Do I Really Need a Portable Charger?

[MakiraMarlena]

Yep. Especially if you plan to use it for photos.

I have a little bitty charger that resembles a lipstick case, easy to carry with a cord for charging. I can charge my iphone almost twice with it, if I remember to plug it in all night.

 

[JanaDee]

I have a 4s. I didn't need a portable charger, even using the app (with location services turned off), taking pictures and emailing/texting during the day.

It all depends on how often you use your phone during the day.

 

[FPminusCommando]

Mophie has a long history and a very good reputation in the tech community. I suggest you go with them. They have several models, with pros and cons.

About 4 years ago, in advance of a Disney trip, I bought a Mophie Powerstation. This is a battery about the size of an iphone. It has a USB port on it so it can charge just about any type of device (e.g iPhone, android phone, camera, etc.) They various sizes of Powerstation's, and mine will charge an iPhone 2.5 times. The new models have two USB ports so you can charge two phones at a time. This is great for charging not only your phone but your families also.

Mophie also has the JuicePack line. Those are cases that fit over the phone and have a battery. I now have one of those too. It will charge my iPhone5 about 80%.

So at Disney I will bring both, so I've got options. And I bring a ton of charging cables so I can charge everything overnight. I use the Lines app a lot and the Find My Friends app and definitely they drain the battery.

 

[Sephora]

Bought a Jackery that can charge 2 devices off Amazon for $39.99 just the other week. Tried it out and it works well. We'll be for sure bringing that with us in 9 days!

 

[Skywise]

It's really going to depend on your usage level.

Between DME, the occasional photo/video (I carry a DSLR with me so I only use the phone to take quick shots I want to text out), texting (I'm in DW and you're not HA HA!), web surfing in line and Foursquare, I'll burn through my iPhone 4's battery about halfway through the day (around 4pm). I've got a patriot+ that I carry in my camera bag and I'll hook the iphone up to it for around lunch and just leave it on and that will usually give me a full charge by 4pm so I'm good to go for the rest of the day.

 

[dixiegirl]

I have a Satechi battery as a backup. During our trip last Oct I had the iPhone 4S and I only had to use the backup battery once or twice to recharge. I will say however that I do not use my phone for photos or video and I do not use it just to pass the time in lines. I only used it for managing my normal day at WDW and MDE. I will say that the Satechi has come in handy more than once now.

 

[HeatherLassell]

My iPhone 4s never made it past half the day. I was just taking pictures and occasionally posting a picture or a post on my FB. And then of course checking the MDE app.

I would get a little portable charger (around $20) or if you can afford it one of those charging phone cases ($80).

Or bring your charging cord and be prepared to sit around a lot at a plug in or the charging station at Rapunzels washroom. lol (Yes I did that a few times)

 

[handicap18]

I don't have one yet, but I am going to get one. I'm going to get a PowerGen that has 3 USB slots. It can charge an iPhone5 from dead to 100% 6 times. That doesn't mean its fast, but it can do it.

When we go on vacation DW and I text a lot when we are split up. We are also both on Facebook and I know I'll be posting photos here and there. I'll use my iPhone5 mostly for taking video, though I'll also have a GoPro (which can also be charged with the PowerGen). My 12 year old DS will be using DW's old iPhone5 so we'll have 5 iPhones in the park with us. There are charging stations around the parks, but not a lot. Its easy enough to plug the phones into the PowerGen while we're on a ride or walking around.

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

I don't have one yet, but I am going to get one. I'm going to get a PowerGen that has 3 USB slots. It can charge an iPhone5 from dead to 100% 6 times. That doesn't mean its fast, but it can do it. When we go on vacation DW and I text a lot when we are split up. We are also both on Facebook and I know I'll be posting photos here and there. I'll use my iPhone5 mostly for taking video, though I'll also have a GoPro (which can also be charged with the PowerGen). My 12 year old DS will be using DW's old iPhone5 so we'll have 5 iPhones in the park with us. There are charging stations around the parks, but not a lot. Its easy enough to plug the phones into the PowerGen while we're on a ride or walking around.

I just got one of those and really pleased with it! I was shocked how much my battery ran down last year just on wifi! For $20 why not!

 

[Chuckers]

Another vote for the Mophie. I have had one for every iPhone I have owned. They are a life saver.

Here's a big hint for any type of extra battery you might use. Don't use the battery on 'trickle charge.' That's when you leave the battery on to charge the phone constantly. Wait until your phone battery is almost dead, then turn on the battery and let it charge. You will get a better charge that way. I also read that to get a faster charge, put the phone in airplane mode until the battery is fully charged. (This actually makes sense as Airplane Mode will turn off all programs constantly using the phone... location services, blue tooth, etc.)

I also love the fact that the mophie uses a mini-usb plug as opposed to the proprietary Apple plug. If I lose the charging cable, or need a new one, it's a universal plug and much easier to get.

 

[jrtoastyman]

I have an iPhone 4. I generally find that even if I use it fairly heavily, the battery gets me through most of the day. However, this is our first trip to Disney and, of course, MDE and all the other apps are relatively new, too, so I certainly don't have experience using any of those apps in the parks.

We plan to tour from RD until about 6pm max. We will not take breaks back at the hotel. I have worked out a general touring plan for each park, which I know I may need to tweak somewhat to account for unexpected circumstances. We have all our ADRs and I don't expect to be adding any new ones on the fly. I have made all our FP+ and, aside from tweaks that i may need to make for unforeseeable reasons, I think i am all set with those.

Given how much I have already planned, I expect to use my apps somewhat, mostly as a checklist and also for tweaks, but I can't imagine using my phone so actively that I will need to invest in and bring a portable charger. Is this possible, or am I being naive? What has been your experience? If you think I really need one, what type/brand/model do you recommend?

Thanks!

You should absolutely bring a portable charger. Even if you're not using your phone, the fact that the data networks at WDW are overloaded means that your phone is often searching for a steady signal, and that, all by itself, will drain your battery something fierce. The wifi that is in the parks has helped with this somewhat, but you'll find that those networks aren't as stable as you might want, either, so you still have the problem of your phone searching for a stable data signal, toggling between wifi and 3g/4g, etc.

 

[twinboyz98]

My son convinced me to get a power station for our upcoming trip. Although we do take alot of pics with our phones (1-Iphone5 and 2-Samsung Galaxy 4), we only sometimes had trouble with battery power. With MDE, we're thinking we'll need the extra power just in case. We usually take a small backpack into the parks anyways, so this was a no brainer for us. Good luck with your decision and have a great trip.

 

[bopper]

And Gosh forbid that you want to play Candy Crush in line. Battery sucker upper!

 

[MrsDuck]

In our experience, no. If you charge your phone all night and use it for pictures, the occasional text, MDE, and limited internet browsing, we've always been fine.

 

[jrtoastyman]

It bears mention that there are a lot of variables here, including the specific phone you're running, your service provider, what apps you use and how many people are at the park. Across the board, though, the safest play is to just bring a charger. They aren't particularly expensive, and it falls into the "better to have and not need" category. My last phone (Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE) was a total battery hog, and if I left my data on, I'd be sucking wind by noon.

Tip: if you DON'T have a charger on you and you need to preserve battery life, turn off your cellular data. You won't be able to access anything that requires data connectivity, but you can still place and receive calls and texts, and take pictures. You can REALLY stretch a battery out by turning off your data because searching for a tower is the number one thing using your power.

 

[elaw]

We use the Mophie Powerstation-mini (basically a small external spare battery)
http://www.mophie.com/shop/iphone-5/powerstation-mini-smartphones-usb-device
I had the juice pack on my old iPhone but found it kind of bulky and heavy.

 

[hakepb]

It bears mention that there are a lot of variables here, including the specific phone you're running, your service provider, what apps you use and how many people are at the park. Across the board, though, the safest play is to just bring a charger. They aren't particularly expensive, and it falls into the "better to have and not need" category. My last phone (Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE) was a total battery hog, and if I left my data on, I'd be sucking wind by noon.

Tip: if you DON'T have a charger on you and you need to preserve battery life, turn off your cellular data. You won't be able to access anything that requires data connectivity, but you can still place and receive calls and texts, and take pictures. You can REALLY stretch a battery out by turning off your data because searching for a tower is the number one thing using your power.

I don't think "searching for a tower" is as much of the problem as "communicating with an overloaded tower, even when bars are strong"

 

[beakerz]

highly recommend a portable charger - I have a small one that I got in a 2pk from costco for $20.

I'd also highly recommend a short charging cable... about 3-4", that way it doesn't get all tangled. Just give it a little charging time while you're eating and you'll always be good to go.

Monoprice has 4" cables for ~$4.00 if you're interested.

 

[jrtoastyman]

I don't think "searching for a tower" is as much of the problem as "communicating with an overloaded tower, even when bars are strong"

Fair enough. This isn't a tech forum, though, just speaking colloquially. Moreover, it doesn't really change the ultimate point, which that you can save battery by turning off your data

 

[Airb330]

Fair enough. This isn't a tech forum, though, just speaking colloquially. Moreover, it doesn't really change the ultimate point, which that you can save battery by turning off your data

I also find closing the MDE app to help. It's a battery drainer for sure due to location services, data use, etc. Data use, Network signal strength/quality will definitely negatively affect battery life in a densely packed location like WDW.

On a side note, has anyone noticed at&t's coverage to have improved? I found VZ and at&t about the same last year, but with the distributed antenna systems, repeaters, small cells and additional macrocells ('towers' for the layman) at&t should have improved. Most of the improvements were announced last July and completed in February though at&t did admit a lot of it was for cast-member locations. http://about.att.com/newsroom/Mobilizinmagic_at_walt_disney_world_resort_and_disneyland_resort.html