How in the world do you keep your iPhone charged?

[MonorailNate]

Heading to WDW in June and it will be our first trip since 2013. Many trips prior to that but life got busy. It seems obvious that my phone will be necessary to navigate our days. What is the best way to keep your phone charged? Any recommendations for portable chargers?

 

[DisneyOma]

They have Fuel Rods on property. I bring a cheap charger (bought at CVS) and it works just fine. There are also smallish solar chargers if you are bringing a backpack to the parks.

 

[rteetz]

If you go the Fuelrod route buy it online or at the airport because its cheaper. You can still swap it throughout WDW even if you don't buy it at Disney.

 

[BrookieM2001]

It depends on a couple of things. Just your phone? Or does your family need to keep up several devices charged in the park? The fuel rods work but I have read that they will only charge one phone and maybe not even all the way back up if you're almost dead. Because DH and I both need our phones to stay charged, and we also have a portable fan that plugs into our charger as well, we bought one off amazon that will charge up to 4 devices simultaneously, and will charge at least 3 of those up entirely from 0. We love that thing and have used it for so many different things, i cant even remember!

 

[Surgie2]

Through 4/15 there is a 10% off at US kiosks for the FuelRod using the code Spring18

I looked in to buying it online ($20) but there is a $5 shipping charge. Not sure what the airport kiosk price is.

 

[ErnestP]

It's not at WDW, but at DLR the Plaza Inn restaurant there is an electrical outlet on the wall near the windows closest to main street. We plug our phones in to charge while we eat a leisure lunch. Other than that, hotel charger, car charger, portable battery bank. My wife and I try to alternate who's phone we use for directions and wait times, so we don't drain both our phones at the same time.

Pictures and video eat up battery also.. you can consider taking a stand-alone camera for pictures.

 

[EmpressBubbles]

I keep my on airplane mode until I need to use it. That helps a lot. Also, I go to the WDW app and take a screenshot of my fastpasses and of my dining reservations. That way I don't have to be online to view any of them. I only need to be online when I want to look up something or make new reservations/FP.

 

[pitpat]

Anker portable charger.

On my most recent trip, I made sure to hit the off button every time instead of letting it go to sleep and it made a huge difference. Got through some full days using MDE and taking pictures without needing to charge it.

 

[kwdw]

I can make the battery last all day.

1) I can remember my ADR and FP times in my head - but I do write them on a Post-It the night before in my room - and put the post-it on my credit card that is going with me to the park. That way - I can look them up there - instead of the phone.

2) I do take pictures with my phone throughout the day - but I really, really make few, if any videos. And if I do - they are short. And I might post a photo or two to Fb, or email one - but I save any large uploads to other sites until the end of the day.

3) I don't check my phone all day long. I try to avoid the constant email checking, social media updates. This helps me stay in the moment at WDW, too. On occasion - something for work is urgent - and I have to keep doing stuff - but then I take fewer pictures and rely more on the post-it, avoid videos, etc.

4) I've done mobile order once - when I already knew what I wanted. But frankly - if I didn't know - I'd just wait in the line and browse the menu they hand out at QS places instead.

5) I have successfully added a 4th and 5th FP on my phone. But - I also know where the kiosks are - and I have used those. Especially later in the day - they rarely have lines.

6) One day - I was pretty low (single digits percent battery charge) relatively early in the day. I switched to airplane mode - and avoided using it unless absolutely necessary - and still managed to get a good photo in the park on my way out as I had a bit of charge left.

7) And frankly - I use a paper Times Guide instead of the app for showtimes - it's just faster than the app.

 

[Hisgirl]

Do you double click the home button and swipe off all of the apps you have used so they don't run in the background and use battery life? Once, I checked my battery and a news site was using a huge amount. I hadn't looked at the news site all day but when I double clicked...there it was, sucking the life outta my battery!
I also use an external charger, a small one the size of a long lipstick tube and I also have a heavy duty one the size of a long deck of cards. That one is good for 2-3 charges.

 

[maxmouse]

Got this right of the Disney website please note the last line
Portable Phone Charging System Kiosks
Charge your mobile phone or tablet while you keep on the go with a convenient portable battery set.
Buying Your Portable Charging System
For $30, you can purchase a portable phone charging system at kiosks located throughout Walt Disney World Resort. Using any major credit card, just follow the prompts on the kiosk screen to dispense a kit that includes:

• One fully charged portable battery
• One 6'' USB to micro-USB cable (for most Android devices)
• One Apple 30-pin to USB cable (for iPhone and iPad generations 1-4)
• One Apple Lightning to USB cable (for iPhone generations 5+)

Recharging Your Mobile Device
Use one of the cables provided to connect your mobile phone or tablet to the portable battery. Then keep talking, texting or taking pictures while your device charges on the go. Fully charged, it provides up to 8 hours of talk time or up to 4 hours of mobile tablet usage. Hours of charged talk time and device usage are dependent upon age and condition of the mobile device.

Recharging or Replacing Your Battery
If your portable battery runs down (indicated by a red LED light), just:

• Recharge it using a USB cable to plug into a computer or into an AC outlet through a USB charging port.
• Swap it for a fully charged replacement at any portable phone charging system kiosk at no extra cost. Just insert your used battery, take a fresh one and you’re on your way! Swap batteries as often as you want; anywhere you want (at Walt Disney World Resort and other locations around the world).

 

[maxmouse]

This is the link.

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/en_CA/guest-services/portable-phone-chargers/

 

[KrazeeK120]

I have an Anker phone charger and I love it.

 

[georgina]

I have a portable charger - bought a 2 pack of them at Costco years ago, but I have never had to use it. I have an iPhone, and use it to get new FP, check wait times, etc, but not that much I guess as I have never had to charge it in the parks.

 

[Gentry2004]

My battery lasts all day. And I do lots of FP refreshing.

 

[Meridagal]

My husband has a charger that he bought from Amazon that can charge a phone several times before it times dies. I think it was under 40.

 

[tjmw2727]

I use my iPhone for MDE as well as to check work email (i know but at least I can go on vacation if I do!) keep in touch with kids if they go to another park and if I use battery saver mode, disable blue tooth and most location services as well as close all apps it usually lasts all or most of the day. If you bring a bag you can bring your charger and charge up a bit at lunch or other breaks and I also have a portable "lipstick" type charger that give me a full charge if necessary.

eta - I screenshot my first 3 FP and any dinner reservations we have so I don't have to access DME to confirm just my pictures

 

[Wood Nymph]

I use airplane mode a lot. I also use my Sprint LTE rather than the Disney wireless. It seems to use less battery and it searches faster than the Disney wireless. We have an unlimited data plan. I also have a portable charger but rarely have to use it. Switching to airplane mode saves a lot of battery and is easy to use.

Post It notes with the fp times are great to use. It is so much faster than looking it up.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

I recently bought a few Anker chargers after seeing them mentioned around here. Not the cheapest chargers out there and depending on the size you get they can be kind of heavy, but impressed so far with how much power they have.

 

[only hope]

I don’t have a problem with draining my battery- but my battery is less than a year old and holds a charge, and except for fp booking/wait times, I don’t use my phone in the park much. I start with 100%. I enjoy my surroundings. I have blutooth and wifi off, few apps that refresh, and autobrightness off. When going on something like Pirates where I lose a signal, I turn airplane mode on. There are some outlets throughout the parks. If you find yourself waiting somewhere and your phone needs charged, just look around. I’ve seen people charging phones in the oddest places.