Using our cell phones while at WDW...

[mickeywho?]

I just got off the phone with Telus - I had to ask about the cost of using our cell phones while we are in Florida next month. And to check if there was any short-term package or any way we could plan to save money.

On our last trip we didn't use our phones as we were constantly together. We called home to check on voicemails etc. from our hotel room using a long-distance card we bought at loblaws so we never had any huge phone bills.
Well, this trip is with extended family, so we'll be calling each other throughout the day to meet up with each other etc. I can't believe how much they would charge us It would cost my hubby $1.45 to call my phone which would cost me $1.45 to receive the call. Unbelievable!!
I told the Telus agent - "It would be cheaper for me to buy a pay-as-you-go phone for each of us, from Target or Walmart, and register them to a Florida zip code" Yes - he says - probably a better way to go!

One more shopping stop when we're in Buffalo!

 

[disneyfan2]

i have the same telus, and the other suggestion was to do the Text Messaging at 15 cents per call. they told me getting a calling card would reduce the long distance fee but of 50 cents to maybe 10cents per min but the roaming fee of 95 cents per call will still apply. I upgraded my plan to include 100 text messages per month, so that is what i will use to call between the other parties in WDW. much more time consuming but what a pain.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Bell has a great plan when your in Florida. Their plan is called Connect Florida, where you pay $20.00 & get 100 minutes to use anywhere in the state & it would go down as a local call, so there would be zero roaming charges. The only downside with it is if you speak to someone for 15 seconds you are charged for 1:00 minute, so it's best to keep track of how many calls you make & recieve.

 

[siobhan1997]

When we go south every year we call Telus and change our price plan for one month to Talk NOrth America 75 This gives us 250 anytime incoming/outgoing minutes throughout North america. This includes all roaming. When we return home we change back to our original contract terms.

 

[CanadianGuy]

Rogers offers a short term US plan that gives you 30, 60 or 120 minutes to use..

I did that year.. 60 minutes was 30 bucks.. and it was perfect for me.

 

[drag n' fly]

Bell has a great plan when your in Florida. Their plan is called Connect Florida, where you pay $20.00 & get 100 minutes to use anywhere in the state & it would go down as a local call, so there would be zero roaming charges. The only downside with it is if you speak to someone for 15 seconds you are charged for 1:00 minute, so it's best to keep track of how many calls you make & recieve.

This is the one we just signed up for it has a 2 month minimum with 200 minutes (40 bucks) in Alberta. We can take both cell phones and it is way cheaper this way.

 

[Cdn Friends of Pooh]

When we go south every year we call Telus and change our price plan for one month to Talk NOrth America 75 This gives us 250 anytime incoming/outgoing minutes throughout North america. This includes all roaming. When we return home we change back to our original contract terms.

We do the exact same thing when we go down to the US and find it works really well for us.

 

[mickeywho?]

Well that would be the answer if we could change back to our original plans. Both of our plans are either no longer available or the options have changed. So we would lose out on good plans long term for a short term solution.

 

[F4disneyfan]

Our trip in Dec we used the phone a few times and in a total if 15 calls our bill was 75 dollars and the longest call we made was 5 minutes back home to let my dad kow we had arrived and everything was good.

 

[usetheforceluke]

Same comments from here as from F4disneyfan. We were at WDW for five days the beginning of December, 2006. The Bell bill was over $80CAD just for those five days, just for my phone alone.

A little bit of planning/researching is certainly worth it.

Jim.

 

[siobhan1997]

Well that would be the answer if we could change back to our original plans. Both of our plans are either no longer available or the options have changed. So we would lose out on good plans long term for a short term solution.

They told us the same thing last year but after much persistance, it was realized that OK we can put you back to your original plan. You are allowed to change you plan twice with Telus, once to change and once to return to original.

Just be persistant, get names, or employee ID's , etc. that way when you come back and you return to your original plan they cannot tell you it cannot be done.

 

[drag n' fly]

They told us the same thing last year but after much persistance, it was realized that OK we can put you back to your original plan. You are allowed to change you plan twice with Telus, once to change and once to return to original.

Just be persistant, get names, or employee ID's , etc. that way when you come back and you return to your original plan they cannot tell you it cannot be done.

I dont understand why Telus cannot add it and take it off like the plan we are getting with Bell. Ours is plan special for Florida with a 2 month minimum with 200 minutes, no roaming charges @40 bucks total. Lots of people get roaming packages when they leave the country. You call to activate and call to deactivate. Sounds like a difficult employee. Telus is usually very good I am surprised they would be like that.

 

[blue_river]

We have 3 phones, all pay as you go with monthly unlimited text messaging. Can't you just use text messages while down there?

 

[mickeywho?]

I dont understand why Telus cannot add it and take it off like the plan we are getting with Bell. Ours is plan special for Florida with a 2 month minimum with 200 minutes, no roaming charges @40 bucks total. Lots of people get roaming packages when they leave the country. You call to activate and call to deactivate. Sounds like a difficult employee. Telus is usually very good I am surprised they would be like that.

And the Telus package is $75 - so that would be $150 for our two phones. Not even close to being a good deal!
We'll be going with Bell when it's time for a new phone.

 

[nosnobunny2006]

Wow! I can't believe those charges. We went with Rogers because we're in the States a lot and I want to be able to cross the border and use my phone without any additional headaches. At the time when I signed my contract, only Bell and Rogers provided that kind of service. Now I don't even turn mine off. I rarely get charged roaming fees. So far, I haven't been hit with any outrageous fees. I can't complain.

Beth