Charging in the parks

[JMTStone]

Has anyone ever used a solar charger for your iPhone in the parks? We have 3 iPhones and one Windows phone (Samsung) and I'm interested in something that will let us charge for the LONG days in the parks because that WDW app takes up a lot of battery. Then there's photos, etc.

[Dopey's Girl]

I don't have a solar charger, but I did buy a portable battery charger for my iPhone (you can use it with any phone, as long as you have the USB cord you use to charge the phone with the wall charger) and I love it. It is fast, and I can charge my phone (iPhone 5) 4 times before having to recharge the unit.

Let me know if you want me to pm you the details!

[JMTStone]

I don't have a solar charger, but I did buy a portable battery charger for my iPhone (you can use it with any phone, as long as you have the USB cord you use to charge the phone with the wall charger) and I love it. It is fast, and I can charge my phone (iPhone 5) 4 times before having to recharge the unit.

Let me know if you want me to pm you the details!

Of course I'm open to other besides solar. If I buy it I'll also use the Amazon link to the left to this screen. INTERCOT rocks

[Melanie]

I don't have a solar charger, but I did buy a portable battery charger for my iPhone (you can use it with any phone, as long as you have the USB cord you use to charge the phone with the wall charger) and I love it. It is fast, and I can charge my phone (iPhone 5) 4 times before having to recharge the unit.

Let me know if you want me to pm you the details!

Tell us about it, Meg! Inquiring minds want to know. 4 times? That's awesome, and sounds just like what I need when I'm tweeting.

[Dopey's Girl]

Tell us about it, Meg! Inquiring minds want to know. 4 times? That's awesome, and sounds just like what I need when I'm tweeting.

It is awesome Mel! And I used it the whole time last trip while I was tweeting, and taking pictures galore. It's called New Trent NT52D/NT, and I did use the link to the left here on INTERCOT to find it on Amazon. It's about the same size as my phone, a little bit thicker and weighs a little bit more, but it's not at all cumbersome. It comes with a USB cord that you plug it into any USB wall charger you have, and it charges. Once all 3 bars are lit up, it's fully charged.

You then dump it in your park bag, with your phone's USB cord (I'm looking for a really short one so I don't have to have all that length of cord with me) and when you need too, you plug the phone USB port into the charger and turn it on.

I can go from like 30% charged, to 100% in under an hour (longer if you are using your phone a lot) and can get at least 3-4 full charges out of it before I need to plug the device back in to recharge. LOVE IT!!! I got it originally to have at my family cabin. The power goes out a lot there, and I hate not having my phone around to use. Having it in WDW, and on other vacations is the icing on the cake!

[JMTStone]

I just ordered it (through the link to the left, of course) and it should be here before we leave.

Single digit dance, people!

Thank you Meg! I have a feeling you'll be making my girls (20 and 11) very happy.

[Dopey's Girl]

I just ordered it (through the link to the left, of course) and it should be here before we leave.

Single digit dance, people!

Thank you Meg! I have a feeling you'll be making my girls (20 and 11) very happy.

You're welcome! I really like it, and used it a lot on my last trip. I was offsite, so I wasn't going back to the room to charge up often. This little gadget was priceless!

[JMTStone]

Maybe I won't tell my girls I have it and they'll have to TALK TO THEIR FAMILY

[brownie]

Solar might not give you much more than what you need to make a call. You're probably better off with something that stores a charge for you.

[damonsecloro]

Has anyone ever used a solar charger for your iPhone in the parks? We have 3 iPhones and one Windows phone (Samsung) and I'm interested in something that will let us charge for the LONG days in the parks because that WDW app takes up a lot of battery. Then there's photos, etc.

The best solar charger I personally found for the iPhone is the sCharger-5 from Suntactics, I can charge my iPhone 4S in about an hour or so from 10% to 100%, really light weight and water resistant so it's worth every penny.

[Dopey's Girl]

Maybe I won't tell my girls I have it and they'll have to TALK TO THEIR FAMILY

What is this talking you speak of?

[JMTStone]

It's called New Trent NT52D/NT, and I did use the link to the left here on INTERCOT to find it on Amazon. It's about the same size as my phone, a little bit thicker and weighs a little bit more, but it's not at all cumbersome. It comes with a USB cord that you plug it into any USB wall charger you have, and it charges. Once all 3 bars are lit up, it's fully charged.

You then dump it in your park bag, with your phone's USB cord (I'm looking for a really short one so I don't have to have all that length of cord with me) and when you need too, you plug the phone USB port into the charger and turn it on.

I can go from like 30% charged, to 100% in under an hour (longer if you are using your phone a lot) and can get at least 3-4 full charges out of it before I need to plug the device back in to recharge. LOVE IT!!! I got it originally to have at my family cabin. The power goes out a lot there, and I hate not having my phone around to use. Having it in WDW, and on other vacations is the icing on the cake!

This worked out perfectly for our trip. I highly recommend clicking on the Amazon link on the left and purchasing one if you are headed to the parks. Although there is a new charging place near the Tangled bathrooms, this gave us mobility!

[DizneyRox]

The current app eats batteries in phones. For Android, there's an app called Greenify, and I added the My Disney Experience app to it. What it does is shuts down the app when you close it, otherwise the Disney app stays resident. I suspect it's still using GPS to position you for information, etc.

I don't think the''es something similar for the IPhone (at least not for non jailbroken iPhones) but there might be something for Windows phones.

Also, moving in and out of the attractions at Disney can cause you to try to get a cell signal when one isn't available. You might be best putting your phone in Airplane mode and relying on WiFi (I think you can turn WiFi back on) which should stop the searching for a signal which also brains batteries.

[JMTStone]

The current app eats batteries in phones. For Android, there's an app called Greenify, and I added the My Disney Experience app to it. What it does is shuts down the app when you close it, otherwise the Disney app stays resident. I suspect it's still using GPS to position you for information, etc.

I don't think the''es something similar for the IPhone (at least not for non jailbroken iPhones) but there might be something for Windows phones.

Also, moving in and out of the attractions at Disney can cause you to try to get a cell signal when one isn't available. You might be best putting your phone in Airplane mode and relying on WiFi (I think you can turn WiFi back on) which should stop the searching for a signal which also brains batteries.

I found myself only opening the Disney App when looking to see what Fastpass return times were for things across the parks (is it worth walking over to try to get fastpasses if the return time is during our reservations for dinner, etc.)

I didn't use it for much else and it did hog up my iPhone time. But my daughter doesn't even have the app and she used the charger as well for her iPhone 5 because 20 year old girls take pictures, vine, instagram and tweet their lives away.....

[AvonleaCF]

I don't have a portable charger, but last time I went to Disney, I brought my wall charger in my bag, and at one point found a comfy spot to charge. It was just as you enter the Land pavilion, on the right. There was a bench right beside a power outlet, and I asked a CM if I could use it to charge my phone, and they said sure. It was a nice air conditioned break to "refuel."

(though I should note, this happened while my sister was running the Wine & Dine half marathon, so it was late at night and Epcot was only open to people who purchased a special ticket for the party, so it was fairly empty. Not sure if they'd let you during peak hours, but then, not sure why they wouldn't let you. I also charged my phone in a resort lobby while waiting for an ADR).

[sonamae80]

I just bought the external battery that Meg suggested (through the link on the right, of course!). I can't wait to get it to give it a try!

Thanks so much for the suggestion!

[2Epcot]

The portable chargers / external batteries are great. I have two of them. I also use them for work sometimes when I'm away from the office. I always have them in the parks. They are great for long flights too, for phone or tablet power.