Has anyone used their laptop at FW?

[FredS]

We like to be able to check our email, as well as get additional info on WDW even while we are at WDW, so we take our laptop. This is our first trip staying at Fort Wilderness, so we are not familiar with the options and reality of using the laptop there. I understand that we can use the connection at the "front desk" and also we have considered getting a cell phone modem and accessing via that.

As a practical matter, has anyone actually done either of these? Is the connection at the front desk readily available, does it run at a decent speed, any privacy, is there a very short time limit? Or regarding the cellular connection, has anyone tried that? I am concerned about maintaining a sufficient signal to make that a viable option. If it takes multiple tries and lots of time to even get to our email then that may not a realistic choice.

Again, it isn't as if we plan to surf for any extended period of time, but a few minutes of internet access every day or two would make our trip less stressful.

 

[Disney Campers]

there are 2 or 3 phone hook ups at the front desk, no time limit that I know of, but if others are waiting might be a different story, I usually use the hook up late at night,

 

[Campingbuddy]

I was just told that the hook up up front is free where as if you hook up from your room or site there is a 75 cents chard for each time you dial out to connect. We took going up front for the free one. Worked out pretty good, The connnection to AOL was very slow on some nights but ok on others

 

[FredS]

Originally posted by Campingbuddy
I was just told that the hook up up front is free where as if you hook up from your room or site there is a 75 cents chard for each time you dial out to connect. We took going up front for the free one. Worked out pretty good, The connnection to AOL was very slow on some nights but ok on others

We've connected from rooms at the resorts many times. Slow, but doable. This is our first trip without a landline phone (we're staying in our travel trailer) so that is why we are so curious as to cellular signal in the Fort Wilderness area and as to the speed and access at the main desk. I just didn't know if there was usually a line and one was hanging over the CM's trying to work, or if it was out of their way and generally pretty quiet. Thanks for the help!

 

[clkelley]

I get very good cell phone reception at Ft. Wilderness with T-Mobile, but I've never tried hooking up to the internet with the cell phone.

I brought a laptop with me on my last Ft. Wilderness trip, intending to check email a couple of times, but never made it to the front desk, just way too busy. You could use up your entire afternoon break just for a few emails because you have to leave the park, get back to your campsite, get the laptop, either drive or take a bus to the check-in, get online, check your mail, pack the laptop back up, go back to your site.

When I was checking in (at 1am) there was someone there using the line, and when I checked out, there was also someone there using the line.

It is set up near a sofa and some chairs and is out of the way of the CMs working the desk.

I'm sure it is the same type of phone line as is in other WDW resort rooms, so your phone line experience should be the same as from your room at other resorts.



A friend of mine does bring a computer with him to Ft. Wilderness and checks email with the cell phone, but he has some type of setup with a booster antenna on top of his tarp. He also sets up about 200 ft of mini monorail and mini WDW train set on his site.

 

[Vickery]

There are three <b>dial-up</b> data jacks in the Outpost area at Fort Wilderness. (Be sure to insert a "9" and a pause in your dialing string.) These jacks are located in a corner of the lobby that doesn't interfere with guests checking in or with employees. However, if you plan to work or do more than download/upload, you can be easily distracted as the lobby does become crowded and the area is very small.

If you don't run a battery for laptop power, you may run into another small problem: electrical. There is only a two plug electrical outlet and the lamp is plugged into one. Unplugging the lamp to allow a second laptop electricity could be a problem. This lobby is very dark and especially at night may not provide sufficient illumination for laptop use.

Fort Wilderness only provides one low coffee table to hold your laptop, although seating is provided for 4 people.

I run Cingular cellular service and finally have full signal strength. It won't be long before I begin to use wireless cards for my laptop because of the time consumed travelling to/from the outpost via golf-cart or bus and the wait for using the data area.

It's beyond me why Disney doesn't install outdoor jacks for campsites even if only in the preferred areas. Laptop and PC use from campers has increased dramatically and at .75 per call, Disney could make a few pennies for such.

That's my two cents and I hope it helped.

Vickery, (uses FtW datajacks several times a year)

 

[FredS]

Thanks, Vickery! I was going to pick up the cable, etc. for using our cell phone modem today, but the particular store was out of the kit, but we should be able to get it, and hopefully get familiar with its use, before our trip.

If not, it sounds like we can use the outpost, but like most we won't want to take a lot of time from our vacation to get there and back. Soooo, my fingers are crossed that the cell signal is strong and the connection relatively fast so we can stay at the campsite if we need to surf.

 

[We4mickey]

ok heres one for you.has anyone used there palm or pda
?. or does anyone know if you can get a wireless signal?