Free Wireless Internet Pilot at Disney’s Contemporary Resort

[disneydata]

Starting today for the next 30 days, guests will be able to utilize free wireless Internet in certain areas of Disney’s Contemporary Resort. The pilot program is to test a new design of a wireless/cell phone coverage configuration. Free wireless Internet access will be available only in the lobby; main pool area; The Wave Restaurant and lounge; and the Convention Center common areas.

You connect to the network option labeled “Guest – Access (unsecured)”. Once you click on that option, you’ll be taken to a screen that prompts you to accept the terms and conditions. After accepting the terms and conditions, you’ll have free wireless Internet access. Guests can take advantage of Internet access in areas that aren’t part of the pilot program for a fee – $9.95 per day for public areas (wireless) and $14.95 per day for guest rooms (wired).

 

[WDWLocal]

Hopefully they will make it so it's free everywhere, but that may never happen "any way to get money" i guess thats the motto.

 

[Lee]

Well it's about time!

Really sad when every 2-star hotel in Orlando has totally free wi-fi while Disney (with their premium prices) still charges.

Welcome to 2007 WDW!

 

[coolmark18]

Hopefully they will make it so it's free everywhere, but that may never happen "any way to get money" i guess thats the motto.

I def think that they should offer it free at Deluxe hotels. A small fee for Value would make sense.

 

[love disney]

Well it's about time!

Really sad when every 2-star hotel in Orlando has totally free wi-fi while Disney (with their premium prices) still charges.

Welcome to 2007 WDW!

Listen, I would love to have free wireless when staying at WDW, and I hope I am wrong on this but I doubt they will ever have it (I am guessing this free offer is just a test to see how the wifi is working in certain areas).

The vast majority of nicer hotels do not offer wireless free. You see the lower end hotels offering it as a selling point, higher end hotels do not need free wifi to entice people to stay there. Trust me, I know this from attending tons of conferences, and I would say 90% of the time there is no free wifi unless I am late booking and end up at a lower end hotel nearby. It sure would be nice to have it at WDW, but there really is no incentive for them to do so as it would not only be a cost they incur themselves but it would also keep people out of the parks or doing other activities in which they are more likely to spend money. Don't get me wrong, I won't complain at all if they start offering it full time, I just don't expect it to happen unfortunately.

 

[Pioneer Hall]

Well it's about time!

Really sad when every 2-star hotel in Orlando has totally free wi-fi while Disney (with their premium prices) still charges.

Welcome to 2007 WDW!

What's interesting...is that this is usually how it goes. I have learned from my travels that the nicer the hotel, the more likely they are to charge for internet. When I went through Europe for a month in 2009, I stayed at a wide range of hotels. The nicest one (a 5 star Sheraton in London) charged me an arm and leg for the internet but the cheap places gave it away. It sucks, but I see the reasoning. People shelling out big bucks for a hotel are usually going to pay for internet if they want it. Smaller and less expensive hotels use it as a marketing tool that larger and more extravagent hotels do not have to worry about.

 

[Pioneer Hall]

Listen, I would love to have free wireless when staying at WDW, and I hope I am wrong on this but I doubt they will ever have it (I am guessing this free offer is just a test to see how the wifi is working in certain areas).

The vast majority of nicer hotels do not offer wireless free. You see the lower end hotels offering it as a selling point, higher end hotels do not need free wifi to entice people to stay there. Trust me, I know this from attending tons of conferences, and I would say 90% of the time there is no free wifi unless I am late booking and end up at a lower end hotel nearby. It sure would be nice to have it at WDW, but there really is no incentive for them to do so as it would not only be a cost they incur themselves but it would also keep people out of the parks or doing other activities in which they are more likely to spend money. Don't get me wrong, I won't complain at all if they start offering it full time, I just don't expect it to happen unfortunately.

You beat me by one minute:ROFLOL:

 

[love disney]

You beat me by one minute:ROFLOL:

Do I win some sort of a prize for beating you by a minute? haha! :ROFLOL: Just glad there is someone else backing me up on this one and has experienced the same thing I have in regards to free wifi access!

 

[disneydata]

Well it's about time!

Really sad when every 2-star hotel in Orlando has totally free wi-fi while Disney (with their premium prices) still charges.

Welcome to 2007 WDW!

The reason Disney has charged for so long is people continue to pay for it. Some guests complain, but for the majority, they just pay the $9.95 and move on. That's why the bean counters say it's not what the guests want. I did think it was a nice add on a few months ago when it was announced that suites would get free wired internet since the prices are so high for those. If this does roll out to other resorts, expect a room rate hike to recoup the costs for the infrastructure (much like the rate increase for Magical Express).

P.S. There is a rumor that the Grand Floridian will soon have a test pilot for this program as well.

 

[Master Yoda]

Listen, I would love to have free wireless when staying at WDW, and I hope I am wrong on this but I doubt they will ever have it (I am guessing this free offer is just a test to see how the wifi is working in certain areas).

The vast majority of nicer hotels do not offer wireless free. You see the lower end hotels offering it as a selling point, higher end hotels do not need free wifi to entice people to stay there. Trust me, I know this from attending tons of conferences, and I would say 90% of the time there is no free wifi unless I am late booking and end up at a lower end hotel nearby. It sure would be nice to have it at WDW, but there really is no incentive for them to do so as it would not only be a cost they incur themselves but it would also keep people out of the parks or doing other activities in which they are more likely to spend money. Don't get me wrong, I won't complain at all if they start offering it full time, I just don't expect it to happen unfortunately.

I would agree. Not to mention every time I have had free wi-fi it ran about as fast as a 14.4 modem. I would rather pay $10 for a decent connection than get a dial up connection for free.

 

[Expo_Seeker40]

People pay how much for a room at some of these deluxe hotels?!

'bout time.

And I get to use it next week when I stay at the Contemporary.

 

[Phonedave]

What's interesting...is that this is usually how it goes. I have learned from my travels that the nicer the hotel, the more likely they are to charge for internet. When I went through Europe for a month in 2009, I stayed at a wide range of hotels. The nicest one (a 5 star Sheraton in London) charged me an arm and leg for the internet but the cheap places gave it away. It sucks, but I see the reasoning. People shelling out big bucks for a hotel are usually going to pay for internet if they want it. Smaller and less expensive hotels use it as a marketing tool that larger and more extravagent hotels do not have to worry about.

You will also find, that at least in urban locations, the nicer the hotel, better the chance that they will tack on a $10 - $20 a night parking charge.

-dave

 

[Pioneer Hall]

You will also find, that at least in urban locations, the nicer the hotel, better the chance that they will tack on a $10 - $20 a night parking charge.

-dave

Absolutely...even our friends at Disneyland do this at the hotels. The "resort fee" includes the internet there, but since you get charged to park in the hotel lots if you aren't staying there you can see what the cost really is for (but all hotels in the surrounding area do this to prevent people from trying to beat out a fee for parking).

 

[JimboJones123]

Well it's about time!

Really sad when every 2-star hotel in Orlando has totally free wi-fi while Disney (with their premium prices) still charges.

Welcome to 2007 WDW!

Funny, I said the exact thing in response to the Facebook post about 2007! Ha!

I've been struck with many lackluster hours of vacation being tied down to the wired system in the room while the rest of the team enjoyed the pool. Sucky way to keep up with business.

Great to see Dis finally get the stick out of their butts on this one. We are traveling with a party in a few weeks that will be stuck in the room more than they should as well.

 

[jakeman]

Disney should have upgraded everything to wireless years ago.

However, as for charging for it, other posters are correct.

As someone who traveled for business for 8 years and has stayed in anything from a Hampton Inn to a W, the higher end places tend to charge and the lower end gives it away for free.

So it's not a shock, or perception of greed, or a disappointment to see that Disney would charge for it.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Wouldn't free wifi be an appropriate offering for club level lounges at the deluxes? I could see a password protected wifi even being a perk for staying club level. They could give access codes to guests checking in.

 

[NMBC1993]

As a poor college student who can't afford internet, this is great news! Now I can kill two birds with one stone, hang out at Disney and complain about it at the same time

 

[Master Yoda]

ummm - that's going to be pretty hard How exactly is a wireless access point supposed to know if you are in your room or not? About the only option is to put in a really bad WAP, with limited range. Or shield the room . hmmmmm - weren't the Contemporay rooms installed as modular units? Did those units have a metallic outer skin? I wonder why the Contemporary was chosen as the pilot location?

I would assume it is because it is one of their convention resorts with a smaller foot print that CS.

 

[jmuboy]

Deluxe and DVC hotels should have ALL FREE internet access to begin with!

 

[Victoria]

Deluxe and DVC hotels should have ALL FREE internet access to begin with!

Well, DVC members staying in DVC resorts do get it for free. When I am not staying with DVCer sister I just use my phone as a wi-fi hotspot. :shrug: It's worth the $20/month.