Advice on Buying a Radio for listening to Orlando Theme Park Radio Traffic

[SpriggZ]

Hello all! I’m interested in buying a scanner so I can listen to the radio traffic at the theme parks there in Orlando. Specifically Universal Studios and Seaworld. Also, I’d like to listen from home. As the crow flies, I am approximately 25 miles from Universal and 20 miles from Seaworld. Can anyone point me in the right direction for a radio and home setup? Thank you!

 

[TampaTyron]

Disney is encrypted and dumping most of their radio system (100% encrypted) in favor of cellphones. Universal is 2 site 900MHz Connect Plus, I think 100% encrypted, I am guessing most of the large theme parks are trunking systems. I would recommend a modern police scanner with DMR instead of a commercial 2 way radio. TT

 

[chief21]

Both Sea World and Busch Gardens are 900 MHz DMR. Level of encryption, if any, is not known (by me).

 

[trooper890]

the days of monitoring the parks started to die about 8-10 years ago, and is now gone and in the grave.

Was really cool once upon a time.

 

[JoeyC]

Listening to a localized park from 20-25 miles would typically be a stretch in most cases these days anyway.

 

[radioman2008]

back in the mid 90s you could hear some of disneys activity on GMRS, they must have been grandfathered in. im thinking there was some monorail traffic on 462.625 or 462.725

also remember there was a simplex 800mhz freq in mid 90s that the disney boats were using, i dont remember if it was the common 853.4875, which was an itinerant. wish that freq was still commonly used around the Usa.

 

[MTS2000des]

Six Flags Over Georgia is 8 nautical miles away from me. Still using analog UHF repeaters at the park. Can't hear them from here on an APX8500 on a Diamond X-300. Terrain here kills low power UHF, nevermind encryption. If one can't pick up the signal, it's pointless. Typical theme parks don't have (or need) high power installations so if one is more than a couple miles away from the complex, don't expect to hear them.

 

[SeanFL]

back in the mid 90s you could hear some of disneys activity on GMRS, they must have been grandfathered in. im thinking there was some monorail traffic on 462.625 or 462.725

Those were great days. I remember the GMRS frequency use back in the 80's and 90's for the Monorail and security was in the 460's as well. When I was a kid, I'd bring a scanner with me and keep track of all the Disney info that could be found. Called security from the hotel room to ask them about some of the codes they were using and they got intrigued by this 14 year old kid asking questions and invited me down to security above the Sun Bank in the Magic Kingdom. I went and got a great tour. Then my parents found me missing when they came back to the room, called security and they said "He's here with us!"

 

[KO4IPV]

Those were great days. I remember the GMRS frequency use back in the 80's and 90's for the Monorail and security was in the 460's as well. When I was a kid, I'd bring a scanner with me and keep track of all the Disney info that could be found. Called security from the hotel room to ask them about some of the codes they were using and they got intrigued by this 14 year old kid asking questions and invited me down to security above the Sun Bank in the Magic Kingdom. I went and got a great tour. Then my parents found me missing when they came back to the room, called security and they said "He's here with us!"

Great story !!! Inquiring minds are a powerful tool