Keeping Your Battery Charged

[wakethetook]

Anyone have any tips on keeping your cell phone going while at the parks? I have a feeling that it will end up our primary source for video and photo, as well as using the new Disney app for wait times, managing FP+ etc. I know that at MK there is a charging station somewhere and also the Rapunzel rest area. Any other suggestions?

 

[Cadets74]

If you go on Amazon or to a store like target you can purchase portable chargers... They charge before hand, then when your phone is dying, you plug you phone into and it recharges... I have one for our upcoming trip because I sadly still have to run my business during our vacation and it would be very bad if my phone lost power...

 

[thisismyusername]

I use a battery case for my iPhone. It approximately doubles my battery life, and my phone is still down to about 25% by the end of the day with running the MDE app and taking pictures.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

We have external chargers.

For the Iphones - everyone has Mophies.

for my samsung galaxy I've got a mophie for it and an extra charger that says easyacc on the front of it. I think that would work for the iphones too.

Plus if I wanted I could bring my emergency chargers that are charged by sunlight. I can't think what they are called but I used them when we had a 2 day power outage at home and they were great. I probably wouldn't bring those though - they are a bit large.

 

[JillyBean1899]

External chargers or spare batteries are definitely the way to go. I got a 15,000 mAh one from Amazon for $50, it includes a flashlight, charges 2 devices at a time, and says it can charge a Samsung Galaxy S4 up to 4 times, so I assume it will be similar with my GS3. I also have a spare battery, so if I go through 6 battery cycles in one day, I've got bigger problems with my phone lol.

 

[magicbob]

I use a PowerGen external charger. Cost under $50 and will charge an iPhone 4-5 complete charges. It also has multiple USB ports so you can technically charge 3 phones at once (although it's highly unlikely you'd need to).

 

[robinb]

We bought this bad boy before our last trip:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AB174ZW/ref=pe_385040_30332190_TE_M3T1_ST1_dp_1

It held its charge forever, charged our phones very quickly and has 2 USB ports so two of us can charge at once. The downside is that it's 10 ounces and freaking heavy! We threw it in our backpack along with charging cables for our phones. I have an iPhone 5S, my DH has a 5 and my DD has a 4S so we needed the ability to use different cables.

 

[TheDisneyPrep]

I do a few things... I have an iPhone and pack a charger with me.
I always make sure I am at 100% in the resort and then I put my phone on "airplane" mode - this means I can't send/receive messages OR use the internet OR My Disney Experience. However, when the phone is on airplane mode it isn't constantly searching for an internet or cell connection.
I turn my "brightness" wayyyyyyyy down. This helps conserve battery life, as ewll.
You can still use the camera settings during this time, but you can't do any of the texting/internet. It works for me!

Then, at lunch or during any down time - especially in the MK at Rapunzel's restrooms (a.k.a Tangled Tinkle Towers) - I charge when I can. My phone has NEVER died on me in the parks using these tips! I just have to cut back on my regular facebook / instagram / messaging / twitter tendencies!

 

[Dan Murphy]

I carry a spare battery and pop it in if running low. Galaxy.

 

[NewEnglandCamper]

Anyone have any tips on keeping your cell phone going while at the parks? I have a feeling that it will end up our primary source for video and photo, as well as using the new Disney app for wait times, managing FP+ etc. I know that at MK there is a charging station somewhere and also the Rapunzel rest area. Any other suggestions?

I bring my battery charger in my backpack and look for outlets when waiting for dining... In Epcot there are a few in the Land...

Another tip is plan your phone purchase around your trip (if you can... no kidding)... my new Galaxy 4 kept its charge during sending pictures to fb, updating status, texting, etc. Never made a call LOL!!!

 

[Networth]

We have 3 portable chargers. Useful for not only Disney but for long days of anything when you don't have the ability or time to plug your phone into an outlet.

 

[bsbrady]

On our last trip, my battery was dying quickly. What I did was turn of push email, and turn off background refresh (except for the My Disney App), turned brightness down and it made a big difference. Battery lasted all day. I just manually checked email when I felt like it.

The other thing is, dont play so much. We all tend to check email, facebook, etc while waiting in lines. Cut back on that. It helps, ALOT!

 

[MermaidMommy]

I do a few things... I have an iPhone and pack a charger with me.
I always make sure I am at 100% in the resort and then I put my phone on "airplane" mode - this means I can't send/receive messages OR use the internet OR My Disney Experience. However, when the phone is on airplane mode it isn't constantly searching for an internet or cell connection.
I turn my "brightness" wayyyyyyyy down. This helps conserve battery life, as ewll.
You can still use the camera settings during this time, but you can't do any of the texting/internet. It works for me!

Then, at lunch or during any down time - especially in the MK at Rapunzel's restrooms (a.k.a Tangled Tinkle Towers) - I charge when I can. My phone has NEVER died on me in the parks using these tips! I just have to cut back on my regular facebook / instagram / messaging / twitter tendencies!

Great tips.

Another tip that I saw here on the DIS, is to take screen shots of your FP+ reservations, so that you can see them without having to go into MDE all the time. (That will work for iPhones, anyway.)

 

[smcabee]

I use a PowerGen external charger. Cost under $50 and will charge an iPhone 4-5 complete charges. It also has multiple USB ports so you can technically charge 3 phones at once (although it's highly unlikely you'd need to).

This is what I have too wonderful product.

 

[Viva Las Disney]

I have an external battery as well but I've found that simply turning off GPS has more than doubled my battery life.

My battery used to die about 7-8pm every night but since I've turned off the GPS functions it'll still be at about 50% battery life at 8pm and it's usually around 30% when I go to sleep. The only time my battery dies now is on days when I'm constantly listening to music.

 

[wakethetook]

Thank you all so much, these are great tips!!! And I appreciate the specific product recommendations too!

 

[wakethetook]

I do a few things... I have an iPhone and pack a charger with me.
I always make sure I am at 100% in the resort and then I put my phone on "airplane" mode - this means I can't send/receive messages OR use the internet OR My Disney Experience. However, when the phone is on airplane mode it isn't constantly searching for an internet or cell connection.
I turn my "brightness" wayyyyyyyy down. This helps conserve battery life, as ewll.
You can still use the camera settings during this time, but you can't do any of the texting/internet. It works for me!

Then, at lunch or during any down time - especially in the MK at Rapunzel's restrooms (a.k.a Tangled Tinkle Towers) - I charge when I can. My phone has NEVER died on me in the parks using these tips! I just have to cut back on my regular facebook / instagram / messaging / twitter tendencies!

First of all LOL to the Tangled Tinkle Towers. Secondly I think it will be a good way to force me not to play on my phone anyway. I want to be totally present there with my family.

 

[katiee37]

I meant to get a portable charger case before my trip last month, but never got around to it. Instead I just carried my normal charger with me in the parks. One spot no one has mentioned is tucked under the Peoplemover on a support beam near the entrance to Buzz Lightyear--it really isn't meant for phone charging I don't think, but it's four outlets covered up a bit and you can sit right next to the outlet. I was the only one I ever saw using it, but it is hidden well enough that I probably wasn't supposed to use it

 

[mdsouth]

I was just in Disney in Feb. one of the store CMs said they let people charge their phones if needed you just have to have your cord.

Since my cord was not working frayed at the ends, II had to buy an external charger in the parks. It runs on AA batteries. It worked great and was 14 dollars. I saw one later that ran on a regular watch battery for 8 dollars. I used the cord and my own plug to plug in the phone at the resort

The charger is small and lightweight

 

[Tomh]

My last phone was a Motorola Droid Razr Maxx. and I literally did NOTHING to keep it from dying. The phone had no problem going through a full day at MK from open to close (midnight) shooting video, taking pictures, updating facebook, texting, etc.

This year I have a Samsung Galaxy Note 3, and I am able to kill the battery in less than a day at home, so I am not at all confident of it surviving a day at Disney. I purchased a spare battery, will carry my charger / cord with me, and may well buy one of those portable chargers as well.