How do you charge your phone in the parks

[Crow]

just wondering how everyone keeps their phones charged while in the parks all day. my battery seems to go down quickly while texting a lot and i know my gf will b texting me all day, plus Ill probably take some pics w it. I guess I will carry my charger and look for some electrical outlets.

[Disney Hungarian]

I bought a portable charger at Best Buy. It can charge almost anything and I am able to get 2 full iPhone charges out of one full charge on the charger.
It is the:
MyCharge model RFAM-0007
I love it and highly recommend it.

[Crow]

is it something that you plug you phone into during the day, then charge the charger at night. i have an android phone

[Disney Hungarian]

Yes, It charges and then you can take it with you to charge almost anything. It has a mini USB a Micro USB and an iPhone connector. It also has a USB port to plug anything that can charge of of a standard USB cable.

[Disney Hungarian]

With my Android phone: I purchased 2 extra batteries and a battery wall charger for $20 total on Amazon. I just toted the extra batteries and swapped them out. This may be the better option for you. There is no way to swap batteries in an iPhone so I had to go with a portable charger.

[Strmchsr]

The JuiceDefender app does a great job on my Samsung Galaxy SII android phone. I was able to only charge at night and be good pretty much all day. I didn't do a ton of texting, but enough pics and texting that it was definitely used.

Other than that, I would ditto the previous two comments. Carrying your charger into the parks just isn't practical. That means you'd have to find somewhere to sit and charge (which isn't easy) for a couple of hours. Not exactly how I'd want to spend my time in the parks. The other option is to dial back a little on the texting. You're at Disney! Don't bury your head in the phone. :mickey:

[Melanie]

Believe me, outlets are hard to find at WDW, and even when I've used them, I felt incredibly guilty.

Now, I do tons of pic taking and tweeting when I'm in the parks, and what I've done is buy two extra batteries to take along. They aren't large, and this works out great for me.

[Crow]

too late for me to order an extra battery now.
and i usually just text mainly my gf and i know since she couldnt go she will be harrasing me to text..might have to look into the portable charger since i leave Tues
thanks for all of your help!

[Fangorn]

We've explored and used all the options mentioned. The simplest by far is the extra battery option. DW and I both have the same phone (Galaxy S) so we carry a couple of extra batteries and swap if needed. At an ounce per battery, I don't even know they're in my pocket. We also have the portable battey charger and a solar battery charger (works well when camping). While these both work fine, they're bulky, take time to charge the phone and don't charge the phone to 100%. We take them with us only because they live in the luggage "just in case", but we haven't actually used them for some time.

Of course, the iPhone doesn't allow you the option of changing the battery (in my mind a serious design limitation), so the best option there is the portable battey charger.

Enjoy your trip!

Steve

[goofygirl67]

Since I stay on property I always take a mid-day break and make sure I plug my phone in. I usually leave around 2pm and come back at 6pm, the thunderstorms normally come through at that time.

[Daisy'sMom]

I have an idea. Put the phone down and enjoy the park. I can't see how you can see everything there is to see when you have to text every other minute. If you sit down for a snack or a meal, take out your phone then and play.
:mickey:

[Crow]

I have an idea. Put the phone down and enjoy the park. I can't see how you can see everything there is to see when you have to text every other minute. If you sit down for a snack or a meal, take out your phone then and play.
:mickey:
;)i do. actually im not a texter too often except for my gf. but since she couldnt go (once again) shes gonna want to make sure i stay out of trouble:thedolls:and w her ADD if no one else is around she will b bothering me. i hardly even check in w family while im at WDW

[rnin02]

a late reply I know, but do you turn off your data and extra stuff when not needed? that helps a lot with battery life. I've been able to get about 9 hours out of my phone that way, with minimal texting. I have an android phone as well:)

[MargaretMessler]

Also use wi-fi whenever/wherever available since it tends to drain less on the battery.

[kakn7294]

I know this is well past the OP's trip but it may help others. I also have a portable charger pack for my iPhone. Mine is wicked powerful - I can get 3 - 4 charges out of it before the pack needs charged but it's also heavy. I have 2 smaller, lighter ones for DH and DD's phones but we haven't experimented much with them yet. I got mine from Amazon and theirs from eBay. Walmart carries a Kodak one near the digital cameras. I don't know how well that one works as I've never tried it but I considered getting one before I got the ones from eBay. MK is supposed to have lockers available for rent that have charging capabilities. While Epcot is hosting the Highland Games with the upcoming Brave movie, there are supposed to be charging stations available in the tents.

To the poster who suggested putting the phone down and enjoying the parks - my phone functions as my camera, has all of my ADR info (both in email and stored in an app), has the Disney Parks Mobile Magic app installed for wait times, and has a Hidden Mickey game that my family enjoys (imagine, we actually ENJOY the details of the parks with this one). My phone is an enhancement to our trip.

[Disney Doll]

To the poster who suggested putting the phone down and enjoying the parks - my phone functions as my camera, has all of my ADR info (both in email and stored in an app), has the Disney Parks Mobile Magic app installed for wait times, and has a Hidden Mickey game that my family enjoys (imagine, we actually ENJOY the details of the parks with this one). My phone is an enhancement to our trip.

Ditto this! I can't tell you how nice it is to have all that info at your fingertips. We love the mobile magic app!

My husband and I carry universal portable chargers. They range in price from $20-$100 depending on how much of a charge you want.

[joonyer]

I don't have a "smart" phone, but I do have one with a camera and I use it a good bit every day, texts, voice calls etc., Although I am far from using it constantly the way my teenagers use theirs. I only have to recharge my battery every 4-5 days.

So I guess my question is: Given the capability of smart phones, which can run all these apps which people want to use constantly, not to mention cameras, texting and calling, why don't their manufacturers equip them with batteries that will hold a charge for at least 24 hours????

[jonahbear2006]

Last trip, in Feb. I went to Y&BC and took a nap on a couch in their lobby and charged my phone,..the outlet was conveniently located right behind the couch. I have a battery charger too and it works well if I come with it charged. Another thing you can do is create a solar charging phone apparatus with an arduino, if you know what you are doing.

[dnickels]

I don't have a "smart" phone, but I do have one with a camera and I use it a good bit every day, texts, voice calls etc., Although I am far from using it constantly the way my teenagers use theirs. I only have to recharge my battery every 4-5 days.

I'm in the same boat. 6 year old phone with the original 6 year old battery and I can get 4-5 days out of it. :thumbsup:

[BrerGnat]

There are outlets ALL over the place in the parks, if you just look for them. If you're happy to sit down and wait for your phone to charge you can use any of them.

However, my tip is for extending your phone life:

When you are going into a long attraction, or a show building for a long time, put your phone into AIRPLANE mode. When in this mode, your phone is not sending/receiving data, not trying to search for a wifi signal, GPS signal, etc. This kind of stuff uses a lot of juice, so you can cut down on battery loss when you're otherwise not using your phone anyway. You can still use your phone camera and access any data (ADRs and stuff) that is on apps not dependent on the cell signal. :thumbsup:

[Mufasa]

Disneyland is testing out charging lockers (available on Main Street USA).

They run $2 for the first hour, and each additional hour afterwards and there are various sizes- small lockers will have charging adapters (both an Apple dock connector and a micro-USB cable suitable for charging your cell phone) while larger lockers offer access to AC outlets.

[PopPhan]

You may look into Power-Skin. It is a soft case with a backup battery.

I have one for my Samsung SkyRocket and it works great to give me almost 3/4 of a charge just by pushing the button on the back of the case.

It is a little thick, but well worth it if you need the extra power quickly.

[VWL Mom]

I know this is well past the OP's trip but it may help others. I also have a portable charger pack for my iPhone. Mine is wicked powerful - I can get 3 - 4 charges out of it before the pack needs charged but it's also heavy.

Kathy, I've been looking at the ones on Amazon. Which one did you get?

[SurferStitch]

DH has a case for his iPhone that doubles as a second battery pack. You charge your phone, and you charge the phone case separately.

When the iPhone runs out of juice, you just flick a switch on the case, and you're back up to 100% battery power. I think he paid around $110 for it. No heavy battery packs/chargers to carry around, no waiting for a phone to charge up.... nada. Just an instant fully charged phone!

[kakn7294]

Kathy, I've been looking at the ones on Amazon. Which one did you get?

As soon as I find the info, I'll PM you.

[Crow]

i didnt get anything other than a car charger this time. when we got to car i plugged it in. and tried not to use it much in the parks

[tinksmom02]

DH has a case for his iPhone that doubles as a second battery pack. You charge your phone, and you charge the phone case separately.

When the iPhone runs out of juice, you just flick a switch on the case, and you're back up to 100% battery power. I think he paid around $110 for it. No heavy battery packs/chargers to carry around, no waiting for a phone to charge up.... nada. Just an instant fully charged phone!

I got something similar to this, but only paid $20 for it, specifically for day trips when my battery might run out. Although I carried it in my bag every day, I didn't need it at all in Disney--we took midday breaks and I charged my iPhone while we were swimming--but I was at Book Expo the week before that, taking lots of pics and tweeting. When my phone got down to 18% I switched to the battery-case, and it charged my battery up to about 75%--it might have done more but by that point we were home LOL. It really isn't that heavy and didn't add to the weight of my bag at all.

[SurferStitch]

I got something similar to this, but only paid $20 for it, specifically for day trips when my battery might run out. Although I carried it in my bag every day, I didn't need it at all in Disney--we took midday breaks and I charged my iPhone while we were swimming--but I was at Book Expo the week before that, taking lots of pics and tweeting. When my phone got down to 18% I switched to the battery-case, and it charged my battery up to about 75%--it might have done more but by that point we were home LOL. It really isn't that heavy and didn't add to the weight of my bag at all.

Yeah, with his you don't have to wait for your phone battery to charge. You have instant 100% charge from 0%. Guess that's why it cost more.

[rnin02]

I got something similar to this, but only paid $20 for it, specifically for day trips when my battery might run out. Although I carried it in my bag every day, I didn't need it at all in Disney--we took midday breaks and I charged my iPhone while we were swimming--but I was at Book Expo the week before that, taking lots of pics and tweeting. When my phone got down to 18% I switched to the battery-case, and it charged my battery up to about 75%--it might have done more but by that point we were home LOL. It really isn't that heavy and didn't add to the weight of my bag at all.

what is the name of this magic case? sounds interesting and when i tried looking it up online i must not have been trying the right string of words;)

[tinksmom02]

what is the name of this magic case? sounds interesting and when i tried looking it up online i must not have been trying the right string of words;)

I bought it a while back and it was actually closer to $30.

uNu iPhone 4/4S Battery Case. If you google it you should find it for $34 at Amazon.

[tinksmom02]

Yeah, with his you don't have to wait for your phone battery to charge. You have instant 100% charge from 0%. Guess that's why it cost more.

I don't think you would have to wait, but I didn't want to find out the hard way, so I just kept it separate from my phone until I needed it.