Cell phone use at WDW - The DIS Discussion Forums

disneyred · 05-11-2007, 09:57 AM

from Canada. I am using a rogers cellphone...(but its UNLOCKED)

now can I (when I) travel to disney....

take my same cellphone to disney, buy a sim card (to stick into my cellphone )and prepaid card from an americancompany (verizon, cingular, etc..) and used it that way ?

I thought it would be cheaper as the sim card never expires so, i can use it
in the states....
what do you think , would this work ?

ChisJo · 05-11-2007, 10:40 AM

You will still have to pay roaming fees...and they are EXPENSIVE!!!

I bought a US calling package for the month when I went last...well worth every penny. You get 100 minutes for US calling, to and from, and well worth it. I wasn't planning on using my phone very much, but did a couple times just to touch base on some topics that email couldn't handle. I think I paid $30 extra dollars, but it I am planning on doing it again this year when I go....that way, people can still get a hold of me and I don't have to worry about getting a RIDICULOUS phone bill.

I don't know how the Sim card would work - I only thought that Sim cards stored the information on your phone so that you can transfer that to a new phone when you upgrade (corret me if I'm wrong???).

Jo

DiRTyBuNNy · 05-11-2007, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by disneyred

from Canada. I am using a rogers cellphone...(but its UNLOCKED)

now can I (when I) travel to disney....

take my same cellphone to disney, buy a sim card (to stick into my cellphone )and prepaid card from an americancompany (verizon, cingular, etc..) and used it that way ?

I thought it would be cheaper as the sim card never expires so, i can use it
in the states....
what do you think , would this work ?

You'd have to go through Cingular or T-Mobile because those are the only two that are GSM (and use a SIMChip in their phones) but I don't see why that wouldn't work. They both offer pre-paid phones.

--Mr. DB

nosnobunny2006 · 05-11-2007, 11:27 AM

I don't believe Rogers charges roaming fees anymore.

Beth

DiRTyBuNNy · 05-11-2007, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nosnobunny2006

I don't believe Rogers charges roaming fees anymore.

Beth

Nope, Calls made in the US back to Canada are quite expensive (per this chart at least)

--Mr. DB

SaraMc · 05-11-2007, 11:52 AM

We have rogers and paid a arm and a leg to call home while in WDW to wish DBIL Happy Birthday. Also the service was not that great. DH and I were in two diffrent parks calling each other and could barely hear each other through all the static.

nosnobunny2006 · 05-11-2007, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiRTyBuNNy

Nope, Calls made in the US back to Canada are quite expensive (per this chart at least)

--Mr. DB

Maybe that's why my charges aren't bad, because I never call back to Canada.

Beth

disneyred · 05-11-2007, 12:46 PM

ok
so if i understand correctly :

1. my scenario would work if I just made local calls within disney ??
that would work out ok if i was just calling among ourselves in disney

BUT
2. still charge roaming calling to canada..

Bea · 05-11-2007, 01:08 PM

We bought and sold a house (in Ontario) while at WDW this past March and are with Rogers. Roger's charged us a per minute rate (.99/minute) but the roaming charges were $3.00-$4.00 a minute and were charged by either Singular or T-mobile (whoever picked up our signal, I guess

). At the time, we didn't care what the roaming charges were (we sold our house!!

) but when the $365.00 bill came, we cared.

DiRTyBuNNy · 05-11-2007, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by disneyred

ok
so if i understand correctly :

1. my scenario would work if I just made local calls within disney ??
that would work out ok if i was just calling among ourselves in disney

BUT
2. still charge roaming calling to canada..

Nope you would still be roaming. Think about it this way...no matter where you are your phone is still a canadian phone and you'll play applicable charges. I would suggest just buying a cheap wireless phone on a pre-paid plan. You can get them at any WalMart in the US.

--Mr. DB

fuzzy164 · 05-11-2007, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by disneyred

from Canada. I am using a rogers cellphone...(but its UNLOCKED)

now can I (when I) travel to disney....

take my same cellphone to disney, buy a sim card (to stick into my cellphone )and prepaid card from an americancompany (verizon, cingular, etc..) and used it that way ?

I thought it would be cheaper as the sim card never expires so, i can use it
in the states....
what do you think , would this work ?

I don't think that would work your sim card stores the information such as your phone number when you activate the phone( Rodgers asks you to provide the p/n when you call and they match it up with the phone via sattlilte correct me if I'm wrong here), phone#'s you save to the sim as well if the phone is stolen they can "blow the sim card" electronically rendering the phone useless (thanks for the lesson DD). As well would you not have to be issued a new phone number by the company that issues the sim card?
What if you bought one of the pay as u go cheapies from Wal-Mart in the U.S. for 9.99 and bought a sim card up here would it work( hhhhmmmm might have to go the U.S. this weekend and test my theroy).
Bottom line maybe call Rodgers and ask what if....
Have fun.
Fuzzy164

disneyred · 05-11-2007, 02:16 PM

hmmmmmmmmm ok. ... I hear y'all

I thought:
my sim card carried all my personal data...so in this case, my canadian info..
so I would take it out.... BUT buy a new sim card in disney and just plug
it into my current phone to use...as if I was a disney residence..

am I losing it now ???

F4disneyfan · 05-11-2007, 02:17 PM

Your best bet if you really want to do this is to do a google search on cell phone unlocking there are tonnes of sites and they will actually list how you go about this and there are tonnes of places in the Disney area that sell sim cards for unlocked phones then you buy the card pop it in and away you go. A friend of mine has an unlocked phone and has Rogers and Fido on one phone she just swappes out the sim card and she is good to go the phone uses the data stores on the sim it is not stored in the phone.

http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-3504_7-6625604-1.html

http://www.thetravelinsider.info/roa...lockingfaq.htm

http://www.cellphonehacks.com/

disneyred · 05-11-2007, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by F4disneyfan

Your best bet if you really want to do this is to do a google search on cell phone unlocking there are tonnes of sites and they will actually list how you go about this and there are tonnes of places in the Disney area that sell sim cards for unlocked phones then you buy the card pop it in and away you go. A friend of mine has an unlocked phone and has Rogers and Fido on one phone she just swappes out the sim card and she is good to go the phone uses the data stores on the sim it is not stored in the phone.

http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-3504_7-6625604-1.html

http://www.thetravelinsider.info/roa...lockingfaq.htm

http://www.cellphonehacks.com/

ok...guess I was not clear enough,,,if you read my beginning post..
my phone is already UNLOCKED....

Mickey1Fan · 05-11-2007, 04:59 PM

After an almost $400 bill for roaming if I were you I would check with Rogers. Get the information from them and note who you talked to and when.

I was given incorrect information by others. No one on this board, but people I thought knew how roaming worked.

05-11-2007, 09:57 AM	#1
disneyred DIS Veteran Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: CANADA Posts: 1,404	Cell phone use at WDW from Canada. I am using a rogers cellphone...(but its UNLOCKED) now can I (when I) travel to disney.... take my same cellphone to disney, buy a sim card (to stick into my cellphone )and prepaid card from an americancompany (verizon, cingular, etc..) and used it that way ? I thought it would be cheaper as the sim card never expires so, i can use it in the states.... what do you think , would this work ?

05-11-2007, 10:40 AM	#2
ChisJo Cause afterall, a dream that you wish, will come true! Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Edmonton, Canada Posts: 2,298	You will still have to pay roaming fees...and they are EXPENSIVE!!! I bought a US calling package for the month when I went last...well worth every penny. You get 100 minutes for US calling, to and from, and well worth it. I wasn't planning on using my phone very much, but did a couple times just to touch base on some topics that email couldn't handle. I think I paid $30 extra dollars, but it I am planning on doing it again this year when I go....that way, people can still get a hold of me and I don't have to worry about getting a RIDICULOUS phone bill. I don't know how the Sim card would work - I only thought that Sim cards stored the information on your phone so that you can transfer that to a new phone when you upgrade (corret me if I'm wrong???). Jo __________________ WDW Marathon - January 2009

05-11-2007, 11:52 AM	#6
SaraMc DIS Veteran Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Burlington, ON Posts: 2,159	We have rogers and paid a arm and a leg to call home while in WDW to wish DBIL Happy Birthday. Also the service was not that great. DH and I were in two diffrent parks calling each other and could barely hear each other through all the static. __________________

05-11-2007, 02:17 PM	#13
F4disneyfan It all depended on my mood in the morning I was a headbanger at heart Join Date: May 2006 Location: Only in Canada EH! Posts: 2,067	Your best bet if you really want to do this is to do a google search on cell phone unlocking there are tonnes of sites and they will actually list how you go about this and there are tonnes of places in the Disney area that sell sim cards for unlocked phones then you buy the card pop it in and away you go. A friend of mine has an unlocked phone and has Rogers and Fido on one phone she just swappes out the sim card and she is good to go the phone uses the data stores on the sim it is not stored in the phone. http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-3504_7-6625604-1.html http://www.thetravelinsider.info/roa...lockingfaq.htm http://www.cellphonehacks.com/ __________________

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05-11-2007, 11:27 AM	#4
nosnobunny2006 Mouseketeer Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 426	I don't believe Rogers charges roaming fees anymore. Beth

05-11-2007, 12:46 PM	#8
disneyred DIS Veteran Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: CANADA Posts: 1,404	ok so if i understand correctly : 1. my scenario would work if I just made local calls within disney ?? that would work out ok if i was just calling among ourselves in disney BUT 2. still charge roaming calling to canada..

05-11-2007, 01:08 PM	#9
Bea Mouseketeer Join Date: Feb 2000 Posts: 463	We bought and sold a house (in Ontario) while at WDW this past March and are with Rogers. Roger's charged us a per minute rate (.99/minute) but the roaming charges were $3.00-$4.00 a minute and were charged by either Singular or T-mobile (whoever picked up our signal, I guess ). At the time, we didn't care what the roaming charges were (we sold our house!! ) but when the $365.00 bill came, we cared.

05-11-2007, 02:16 PM	#12
disneyred DIS Veteran Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: CANADA Posts: 1,404	hmmmmmmmmm ok. ... I hear y'all I thought: my sim card carried all my personal data...so in this case, my canadian info.. so I would take it out.... BUT buy a new sim card in disney and just plug it into my current phone to use...as if I was a disney residence.. am I losing it now ???

05-11-2007, 04:59 PM	#15
Mickey1Fan He had five fingers and was wearing white gloves Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Toronto Posts: 1,157	After an almost $400 bill for roaming if I were you I would check with Rogers. Get the information from them and note who you talked to and when. I was given incorrect information by others. No one on this board, but people I thought knew how roaming worked.