Using Cdn Cell Phone at WDW

samsteele

DIS Veteran
Joined
Feb 22, 2014
Recently I have been using skype & texting with my old itouch using the complimentary wifi when vacationing at WDW. It's worked well and is cheap but being able to place a quick, regular cell phone call back to Canada would be a plus.

I just took advantage of the new Canadian cell phone unlocking law and was given my unlock code. Unlocking the phone for US travel sounds like it should be a much better deal for me. My carrier presently charges $8/day or $40/month at 75 cents/min for basic US travel pkg.

For those who use an unlocked cell phone at WDW, what do you actually do?

Do you 1) purchase a US phone plan with compatible sim in Canada before you leave (sounds $) or 2) wait until you arrive at WDW and buy a sim card there? I usually don't rent a car so going to Walmart would require an uber. ps I saw a sim card vending machine at AS Sports this past Sept & while probably not the greatest rate, looked like something that was being used by overseas guests. Usually at least one guest was purchasing a sim every time I walked by. The cards were not branded with a known phone carrier like Bell or AT&T but that may not be a big deal. I asked the desk staff about the sim vending machine and they knew nothing about it.

If there is another thread similar to this one, pls feel free to move this inquiry there. I know the old cell phone thread was locked because it had run for 9 yrs or more. I spent some time reading through the old thread but couldn't find anything on point. TIA for your reply.
 
The old cell phone thread got locked. I use ROAM mobility https://roammobility.com/ for use in the US. You purchase a sim card for $10 (maybe less on sale) and then choose what your want. You can have talk & text, talk, text and data, talk and data. You choose the length of time you want and when you want it to start. You can keep your US number active by adding 1 day of service once per year, whether you use it or don't.

I'm a techno-phobe and I can manage to switch the cell phone sim and start it up (It's easy!)

I had problems when I was using one of ROAM's cheap cell phones getting service in some places but since I unlocked my cellphone the service has been much better. I haven't used data I usually just get talk and text but my son has used data with his phone in the US and he had no issues.

That's my two cents. Others will chime in with their opinions no doubt.
 
For your situation ROAM is ideal. Canadian (Vancouver) company reselling T-Mobile SIMs with billing in C$ and setup in advance for no hassle when you get down there. Used them for quite a while before Rogers offered Roam Like Home for the same price. RLH is even easier as you don't change your phone number, or change SIM cards at all; it also roams on both major networks in the area.

Note one thing to keep in mind with an unlocked phone is that the phone itself is still specialized for your specific carrier. Most people don't realize that different carriers use different frequencies from each other and from other Canadian carriers. My old Galaxy S3 only had one channel in common with T-Mobile, but newer phones often have more supported bands/frequencies, so my current Galaxy S7 gets better service because it has more band versatility. For the current S7 line, there are 10's of different sub-models each with different supported frequencies for the various major North American carriers.
 
I've used Roam and Telaway. While I generally thought Telaway's coverage was better on our two DL trips we've now switched to ROAM so that we only need to pay for the SIM itself once. We'll be using it in WDW for the first time starting on Tuesday and I'm sure it'll be dandy.
 


Just remember...with the CRTC rules...all phones now sold in Canada will be unlocked...and you can now go to your carrier and get your phone unlocked for NO COST. This is part of the new guidelines with the CRTC. There has been lots of postings about this on a local facebook page. So now it should make it easier to use a different sim card :rolleyes1
 
Thoughts....
  • I'm a Roam Mobility lover and during trips with high data usage (trapped on a long Greyhound ride with slow wifi). It's my preferred option with an unlocked phone.
  • Telus and Rogers in recent months offers the ability to use your SIM in the state for $5 or $7 dollars a day to compete with Roam Mobility. You consume your Canada data allotment in the states.
  • If your data consumption goes up when travelling.... go with Roam Mobility. BTW... Roam Mobility is a Vancouver operation.
    https://roammobility.com/plans
  • If your data consumption goes down on vacation and you want to continue using your current phone number... especially for text messages. Using the Canada option may be a better route.
    https://www.telus.com/en/bc/mobility/travel/
    http://www.rogers.com/consumer/wireless/travel
  • Roam Mobility works on T-Mobile network only. Telus/Rogers bounces on whatever network is the strongest in a given area (ATT, Tmobile, Verizon). If you are travelling in areas of poor or busy coverage.... going with a Canadian roaming option may be preferred.
  • Roam Mobility offer some savings with dual sim's packages. However we found it ideal when travelling as a couple.... one will use the Canadian SIM and a second heavier user will be on Roam Mobility. Take advantage of strengths for both options.
  • Unlike getting a SIM card from the USA..... Roam Mobility SIMs allow you to call a Canadian number at no extra charge.
 
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Anyone tried Public Mobile's roaming package in Orlando? I know they work off the Telus's network in Canada, just wondering if I'll have issues in Florida.
 
Unlike getting a SIM card from the USA..... Roam Mobility SIMs allow you to call a Canadian number at no extra charge.
This is key for many us who are placing calls home at least 90% of the time
 

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