The brochure says TTR has free Wi-Fi. Is this correct? Most resorts say $15 per day etc. Also, what do you do with your cell phone plan? Verizon is telling me it costs 50 cents to send a text, and .05 to receive it. Also, data plan roaming charges are insane. Is there an app that is recommended to stay in touch with the kids via text to avoid these bs charges? Do you shut off the data plan on your cell, & use just wifi? (assuming they have it) If they have it, is it available all over the resort, or just in lobby etc.. Thanks in advance!
I believe they do have wifi throughout the resort, but it costs $15 a day (at least that's what it was in february). As for cell phones, we have added international minutes to our cell phones in the past, but realized last trip that it is a rip off (at least to call Canada)!! They sell phone cards in the hotel gift shop for under $20 and you get 22 minutes or something like that. Can't remember exactly, but I do know that's the route we are taking this trip!
I have heard the wifi is not that great outside of the lobby and that it is indeed $15/day. For texting use whatsapp. It is a free messenger type app, so as long as you can get wifi you can use it without your cell company dinging you with huge charges. Definitely shut off your data or you will come home to a rather large bill.
Ok, so I will basically be unplugged for a week. Ouch, I'm not sure I can do that. I probably won't pay $15 a day. Should I even bother bringing my laptop?
In my opinion, probably not worth it. It's actually nice being out of touch there- just enjoy the atmosphere and the people you'll meet.
Talk to your carrier they might have plans or deals for the week. I know that im a member and we get free wifi, not sure about guests. Best bet is to google and see what other people have done, you'll get more hits
Wifi works around the lobby and by the sexy pool, and it is spotty as you get over by the quiet pool. It didn't work in the rooms by the quiet pool at all. If you keep data roaming off, but manually turn it on to check for messages a few times a day, your bill might only be a few dollars higher (don't forget to turn it back off!). My daughter works for Verizon and she said you will not get a refund on international data roaming charges, no matter how much you whine about not knowing about it etc. We got free wifi as a consolation for flooding in our room both times we were there (different kinds of flooding each time, but strange coincidence!). The first full day without any internet made me crazy the first time we were there, especially because the weather was so stormy and the TV didn't have any real weather channels that would say what was going on. It was like going back in time 25 years and remembering what it was like to live without the internet and I hated it - lol! The minor annoying thing was when my husband or I would go do something alone for a bit and we are used to both being able to text each other to say "where are you" - he didn't even bring his phone with him. When you are used to that, you forget how dependent you get on easy ways to communicate, and don't think about planning ahead to not have it. If I didn't have free wifi, I would have paid because I used Facebook to communicate with my kids - and to make my friends jealous with pictures Oh, and to check the weather!
I personally like being unplugged for the time period im down there, but over the years I have tried everything from every company, Different cell companies have different costs, some international plans arent bad, some are... so the last 5 years or so, Ive bought a phone card from the store next to the hotel and if I needed the internet I would have paid the 5 dollars for the 30 minutes in the lobby. Though I am a member so its free, this past september I brought down an Ipod touch and just used that to go online for facebook and on here etc.
I put the international plan on my Verizon plan for the week we were there last week. I turned off all data on my iPhone, but still could get text since that uses the CDMA voice network if no data is present. We had intentions of doing Skype with the kids but the wireless was way too slow, so we just called to say we got there, a few times during the trip and when we were on our way back. I warned my company that I will "be dead" to them. Because of my job, I am nearly always attached to my phone. For our trip last year, this was the first time that I was disconnected in more than 12 years... and it felt GREAT! I think all in all, when I got my bill it was about $35 higher, not bad in my opinion.
We just got back and it is 15 a day but we got bump to another resort for the first night and got free wifi for a week it was great but it is hard to get in room best place is lobby .
