Would you bring your laptop across the border?

[FigmentSpark]

I have an inexpensive Chromebook that I travel with. Everything is in the cloud.

I am considering that as an option and leave my laptop at home. I can take a small external drive. I really just want to be able to upload photos/videos while on vacation. I would surf the net, do emails and use the Touring Plans software, as well, but who has time for much more than that?

 

[deedubb]

My son brought a laptop last March with no issues, but I believe that was before the heightened security. This past Xmas, we all brought iPads. On the way to MCO, we put them all in one bin, like we usually do. They did not have us turn them on. On the way home, they didn't even want us to take them out of our carry-ons.

 

[sherilaine]

My kids will want to bring their laptops with us - and honestly they have nothing to hide. There are no emails on their laptop about how they are trying to get jobs in the U.S or smuggle drugs or anything that would get them into trouble. I honestly think most people worry about their information being taken when most people's information is pretty boring and no one really cares.

I wish border patrols allowing people into Canada were as strict!

 

[Mickey&JoshNut]

Here is my experience with the new heightened security this past December. We flew from Toronto's Pearson airport to LAX for our Christmas trip to Disneyland and back home through LAX. In both airports I had to remove my laptop from its case (no big deal but in the past it could remain in its neoprene WDW case) and I also had to place my Kobo eReader in a bin along with my Kobo Arc tablet...the eReader and tablet remained with their covers on (not sure I could have removed my Aura One's sleep cover as it has not been off since I bought it). The agent swabbed all 3 items in both Toronto and in LAX. I was not asked to turn the laptop or tablet on, but I was prepared to and I had them fully charged. The agent in LAX did open the sleep cover on my eReader when he swabbed it so it did turn on (and he apologized because his swabbing changed my page)...I felt that it was reasonable to remove my electronics like I had done in the past and in other airports around the world, anything to ensure my safety on the airplane...

 

[BLAZEY]

DH has is gaming laptop he does travel with. If they want to see it fine, All it has on it WOW so he can play while on holiday. Everything else in on the main computer at home.

 

[ilovetotravel1977]

Do we have to turn our cell phones off before going through security? I can't remember.

 

[starvenger]

I usually switch it to airplane mode + vibrate.

 

[Disney Addicted]

Enable travel mode in 1Password.

What is this?

 

[cdnSpinalTap]

What is this?

Hello, sorry for the late reply - just returned from the World last night. If you have a 1Password subscription, you can designate certain vaults as travel safe and remove other vaults from your devices. There is an explanation here: https://support.1password.com/travel-mode/.

It worked well for me, in the sense that it was easy for me to get all my passwords back once we were down in Florida.

I implemented all of the steps I outlined in my previous post. Although we were not scrutinized at Customs, it was very easy for me to get all of my passwords, photos, emails, and files back once we were in Florida. Because they did not ask for my devices, I have no idea how they would have reacted with everything being removed.

 

[csm101]

Only bring what your prepared to lose.... By that I mean more than your laptop itself. Most modern smart phones will do what you need why bother with smart phones. laptops and tablets. Your on vacation....unplug and destress

 

[cdnSpinalTap]

Only bring what your prepared to lose.... By that I mean more than your laptop itself. Most modern smart phones will do what you need why bother with smart phones. laptops and tablets. Your on vacation....unplug and destress

Valid point, but each person's situation is different. I bring what I need to bring and it works for me.

 

[Donald - my hero]

Only bring what your prepared to lose.... By that I mean more than your laptop itself. Most modern smart phones will do what you need why bother with smart phones. laptops and tablets. Your on vacation....unplug and destress

For most people this is true but there are some of us who can never truly leave work at home. Hubby has his own business and has a couple of clients who would be dead-in-the water if their production systems went down. We would both love if he could leave it at home, but that's not possible, so this conversation has been helpful! He didn't mind sitting on the balcony in his shorts at OKW, watching the boats float by, listening to the Disney music loop on the TV, drink in hand while putting out fires last January ... as he put it "it's not snowing and I'm in DISNEY!"

 

[Sue M]

I don’t need to work at WDW so all I bring is my iPad and cell phone. And fits in safe. I just hope I’m never asked to take the iPad out of the case. It’s a Speck case and fits so tight I think it would be impossible to remove without damaging the case.

 

[FigmentSpark]

I bring my laptop because it has a USB on it. I want to make sure any photos I buy that are on a USB actually get to me. Also, I change my touring plans on the fly the night before and just generally may want to search stuff up. Yes, I can do it on my ipad or phone, but it's just easier on a laptop.

 

[Disney_Alli]

Going into the US on the way to Ireland in January I wasn't questioned about any of my devices (kobo, ipad, iphone, macbook) but I was questioned about the large number of books I was bringing (about 12 for my mother in law) and they leafed through a couple before returning them to my bag.

 

[Blackadder337]

In the past few years with the increased technological security coming into place, I decided to buy a very basic, cheap laptop for travelling purposes. I put a few family photos on it so that it looks like its used, but in general I store nothing on it and only use it when on vacation. That way they can explore it as much as they want, they're not invading any privacy of mine and they're happy. While away, I copy any photos I take to dropbox and or Google Drive.

I will say that in the last year I haven't been asked to show any electronic devices at customs at all. Maybe just lucky?