Wifi In the Parks

[Disney_Alli]

We're getting close to our June trip - close enough that I need to know soon if the wifi is now permanent in the parks or still in testing.

If it's testing this Canuck needs to figure out what kind of data she'd gonna get for her phone in the US for the trip, lol.

 

[SMD]

I was there May 4th and this past Sunday and I couldn't find any. But I think there's a chance it could go live over Memorial Day, so you might not want to commit yet.

 

[ashley0139]

It's been popping up here and there, but definitely not permanent at this point.

 

[Disney_Alli]

I was there May 4th and this past Sunday and I couldn't find any. But I think there's a chance it could go live over Memorial Day, so you might not want to commit yet.

The problem with waiting is I need to have a SIM card mailed to me and we leave June 10th so I don't want to cut it too close.

It's been popping up here and there, but definitely not permanent at this point.

Thanks Ashley. I think I'm just gonna bite the bullet for this trip again.

 

[Mama Bear Me2]

The problem with waiting is I need to have a SIM card mailed to me and we leave June 10th so I don't want to cut it too close.



Thanks Ashley. I think I'm just gonna bite the bullet for this trip again.

I think it's a good idea that you're going to "bite the bullet" and get it. I'm guessing you'll probably want to use your phone when you're not in the parks as well so this way, you won't be surprised by high roaming charges.

I just consider it insurance against a surprising high phone bill when I return home. This happened to us once many years ago. We didn't use my husband's phone and only turned it on once to check the time/battery life. I guess the phone did it's own thing and did some kind of update (or maybe it was all the messages the phone company sent him ... don't know what happened) because when we got home we got hit with a $30 roaming charge for the 1 time that we turned on the phone. Managed to get it reversed (probably because it was a small amount) but still a hassle to deal with. Good luck!

 

[Disney_Alli]

I think it's a good idea that you're going to "bite the bullet" and get it. I'm guessing you'll probably want to use your phone when you're not in the parks as well so this way, you won't be surprised by high roaming charges.

I just consider it insurance against a surprising high phone bill when I return home. This happened to us once many years ago. We didn't use my husband's phone and only turned it on once to check the time/battery life. I guess the phone did it's own thing and did some kind of update (or maybe it was all the messages the phone company sent him ... don't know what happened) because when we got home we got hit with a $30 roaming charge for the 1 time that we turned on the phone. Managed to get it reversed (probably because it was a small amount) but still a hassle to deal with. Good luck!

I'm usually pretty happy with wifi in the hotels but it's nice to know I have data available if I need it or the wifi is brutally slow.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Another possibility might be to wait until you get to Anaheim, then buy a cheap, pre-paid phone at Target (1 mile south of the parks on Harbor) or Walmart (north on Harbor in Fullerton, I think) to use in the parks. I know some international DISers have said that they hold on to their cheap phones to use only on their Disney vacations. They just reload their card when they get to the U.S. This may not work if you need smart phone functions, but for a basic phone, it seems to work well for some people.

 

[Disney_Alli]

Another possibility might be to wait until you get to Anaheim, then buy a cheap, pre-paid phone at Target (1 mile south of the parks on Harbor) or Walmart (north on Harbor in Fullerton, I think) to use in the parks. I know some international DISers have said that they hold on to their cheap phones to use only on their Disney vacations. They just reload their card when they get to the U.S. This may not work if you need smart phone functions, but for a basic phone, it seems to work well for some people.

I'm actually looking at getting a SIM card plan that's just data and text. Ironically I almost never use my phone to make phone calls but I use it constantly for wait times, touring plans, so it's the data I'm after and not necessarily the phone part. We've done the cheap phones thing in the past but now we mostly want data.

 

[nursejackie]

We are planning our first trip to DL in years and I'm amazed to find there isn't wifi available in the park! In this day and age, it's quite a let down. Over here in the UK, wifi is available on the buses, trains, in fact, almost everywhere. We won't be able to access it via our phones as roaming data is too expensive. I hope it's available by June 2018.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

If you find yourself taking a break at the main Starbucks in DTD, by WOD, there is free wi-fi there.

 

[LittleFlounder]

I'm also Canadian, and didn't have access to data when I was on my DL trip last year. I discovered that at DCA, you can pick up wifi if you go to the entrance of the GCH(it's the hotel's wifi). There are even benches you can sit on and have a little rest while enjoying the wifi.

 

[LittleFlounder]

Oops...double post.

 

[camosun]

Are you a Rogers subscriber? Then your cost to roam for phone and data combined should only be $5/day. Since they started the roam like home program I no longer worry about getting a sim or cheap travel phone.

 

[Disney_Alli]

Are you a Rogers subscriber? Then your cost to roam for phone and data combined should only be $5/day. Since they started the roam like home program I no longer worry about getting a sim or cheap travel phone.

No I'm with Bell. And I often spend less than the $5 that would cost on a SIM card.

 

[mcarlson]

I was also there not too long ago and didn't find any reliable WIFI. I've heard they want to roll out MAXPASS there in a couple of weeks and the WIFI is a part of that but it seems pretty optimistic all things considered. If I were planning a trip I'd get the SIM card and then just use the WIFI if it were available but otherwise I wouldn't count on it being available.

 

[tlcdoula]

We're getting close to our June trip - close enough that I need to know soon if the wifi is now permanent in the parks or still in testing.

If it's testing this Canuck needs to figure out what kind of data she'd gonna get for her phone in the US for the trip, lol.

Who do you usually get a sim card through? We are in BC and I have an unlocked iphone that I used in Mexico this past year with a sim card and it was great. Curious what you have found that is a good deal for data while at Disney.

tlc

 

[Disney_Alli]

Who do you usually get a sim card through? We are in BC and I have an unlocked iphone that I used in Mexico this past year with a sim card and it was great. Curious what you have found that is a good deal for data while at Disney.

tlc

In the past we've used Telaway. They're a better deal the longer you're away though. This trip we're trying Roam Mobility.
With Roam your SIM card is reusable so you don't have to shell out the $10 each time. Plus they have 3 different day by day plans so you can pick what you need.

I do like that Telaway gives me a local number to forward my phone to though - I can even get a Calgary number - so absolutely no chance of any extra charges. When we spent 24 days in Florida for our wedding/honeymoon this cost us each about $2/day and was easily the best money we spent for convenience's sake.

 

[pennym]

I see on the Disneyland App that there are wifi spots around both parks. Now that these would appear to be permanent, how are they working out? Are they strong enough to cope with demand? Can you use the app reasonably well?

 

[SMD]

I see on the Disneyland App that there are wifi spots around both parks. Now that these would appear to be permanent, how are they working out? Are they strong enough to cope with demand? Can you use the app reasonably well?

You have to be within a few feet of a specific area for it to work. If you want to use the app in that area it's probably ok, but staying connected was frustrating, I just keep moving and use data.

 

[Skyegirl1999]

You have to be within a few feet of a specific area for it to work. If you want to use the app in that area it's probably ok, but staying connected was frustrating, I just keep moving and use data.

Yeah, I'm not interested in having to stand in a very specific spot and wait for my phone to connect, so it's not useful for me. I can see how if you were international and wifi was your only option, it's better than nothing, but it's not great.