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!
I considered fuel rods, but it didn’t make sense since I have never seen a kiosk for them and I only knew they existed in DisneyWorld. A power bank can be recharged and I can use it anywhere…that made more sense. Then I was reading trip reports on a popular Disney forum and someone mentioned they could never find a kiosk that was working. Either it would be empty so she couldn’t exchange her empty rod, or it was out of order, or she couldn’t find one anywhere in the vicinity. I decided it’s more convenient to take a slightly heavier device than to have to go on a wild goose chase looking for a working kiosk that isn’t empty. Glad to know my thinking is pretty sound.
Mr. Nico must be a Fuelrod exec to protest so much with so many bad points. Not a one of them was valid, and many made no sense at all! (Carrying a better battery charger is an inconvenience but carrying fuel rods isn’t???) Fuel rods are a ripoff; they are yet another money grab by Disney from people who are ignorant of MUCH better, MUCH cheaper options.
I second that.
It’s over the top.
For the price of 6 or 7 charges you can have a charger that is of higher quality and capacity. These higher quality chargers aren’t “bricks” (though some models are, there are plenty that aren’t). If carrying a couple extra ounces, and the overwhelming responsibility to have to charge your charger at night is too much, then by all means throw your money away. No skin off my back.
As i’ve said, as long as swaps were free, it made sense. Once they start charging, I’ll carry the extra weight of a larger charger. I’m just laughing at ther idiots claiming a higher capacity at the same sight and size, as if the laws of physics don’t apply to them…
Even if we all order the perfect chargers and bring enough cords to charge everything at night and pack it all up in the morning, things can still go wrong. Maybe the outlet doesn’t work and your pack doesn’t charge, maybe something goes wrong with the cord, maybe your charger stops working for no good reason … the point is that fuel rods are a nice option to have! It’s convenient to have the option there in the park and many of us have benefited from the service. My family has been very grateful for it and it was just what we needed: a tiny charger that weighs nothing at all and dangles from the bottom of the phone on a tiny cord. Absolutely convenient!
We’ve followed your advice and purchased chargers that we’ve carried with us and charged at the hotel room.
We tried to buy one of the fuel rods last summer (2018) in Disney Springs to use for one of our sons but we couldn’t get the machine to dispense one so we gave up.
Now I’m glad it didn’t work out.
There’s also a decent sized security risk to using a charger that you didn’t know where it’s been/who used it before you. It’s a risk I would never take with a Fuel Rod.
What risk? The company guy takes the used ones out of the machine. They haul them to the facility, check and charge them. Fuel Rods are higher quality than any iJunk.
It would be a fairly trivial task to wire in a small thumb drive chip with a payload to steal your personal info. Then all I have to do is dispense it and wait for you to plug it into your phone and the device to check in with all of your details. If I add a keylogger, I now have all of your accounts, banking info… etc.
I have been in cyber security for most of my 30+ year professional career. I am a recognized expert in my field, have been published multiple times and have spoke many times as a leading expert at the largest security events. Nothing I said here is theory, this stuff is being done today and has been for years. You asked what the threat was and I broke it down for you without condescending you at all, now you are clearly just trying to troll people. Well, I guess I bit. If you feel you know more than everyone else, why are you wasting your time on Dis blog?
Brian, he offered his opinion. The name calling is not necessary and the only one being condescending is you. Stop being rude.
He didn’t offer an opinion. he asked if I have been to disneyland too many times and referred to me as captain Ron. Meaning he is saying that what I stated was fairy tail. I am not sure exactly how you don’t consider that condescending.
Brian, didn’t you see that movie? It was a joke from a hilarious movie… Yes, the risk you mention technically exists. I could even rig that up myself like you describe. It’d be a tight fit in the case with the charge controller on top of the 18650 battery but it’s possible though difficult, outside some NSA-quality product you can’t buy on ebay or wish.com. Nobody questioned your technical background. And yes, I do know. I’m a professional engineer and contractor with decades of experience on DOD, GSA, etc govt facilities with SCIF, AT/FP, and physical security design. I performed multiple projects for the USAF Nuclear Weapons Group at KAFB KUMMSC and WSMR. But I do think you’re greatly exaggerating the threat here. If you store all that stuff in your phone and use 123456 as a password, you’re at risk anywhere.
risk is always there, but everyone already gave the hackers their info when they checked yes on the EULA for all the apps they already have installed. But, if you have a current phone that you keep updated, the installed malware still needs permissions to access certain phone devices. This stops about 90% of the script kitties. And you will never convince me that a nation state actor will waste their time buying these things one at a time and re-writing the firmware.
Always have carried a small, cheap charger in my park bag. They’re not heavy–maybe 5 years ago they were. They absolutely aren’t now. With your own good, light charger to recharge as needed while in transit or dining, a good recharge overnight on your nightstand, I’ve never seen the point of the fuel rods. And really, considering how much WDW costs us all to visit anyway, the cost of purchasing your own good, light charger shouldn’t be a barrier to getting one.
You’re not going to find one in the same size and weight with higher capacity. So carry a brick if you want to. I’ll pass.
As though there aren’t updated technologies or differing concurrent technologies that affect size beyond “moar storage = heavier and bulkier.” *Eyeroll*
We bought this Fuelrod for a trip 4 years ago, and I was super convenient for our 2 iPhone 6. I could barge from about 20% to full in about an hour, swap (plenty of websites tell you exactly which places have swap locations), and charge my wife’s phone. We’d need one recharge a day. This worked great for that trip and the one the following year.
This October we arrived with the fuelrod in tow (somehow never lost it) But also with the Ankar that Tom strongly recommends here (got it for $20 on Amazon). Except this time we had our 2 iPhoneX. I started with the fuelrod, thinking I’d save the ankar for backup if I wasn’t close to a recharge station. It took over two hours for my phone to go from about 30% up to 80% before dying. Later that day, the Ankar took my phone from 1% to 100% plus was still charging my wife’s phone when we disconnected it (she was at 25% and we disconnected at @75%).
In short. Not only can the ones you buy on Amazon get you though the day on its own just fine, but the Fuelrods can’t handle today’s modern, higher battery capacity phones.
False. If your allegedly modern (which doesn’t apply to any iJunk) is discharging that much, it certainly isn’t the charger’s fault.
We went to Disney last Spring and I had heard recommendations to get the fuel rod from other Disney blogs. We went to all the parks and stopped in quite a few gift shops and I only ever noticed one fuel rod kiosk. And I was actively looking for them. We made do without extra chargers by going back to the resort for a bit in the afternoons. We needed the recharge as much as the phones did! Not sure I would be willing to pay $30 at Disney without the unlimited swaps. Thanks for pointing out better options.
Ha! If you couldn’t find a kiosk, you weren’t looking.
If you couldn’t find a kiosk, you weren’t looking.
“In a nutshell, our view is that FuelRods are pretty great…for people who have never heard of Amazon.com…” ‘Love it! I’d add they’re for people who have never read Tom’s blog. You started our family’s Anker addiction a couple of years back and we are very grateful. They come in several sizes and weights (my daughter loves the one shaped like a lipstick tube — we call it her “lipstick taser” a la “Despicable Me;” we use the heavier ones for airplane travel.) It’s now just a part of our normal family travel routine, Disney or otherwise, to make sure we have our Ankers. Thanks for the great advice and recommendations!
The writer of this blog misses the point on fuel rods. You aren’t paying $30 for the charger, you are paying $30 to access their service. Yes, there are less expensive options on Amazon but the fuel rod is small and if you are like me, I don’t carry bags at Disney. The fuel rod can be swapped out as many times needed.
Does it fully charge my phone? Not at all! The fuel rod is like 2500mAH and my phone is over 6000 but when it dies, I swap for a new one
You are paying for the convince of swapping and for the service itself, not $30 for a charger you can buy for $6 on Amazon
The best part, they are showing up all over the country! Dollywood now has them, Universal now has them. They are in malls, airports, and college campuses. Just keep in mind, they cost more at theme parks but theme parks usually allow free swapping. They are less expensive in places like malls and airports, but they charge to swap. The charge is around $5 so the price of one charger from Amazon, but again, the original charge is to access their service and not to purchase a charger
At the San Antonio airport, swaps are $1 or $2.
I’m sure it varies from place to place but in my mind, it will always be worth it as long as the price of the swap is around the price of a cheap lipstick charger on Amazon. A dollar or two isn’t bad at all 🙂
I believe what fuelrod told me is the kiosk “landlords” actually help set the price
Plus, lots of ways to get free credits. I have like 5 right now for swaps.
Another thing to mention, they have great customer support. I forgot my tips one time, called them and they gave me a code for a new “kit” for free.
Their service basically amounts to a charger that was more recently plugged into a wall than the one you have. That’s a pretty amazing “service”.
To each their own, but your point about not carrying a bag is moot. You can purchase a pocket sized charger that will keep you going all day for 19 dollars.
Sure, at eight times the weight. But if they are going to charge $3, I might just carry one of my heavier units instead. I might need that money for beer.
I’m still not getting how that’s better than a charger that will completely charge my phone, ensuring that I can use it all day, AND fits in my pocket (so still no bags), AND is cheaper.
So why tout swapping as a benefit when you could not swap at all and get a much better product that will work for longer?
I have several chargers and a fuel rod. The problem with the other chargers is that if I forget to charge those the night before then I will inevitably go half the day with a dead phone. The fuel rod solves that by always being charged and ready to use.
#firstworldproblems.
What other world is there? If you can afford a WDW trip, you’re doing okay.
You’re right it is a first world problem. But that doesn’t make it any less of a problem.
I am one of those people who bought fuelrod, probably one of the few things the family agrees is great. We have a small lightweight charger in our pockets in use from before 8am to after midnight for our 2 day visits. We constantly swap the person and the charger ( maybe 6-10 times). We have constant power the whole time. The battery doesn’t degrade because we get replacement batteries at the machine. Yes I do have 5000mah-30000 mah chargers but none so convenient and light as this. I am a extreme case so I doubt they made money off me but if you want a small pocket battery with unlimited capacity this is it. Many of my friends play the same game now. The folks who think lugging around a bigger battery that runs out are fooling themselves.
I almost bought one out of boredom at Baltimore airport’s Southwest wing. What saved me was the credit card reader was broken, ripped out along with the internal sales iPad charger – it could only do swaps. There was another potential victim at the airport thwarted by the damage to the kiosk.
Insightful as always. I do have one comment to make (I know the article was awhile ago), but I love my fuel rod. I am that person that forgets to charge everything (including backup batteries), so I love having my fuel rod in my park bag ready to exchange. Let me go on to say I am a Disneyland Passholders and go frequently, and we go to WDW every year or so. If I was not in the parks so often and if I could remember to charge my stuff the fuel rod would not be so valuable to me 🙂
Because I bought my fuel rod when the kiosks were first installed at DW, I’m a fan of it only because they caught me at a weak moment and I spent the $30. That said, I will agree that the battery juice is not fantastic. I never go out of the way to swap (usually), but when I’m passing a kiosk, I use the chance to grab some air conditioning in a store or whatever and swap it out. As someone who goes to Disney at least once a year it’s been worth it, for convenience AND it came in handy quite a few times when my phone died and I was able to power up because I couldn’t get to a working outlet to charge my phone and found out at the park that my other battery backups were not working.
Would I buy one now? Prob not. I 100% agree that you can get multiple usb batteries on Amazon (or even Five Below!!) for the $30 you will spend for the Fuel Rod. Being tethered to our phones 24/7, my husband and I have like 5 or 6 batteries (only bought like 2, the rest were gifts) plus the Fuel Rod. Between phones, cameras, and batteries, we usually max out of the outlets in our hotel room 🙂
fuel rod saved me in a pinch. On another topic the employees or “cast members” at disney springs, are so unhelpful. I asked 2 employees where the fuel rod kiosk was and they couldn’t tell me , and it turned out to be right across way from where i was inquiring. Ridiculous
and i asked the security guards the quickest way to universal studios. It was like keystone cops. mumbling bumbling pointing in every direction.
Try asking them where the water taxi’s are, keystone cops can not hold a candle to them!
This is surprising they couldn’t tell you. I have a lot of friends who worked at Disney and a lot of them are actually the customers to these fuelrods. Out of my 5 friends that worked at Disney, 4 had a fuelrod and swapped it multiple times a day. It wouldn’t surprise me if they had unadvertised kiosk at the employee dorms.
All four of my friends will tell you it’s their lifesaver, otherwise their phones would always be dead
Seems like you need to learn how to read instead of making assumptions. Literally printed on the bottom of the FuelRod is the capacity of 2600 mAh. It’s not hidden, it’s in plain sight. Additionally, the FuelRod is more convenient than the Anker packs because of its size. A small ‘lipstick’ style battery pack that can be swapped out unlimited times in a park free of charge…who wouldn’t want that convenience over carrying a 10,000 mAh charger that’s quadruple the size?
When this article was published nearly 3 years ago, the capacity was not printed on FuelRods. I cannot speak to whether it is now as I haven’t used the product at any point recently, but I’ll take your word for it. Thanks for the feedback.
I absolutely LOVE the FuelRods! As long as you know where to swap them and do so fequently their worth every penny. I even use mine at home when we aren’t in WDW!
I am a passholder at both Disney & Universal; don’t have little kids, and therefore do not carry anything with me. Since both Universal Orlando and Disney World provide WiFi access, I put my phone in airplane mode and get about 65-70% charge every time. It’s very much worth it for someone like me who frequents the parks a couple/few times per week all year.
Wow, this article seems to have brought out the worst in some people! Come on, act like adults. Discuss ideas — don’t put down people! Having said that, I have several comments:
– At first glance I want to say, “Who doesn’t know about phone chargers?” But then I remember a girl in my class angrily throwing away her portable charger in my classroom, saying, “This piece of junk doesn’t work!” I was in the market for a charger myself, so I questioned her — hoping to avoid a bad product — and she showed me how when you plug the cord into both ports of the portable charger, it DOES NOT recharge itself. I explained to her that it can’t MAKE electricity — you have to take electricity from the wall outlet, and she was amazed. All of us miss the obvious on occasion.
– I doubt a lot of people go into Disney PLANNING to buy one of these Fuel Rods. Rather, I strongly suspect people underestimate how much “fuel” they’ll use during a Disney day, and they find their phones dead — so they snap up a rather expensive $30 Fuel Rod so they can stay in touch with the kids, or keep using MDE, or call for an Uber at the end of the day. Anyone who PLANS would realize this isn’t all that great a deal.
– I have a little battery charger that I keep in my purse, which I use only seldom — but in a typical day, I barely touch my phone, and it doesn’t run dry. That little charger cost $5 on a clearance table at Staples and has 4000mAh (I put the same little gadget in my daughters’ Christmas stockings, and they both love them). The problem with my charger: it charges SO SLOWLY compared a good plug-into-the-wall. In comparison, Google tells me that Disney’s Fuel Rods have 2800mAh, so I assume they would charge even more slowly — and might not provide a full charge.
– My personal battery charger is not a problem to carry — it’s about half the size /weight of my phone. I can’t imagine I personally would ever need more than one charge during the course of the day.
– One of the attractions behind the Fuel Rods is that you only need to carry ONE rod, and the whole family can use it — because it’ll never “run out” of power. The flip-side of that coin is that only one person can use it at once, which means that plan is probably going to fall flat. Everyone’s phone is going to die around the same time, and each charge will require several hours.
– What I WISH we could do: Instead of using a charger of any type, I wish our phones still “opened up” from the back side /batteries were removable. If that were still true, it’d be easier to carry a second fully-charged battery … smaller /lighter than the charger AND no need for the cord.
– Rather than “charging up” at all, consider reducing your phone use so that your batttery will last. Rather than everyone staring at MDE all the time, take turns “refreshing” for FastPasses, use paper maps, and talk to one another rather than playing electronic games in line. Of course, I’m not a phone-addict, so that’s all easy for me to say.
– Last thought: When you’re planning a Disney trip, you might be well-advised to consider the age of your phone’s battery. A new battery can be purchased pretty cheaply, though it’s not so easy to install. And a new battery “holds” a charge MUCH BETTER than an old one.
I have several great chargers, but I can’t cary them around in my pocket with my phone. Yes, a charger that small is not nearly as piwerful, but it doesn’t need to be, since it takes all of about a minute to swap it out for a new onw. There are great apps to let you kniw where the nearest kiosk is, so I don’t see why you would consider it a hassle. Even if I wanted to wait in the long bag check line and carry it in a backpack, why would I want to lug around a heavy battery all day?