Trip Reports and Lap Tops . . .

[Glendamax]

I would like to know if you guys take a lap top with you to do your trip reports. It would be cool to report nightly, and answer questions, but with airport security, I didn't know if it would be a pain. Also, I wasn't sure if I would find a computer lounge while there I'll be at Port Orleans Riverside.

Any thoughts are welcomed! Thanx!

 

[faecrafter]

Hi! I took my laptop on my last trip in May. I planned on logging reports nightly but a 3 day migraine stopped that. It wasn't much of a hassle at the airport. It was nice to have handy to download my digital pics though.

 

[Glendamax]

Thanks for your reply! That was the other thing I wondered about: taking the lap top and then not using it.

Any other opinions out there?

 

[moonshadow]

I'm also taking my laptop primarly to hold my pictures. I've never had a problem at the airport with it.

 

[KPeterso]

My main reason to take my lap top is to dump my pictures on it. I may log on ocasionally, but I doubt it will be on a daily basis.If I tell work, I have it, I would probably get a ton of emails, and that will not happening. LOL So I will take mine, but not tell anyone.

 

[Glendamax]

HA! definetly don't tell work!!!

Well thanx everyone for your responses. I dont have a digital camera (yet), so my main reason for taking it would be for the trip reports and to contact folks back at home.

Hmmmm I'm still on the fence . . . .

 

[WDW Poly Princess]

What's the usual for getting laptops through airport security now? My first laptop should be arriving any day, so I'd like to know what to expect when I finally get to travel with it!

 

[csaag]

There's really no hassle with bringing your laptop. I had to take mine out of the case when putting it thru the carry on baggage screener. That was it.

On the way back I forgot to take it out of the case and I had to go thru a 2nd time with it out of the case.

I simply plugged it into the phone jack in the room (since I'm not wireless or highspeed), opened up the phone book to find the list of local exchanges and chose new access numbers from my ISP program and presto - I was online.

My main reason for the laptop, though, was to upload my pictures to it daily.
I took close to 1000 pictures/video over the course of the week and only had one 256mb memory card.

 

[amylevan]

Was there any charge to use the phone jack in the room?

 

[csaag]

At the Port Orleans Riverside it was 75 cent charge to make a local call.
As long as I was using a local number, there was no additional charge.
I.E, if I had picked th ewrong number to dial to make my ISP connection I would have had to pay long distance charges on top of the 75 cents.

There's a small booklet in the room, or it was with the welcome package given by the hotel, that explains the phone charges.

But the phone book lists local exchanges for Orlando.

 

[amylevan]

Thanks! I was trying to decide if I wanted to lug my laptop along, but the promise of internet might make my hubby feel a bit more at home.

 

[dixiedog]

I always take my laptop. You need to take it out of your bag and put it on a tray at security. 10% of the time, they will swipe the laptop with a cotton swab then put the swab in a machine. Someone once said it was to check for drug usage.

I use it to download pictures plus it is handy to look at menus for the disney restaurants if any changes are needed for ADRs or if there is a question on CS menus. We also use it to look at menus and directions for offsite restaurants.

 

[Figment's friends]

I think I'll do it just to have access to tourguidemike. lol.

 

[AbbysFamily]

I always take my laptop. You need to take it out of your bag and put it on a tray at security. 10% of the time, they will swipe the laptop with a cotton swab then put the swab in a machine. Someone once said it was to check for drug usage.

We've had them do a 'special search' to one of the members of our party (3 years ago) and they did the swab trick to all his carry ons. I think a check for drugs would actually be illegal. What they are actually swabbing for it trace explosives. (I'm assuming they do laptops because they would be 'easier' to hide a bomb in.)

But I think mines coming with for picture backups too. (I can't Wait!!!)

 

[Donna]

I take mine to send live reports back to friends and family and to unload my pictures from the camera. I like being able to say to my family, here's what we did today and show them the pictures we took. I think disney prices their highspeed too high at 9.95 for 24 hrs., so i use the phonejack too. I usually dump the pictures to my shutterfly express, then upload them while we're out for the evening or sometimes over night. I usually bring a cable lock so i don't worry about it while we're out. I twine it around the coffee table or end table in the living room at okw. It makes my home away from home, REALLY feel like home!