GMRS, MURS and DTR Digital at Disney World

[62Truck]

Hello.

First off, Disney did not decide to get off GMRS, the FCC changed the rules.
Since they legally could no longer operate a GMRS transmitter they could not leave the repeater up.
And, they could care less what kind of radio you talk on, as long as you cause no problems.
Be it a full sized talkie or a camcorder, yes they will confiscate it if you try to take it on a ride, and for very good reason.
The rides can take that object and turn it into a missile, injuring someone, or worse.
Same with antennas, who takes a mobile antenna and mounts it on a stick and takes that to a Disney theme park but a dufus?
No, leave the stupid stuff in your car, or better yet, at home.
You have thousands of people in a very small place with a lot of children.

I have yet go have my radio confiscated while taking it on a ride, and I also have seen plenty of people going on with camcorders might not have been a full sized VHS one, but I have been seeing people bringing them on rides, and have yet to get any flack about my radio, I'm not sure if you know but Disney does have two ham repeater on site for hams to use.

 

[redneckcellphone]

but with ham each person has to have a callsign. with gmrs only one license is needed per family

 

[KB7MIB]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; BREW 3.1.5; en )/800x480 Samsung SCH-U960)

It's a moot point now, but they could have left a repeater up on 462.675 with a PL of 141.3, gotten at least a few of the security folks individually licensed, and advertised that they monitor for assistance calls. Disneyland in California could have done the same. Just a thought.

John
ARS KB7MIB
GMRS WPXJ598

 

[sirsmiley]

youre at disney world for goodness sakes.....youre supposed to be parenting or getting drunk and enjoying kiddie land!!!! leave the radios at home ........use a cell phone only when required......enjoy life, give up the hobby for a few days

 

[matt131]

I have tried GMRS and MURS at Disney World and I have found that MURS is OK if you are in an open area. GMRS can be crowded but using DPL usually takes care of that.

I have found that using the Motorola DTR radios which are license free digital 900mhz radios works perfectly. I have found their range to be far greater than GMRS or MURS.

I am going back in December and I am going to be bringing my MotoTrbo portables to try digital out and see how they work. I am curious how the UHF digital range will work in the parks.

 

[slalomkayaker1]

youre at disney world for goodness sakes.....youre supposed to be parenting or getting drunk and enjoying kiddie land!!!! leave the radios at home ........use a cell phone only when required......enjoy life, give up the hobby for a few days

Very true. The reason I enjoyed this thread is because it tests the effective range of the 900 mhz FFHS radios in an urban environment. Clearly, they seem to work better than UHF or VHF. I've used the DTR radios in Quebec (to avoid roaming charges on cell phones) and I found them to work from my hotel room (28th floor) throughout the entire downtown. This effectively eliminated the need for a cell phone and I was very pleased in this situation.

 

[GB1952]

I and three other friends use murs around here for base and mobile,we live 15 miles from each other and they work great.and for the last two years we have been the only ones on 151.880 and 154.6 other than walmart

 

[n2oha]

GMRS repeater is available at Disney (Orlando)

I know that MURS and GMRS which is better at Disney World has been discussed here. I myself started on of the threads. My question is given the choice of using MURS or GMRS at Disney World which is better? I know that there is a lot to take into consideration, buildings, electromagnetic interference etc. Thanks,

Disney has an open repeater on 462.650 PL141.3 (Traveler Tone)
***141.3 is also known as the emergency access tone***

The designator is Mouse 650 Disney World GMRS repeater. Located in Downtown Disney. No permission required, please use GMRS call sign.. Repeater is running 18 watts. Owner requests to know how coverage worked for you so he can adjust if need be. Owner email WPUH380@yahoo.com

**UPDATE** as of Feb/2014 new antenna installed on site and works even better.
More information available at myGMRS.com - MOUSE 650: Lake Buena Vista, FL

 

[k6cpo]

I would first find out whether Disney World even allows visitors to carry two-way radios. Interference with their in-house systems could be a major concern.

I have e-mails from the customer services departments of both Disney World and Disneyland (Anaheim, CA) that indicate it's permissible to bring two-way radios into their parks. These e-mails deal specifically with ham radio as that is what I wanted to use.

"[FONT=&quot]Thank you for contacting the Walt Disney World® Resort.

Your husband is certainly allowed to bring in his handheld radio as long
as it is not powerful enough to interfere with any communication that
our cast members may use throughout our Theme Parks."
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot][/FONT]"Thank you for your e-mail to the DISNEYLAND® Resort.

Our security department has informed us that Guests may use Walkie Talkies in our Parks, however, if they interfere with our radios, Guests will be asked to remove them from our Parks."
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]

Beware! If you use a two-way radio inside an attraction (like a ride), someone might require you to surrender it until you leave the park.

Given the quotes above, I doubt they would go so far as asking someone to "surrender" their radio but would ask them to take it out of the park instead. Besides, why would someone want to use the radio inside an attraction?

i was just at DisneyWorld in February and brought both my ham radio with speaker mic and my Pro-106 visible and in use. No one ever said a word, Disney "cast members" and security told me they appreciated the fact that so many hams come to WDW and use their radios AND I worked a few stations on the "Disney" repeater.

It's W4WDW (get it?) at 147.300. When I used it, it had no PL.

Also, most employees use that new private iDEN system that Moto set up there, EXCEPT for parade ops. They were using Radius UHF handhelds. The frequency is in the DB, I think. I lost it since I came home and reflashed the 106.

Hope this helps.

P.S. Yeah, don't use the radio while on a ride or in an attraction, but the same goes for cellphones...ya know, common sense?

I was at Walt Disney World last November and I tried using that repeater from my hotel, but I couldn't hear much of anything. As it turned out, I didn't even take my radio into any of the parks. We're going back in September of this year and if it weren't for the fact we coming back by train, I might not take it at all...

 

[DaveNF2G]

Given the quotes above, I doubt they would go so far as asking someone to "surrender" their radio but would ask them to take it out of the park instead. Besides, why would someone want to use the radio inside an attraction?

Probably so. I was referring to private property generally.

As for the question, people do stupid things. :wink:

 

[wbswetnam]

Disney doesn't use MURS or GMRS for in-house comms... only Wal-Mart is so cheap that they use MURS! Seriously, my local Wal-Mart uses MURS 5, no PL tone.

 

[mikewazowski]

MURS or GMRS at Disney World

Given the quotes above, I doubt they would go so far as asking someone to "surrender" their radio but would ask them to take it out of the park instead. Besides, why would someone want to use the radio inside an attraction?

Could just be a case of security offering to hold the radio while the guest was at the park. With the price of admission and the sometimes crowded rides, having security hold it rather than taking it back to your car or area hotel would make more sense.

Having sat behind somebody who took a cellphone call during It's a Small World and continued it until the end, it wouldn't surprise me if somebody whipped out a radio and tried to use it during a ride.

 

[Project25_MASTR]

Re: MURS or GMRS at Disney World

Disney doesn't use MURS or GMRS for in-house comms... only Wal-Mart is so cheap that they use MURS! Seriously, my local Wal-Mart uses MURS 5, no PL tone.

The ones on my area use a combination of both MURS and something in UHF land (or last I checked Motorola only made that radio in UHF). Sam's uses MURS.

Sent from my ME173X using Tapatalk

 

[ecps92]

The topic was "Which will work better, while visiting Disney" See post #1

Not suggesting that Disney uses either. We already know a DMR TRS :wink:

Disney doesn't use MURS or GMRS for in-house comms... only Wal-Mart is so cheap that they use MURS! Seriously, my local Wal-Mart uses MURS 5, no PL tone.

 

[Project25_MASTR]

If there was a GMRS repeater in the area, I'd say GMRS (though UHF does reflect signals a lot in urban environments).

I think what it's really gonna come down to is what kind of radios are being used (assuming legal limits).

 

[ecps92]

See post # 43

Disney has an open repeater on 462.650 PL141.3 (Traveler Tone)
***141.3 is also known as the emergency access tone***

The designator is Mouse 650 Disney World GMRS repeater. Located in Downtown Disney. No permission required, please use GMRS call sign.. Repeater is running 18 watts. Owner requests to know how coverage worked for you so he can adjust if need be. Owner email WPUH380@yahoo.com

**UPDATE** as of Feb/2014 new antenna installed on site and works even better.
More information available at myGMRS.com - MOUSE 650: Lake Buena Vista, FL

If there was a GMRS repeater in the area, I'd say GMRS (though UHF does reflect signals a lot in urban environments).

I think what it's really gonna come down to is what kind of radios are being used (assuming legal limits).

 

[cgwheeler]

How bout the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim? Are there any repeaters that cover the Resort area for GMRS licensees? Not that it was needed, just curious.

We were there a couple of weeks ago and had no trouble using our Fisher-Price yellow Motorola GMRS/FRS handhelds on simplex between both parks. Two MT350Rs and two MS350Rs. As long as were outside, we could talk just fine between Katella and Toontown. That covered our needs for the 14 of us.

People see our radios because, my wife and I carry them on our backpack straps. We heard several comments like "Walkie-talkies! What a good idea!" which surprised me. Several years ago you'd see hundreds of FRS radios inside Disneyland. Saw very few on our visit last month. There was one guy that said his family tried it a couple of years ago, "...but we couldn't find a channel that didn't have a bunch of people already on it."

I guess a lot of people gave up on it.

 

[cgwheeler]

... Having sat behind somebody who took a cellphone call during It's a Small World and continued it until the end, it wouldn't surprise me if somebody whipped out a radio and tried to use it during a ride.

Hmmm. I might take a call in Small World just as a distraction to keep that song from getting stuck in my head for the next several days.

 

[DaveNF2G]

Several years ago you'd see hundreds of FRS radios inside Disneyland. Saw very few on our visit last month. There was one guy that said his family tried it a couple of years ago, "...but we couldn't find a channel that didn't have a bunch of people already on it."

I guess a lot of people gave up on it.

"Nobody goes there any more. It's too crowded." (Yogi Berra)

 

[RodStrong]

Probably safe to assume a lot more people communicate by texting nowadays vs. a few years ago.