone for years but this is the first time I will be taking it with me to WDW and wanted to know if it would work from there. I use it mainly in the car for emergeny. I too have close to 2000 units only renew once a year so it is very afordable for some one like me.