We Don’t Recommend FuelRods
FuelRod kiosks can be found at Walt Disney World, Disneyland, airports, and other locations. The service offers reusable, portable charging to fuel or charge your phone on the go, and then swap for a fresh battery. In this FuelRod review, we’ll cover whether the “unlimited” service is worth the money and effort. (Updated July 28, 2024.)
While the headline is pretty blunt, there is more nuance to the question of whether you should buy a FuelRod while visiting Walt Disney World or Disneyland. As such, we’ll address their cost v. convenience, and weigh the pros and cons. Note that this FuelRoad review is entirely our subjective assessment of how FuelRods work (or don’t) for us. You may disagree entirely, finding a lot of value in FuelRods–and that’s fine.
For those who are unfamiliar with the concept, FuelRods are portable chargers that can be purchased in Walt Disney World parks and used to (partially) recharge your iPhone or other device on the go. You can then swap for a new battery pack at FuelRod kiosks once you’ve exhausted one. In a nutshell, our view is that FuelRods are pretty great…for people who have never heard of the internet..
The general concept of these portable chargers is great for Walt Disney World. Using just the My Disney Experience app alone is a big drain that people underestimate as is browsing brilliant Disney blogs to figure out where you should eat. Suffice to say, it’s easy for your battery to die early in the day. Rechargeable battery packs have existed for some time (so to that end FuelRod is hardly revolutionary), and are one of the recommended staples on our What to Pack for Disney List.
The ‘twist’ with FuelRods is that when you’re done using them, you can trade out your depleted FuelRod for a fully-charged one at the many kiosks throughout Walt Disney World and Disneyland. The appeal is thus the ‘unlimited’ charge the FuelRods offer by virtue of swapping them out. When put that way, it’s easy to see the appeal of FuelRods.
July 28, 2024 Update: FuelRod kiosks have been updated all around Walt Disney World, Disneyland, airports, convention centers, and everywhere else. With this, the price of FuelRods at Disney Parks locations have also increased–the cost of a single FuelRod is up from $30 to $38, two rods are now $76, and three rods are $114 (you can do the math for yourself, but there are no bulk purchase discounts–and weren’t before, either).
The good news is that FuelRods are only $35 for a 2-pack on Amazon. You read that correctly. Two for less than the price of one at Walt Disney World, which is about par for the course with Disney vs. real world pricing of regular products.
Although in the case of FuelRods, the devices are typically more expensive at non-Disney locations like airports or convention centers. (Last I checked, the airport price of a FuelRod at the airport was $40 and the swap was $3.) They’re just much cheaper on Amazon than anywhere else, so if you do opt to buy FuelRods…get them there!
With the higher prices comes improved performance. Here are the highlights of the new FuelRods:
- More Power: The NEW FuelRod boasts an increased capacity of 3,200 mAh (over 23% more power than the original FuelRod), providing longer-lasting power to keep your devices charged throughout the day.
- More Control: With USB-C compatibility, the NEW FuelRod offers versatile charging options for a wide range of modern devices. It also features a power button and four LED battery light indicators, giving users greater control over their charging experience.
- Same Swap: Maintaining the simplicity and convenience that FuelRod is known for, the swap process remains effortless. Just visit any FuelRod kiosk, insert your old FuelRod, and receive a fully charged new one instantly.
As before, swapping remains free at Walt Disney World and Disneyland for now. There was a class action lawsuit a few years back that resulted in FuelRod giving “Founder’s Status” to anyone who bought their devices before late 2019. For a while, this was verified at kiosks at Disney locations, which then provided free swapping.
The verification no longer occurs for whatever reason, meaning swaps are free for everyone. Since I don’t know the why of this, I’m weary that it could change at any time–and that would make the usefulness and convenience of FuelRods much worse.
Here’s how the upgrade process works according to FuelRod:
- Visit Any FuelRod Kiosk Nationwide: Locate a FuelRod kiosk at most major airports, theme parks, convention centers, and other high-traffic areas. All FuelRod locations are being upgraded to support the new program through a phased rollout. Rest assured; we are working as quickly as possible to have all kiosks updated.
- Select “Swap” Button: On the kiosk screen, choose the “swap” option.
- Insert Your Original FuelRod: Place your original FuelRod into the kiosk. (Note: You will have to re-insert your original rod to continue the upgrade process.) Please follow the on-screen instructions for more details.
- Receive the NEW FuelRod Kit: For the cost of a normal swap, you’ll receive the NEW FuelRod Kit, which includes the upgraded fully charged USB-C FuelRod along with new cables and adapters.
We have to give props to FuelRod here for making this update, as slow charging and low capacity were two of our biggest complaints about the devices. As best we can tell, the device had never been updated prior to this, and portable batteries have come a long way in the last decade. FuelRod is still well behind the competition, but still–credit where credit is due, and nice to see the update made. In a pinch, this should be a better option than its predecessor.
As always, we still recommend purchasing one of the Anker devices on our list of the Best Backup Batteries for Disney. There’s a wide range of quick and high-capacity portable chargers on that list, most of which are faster and cheaper than FuelRods. Of course, that doesn’t do you much good if you’ve already arrived at Walt Disney World or Disneyland and are finding that you need more juice–but for those planning ahead, consult that list instead.
For what it’s worth, you probably will need a portable charger in the parks. The new Lightning Lane Multi-Pass at Walt Disney World and Disneyland just launched and these updated line-skipping systems are (still) serious battery drains.
While it’s theoretically possible to go an entire day using Lightning Lanes without recharging, it’s very difficult–especially since you’ll need a strong “refresh game” if you want to score good subsequent selections. Many guests will be unprepared for this, and find themselves needing a spare battery during their days in the park.
On top of that, there are certain features, like the itinerary builder and PhotoPass AR lenses, that really kill a phone’s battery. Just ~30 minutes of playing around with the augmented reality filters took my battery down significantly. Plus, you’ll really want to use other app features like Mobile Order and Walk-Up Waitlist, which can save you a ton of time.
The apps are practically essential to doing Walt Disney World or Disneyland at this point. They aren’t technically required, but they’re hugely convenient. Just something to keep in mind if you don’t have a backup battery packed!
For many guests, the argument in favor of the FuelRod is the same as the Disney Dining Plan: convenience. However, like the argument in favor of the Disney Dining Plan, I’d counter that it’s the illusion of convenience, rather than actual convenience. And, like the Dining Plan, you’re paying extra for that illusion.
The problems with FuelRods are two-fold. First, the price is very high for a battery pack of this capacity and quality. Second, the aforementioned capacity is poor by modern battery pack standards. (Although this has improved in the last couple of years, it’s still nowhere what you’d get from something from Amazon for under $40. Nor is the charging as fast.)
Let’s talk a bit more about FuelRod’s capacity relative to its competitors. Up until the 2024 update, FuelRod did not indicate its charge capacity. (Which alone should set off red flags.) It can charge a current iPhone about halfway with its 3,000 mAh capacity.
Again, the alternatives on our list of the Best Backup Batteries for Disney offer larger capacity, lower cost, and faster charging than FuelRod. Some of these chargers will not only get you through an entire day in the parks–they’ll charge your entire family’s devices for the day. The closest equivalent to the FuelRod is the Anker Nano Portable Charger (here’s the USB-C version that was just released). By modern battery pack standards, FuelRod is antiquated.
To be fair to FuelRod, the case could be made that there’s a certain convenience in never having to charge a battery pack–just being able to swap out the existing pack ad infinitum. Or that it can be a lifesaver if you forget your charger, cables, etc. True, it does offer appeal in both scenarios. There’s absolutely no arguing about FuelRod being useful if you’ve forgotten your charger/cables.
However, the case for general convenience in everyday scenarios is tougher to make. When I get back to the hotel at the end of a long day, I hate having to plug everything in before getting ready for bed. The thing is, I have to do that regardless with my camera, phone, etc. Plugging in one additional item is (literally) a <30 second commitment that hardly poses an insurmountable obstacle between me and a good night’s sleep.
Moreover, this argument is only even plausible in a world where FuelRod kiosks are ubiquitous. Such a world does not exist, nor will it ever exist. FuelRod’s business model relies upon spontaneous purchases from consumers who either don’t do the research or don’t have a viable alternative. Outside of airports, theme parks, and similar ‘vacuums’, they will lose to competitors. (For the same reason that no one in their right mind would pay $14 for a cheeseburger at Cosmic Ray’s if it were located in their hometown.)
If you’re primarily concerned about using FuelRods at the airport, Walt Disney World, or Disneyland–that’s great. FuelRod probably has you covered. For Disney regulars or Annual Passholders, there is value in FuelRod. Again, we’re not saying this is a totally useless service or product.
Ultimately, the only people for whom I can see FuelRod holding appeal once they get past the initial idea of convenience is those who have never heard of rechargeable batteries before stumbling upon the FuelRod kiosk while in the parks. Yes, these people do exist. We see countless guests sitting in corners charging their phones in random outlets during the course of their vacations.
For those people (or people who simply forget to pack their portable chargers), the FuelRod presents a good spontaneous purchase, as the cost (in time) of sitting in a random corner everyday during a pricey Walt Disney World vacation far outweighs even the $30 cost of a FuelRod. However, if you’re reading this FuelRod review in advance of a trip to the park and have the opportunity to order a higher capacity battery pack from Amazon, that’s your better option.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
Your Thoughts
What do you think of FuelRods? Excited about the 2024 upgrade that offers higher capacity devices and faster charging? Will you continue to use FuelRods at Walt Disney World or Disneyland? Do you agree or disagree with our FuelRod review? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
FuelRods are the best invention since sliced bread! And at only $30 a pop, it’s so affordable that you can buy one for every member of your family since we all have cell phones now!
These saved us at the park! Love our FuelRods!
Never intended to buy into fuel rods until the day I forgot to bring any of my high-capacity chargers. Given current technology they are quaintly grandma speed, but now that I have it, I use it. It is small and lightweight and it’s kinda fun to seek out the kiosks. They do get awfully hot though–my other chargers don’t.
Based on what I’m seeing on Amazon, I figure you’re paying $10 for the 2600 mAh charger and cables, $10 for the swapping service, and $10 for the luxury of getting it in the park instead of online.
The question of “Is it worth it?,” the $10 service, comes down to how often are you near a FuelRod kiosk?
If you go to Disney every year, or frequent an airport with a FuelRod kiosk, then FuelRod may be a good deal.
On the other hand, if, like me, you only go to Disney once every two to three years or so, and never see a FuelRod kiosk anywhere else, then there are much better options for portable chargers. And, that is the point of the article.
After purchasing my fuel rod for $20, I have not had a dead phone. Isn’t that the entire point? I actually found the fuel rod at an airport. My phone was dead at the time and I figured it would be more “convenient” to buy it then over waiting a day for amazon to ship it. Is the point to this article is to let us know how you’re woke and better?
It’s pretty clear that this article is aimed at someone planning to tour in Disney parks, not someone who gets caught in an airport with a low battery. Do you even know what blog you’re reading right now?
My phone can hold a charge for 24 hours. You must have an inferior phone that these corporate cell phone companies suckered you into buying. Right along with the maker of your “superior” travel charger. You are being duped by the convienance of charging on the go in return for your money. No wonder Bezos is the richest man in the world.
Actually all BS aside, the reason why I need a portable charger is because I forget to charge my phone every night. I also forget to charge my portable. So yes, there is a convenience to the ability to switch out an empty for a full in under 60 sec. How long does it take to charge one of those fancy chargers? Guess how many times I can swap my fuel rod in that amount of time.
Someone gave me a fuelrod for free. It’s rated at 2600 mah not 1000. However I don’t view this as a safe device to use. Seeing the size and mah rating I’m going to assume it has an 18650 li-on battery. This battery is encased in an UNVENTED tube! When these batteries die they can discharge a gas that will cause an invented tube to explode. Add one drop of moisture to the exploded battery and the moisture touches the lithium strip and it will catch on fire. Tubes like this must be vented
Actually it is vented. The ends unscrew and have no seals, and there’s no gasket of any kind around the USB ports. Gases can freely vent. And it is an 18650 battery.
These batteries SAVED OUR FAMILY at the park! $30 for them is a bargain and we’ll buy plenty more for future use! With all our kids and their cells phones, it’s good security and peace of mind to buy one for each child!
Love this product and will buy more next time we’re at the park!
Why do they take 6 hours to charge? My phone takes under an hour.
What takes six hours to charge?
I was all for the fuel rod. I have an annual pass and swap it often. But I recently heard they are going to start charging for swaps. Now the $30 is not justified. With no indicator light I won’t know that the battery is low until it dies. My daughter won’t be able to save her friends when their battery is dangerously low. I hate that I was promised unlimited free swaps and they are going to go back on their word just to be able to make more money. I have purchased multiple fuelrods and will ask for refunds when this happens.
These Fuel Rods saved us! And the $30 price is a bargain! This was so cheap that we bought several for our family! We’ll never run out of battery at the parks again!
It really depends on who you are and how often you go. As an annual pass holder, my family goes 5-6 times per year. We bought it at the airport ahead of time ($20, recommended) and have used it multiple times with great success! We actually own another charger but would always forget to charge it before the trip! The convenience of swapping sold it for us. We charge one phon, then the other, as needed, and always grab fresh ones whenever we leave the park and the airport. Great value for $20, not so much for $30. Buy yours at the airport!
Fuel Rod capacity is 2600 mAh, it’s stamped on the end cap. That said, with your own portable battery you know how many times it’s been recharged and can estimate when it will need to be replaced. My phone battery is more than 2600 mAh and even when the phone is idle the Fuel Rod adds less than 50% to the charge. It worked in an emergency when I lost my 12,000 mAh charger, but it’s slow, it gets extremely hot very quickly, it hardly makes a dent in the charge and it ties me to returning to a kiosk. I can’t imagine why anyone recommends this as a first option, other than it’s offered by Disney so it must be pixie dust.
It’s an 18650 Li-ion battery inside it. You don’t need to worry about how many times it’s been charged or replacing it as you’ll just swap it out. The point is that you don’t have to carry a five pound brick charger with you around the parks all day long.
“The point is that you don’t have to carry a five pound brick charger with you around the parks all day long.”
Exaggerate much?
https://www.amazon.com/Anker-PowerCore-Ultra-Compact-High-speed-Technology/dp/B0194WDVHI/
SPECS:
* 10,000 mah
* 6.35 ounces
* Can charge a Galaxy S8 2.5 times, that weak FuelRod can barely charge my phone to 50%.
* High-speed-Charging Technology, which that weak FuelRod does not have.
$30
We own a good charger. Cost $20. Can charge both our phones repeatedly and quickly. No reason why I’d want to give Disney $30 for a charger that I don’t need and I’d use just a couple weeks a year.
Fuel rod saved my day at the park, so I see your review and reject it completely…
Agreed, I had two or three portable chargers with me one day and for some reason none of them would not connect correctly with my phone. My phone was almost dead and I needed to keep in touch with my family without Fuelrods I would have been really screwed.
I just spent a week at Disney and I have an iPhone 8 and did not need to recharge my phone at all while at the park. I’ve used the My Disney Experience App throughout the day to get fast passes, to order food, and to look up wait times on rides. My phone never went below 50% on even the busiest day. I think that this is a great thing for those who constantly use their phone, but for me, I was too involved in my vacation to even notice if I needed to charge my phone or not. I actually use my phone more while at work to do work things, and I hardly need to charge my phone at the end of the day until after I get home.
Fuel Rod is small, light weight and awesome in my opinion. And besides buying something you can’t swap out at Disney still directs you to ….well…Fuel Rod…enjoy your day
I opened one up by unscrewing the ends. Inside is an 18650 Li-ion battery, at 2600mAh capacity, and a little charging regulator board.
I can always get my phone to charge from 0 to 100% on one fuel rod. As a frequent traveler, I have a couple of them, and I switch them out during layovers. I have always found them to be convenient and they’re not very obtrusive, which helps when I am walking around during a trip and just want to use a small purse or clutch.
Sure, it might be a bit annoying to have to find a kiosk, but it’s much more convenient than having to sit in one place to charge your phone so you can use Lyft to get back to your hotel.
We just picked up a fuel rod at the airport for $20.
Battery capacity is 2600mah.
It charges an iPhone 6 from 5% to 100% twice on a charge.
The battery is good quality, generally speaking, though the charge is limited to 1 amp.
Yeah, but you’re wrong. You can’t buy a similarly-sized battery bank with much more capacity, certainly NOT five times as much. That Anker you mentioned is more than double the size and weight. All portable battery banks are going to have about the same weight/capacity ratio.
Ignoring the reference to iJunk (because most of us use real phones), why are your batteries dying so much in the parks? Too much phone time ruins the immersive experience you are paying big money for. And no, there is no magical bank that will charge your whole family’s devices in one charge, multiple times, unless it’s a five pound anchor. I have other battery packs that are larger and work great. But they weigh more and don’t magically recharge them selves. I leave the Fuel Rod in my dedicated WDW park pack all the time so it’s always ready to go, no need to worry about whether or not I forgot it.
The Fuel Rods are nice, small, easy to carry in the parks. Swapping is very convenient. Did I mention they are nice and lightweight? I carry enough weight in my park pack as it is, with snacks, cameras and extra batteries for those.
Just got back. We brought 4 battery packs between the 3 of us, an Anker 20000 mAH, with QC 3.0, and 3 Anker 10050 mAH with QC 3.0. We ended up only bringing in the 10050s with us, as the fit easily into our fanny packs, weighed only just over 8 oz., and provided everyone juice to recharge at least twice, based a day, based on our experiences at night, and the battery packs were fully charged the next day, if needed. Our phones: iPhone 6, iPhone 8 plus and a Samsung Galaxy 7.
The Fuel Rod makes no sense for us, as it is available only in limited places. We use battery packs at festivals, Mardi Gras, football games and other sporting events, hiking and so many more activities. At 2600 mAH, the current generation of Fuel Rods are extremely limited in what they can do. I also don’t like that they don’t list the mAH on the website. In fairness, one potential reason for that is that they can upgrade the mAH on the Fuel Rods as technology advances.
I think the Fuel Rods are better than nothing: A lot of people don’t even know about portable battery packs. If you’re constantly at airports, WDW, Disneyland, I can even see it making a bit of sense. But there are so many other occasions where battery packs can be used, that the limitations of the Fuel Rod, become apparent.
I can see those for whom it enters the rotation. But it is a slow charge: My Anker with QC 3.0 gets me back to a full charge amazingly fast. Further, my Galaxy 7 has a 3000 mAH (the 7+, 8+ & 9+ all have a 3500 mAH) battery; a slow Fuel Rod can’t charge it completely. Yes, it can be swapped out for another, but, it would take me 2 Fuel Rods a very long time to fully charge my phone, instead of my current fast charge battery pack where I can instantly get camera flash capability back just by charging it in. We had one of our family forget his battery pack one day; it was an easy matter to borrow another of our family’s packs and charge his phone that way. Oh, one other thing we did: Put the battery packs in ziplock bags to keep out any water, from rain, rides and other water hazards.
I completely agree with this, but as they say,
“There’s a sucker born every minute!”
Hi, I looked at the fuel-rod as an investment. I can grab a fresh one heading into the park and a fresh one heading out of the park quick and easy. while it is a bit awkward, it does fit in my phone pocket of my shorts, and it is light.
I think the point is missed on how to use this item, it is not a one time miracle cure for your phone. If it doesn’t charge you all the way from zero, so what and why was your phone at zero? It kept my phone above 80% on a day of frequent phone use with the dis app and keeping entertained in some of the lines.
Let me say again, it is quick and easy to exchange when entering and exiting the park, and can augment your phone battery to keep the charge at a reasonable high level. When time is money spent, and you are the type that carries as little as possible; phone, wallet, keys, water bottle… it is a quick and simple way to keep your phone topped off.
Save the the witticism about marketing and refreshing the battery kiosks, do you bring all your gas from home when you drive on vacation, or do you get some along the way quick and easy?
That last sentence tho…savage (but great analogy)
? That analogy makes zero sense. If I could buy my gas at home and carry it around to use at will on vacation, or rather just buy a tank and fill it for free while im sleeping I would. Vs paying a premium for a limited use,,, Yeah, Fuel Rod still makes little sense.
I completely agree with the article but I did it too the thing is buy a charger similar in size with more power and bring it with You it’s not too funny when you’re standing in front of the kiosk thinking $30 my God but I don’t have a charger so I guess this is my best option at the time. This company basically lives off of “convenience” when I got home I threw the thing in my luggage and that’s where it’s going to stay till the next time we get back to Disney so basically I bought a $30 charger for Disney only we try to go to the Christmas party every year but we’re kind of getting burned out with it went like 5 times in a row before we had kids then we start going every year once the kids got older so that’s probably been another 5 times or so.God knows when the next time I’ll be at Disney the last time I went was out of the blue my son had a school trip to SeaWorld and I had a few days off in a row so we decided to stay at a Disney all star hotel near Art of Animation (stayed at both they’re both nice) seemed like a good idea better than staying at some raunchy hotel in Orlando but it’s just opportunities like that we stay at Disney other than Christmas time.