Cell battery life?

[guera]

The last time I was to WDW was when I was 3. No cell phones or need for one. We did go to DIsneyland last year and found our cell phones died very quickly, like within an hour or two of being in the park and from being fully charged at the hotel.
Does this happen at WDW as well? I have a wireless charger, but it is subpar. Any recommendations for a decent one? TIA

 

[Newsies]

Which phone do you have? I found my iPhone 4s died at a relatively fast pace (but then again, iOS 7 does that to a phone) when I went in July.

 

[niroc]

I have found that my battery life is actually better in WDW then back at home. Not sure why. I'm guessing it is due to the strong cell signal (Verizon).

 

[guera]

I have an android, Galaxy S4. Hoping it will alright.

 

[ekendall2]

It really depends on how much you use it. Some people will turn the data completely off on their phone and use just wifi. Some people will turn the wifi off and use just the network data.

In June, i brought a cheap battery charger at Radio Shack for about 20 bucks, and kept it in my pocket. I only had to use it a couple times, but it was good to have the peace of mind.

 

[Laurenanne]

I have an android Galaxy S3. I purchased two extra batterties (under $20) and just swapped them out. Worked great for me.

 

[xlxo]

I have found that my battery life is actually better in WDW then back at home. Not sure why. I'm guessing it is due to the strong cell signal (Verizon).

yes having a strong signal means your phone and battery does not need to work so hard. Living inside a concrete apartment or office tower can drain a battery quicker than walking around outside.

 

[Saimaeve]

I carry a few backup battery packs. They're about the size of a roll of quarters (Not nearly the weight though) It helps for those super long days in the parks. I also have a large charger about the size of a deck of tarot cards. Between the three externals, my husband and I stayed charged from rope drop to the end of MNSSHP

 

[o0quirkygirl0o]

If you have Location Services enabled your iPhone will drain much faster. Learned that the hard way on a trip to NYC.

Also, I always make a point of closing all the apps that I'm not currently using right way when I know I'm not going to have access to easy recharging all day. I lived by that motto last trip and never had a cell die on me while at the parks. Then again, I wasn't using it a whole bunch playing games or watching videos.

 

[Lillian Gracey]

I don't remember how fast my phone died, but DH and I carried two battery back ups with us so we didn't have to worry about stopping to charge our phones. DH's phone lasted longer than mine (and I think it lasted from park open to close), but that's because I kept taking thousands (literally thousands) of pictures and posting them on tumblr and facebook during our 11 day trip.

It really depends on how much you use it and if you have stuff running on it such as apps, data, wifi, location, etc. A lot of those things will drain your battery really quickly. I recommend monoprice battery backups. They're about $30 and work wonderfully. We go to them all the time for cables n' all that stuff. The prices are cheap and the quality is amazing.

 

[hakepb]

yes having a strong signal means your phone and battery does not need to work so hard. Living inside a concrete apartment or office tower can drain a battery quicker than walking around outside.

It's not just signal strength but also user congestion where the phone is constantly asking, "tower, tower, tower,,," like a toddler perpetually asking, "mom, mom, mom..." Can drain battery quickly, too

I will say my Sprint iPhone 5s with 4G service held up quite well over Christmas vs my terrible experience with the old iPhone 4 with only 3G in 2013

 

[bytheblood]

When you do not have signal, your battery drains at a much faster rate. In many places in Disney, you will not have signal. I strongly suggest a Mophie or something like it for your phone.

 

[adc]

I was constantly using mine to check the time. This time I will wear a watch!

 

[GrumpyDad1974]

If i'm going to be in a ride (weak signal for a while) airplane mode so I can still take pictures, but I also bring a rechargeable battery for DD and I to share. Galaxy (me), I phone 4 (DD)

 

[awalker1015]

I can recall which is easier on the battery- turning wifi on or off?

 

[billnye97]

I can recall which is easier on the battery- turning wifi on or off?

It really depends. If you are connected to wifi then it would be better, however, if your phone keeps searching for a wifi signal then the battery will drain more quickly. The best bet is to sign on to free wifi and then you should be good to go.

 

[breick]

Battery pack - IntoCircuit Power Castle. Reasonably priced on Amazon. Great reviews. I love it. (A little bigger and heavier than I expected, but I am used to carrying it around now.) Charges phone quickly and I'm not always looking for outlets.

 

[Leeba]

Are there generally places with outlets to plug in your phone to charge? Either charging stations near benches or at restaurants, or anything else?

 

[hakepb]

Are there generally places with outlets to plug in your phone to charge? Either charging stations near benches or at restaurants, or anything else?

Disney experimented with charging lockers but removed them. When you see public USB plugs, you have to watch out. Some of those plugs can push viruses to your phone.

There are A/C outlets in many areas of you want to be one of "those people" that are huddled down near an outlet.... That's why everyone reccomend a an external battery pack. The battery pack has a USB plug, so you connect your phone and let it charge, in your pocket or purse while you enjoy WDW with your family.

 

[Vaninou]

I have the Iphone 6 plus and the battery seems to last much longer than the Iphone 5
I will put the plane mode when doing some attractions (weak signal) so it should be ok.
Anybody tried the solar chargers? Was thinkig on buying one