As soon as your phone starts giving those pesky Low Battery notifications, you know it’s time to find a place to recharge ASAP.
Disney Princess Phone Cases
While the FuelRods available for purchase have been a (phone) life-saver, the recent price increase in Disney World has many guests debating whether the portable charger is even worth buying now. In case you’re someone who needs a lil extra battery boost to take more pictures and videos, we’ve got plenty of ways to work around the FuelRod change.
FuelRod Update
ICYMI, FuelRods stations in Disney World used to be a service where you would pay a one-time fee of $30 for a portable charger and charging cables that you’d get to keep. After the charge got low, you were able to exchange the FuelRod AT NO ADDITIONAL COST at one of many locations around the parks and resorts. You’d get back a fully-charged fuelrod and go about your business.
FuelRod Machine
However, on November 1st, the rules are changing (sad face). In order to swap your FuelRod, you’ll need to pay $3 for the new charger.
For me, the additional cost would mean another $3-$6 per day, easily. And I know that’s the case for many of you as well. Multiply that times 7 days in the parks, and you’re looking at up to nearly $50 in extra cost (in addition to having to find a fuelrod exchange station at the right times).
New Price Increase on FuelRod Machine
Although we’re disappointed that the FuelRods in Disney are switching things up, there are still plenty of ways to charge your phone in the parks — and they won’t cost you a combined total of $80 when all is said and done.
Forget to plug in your phone at the hotel room (we’ve all been there)? Before even setting foot in the parks you can charge your phone with the USB outlets available on many Disney World buses! Sit back, relax, and chill out while your phone gets a boost before heading into Disney for the day.
Sensational Six Bus Charging Ports
There are multiple charging ports around Disney World available for use! Just to name a few, you can use the “hidden” outlets in the tree stumps across from the Tangled Restrooms and the outlets in the gift shop after Space Mountain in Magic Kingdom…
Space Mountain Gift Shop
…the wall outlets at Star Wars Launch Bay in Hollywood Studios…
Star Wars Launch Bay at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
…the wooden light posts with 4 outlets attached to their back sides near Expedition Everest in Animal Kingdom…
Expedition Everest
…and the outlets near the bathrooms between the Germany and Italy pavilions and between the Kringla Bakeri og Cafe and The Fjording gift shop in Norway located in Epcot’s World Showcase. Oh, and those awesome couches in the hallway behind Club Cool have hidden charging ports!
There are plenty more charging spots around the parks, and Cast Members would be willing to point out areas that you can find them as well!
Kringla Bakeri og Kafe and Puffin’s Roost
But we loved being able to charge our phones on the go with the FuelRod, and so we want to be able to give you a good example of a great portable phone charger that’s been our lifesaver again and again — and that packs a bigger power punch than the FuelRod, so it can keep your device charged up all day.
While you can get a cheaper portable charger outside the parks, we recommend the Anker PowerCore 10000! Although it’s the same price as the FuelRod, the super reliable Anker PowerCore actually has a longer battery life that can charge a phone over 3 times (wut??)!
©Anker
In fact, it can even charge an iPad fully for whenever your little ones need to watch Disney+ during a snack or meal break. Um, pretty awesome, right?! Plus, it’s light and easy to transport. When you get home from the parks, just charge it up at night and you’re ready to go in the morning.
©Anker
Even though the FuelRod prices have increased, that doesn’t mean your battery life has to decrease while you’re in Disney World! After all, the Most Magical Place on Earth does come with a few extra ways (and charging spots) to sprinkle pixie dust on your day in parks. (;
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Portable chargers are worth the investment. The brand Morphie has portable wireless chargers so if you have a Samsung or iPhone 8 and higher you don’t need to carry the charging cords. Also, I would recommend getting one of those solar panel phone chargers. 👍
I would suggest you bring your own battery along. I always bring a 10,000 mAh Samsung battery with us when we go to Disney. When either of our phones get low, we can plug them in and get them charged. Its not too heavy and has several ports so we can charge multiple at once, been a life saver.
I have been traveling with an Anker battery for years now. Small so it fits in a pocket, light weight so it won’t make a backpack too heavy, very dependable and fast charging.
I bought a solar charger online. Clip it to backpack and it charges up so you can plug it in to phone .
If you are an ecv user, they have built-in USB ports.
So $30 wasn’t too expensive but that extra $3 is what did it? when you can but your own portable charger at ross or nordstrom rack for $15? I don’t understand how people ever paid that in the first place.
For $4 more than the Anker device mentioned, you can get the one we use, which has two USB ports, and is a 13000 instead of 10000 mAh unit. We can put both phones plugged in at once in the wife’s purse while we are walking around instead of fighting over who is lower, and it only weighs 2 more ounces and has the same size and shape as the 10000mAh unit.
We do this on any trip we take. We have two plus a 6 port usb charger for the room so every device from tablets to phone for everyone is charged all at once every night.
Huge fan of all things Anker! In addition to the benefits listed above, all of their batteries have proprietary charging circuitry that provides a SUPER fast, safe charge. The batteries actually come in capacities as high as 26,800mAh (!) Although the prices and sizes increase along with the capacity. If you’ve got multiple phones and devices, though, and carry a backpack, a bigger battery may do the trick for you.
FYI- Guest Services does not offer phone charging due to liability! You can not leave your phone at Guest Services to be charged! Happy Charging!
I have an Anker as well as a 20,000mAhNimble charger the Nimble was the same price as the Anker, but almost twice the capacity, and the Nimble is produced with plastics made from plants. My backpack also has a USB outlet inside, so I can plug the Anker or Nimble inside, and my charging cord can plug in on the side of the bag, so I can keep my phone in my pocket while charging.
I plan to use my Goalzero Flip30 battery pack at Disney World. It can be charged on a USB port or using my Goalzero solar panel when camping.
Just so you know, most of the outlets you find around the parks are primarily used for heavy equipment. (With the exception of those clearly installed for guests like the ones at Space Mountain.) There is a chance that the utility outlets can fry your phone or charger. Just invest $20-$40 for a good portable charger on Amazon and you’ll be set for life.
My phone is incased in a mophie battery pack so my phone is constantly charged. First it uses the Mophie battery; when it runs low, the iPhone battery takes over so I have battery power all the time. The Mophie battery case also carries a great warranty. I dropped and cracked my case three times and they replaced it each time for free except for postage. Check it out!
Does anyone know if you can exchange fuel rods you bought outside of WDW with the fuel rod machines inside WDW? I have several empty fuel rods I got from trade shows etc. (USB sticks used to be the gift deJour but now it seems to be fuel rods).
Thanks!
Jessica, you should be able to do so.
This is an old story. Under pressure, Disney reversed the decision and made the swaps free again after only a couple of days.
Toni, yes, this post is from October 2019 before the reversal was issued.