FuelRod

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With Fuel Rods, you're really paying for the convenience of being able to swap out a used Fuel Rod for a new one that is supposedly fully charged.

Yep, and I am now at a "cost" of pennies at best for each swap, dividing that $20 I spent by the number of times I have swapped. And even if it's not fully charged, I'll just swap it again. I LOVE that convenience!
 
Yep, we love the convenience of Fuel Rods and I fully realize that you can buy higher capacity chargers for less money - in fact we have some that we use when camping and other travel. But for us the convenience of Fuel Rods when at WDW just can't be beat.
 
Also to add in, if anyone has issues at a machine whether it doesn't dispense a fuelrod or there's some type of issue, call the number on the machine.

Multiple people on this forum have reported that they had an issue, called the number, and a fuelrod representative was able to pinpoint the location they were at and make the machine automatically dispense a new fuelrod, or take care of another issue they might have had

This is a great little piece of information.

Great points. I was initially skeptical of the cost (compared to similar cheaper ones I own from Anker), but I guess you're not just paying for the hardware but the entire service, convenience, and support behind the charger.

The convenience of swapping it for a freshly charged battery is just a part of what your $30 gets you . . . there's more . . . read below

I apologize for the dumb question, but if you purchase a fuel rod from a kiosk at WDW, does it come with a cord or adapter? Or, is it just the charger and we would need to bring our own iPhone cords?

Yes, comes with cords and adapters. Not sure what you get now, last summer mine came with Micro USB and two Apple connectors.

Again...my apologies for my fuel rod ignorance. :) Do you specify what type of phone you have (android vs iPhone) when purchasing at the WDW fuel rod kiosk?

No, it just comes with both the micro USB, and the apple connectors in the tube. Of note, I don't know if this has changed recently, but when I purchased our Fuel Rod last August, it came with one cord which plugged into the USB port on the Fuel Rod, and had a micro USB connector on the other end. It then had two Apple adapters that could be connected to the micro USB plug on the cord. It did NOT come with a USB - C adapter. If you have a phone that uses USB - C (such as the Galaxy Note 8) either verify that new Fuel Rods are now packaged with the USB - C adapter, or bring a USB - micro to USB - C adapter with you.

FWIW, before our last trip, I was in line at Wal Mart and saw a generic 4400 mah battery pack with connectors for $8.88 plus tax. I bought one and used it in the parks last week to power our Go Pro. Not only was it very light weight, but had almost double the capacity of a Fuel Rod and substantially cheaper.

With Fuel Rods, you're really paying for the convenience of being able to swap out a used Fuel Rod for a new one that is supposedly fully charged. I say supposedly because all batteries will self discharge over time (LiOn batteries about 5% in the first 24 hours after charge.)

There is some things you aren't considering. First off, is the ability to swap that fuel rod out for a freshly charged replacement at any time, as many times as you want. The generic charger from Wal Mart may be almost double the capacity of one Fuel Rod, but I can swap that 2, 3, 4 times a day if I need to (and I have) for a freshly charged unit. So, effectively, that gives a Fuel Rod 2, maybe even 3 times the capacity of the generic charger from Wal Mart.

There is something else to consider though. A Lithium Ion battery has a life span of about 500 charge cycles. After that, it is junk. If you are using it daily, you can reach that point in well under 2 years of actual use. Even if you aren't using it that often, the battery still only has a life span of 2 to 3 years, and if it spent a year in warehouses etc. between the time it was manufactured, and the time you bought it, you could possibly only realize 1 or 2 years of real life out of it. I know this to be true, as the last generic charger I bought lasted exactly one summer. Turns out, it was well over a year old when I bought it off Amazon.

The Fuel Rod also has that lifespan limitation, BUT . . . when it no longer works, guess what . . . you can swap it at a kiosk for one that does work, and continue using it, and for as long as the Fuel Rod company continues to exist, you can continue to do this, meaning that your Fuel Rod has the potential to outlast the generic by many many years. Assuming that this company stays around for 6 years or more, the Fuel Rod has the potential to be a much better value.
 


There is some things you aren't considering. First off, is the ability to swap that fuel rod out for a freshly charged replacement at any time, as many times as you want. The generic charger from Wal Mart may be almost double the capacity of one Fuel Rod, but I can swap that 2, 3, 4 times a day if I need to (and I have) for a freshly charged unit. So, effectively, that gives a Fuel Rod 2, maybe even 3 times the capacity of the generic charger from Wal Mart.

There is something else to consider though. A Lithium Ion battery has a life span of about 500 charge cycles. After that, it is junk. If you are using it daily, you can reach that point in well under 2 years of actual use. Even if you aren't using it that often, the battery still only has a life span of 2 to 3 years, and if it spent a year in warehouses etc. between the time it was manufactured, and the time you bought it, you could possibly only realize 1 or 2 years of real life out of it. I know this to be true, as the last generic charger I bought lasted exactly one summer. Turns out, it was well over a year old when I bought it off Amazon.

The Fuel Rod also has that lifespan limitation, BUT . . . when it no longer works, guess what . . . you can swap it at a kiosk for one that does work, and continue using it, and for as long as the Fuel Rod company continues to exist, you can continue to do this, meaning that your Fuel Rod has the potential to outlast the generic by many many years. Assuming that this company stays around for 6 years or more, the Fuel Rod has the potential to be a much better value.

To answer your points:

1) The 4400 Mah Wal Mart battery pack topped our Go Pro several times and a Cell phone once, and still had two out of four bars available. I did not come close to discharging it while in the parks from 9am to 8pm last week. Yes, I don't have the ability to swap it out, but I really didn't need it. I charged it each night in our room.

2) True. Most don't have "birth dates" on them. However, at $8.88 for a pack, I can replace it three times for the cost of one fuel rod when it completely dies after those 500 cycles. FWIW, the one I bought did not discharge or self-discharge quickly.

3) I checked the Fuel Rod website and there are no kiosks within 100 miles of my location. And since we won't be going back to Disney for several years, swapping them out is not convenient.

If you want to pay for a Fuel Rod, fine with me. Its your money and different strokes for different folks. I don't have the money to pay $25-30 for a low capacity battery pack when there are better options available much, much cheaper. To compare, I once bought an Anker 26,400 Mah charger for less than the cost of a fuel rod at Disney.
 
To answer your points:

1) The 4400 Mah Wal Mart battery pack topped our Go Pro several times and a Cell phone once, and still had two out of four bars available. I did not come close to discharging it while in the parks from 9am to 8pm last week. Yes, I don't have the ability to swap it out, but I really didn't need it. I charged it each night in our room.

2) True. Most don't have "birth dates" on them. However, at $8.88 for a pack, I can replace it three times for the cost of one fuel rod when it completely dies after those 500 cycles. FWIW, the one I bought did not discharge or self-discharge quickly.

3) I checked the Fuel Rod website and there are no kiosks within 100 miles of my location. And since we won't be going back to Disney for several years, swapping them out is not convenient.

If you want to pay for a Fuel Rod, fine with me. Its your money and different strokes for different folks. I don't have the money to pay $25-30 for a low capacity battery pack when there are better options available much, much cheaper. To compare, I once bought an Anker 26,400 Mah charger for less than the cost of a fuel rod at Disney.
I bought one of those Anker's too. I believe the one I bought was 20,000 Mah. That would be the one that lasted less than one full year. The Fuel Rod is not for everyone. We don't have a kiosk anywhere near us at home either. At home, my need to recharge on the go is very limited though, as I am nearly always close to a power outlet, or in my car. We visit Disney for two weeks every summer, so we get a fair bit of use out of it there, and we use it to charge phones for 5 different people. For us it works.

I wasn't trying to say you were wrong in your assessment, just pointing out that there are other things to take into consideration for anyone who might be considering purchasing a Fuel Rod, or some other battery bank.
 
Yep, we love the convenience of Fuel Rods and I fully realize that you can buy higher capacity chargers for less money - in fact we have some that we use when camping and other travel. But for us the convenience of Fuel Rods when at WDW just can't be beat.
No doubt-it affords the convenience of never having to "recharge a charger"-just swap an "empty" one for a charged one and keep on trucking.

Best $30.00 I ever have spent at WDW.:)
 


We have a party of 4-12 people on our WDW trips, and all but one have their own phone! Because of the fuel rod, I don't have to constantly remind DD (or nieces, or god daughters or DS who is playing on my phone in line) to save her battery or find a place to plug in or carry lots of extra battery packs. Since we went bag-less a couple years ago, having one pocket-sized charger for everyone is priceless! We actually have 2 which we swap out a couple times every day. We hardly ever use the other battery packs we have, but the Fuel Rod goes back to Disney with us every trip!
 
I would just wait and buy one at the park. I bought one at magic kingdom at the main street theater. $30 seems expensive for a small, portable charger but we swapped ours out multiple times. Plus we will take it back the next time we go. We didn't have trouble finding kiosks.
Why would the op want to spend $30 at the MK if they can get the same thing for $12? I don’t understand.
 
Why would the op want to spend $30 at the MK if they can get the same thing for $12? I don’t understand.

Because they can’t get the “same thing” for $12.

As everyone on the thread acknowledges, there are cheaper and/or more powerful portable chargers available. But only this specific brand can be swapped indefinitely for a fresh one at kiosks in the park.

Many people don’t mind not having that capability. Others of us appreciate the convenience and are willing to pay a bit more initially on this brand.

I got mine for $20 at my airport, and am now down to pennies per use.

As with everything, YMMV.
 
I think it’s worth the 30.00 especially if your a frequent Disney visitor no doubt . I am sure you can get them cheaper and if you don’t go to the parks often probably a better deal BUT if you do go often it’s a good deal to be able to pay one cost and bring it back each trip to use FOR that purpose. I am going in April and being a AP holder and Florida resident it’s a decent deal for me .. I use my phone for the Park app and photos so my battery goes fairly fast.
 
What I don't understand is why folks pop onto this thread to criticize the purchase price and functionality of Fuel Rods. I don't pop onto the dessert party threads and tell people that I can buy larger and more delicious gourmet cupcakes and desserts for a fraction of the price that Disney charges. Apples and Oranges.
 
What I don't understand is why folks pop onto this thread to criticize the purchase price and functionality of Fuel Rods. I don't pop onto the dessert party threads and tell people that I can buy larger and more delicious gourmet cupcakes and desserts for a fraction of the price that Disney charges. Apples and Oranges.


right ? EVERYTHING at Disney is overpriced lol it is not exactly budget friendly .. same with the dining plan , it’s not the most cost effective for most but it IS convenient for a lot of people that just don’t want to think about food costs on vacation .. it’s all in how much convenience you are looking for .
 
Few questions:

1) when you swap out, do you just swap the rod itself or the entire kit in the tube (wires included)?

2) Is there an indicator that shows when it’s out of power?

3) Disney’s website does not list Pizza Rizzo as a Fuel Rod location. Is this an oversight? (It’s a convenient location for me as I’m never down by RnR)
 
One question - when you swap the fuel rod out, do you only swap the that one item? Or do you have to put it back in the canister with the USB cables and you get a fresh set of everything?
 
Few questions:

1) when you swap out, do you just swap the rod itself or the entire kit in the tube (wires included)?

2) Is there an indicator that shows when it’s out of power?

3) Disney’s website does not list Pizza Rizzo as a Fuel Rod location. Is this an oversight? (It’s a convenient location for me as I’m never down by RnR)
1 just the rod
2 no power indicator, I just notice my phone stops charging and go grab a new one
3 an oversight i guess, the station is there

Just as an aside, I bring my own cable because the one that comes in the kit is short and I use the fuelrod while live streaming, so I put it in my front pocket and connect my longer cable
 
FYI, I looked into the FuelRod after I read about it here a while back and it seems it's only about a 2,400 mah. That won't even fully charge once my iphone. I bought an Anker a year ago that is 13,000 mah. It only weighs 8 ounces and it charges my phone completely 4 times before I need to get the Anker recharged so it's super convenient. I don;'t have to get it recharged every day and I can certainly wait until I'm back in my room to recharge. It's also around the same price as the Fuel Rod.
 
I'll offer another point of view, don't intend to criticize folks who have different decision points than I do...

We travelled in a party of five, and everyone had an iPhone. We brought two of these:
https://www.amazon.com/Anker-20100m...F8&qid=1518991525&sr=1-3&keywords=anker+20100

...each device is rated to provide seven iPhone recharges before it is empty. Never had an issue during the entire stay. Charged them (along with all of our other USB gear) with one of these:
https://www.amazon.com/Anker-10-Por...sr=1-2-spons&keywords=anker+usb+charger&psc=1

The advantage is that we never had to find any FuelRod dispensaries. The disadvantage is that we had to remember to charge our batteries our selves.

There is a very high probability that the Anker supplies more current to the USB jack (2.4A ea/4.8A total) than the FuelRod (1.2A?), so the Anker will charge your devices twice as fast. The Anker also has two USB ports, so we could charge four devices at once.

In our "calculus", I'd rather take the responsibility to carry and charge my own device for a faster charge, and the freedom to not have to find a FuelRod dispensary. But I understand this comes at the cost of limiting total charges during the day (40k mAH seemed sufficient) and having to remember to charge our device.
 
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