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!
My phone died recently at Disney and found the kiosk for fuelrod by coincidence. Never heard of it before. Best 30 I spent at the park. Going back in December for 4 days and will bring it with me. Yea I can bring a better portable charger but why when All I have to do is swap it out for a new one for free. Seems like a long blog to just complain. Its $30 bucks give it a rest.
Awesome comment. He’s just looking for attention. If the article was “you should use fuel rods”; he wouldn’t be able to ramble on like he’s the smarted boy in the land. My guess is, because he thinks he is a blog super star, basically a celebrity/lol, he contacted fuel rod asking for a freebie. When they turned him down he trashed their product.
In my opinion its a great concept and I wish it was in more places. I mean how many times have you forgotten to charge your backup? Bam problem solved!!
Not only are paying for the device but for the $25 you’re also paying for a lifetime of convenience. That’s a long time of oops my battery backup is dead what am I going to do. I guess you could always carry a back up for your backup or a back up for your back ups backup.
I don’t own a Fuel rod, but own several external chargers and carry my plug with me all the time. I like the concept and wish there were more kiosks because several of mine no longer charge fully. I would take the convenience over the e-waste any day. I do not own a car, so I can’t charge there and carrying around spare chargers is very heavy.
I carry a 24,000 MaH battery and I also use Fuel Rods. Their capacity is more than 1,000 MaH. In fact, I was kind of shocked to see a single Fuel Rod charge by iPhone XS Max from 5% to 65%, while using it. Now, it produces a lot of heat during the discharge, but that’s what you get when you’re all battery and no regulation circuitry. These days, it’s not too hard to find a good 20,000 MaH power block for under $100, so I’d recommend that approach for most people but the fuel rods are handy and small.
The Fuel Rod is an 18650 battery with a regulator circuit but it still gets hot on a fast discharge. You can unscrew the end caps and check it out. They work really well for the intended purpose as a small, convenient charger while in the parks.
Yes Jill all the parks have them and most hotels. There are kiosks located in several areas of each park. Universal does not use Fuel Rods, they have their own battery swap thing.
Not anymore! Fuel-Rod now exists at all Universal Properties
FuelRods are worth very little.
Spend $10-$15 for a handful of 18650 cells.
Spend $10-$20 for an 18650 ‘battery pack’
For $20-$35, you’ll have 8-10 times the capacity and the ability to use it anywhere, not just a few tourist traps. You won’t be limited to only charging one device at a time either.
For example :
https://www.amazon.com/Authentic-M4-Portable-Battery-Flexible/dp/B076JJFMBM/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=18650+battery+pack&qid=1555810619&s=gateway&sr=8-4
https://www.amazon.com/Charger-Portable-Battery-Display-Included/dp/B074QMX2MF/ref=sr_1_22?keywords=18650+battery+pack&qid=1555810619&s=gateway&sr=8-22
I already sound like a commercial so I won’t link to the cells. Liion Wholesale treats me right. Google for Mooch for other leads.
Yet another person who completely missed the point…
Someone who is clueless about the subject matter and has nothing to offer chimes in… Thanks, Nico.
There is no point to Fuelrods when every other option is superior.
Availability: Any other option
Cost: Any other option
Longevity: Any other option
Oh, look how cute it is: Nico’s favorite rod
Ok, so you do have that going on.
It’s sad that Mikey is too stupid for basic reading comprehension. And you’re obviously not an engineer. The point is to not carry a huge brick around all day when it’s completely unnecessary. Maybe you’re one of those morons complaining because now you can’t bring your wagon and 600 pounds of crap to lug around the parks all day. Or maybe you’re one of those doinks that has to recharge their ipad or other ijunk six times per day. But those of us who don’t want to carry a ton of completely unnecessary weight all day will use the perfect tool for this application, and that happens to be a fuel rod. Enjoy your workout…
Mike, did you read the comments of all the people who use the fuel rods? It’s not because they’re cute. And it’s not because we don’t know that we could buy our own portable charging packs for the same price and get more charge out of them. We like them because it’s one less thing to do, the battery supply is never ending, and they’re so small and light (cute?) that you can easily fit your phone and charger (while charging) in your [normal sized/non cargo] pocket or let the [practically weightless] charger dangle from the phone on it’s tiny cord, charging it while you use it. It’s more convenient all around and we’re willing to pay for convenience. I do have larger charging packs (very nice ones!) that will keep an iPad charged while you sit in the bleachers and live-score a two hour softball game. But I don’t wish to deal with that at the parks. I have my phone in hand a lot of the time and I don’t want it attached to a longer cord that is attached to a larger, heavier charger. The fuel rod is almost like it’s not there, except that my phone is staying charged and that’s what I love about it.
It’s obvious Nico is still without a clue. A power pack is a workout? How can you even walk around the park? You could just skip the Fuelrod and plug your device into your scooter.
Why does someone need to be an engineer to realize that Fuelrods are the least useful tool?
Fuel Rods take up a little bit more space than 1 (one) 18650 cell. So being able to swap for a fresh one sounds like a way better convenience than lugging around a 6 cell bank I would more need a backpack for. People forget you pay for conveniences. Just like you could easily bring your own alcohol to DCA but not having a bag is way more convenient than the price is adversely so.
Your suggestion provides 4 times the power (4 cells vs 1) assuming you buy 2600mAh cells, closer to 5 times if you buy 3000 or better cells. $20 for the charger and 20 for the batteries or you risk getting crap, but for argument sake I’ll compare them as if they both cost the same.
The fuel rod is still better for a trip to WDW. On our last trip, we had days where we exchanged the fuel rod 7 or 8 times. That’s as much as twice the power your 4cell powerbank would provide. It weighs a fraction of what a powerbank would, is easy to use phone while charging, and no dear of getting a bad cell or the electronics going bad.
I get it. I build LiIon power walls. I was a hard-sell for this fuel rod thing. I scoffed. But when we got to the parks it was really the best solution.
Exactly the point, Christopher. Use the best solution for the problem at hand.
Thanks for this article. My partner and I are both 24/7 on call for our jobs and we spend a lot of time on the phone, which is harder on battery than all of this other stuff (except maybe Pokemon Go). We normally carry three external batteries everywhere, and even that doesn’t always work. I was getting nervous about how we could be sure we would have enough power, after screaming on the phone all day in line and annoying everyone.
For me, $20 picked up at some airport is worth the insurance we will be able to stay out as long as we want at the parks!
Your full of your self I just use my fuel rod at Disneyland. 3 times. With 3 different phones they have not separated from Disney! 3/1/2019
I highly recommend the fuel rod!! I use mine all the time. I was in Atlanta at the airport not that long ago and I didn’t charge my rod and my phone was low and what do I come across a fuel rod station. Swapped it and bought another. It was 20$ . When I got my first one at Disney it was 20$ as well. I love it!!! They are a perfect size and a handy case to keep it all together! Fuel rod it is!!!
I was a fuel rod user for a very long time…that changed two days ago, when I went to a kiosk at the Philadelphia Airport and it wanted me to pay a dollar for the charge. I bought two several years ago for business travel. The charging stations aren’t common, and the quality of any given replacement rod is variable.
Now that they’re charging for recharging, I’m done with them, and I’ll use one of (as you pointed out) many superior solutions.
Like many others, I strongly disagree! I carry a very small backpack around the parks and would not want to hold a brick charger in there if I didn’t have to. But the most important point that was not really mentioned is that fuel rods are very light and come with very short cords. It’s easy to just plug it in and let it hang from your phone and let it charge while you use it. I discovered fuel rods while getting a locker at DL last week during a very last minute trip (i.e. no planning whatsoever) and my family and I thought it was wonderful. We kept all three of our phones topped up easily. And now I find myself flying to San Diego and back, again unexpectedly (last minute wedding!), and was able to swap the fuel rod in the airport twice. So great.
How many in your party will use it multiplied by how often used can justify the cost.
However, a better value would be buying $30 worth of chargers and having the ability to use them where ever you go, including outside parks and airport terminals. Going on a hike? Recording your child/grandchild’s Holiday Musical? Have a weather power outage? These are times you’ll greatly appreciate having bought your own back up charger(s).
I keep my phone charged at home and when driving in the car; it rarely gets under 90%. The only time I really have need of a portable charger is on a flight or at Disneyland and fuel rods are perfect for that because of the reasons I mentioned earlier: lightweight and extremely short cord and the ability to swap them out as needed is truly convenient and saves the day at Disney! They would be perfect for a hike, too – I wouldn’t want to carry anything larger! I have nice, high-end brick chargers that I could use if I was filming a softball game or keeping score for the team on the iPad. But would never want to walk around with those.
I took my family on a spontaneous day trip to DL while visiting San Diego. There was no planning, we’d never been there. Total noobs. Before lunch, both my and my wife’s phone were nearing 0% due to the drain of the DL app for fast pass and maps etc. Stumbled upon the fuel rod kiosk, begrudgingly shelled out $30, and swapped it out for full ones 3 times during the day, keeping my wife and u charged up and my stress level lower. I ended up much happier in the end because of it. If you have been to DL, you know that $30 gets you very little there, think a poorly made pair of mouse ears and a smile. When you leave the park, you keep the charger. It recharges just like anything else. And contrary to the authors assumption that these things are 1000 mah based upon anecdotes and 0 actual research, there is a stamp on the power pack stating 2600 mah. More than 2.5 times his claim in the article.
Is the fuel rod over priced in the sense that you could buy something different/better on Amazon for less money? Yes. Is it a life saver for people like my family, new to the Disney parks experience who went spontaneously with no real planning? You bet.
This article makes the author sound like a condescending jerk that expects everyone else in the world to have all the knowledge and expertise he has. This is a blog for people to learn about going to Disney, not a blog for o called Disney experts to speak down to their readers.
Figure it oot.
I definitely disagree. The price tag on the FuelRod is not because of its utter convenience.
As an APH and frequent park-goer, it is absolutely worth having. I always take one or two separate power banks for our party of 3 to 6, which do admittedly hold more battery and output charge more efficiently, but with multiple smartphones in the group the FuelRod makes complete sense to have.
After the power banks are drained, no one has the desire to stop and plug in either the phone or the power bank and the FuelRod makes it so we don’t have to — we just swap out one as we walk through an area, of which there are one to three in each Disney park, plug-in whoever’s phone needs it and continue on our merry way. Even having a larger power bank or two in stow, we end up swapping out the FuelRod at least once per day.
Assuming the cost of a similar power bank would be about $7 to $15, I think it has definitely proven its worth of the extra $15 to $23 in the year we’ve had it. Provided you don’t ever ever bleed damage it, it’s also a lifetime cost.
Additionally, if you want to save $10 on the product itself, you can just get it at an airport, which really makes having one for the parks, Disney, Universal, and more, plus all major airport travel, a no brainer.
For those that aren’t aware the value also extends to damage. If your cables or adaptors break you can call the number on any fuel rod kiosk give them the kiosk number printed on the front of the kiosk and they will prompt you to deposit your old fuel rod and then issue a brand new kit complete with cables and adaptors… a little known benefit of the fuel rod system…
I disagree firmly.
I have both Rod and Multiple battery banks.
I’ve gone through several (5] Anker units over the years . Remember they do fail after so many charges. The fuel rod though not the quality of Anker or others once you buy it your done .
If the Fuel Rod cost was $50.00 it would still be a better deal.
Regards Sam
Fuel Rods have spread to Sea World and will soon be in all theme parks around the world. I not only use them in the parks but also outside the parks and at home. They charge rather quickly and they are all I need for my type of phone to fully charge. I have had other types of chargers and this one is by far one of my favorites. It may not be for everyone! But I live the convenience of it! I saw it in a video if WDW and was so excited when Disneyland finally got them!
Interesting. I didn’t know they had these at theme parks. Do they have them at all the Disney World parks? Does anyone know if Universal has them as well? Just curious. I know I’m being silly preparing now for a trip in November of 2019 and I suspect that technology will change but just doing my homework. My phone died at Universal a few weeks back by around 1pm so that stung a little.
Yes, I bought mine at one of the stores in Epcot. I love mine, and I keep it in my purse. It comes in a nice container.
Thanks for the article, I decided to get a 5200mAH from Bestbuy that’s double the Fuelrod for $10 less.
If it fails on me then I’ll buy the Fuelrod at Disney and get my money back at Bestbuy but it’s got great reviews and seems like a nice way for me to save $10 and get 2x the bang for my buck.
My whole family has their own back up chargers and none of them are BRICKS, lol. We’ve used them for hiking, camping, power outages, long recordings of kid’s concerts, vacations/excursions, laptop/camera charging, etc.
Newer gens of these weigh 8oz or less with 3 x capacity+ of rods. Less personal energy used in carrying 6 or 8oz than navigating the park for kiosks and they are ours to use when and where we like. Each of our chargers weigh less than a half filled water bottle, 1/16th that of a brick or 1/425th of a Bricker 😀
Fuel rods are yours to use when and where you like, as well. You can bring them home and recharge them as many times as you want. But you can also swap it out any time you’re near a kiosk. Obviously, it’s personal preference, and if you’ve already invested in chargers for the whole family and it works for you, then using fuel rods wouldn’t make sense. I feel like we charge enough things (everyone’s pboneand Apple watches) when we get back to the room late at night and exhausted. I enjoy not worrying about charging a back-up charger and remembering to pack it in the morning before heading out again. They also weigh even less than a half full water bottle. Letting it dangle from your phone is no problem at all and it easily fits into any pocket with the charger attached. I can understand the logic of using what you already have and using a charger that holds much more of a charge, but for me, I like fuel rods.
I agree with the dissenters of this article. Sure I could buy a brick bakc up but my phone has a back up on it it’s a moto that I purchased the back up attachment. But I found my phone dead at one point anyway and that would be the end of my magic passes so I got one of these. Im an AP for Disneyland I don’t bring a back up because I usually don’t need one but today I did. And it was convenient for me to have. Also I just read that these exist on some campuses in San Diego but they also are getting rid of the free swap in non amusement park kiosks in San Diego
Haha the other night at epcot a couple were there looking at it because their fancy external brick charger failed on them and their phones were dead…
Unfortunately, it seems this article is misinformed. The writer mentions capacity of 1,000mAh several times, but the fuel-rod holds 2,600mAh, it says so right on the unit. I’ve been at 0% and have reached a full charge. Admittedly I do have an “older” iPhone 6s, so all phones may not reach a full charge. We originally bought ours at Disney World (so yes, we “overpaid” too, but they were priceless for keeping our phones juiced up, with the high drain of photos, the my Disney app, and checking radar for Florida rains. I agree with others below, carrying around a brick sized device, that I have to remember to charge, or wait to charge, isn’t convenient. Each park had at least one exchange location, and I believe MK had 3 or 4 (maybe more now). When not at the Disney parks, we charge the unit up on our own and it’s more than enough to get through the day. Side note, I love the short cords that they provide to charge the unit and phones, not that other purchased options don’t also do this. But for the $20-$30 you spend, to get the unit, all needed cables / adapters, and unlimited juice anywhere they have exchange locations, I think it’s a deal. If you travel by air a good bit, they have locations in airports everywhere. I know this blog post is just an opinion, and we all get to have our own, but I think we should at least base our opinions on the facts. The capacity is greater than the information provided and does fully charge our phones, but I concede it may not charge completely for all phones. That said, I don’t have a blog, but if I did I’d sing the praises of these units just as so many others have. If you already have a battery bank, and you like it, if you don’t mind it, bring it. If you are like us, and found yourself staring down a <10% battery warning, curious if you’re going to miss taking that shot of your family with Mickey, $30 to have a fully powered up phone for the week (and even back at home) is totally worth it. Just my $0.02.
Very, VERY, well said!
Very, VERY, well said! Thank you for pointing out the inconsistency!
You’re recommendation against FuelRods is flawed – you are not buying a rechargeable battery – you are buying the ability to quickly swap the fuelrod for a fully charged one at airports and Disney – with unlimited swaps. Plus it fits in your pocket when walking around the parks.
I am actually very dismayed that the owner of this blog has yet to post any follow ups to anyone commenting. I don’t think he’s actually very concerned about what he says…just trying for ad revenue. Prove me wrong, blog owner!
So true.
I gladly paid the $30 to continue taking “priceless” photos of my kids at Disney!!
In a pinch, the price is meaningless.
As a creator myself, not of a blog but on YouTube, I have to firmly disagree with this. There are almost 150 comments telling the OP how wrong they are, when they made their point well. They shouldn’t have to individually reply to the naysayers.
The fuel rods saved my life (not really but you know). In the park I traded the rod a couple of times. I never found a charging kiosk or port for the phone and my other portable charger so FuelRod was it.
This guy lives in Massachusetts and continues to talk about WDW based on his few and far between trips. Until he moves to central FL his reviews are useless.
We loved the fuel rod. Got 1.5 charges out of each one on our iphones. I have teens, we needed constant charging at Disney and this did the trick. Will be buying a second for our next trip.
But their point is, for the same or less money, you can buy a charger that can charge multiple devices before needing recharging, thus eliminating the need to “swap it out”. What about when you are not in a park…daily life. For the price of a Fuel Rod, you can buy one that charges your iPhone four or more times and does it at least twice as fast. Recharge it once a week instead of swapping it out several times a day. That’s true convenience, not having to waste time searching for a Fuel Rod station or having to recharge it yourself often.
No, true convenience is not having to carry a larger heavy brick everywhere whether you need it or not. That’s the point.
Waste time searching? They’re all over the park! Also, how many times do you need a portable charger anywhere other than a theme park? Answer – None times 🙂 In every thing I do I try and eliminate thinking – Fuel Rods are the epitome of that. No effort/thought required, just get your refill and go? Run out? Get another one. Leaving the park for the day? Grab a spare! It’s seamless, brilliant, effortless success. Phone has not ONCE run out of juice since we started…we have one fuel rod and 2 adults. When one is done, we swap and get another for the other phone. Now all Disney needs are the free soda refill stations like Legoland has and we’d be set!
Portable chargers from Amazon with more capacity and ability to charge multiple devices are great…except when you leave them in the trunk of your car at the airport. Had the fuel rods not been available I either would have had a dead battery and not been able to take pictures or would have overspent on an inferior charger at one of the nearby shops. I have multiple portable chargers but will take this when traveling to Disney and other areas for the ease of swapping. My better charger is still a better option, but only when I have it with me.
As a heavy Pokémon Go, Twitter, and Instagram user in the parks, I freakin’ love FuelRod. Here’s why: I don’t have to think about charging anything.
Yes, the capacity of FuelRod is laughably low in 2018. 2600 mAh doesn’t really give me even a partial charge, maybe 30% on my Samsung Galaxy S8+, but it doesn’t matter. I’ve found it will KEEP me at my charge for a few hours, which is what I need anyway. If I’m a fancy photographer type, and carrying a bag anyway – yeah, a 10,000 Anker or whatever makes more sense. But a “hey let’s meet up at Disneyland after work” sorta thing FuelRod is perfect.
Yes, the kiosks at Walt Disney World are far away – but who cares because I’m not going to Walt Disney World without planning 9 months in advance which bathroom stall I’m gonna use, so pre-packing a battery there makes more sense anyway. FuelRod would only work if there was like 16 kiosks per park anyway.
As a frequent local to Disneyland, SeaWorld, and even Pala Casino (yes, they have FuelRod now) – I keep 2 FuelRods in my car. Hitting the parks after work? I don’t have to remember or think about it. They are with me, in the car, ready to go, always a swap away from “full” battery. Even if you get a ‘dud’, you swap it out and go. There’s 5 kiosks in Disneyland, 6 in DCA – and I’m set. As a local, I end up at Disneyland way more than I should and BOOM, I’ve got a always “charged” FuelRod.
Biggest tip is that the FuelRod hotline will also swap your little free cables if they go bad, just be in front of a kiosk and call. I personally bought my own little cables because I wanted something a little nicer.
It may not make sense for you, and if so – don’t use it, that just leaves more fully-charged* FuelRods in the kiosk for me!
*They manually swap and ship out batteries to their San Diego headquarters to be charged each day, making a system that feels unsustainable in the long term.
These things are great. Swapped it 5 tines in 2 days. Do yourself a favor and save 10 bucks and buy it at your home airport. Very reliable and compact