Wifi in parks?

[wendyt_ca]

WDW has Wifi in all of it's parks so I was wondering if DL has this yet? Thanks

 

[figment_jii]

WDW has Wifi in all of it's parks so I was wondering if DL has this yet? Thanks

Nope, not yet. There have been reports that you might be able to pick up the wifi signal from the Grand Californian over by Grizzly Rapids, but that's about it.

 

[wendyt_ca]

Ok thanks for the reply. We are staying and Grand Californian so we can get it on site at least. I am from Canada so trying to debate if I should bother with a plan or not.

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

Ok thanks for the reply. We are staying and Grand Californian so we can get it on site at least. I am from Canada so trying to debate if I should bother with a plan or not.

We actually turn off WiFi when we're at DLR because otherwise our phone batteries drain from constantly looking for wifi. I definitely found it a lot more convenient at WDW with Wifi available almost everywhere there.

 

[SpacecadetNZ]

Thanks to the OP for asking this because I was going to too. I had assumed that WIFI would be easily available. We were last at DLR in 2010, pre-the days of us travelling with smartphones. Given the huge growth in smartphones and WIFI since then, I had just assumed we would be able to hook into WIFI in the parks. So it's good to know that we probably won't be able to. (Must confess I am a little surprised, we've travelled lots internationally and have found free WIFI pretty readily available).

I guess the only option then, for us international visitors who don't want to run up enormous phone bills, is to buy a plan for the duration of our travels. Any recommendations, if the OP doesn't mind my thread-jacking?

 

[jbland]

Another reason to unplug and be with my family.

20 days and counting

 

[nannyz]

I will use my cell phone to keep in contact with the rest of my family in the parks, but I cannot think of any reason to use WiFi while I am at DLR.

 

[Californiacicle]

Since I have a Canadian phone and plan, whenever we travel to the States I can only use free wifi where I can get it. I refuse to pay a huge bill for a plan. My DH has his business phone free for emergency use if we were desperate since his work freaks if they aren't in constant contact. So, it's tough but I mostly have my phone off. I will probably carry it for my camera but will turn the wifi/network off.

Honestly, for me it's a good thing to disconnect from technology. I am way too addicted to it.

 

[SpacecadetNZ]

I totally agree - don't worry, I am not planning on blogging and FaceBooking and tweeting my way round the parks It's family time!

However, I did expect that my husband and I would want to use our phones to keep in touch if we decide to split up and each take one child to do separate things (Jedis vs Princesses...). Also everyone keeps talking about how useful the wait time apps are so I thought I would probably use those too. So I was hoping that WIFI would be easily available.

 

[figment_jii]

DLR isn't like WDW where they are heavily pushing MyMagic+ and the smart phone integration, so there isn't as strong a need for it. Plus (and I'm sorry to all of the international visitors because it works against them), DLR is still primarily viewed as a "locals" park, which means most folks with smart phones have data plans that they can use. So I think that cuts down on the need to provide free wifi. I think at some point they'll have wifi available throughout the parks, but it might take a bit (after all, it's relatively new at WDW as well and it took a while for it to be strong and fast enough to worth using).

I will use my cell phone to keep in contact with the rest of my family in the parks, but I cannot think of any reason to use WiFi while I am at DLR.

I suppose you can call, but I do find it easier to use the online methods to make dining reservations or see what places have openings for later in the day (I've made dinner reservations in the morning while standing in line for a ride).

Also everyone keeps talking about how useful the wait time apps are so I thought I would probably use those too.

Err...um...the wait times apps can be useful, but depending on the one you're using (and how popular it is with guests in the park that day), it might be more or less accurate. I've not found one free app that was markedly better than the others, so I end up using a couple to get a sense of the waits.

 

[superlarz]

As someone who lives relatively local, I wish they would get wifi. Since I have been visiting DLR, I have shuffled through a few phone providers (Verizon and Tmobile mostly,) as well as gone with people with ATT and Sprint, and the data coverage is really spotty. I have had the most success with Tmobile, but sometimes if comes down to how crowded the parks are. If they had wifi, this wouldnt be as much of an issue.

 

[figment_jii]

As someone who lives relatively local, I wish they would get wifi. Since I have been visiting DLR, I have shuffled through a few phone providers (Verizon and Tmobile mostly,) as well as gone with people with ATT and Sprint, and the data coverage is really spotty. I have had the most success with Tmobile, but sometimes if comes down to how crowded the parks are. If they had wifi, this wouldnt be as much of an issue.

I agree! Doing mobile data stuff while waiting for a parade or Fantasmic or the fireworks is soooo slow!

Hopefully, if/when they do install free wifi, they make sure there is enough bandwidth. When WDW first offered wifi if was brutally slow...it was actually faster to use mobile data to get information! They've since fixed that...thank goodness.

 

[Aladora]

Another reason to unplug and be with my family.

20 days and counting

I use it to not only keep in contact when DH and I split up (I want to tide TOT but DS hates it so DH and DS go to MI) or to check wait time apps. Also, being able to be on contact with our company while on vacation makes it possible for us to go on the vacations we do, otherwise it would be impossible to take 6 weeks off a year to travel!

To answer the OP, I'm also from Canada and I just added on a 1 month US travel pack.

 

[SpacecadetNZ]

I suppose you can call

As an international visitor using a phone with a plan in my home country, it costs $4 per minute to make calls and $1 per text/SMS message. For that reason, most of us turn off that function to avoid the charges (you also pay for incoming calls - so if Great Aunt Ethel forgets you are away and calls to say hello... $$). Being able to use WIFI while travelling is the only affordable way to use an international smartphone. Fortunately the hotel has WIFI. In the parks, I guess we will just have to go the old-fashioned route of making plans to meet up in a certain spot, like in the old days before we all carried phones

 

[Aladora]

As an international visitor using a phone with a plan in my home country, it costs $4 per minute to make calls and $1 per text/SMS message. For that reason, most of us turn off that function to avoid the charges (you also pay for incoming calls - so if Great Aunt Ethel forgets you are away and calls to say hello... $$). Being able to use WIFI while travelling is the only affordable way to use an international smartphone. Fortunately the hotel has WIFI. In the parks, I guess we will just have to go the old-fashioned route of making plans to meet up in a certain spot, like in the old days before we all carried phones

Does you cell company have international travel plans that are not crazy expensive?

 

[figment_jii]

Or how about the pre-paid phones? (Though, I supose you have to weight the cost of the phone versus using your existing phone internationally and find the break even point.) I've not used one, but some friends bought one because they didn't want to deal with the international phone rates and they were going to be here for a month.

 

[SplashMtn40inches]

I'm also from Canada and before I hop on that plane, I always log out of Facebook or whatever, disable email syncing etc. I've been dinged before from getting some Old Navy email telling me about some sale. When do they not have a sale?

That aside, I do intend on getting a data plan to talk back at home. You can now chat thru Blackberry Messenger at around 1mb per minute on the network. Free if you use wifi at the hotel etc. Data plans are also good to check up on wait times.

Regardless, this will save me from having to buy a talk plan. Just keep it to data and I still have my phone for emergency calls.

 

[BijouBabe]

I was just in the parks and from some suggestions on the Disboards got Roam Mobility. It was great and easy to set up! You do have to have an unlocked smartphone. I had a 7 day plan and it worked great for me. Sometimes the internet was slow though, but I'm sure the networks are more busy in the area.

 

[wendyt_ca]

Thanks to the OP for asking this because I was going to too. I had assumed that WIFI would be easily available. We were last at DLR in 2010, pre-the days of us travelling with smartphones. Given the huge growth in smartphones and WIFI since then, I had just assumed we would be able to hook into WIFI in the parks. So it's good to know that we probably won't be able to. (Must confess I am a little surprised, we've travelled lots internationally and have found free WIFI pretty readily available).

I guess the only option then, for us international visitors who don't want to run up enormous phone bills, is to buy a plan for the duration of our travels. Any recommendations, if the OP doesn't mind my thread-jacking?

No problem

I wouldn't be using my phone often. But like others have said as an international traveller it is incredibly expensive. So basically once I cross the border my phone has to go on airplaine mode until I am back in Canada. If I take it out of airplane mode at all everything comes in and I am charged. So it is nice to have an option to maybe upload a pic from our trip to fb or if I need to check anything while I am there. Or if I am on wifi I can text through imessage in line or if someone needs to reach me.

I was just trying to see how much access I will have to wifi to see if it would be worth it for me to purchase the $45 plan my provider has for unlimited texting and 150MB of data for my phone. In WDW I have constant access so I never bother. Because even if we are away from it then it's for maybe a day to go offsite or here and there. But minimal access for an entire week just in case I need it for anything may be a consideration

We are only in DL for 2 days out of an entire week as well. But it helps me decide