2. Carry your own power

Image: Tronsmart

The other best way to keep a cell phone charged at Walt Disney World is to carry your own power supply. Paired with careful app usage, a good power bank is usually more than enough to get through a Disney parks day. If it’s an especially good power bank, you probably won’t even have to be as strict watching your Wi-Fi usage.

While you can pick up power banks anywhere from airport gift shops to your local Walmart, choosing a good quality one is key. The $5 keychain power bank we picked up from a Family Dollar failed to keep up with Disney’s crazy battery usage. At the same time, you don’t need a $50 monster that weighs down your purse like a huge brick. Our favorite so far has been the Tronsmart Presto. It’s not their smallest model, but it fits easily enough in my purse or a cargo shorts pocket and is usually more than enough to keep both my and my husband’s phones charged for the entirety of a Disney parks day. The version we use is designed for USB-C phones, but the smaller model is compatible with just about anything, including iPhones.

Image: Disney

If you find yourself in the parks with a need for a power bank, Disney offers portable cell chargers called FuelRods that can be rented for $30 at kiosks throughout their parks (UPDATE: Previously, we assumed these were $30 a day, but some guests say it is a one time purchase and you replace the rods whenever you return to the parks). Magic Kingdom has locations at Tomorrowland Light and Power Company, Pecos Bill Café, Big Top Souvenirs in Fantasyland, Curtain Call Collectibles, and Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café. Guests at Epcot can pick them up at the International Gateway, Disney Traders, or the Camera Center towards the front of Future World. Disney’s Hollywood Studios offers locations at Celebrity 5 & 10 as well as Rock around the Shop. Finally, guests at Disney’s Animal Kingdom can find their park’s kiosk at Island Mercantile (that’s the only one at the moment!). You can swap your Fuelrods for fresh ones all day to keep your phone conveniently charged.

While some guests love the FuelRod service and swear by it, I personally think it’s a better investment to just take that $30 and buy your own power bank. Fortunately, if you have the foresight to bring a charging cable and wall plug with you to Walt Disney World, it is still possible to charge your phone the traditional way…