Worst WiFi ever!

[TheRustyScupper]

We are here at the fort now and can honestly say the WiFi is horrible!

1) I worked quite a while as a Concierge at FW, and agree.
2) People complained ALL THE TIME about access and speed.
3) Managers told us to simply say, "Working on the Problem.".
4) We were not.
5) There are several access points, but one router connection.
6) Get more than a few folks on, and the system almost dies.
7) A few of our techie friends knew the solution.
. . . Locate a few routers throughout the park.
8) One manager said wifi keeps people from shopping/eating.
9) He said they wanted people away from RVs.
10) Do not know if this is true, but kind of makes sense.
. . . Same reason why many WDW benches have been removed.
. . . Sitting people do not shop-eat-spend as much as walkers.

11) Oh well, use a Hot Spot and get around the issue.
12) Better at FW without wifi than anywhere else with it.

 

[jbrostek]

The lack of WIFI never got me out of my site to eat or shop. RVers do not work that way, even when wifi crapped out in my room at wilderness lodge, I just fired up my own and kept on doing what I was doing though slightly annoyed. Its not like it was better anywhere else in Disney that I would think, oh let me go down to Disney Springs and grab a coffee and better wifi, it sucked there too.

 

[Part-Time Paradise]

Gang,

The discussion we had around post 30 about finding out about where the APs are and how sites performed, I got bored and made a survey. Please fill this out if you have the time on a trip coming up soon. I'll try to use this to sketch out where all the APs are as well as performance during times of the year.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1...WOh4KLyNf7IMqZ4YNrnwf0mg/viewform?usp=sf_link

 

[Stork]

I saw this on the internets yesterday. There has to be another reason WDW is doing this than simply improving the wifi for the guests. This is a big spend to not get something out of it.

Security cameras? Radio communication with staff? I'm stumped....

With WDW announcing the end of Magic Bands I’m guessing it’s for the impending explosion of bandwidth needed to accommodate all the smart phones and Disney apps which will replace them.

 

[got2sammies]

SOOO.. how is the phone service at the fort (not WIFI). I have AT&T and I read on another thread- dont remember which one- that said AT&T has horrible service at the Fort- Since I have AT&T I hope this doesnt effect my changes to get a boarding group for ROTR. Should I leave my campsite and drive maybe to the outpost or the parking lot to get better cell service to snag a boarding group? I must get a boarding group

 

[bellebud]

. . . Same reason why many WDW benches have been removed.
. . . Sitting people do not shop-eat-spend as much as walkers.

I've always found this such an odd thing. We've always left the park for the day when we're too hot/tired. If there were more/better places to rest and cool off, we'd stay longer, snack longer, shop longer. I know Disney does the research, but I feel like they're wrong on this one.

 

[ILove2Travel]

I entirely agree. I’ve read over and over about the lack of benches in and around the parks. When my spouse and I get tired we leave the parks and leave behind any impulse buys. Why look for food when yo can’t sit down to eat it? I’m sure not going to shop when I’m too tired to stand up.

 

[bama_ed]

SOOO.. how is the phone service at the fort (not WIFI). I have AT&T and I read on another thread- dont remember which one- that said AT&T has horrible service at the Fort- Since I have AT&T I hope this doesnt effect my changes to get a boarding group for ROTR. Should I leave my campsite and drive maybe to the outpost or the parking lot to get better cell service to snag a boarding group? I must get a boarding group

I have no problem with AT&T at the Fort. Also as the official carrier for Walt Disney World, I'm sure there are minimum-level-of-service agreements in place. You may not get a Boarding Group but it won't be due to cellular service performance.

Bama Ed

PS - again, now the wifi, on the other hand, is "turrbl".

 

[PaHunter]

SOOO.. how is the phone service at the fort (not WIFI). I have AT&T and I read on another thread- dont remember which one- that said AT&T has horrible service at the Fort- Since I have AT&T I hope this doesnt effect my changes to get a boarding group for ROTR. Should I leave my campsite and drive maybe to the outpost or the parking lot to get better cell service to snag a boarding group? I must get a boarding group

When we were there you had to be in the park to even attempt a boarding pass. That increased the odds slightly, still did not get one for a morning run. Now that anyone anywhere can try, I would believe the odds are even worse.
Make sure you have the best service you can, make sure your data is on, and May the Force be with you.

 

[ILove2Travel]

Since the discussion is wifi at the Fort, does anyone either have and use or know of and can recommend a wifi booster for their rig? Also, a cellular booster for their rig? We have been to so many campgrounds that seriously lack one or both and it sounds like we’ll need at least one at the Fort.

 

[Part-Time Paradise]

Since the discussion is wifi at the Fort, does anyone either have and use or know of and can recommend a wifi booster for their rig? Also, a cellular booster for their rig? We have been to so many campgrounds that seriously lack one or both and it sounds like we’ll need at least one at the Fort.

What service do you run? I have Verizon phones and AT&T mobile modem. I have plenty of signal, my problem is oversubscribed networks slowing me down

I checked the Wifi at my spot around lunch time on a weekday and it was 8 Mbps down and 500 Kbps up. Not great for zoom or similar that needs a lot of upload, but liveable for streaming around 480/720 range.

 

[ILove2Travel]

What service do you run? I have Verizon phones and AT&T mobile modem. I have plenty of signal, my problem is oversubscribed networks slowing me down

I checked the Wifi at my spot around lunch time on a weekday and it was 8 Mbps down and 500 Kbps up. Not great for zoom or similar that needs a lot of upload, but liveable for streaming around 480/720 range.

What service do you run? I have Verizon phones and AT&T mobile modem. I have plenty of signal, my problem is oversubscribed networks slowing me down

I checked the Wifi at my spot around lunch time on a weekday and it was 8 Mbps down and 500 Kbps up. Not great for zoom or similar that needs a lot of upload, but liveable for streaming around 480/720 range.

Our phones are both T-Mobile and we currently do not have any mobile wifi or cellular boosters or modems. We have used whatever the campgrounds have provided in the past or used our phones as mobile hotspots. Can you suggest an alternative?

 

[ILove2Travel]

While streaming would be heaven id just like to be able to read email, websites, and the weather at will.

 

[bama_ed]

While streaming would be heaven id just like to be able to read email, websites, and the weather at will.

My AT&T service allows for that at the Fort. I hotspot from my phone to cruise the Net on my Chromebook while I'm there.

Over multiple Fort visits I've learned that wifi speeds are dependent on how close to the antenna you are that serves your loop and the time of day you are using it. Evenings and nights everyone's trying to stream Netflix and YouTube which slows down the pipes. Mornings and mid-day the wifi is better when demand is less but still not good.

Which is why I stay on my hotspot/phone data side for reliable connectivity that is responsive to a <click> or an <Enter>.

Not sure what T-Mobile's level of service is at the Fort. What I've generally heard about T-Mobile is it's fine in cities and along highways.

Bama Ed

PS - and yes most campsite wifi offerings are useless/disposable from limited bandwidth and the number of people trying to use it. So I stick to the hotspot.

 

[jaxjags]

Currently sitting in site 1832. Following up on bama_ed’s comment above.

Using T-Mobile cell phone hot spot download speed is 84 mbps. Using a Sprint (same as T-Mobile?) mifi8000 card download speed is 124 mbps. Time of day is noon. However, all times of night and day were much better than I have experienced in many years.

Last year we were in site 1713 and saw a third-party company running underground lines that would enhance signal strength to to all the cell carriers. We left before the job completed.

 

[Teamubr]

Using a Sprint (same as T-Mobile?) mifi8000 card download speed is 124 mbps. Time of day is noon. However, all times of night and day were much better than I have experienced in many years.

Thanks @jaxjags

We are down for 2 weeks in January and DW will be working for at least one of those weeks. She does this a lot when we are on the road and hot spots off her Sprint work phone. Good to know she shouldn't have any problems.

j

 

[Sjm9911]

In the 100 loop, I had great wi-fi. Much better then years ago. We had the fire stick on the tv, and updated all the aps, plus kid was on 2 I pads playing and chatting on roadblox. Live streamed TV and movies, and never had a problem. Even at night when everyone was in for the rain, it was good. Also, ATT cell service was fine and never slow.

 

[Teamubr]

In the 100 loop, I had great wi-fi. Much better then years ago.

So you were the one with great service?

Seriously though, I've been at a couple of campgrounds (resorts?) with variable Wi-Fi. Last year we were at Anchor Down, north of Pigeon Forge. It is an amazing RV "resort". We were on 3 different sites for the week. Two had great Wi-Fi. We were literally next to the pole on one site. The 3rd site the Wi-Fi was unusable to work and we hot spotted off our phones.

I'm encouraged to hear the Fort Wi-Fi seems to be improving, but I don't ever expect a campground "free" Wi-Fi to be functional enough for work purposes.

j

 

[Sjm9911]

So you were the one with great service?

Seriously though, I've been at a couple of campgrounds (resorts?) with variable Wi-Fi. Last year we were at Anchor Down, north of Pigeon Forge. It is an amazing RV "resort". We were on 3 different sites for the week. Two had great Wi-Fi. We were literally next to the pole on one site. The 3rd site the Wi-Fi was unusable to work and we hot spotted off our phones.

I'm encouraged to hear the Fort Wi-Fi seems to be improving, but I don't ever expect a campground "free" Wi-Fi to be functional enough for work purposes.

j

Only time i have had great wi fi ever. Even at home lol. Could have been a fluke.

 

[bama_ed]

Only time i have had great wi fi ever. Even at home lol. Could have been a fluke.

I'll be at the Fort in January 2022 and might run some side-by-side hotspot versus wifi comparisons. They have been closing loops intermittently in the past year and doing "wiring" work but we couldn't confirm if that was for electrical, communications, or something else. Faster wifi would be fine with everybody. As would improved cellular data throughput. @jaxjags gave us some hard data for tmobile and spring which is good.

Data wins every time when compared to speculation.

I don't miss the days of dial-up modems or cable tv boxes for internet connectivity checked out from the Meadow Trading Post. Not one bit.

Bama Ed

PS - the Fort was the last on-property resort to get wifi several years ago so I would assume whatever kind of upgrades (wifi/cellular) taking place at the Fort has happened or is happening at the other Disney resorts too.