Battery charger for the parks?

[SL6827]

I have a brand new Galaxy 23 plus. Do you think I will need to take a battery charger to the parks?

 

[disneydreamer1980]

We always do, you’re using the phone for everything all day, for me it would be a mini disaster if my phone died since I’m the one in charge of everything on the vacation. Can’t hurt to bring one

 

[tx911]

I routinely need one when I'm in the parks. I use the fuel rods quite a bit. I also have one I got on amazon that's a little smaller than a deck of cards. For me, a battery charger is a must.

 

[NYCgrrl]

I’m at the stage in life where I never want my phone to run out of power. After all it’s not just a vocal communication device, it’s a mini computer that stores my dinner reservations ride appts, etc.
Chargers are relatively lightweight and inexpensive now. Go for it.

 

[frozengirl]

Yes! The MDE app drains your battery. We were just at Disneyland and I started charging after lunch.

 

[frannn]

Just got the S23 FE and am finding that it's picky with charging cords. I always get everyone a brick charger to carry to the parks. Sometimes we split up in the parks and keep in touch frequently thru texts. Also good to have power for entertainment when in a long line and on the MDE app.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

With a new phone, you might not need one, but if you do need one, they can be a lifesaver.

If you don't get one pre-trip, you can always buy a Fuel Rod at WDW. They are a bit $$ there, but then you can swap them out as needed anywhere there is a kiosk. The dispensing machines will give you a fully charged one if you swap an empty one. You just need a cable to use it.

I always carry two short cables, because the cables are easy to damage if you are charging while walking in a theme park.

 

[1lilspark]

I normally will keep at least one charger in my bag as well as just a plug/cord because there are outlets for charging in the parks

 

[musicguy856]

Mid-day breaks are good for phone batteries. When I do them I’ll just leave my phone charging in my hotel room while swimming or taking a nap.

 

[daae3]

Know your phone…my phone goes a half day at best with normal use. I found super small chargers with self contained cords and will be carrying one of those in every park

 

[robinb]

I bought a fuel rod years ago. We bring it with us and swap every single day and sometimes twice a day in every single park. It’s lightweight and when it’s spent I can always find a replacement fairly close by.

https://www.fuel-rod.com/

 

[gharter]

I always bring a battery charger with as i spend too much time on Genie + refreshing to get the next one.

 

[Mle8308]

Agree on Fuel Rods. No, they are not the most powerful chargers, but they will do the trick. They are small and lightweight and can be exchanged for free all over Disney property (you can look up locations in MDE). Buy them ahead of time from Amazon, they are much cheaper. They come in a small plastic tube and it includes a charging cable. I have more powerful chargers, but they are also larger and heavier. Small and light is the way (for me) at Disney!

 

[Tom_E_D]

Agree on Fuel Rods. No, they are not the most powerful chargers, but they will do the trick. They are small and lightweight and can be exchanged for free all over Disney property (you can look up locations in MDE). Buy them ahead of time from Amazon, they are much cheaper. They come in a small plastic tube and it includes a charging cable. I have more powerful chargers, but they are also larger and heavier. Small and light is the way (for me) at Disney!

When they first came out, fuel rods could be exchanged for free. And I believe that is still true for those who bought them before the policy changed. However, for newly-purchased fuel rods, I believe there is now a fee for exchanging them. (I invite those who know the current terms and conditions to correct me, if necessary.) I'm putting this info out there as a caution to a potential buyer, not because I know the answer for certain.

P.S. I did a little further research and the latest info I found has the swaps/exchanges still being free at WDW. However, I think potential buyers should know that isn't true at all other locations. At Universal Orlando, I understand, they charge $3 to swap fuel rods.

 

[Mle8308]

When they first came out, fuel rods could be exchanged for free. And I believe that is still true for those who bought them before the policy changed. However, for newly-purchased fuel rods, I believe there is now a fee for exchanging them. (I invite those who know the current terms and conditions to correct me, if necessary.) I'm putting this info out there as a caution to a potential buyer, not because I know the answer for certain.

P.S. I did a little further research and the latest info I found has the swaps/exchanges still being free at WDW. However, I think potential buyers should know that isn't true at all other locations. At Universal Orlando, I understand, they charge $3 to swap fuel rods.

View attachment 828840

Good to know about Universal. The only place I really bring the fuel rods to is WDW. I do remember there was a short time where Disney did charge to swap and for whatever reason (I didn't Google it) they changed it back. It is convenient on Disney property, I didn't realize how many locations they had to swap them out!

 

[hes122]

I ended up having to buy a fuel rod on my last Disney trip. The charging cord I brought along for my normal battery charger crapped out on me and I didn't realize it until the next morning when I went to unplug it and put it in my bag. It'll be nice to have that on the next trip as there will be at least 4 of us with phones likely needing to be charged at some point and having the free swapability will be helpful.

 

[Minsc]

We've been using the Fuel Rods and they are so handy because you can just swap them out, they are also small enough to fit in a pocket. We started going bagless a few years ago and so most days we just have our phones, fuel rods, and magic bands with us.

 

[tony67]

I have a several of 10k ma ones I have purchased from Amazon. when they went on sale they are like $20.
They will rapidly charge your phone and I can get two full charges out of it.
I always keep one on me when traveling.

These are the two I purchased - I prefer the TOZO , but the size of the VEEKTOMX is probably better for most people.
(the are both small but the TOZO is maybe twice as think as the VEEKTOMX, but 2/3s as long so similar mass and weight).

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09VP41M71
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BD6TXHSQ

Oh and to your original question - you may not need it, but you don't want to be stuck.
Like you get up in the AM and your phone did not charge at all and you don't want to wait around to charge it.

 

[Genie+]

We used to always bring a charger and need it. Less now with newer phones. Still advisable! Running out of battery sucks in the parks.

They keep adding more and more charging options through the parks, so you could get away with just bringing charging cord. Most commonly they are old school USB though.

Epcot put in a fairly large outdoor relaxation area near Moana filled with seating and charging outlets. More places scattered through the parks. We’ve started just bringing our smallest charger along with a couple cord options.

 

[Tatebeck]

For my upcoming trip I bought a case for my galaxy phone on amazon that has a metal ring embedded into it that lets me use Magsafe chargers. Now I have a small battery that will magnetically stick to the back of my case and charge my phone as I walk around making my genie+ selections without having to actually plug in my phone and have 2 things in my hands or have a cord strung around me from my backpack. Worth it to me at less than $50 for both the case and a battery!