I had known about Fuel Rods for a while, but always brought my own rechargeable battery pack to Disney or other vacation destinations I thought I might need it. I figured…why buy the ones at Disney when I can get my own for cheaper? Oh little did I know.
The basis for my decision…
The charger I have always used is a little larger than a credit card and about 3/4 cm thick. It’s not too large, and it has always worked well. We can usually charge 2-3 phones at least part of the way throughout the day with this one battery pack. and it has 2 plugs so it can charge 2 phones at once. Bonus!
It took all night to recharge that battery pack, though, so that was a downside, trying to get phones for a family of 4 plust the battery pack and anything else we needed charged overnight.
However, on this last trip to Disneyland I had to find an alternative. I was using my phone more than average, trying to get all the things I needed for social media posting, and it was dying fast. My charger just wasn’t cutting it. I’m not sure if it was just because it’s getting older and can’t hold juice like it used to, or the fact that I needed it more. But it was not even getting my phone fully charged before it was no longer of any use.
So that’s why I decided to bite the bullet and get one of the fues rods at Disneyland. There are Fuel Rod stations all over Disneyland and Disneyworld, including at resorts. You can find them on the maps under guest services.
What I thought was…you paid a lot for the fuel rod, and then you could exchange dead ones for a price. Probaby not an inexpensive price. I was not entirely correct in my assessment.
Here’s how it works in reality….you pay $30 for one fuel rod at a kiosk. You can get up to 3 at a time, but there isn’t a price break if you get 1 or 3. Always $30 each. To compare, the charger I currently have is not available right now, but they are $20-30 on average. So about the same price as the fuel rod. The thing with the Fuel Rod, though, is you don’t have to recharge it. You can if you want, but you don’t have to, you can just exchange it instead. I couldn’t get a full phone charge from one Fuel Rod, but I just would exchange it and keep on charging.
This is the first reusable, portable charging system that allows you to charge your mobile device on the go, and then allow you to swap out for a fresh one when needed. This way you’ll never be without a charge!
How to get started
First you look for the stations. They are little kiosks, and as mentioned before, you can find them on the map under guest services. And they aren’t just a Disney thing. You can find them in airports, malls, other theme parks, all sorts of places. If you download the Fuel Rod app, you can find the nearest location to you. Simply swipe your credit card or use the FuelRod mobile app to obtain your portable charging unit from the kiosk.
You will select Buy or Swap on the screen, and just follow the directions. It’s that easy. A new rod will come out of the slot, fully charged with all the cables and adapters that you need to charge your Android or Apple device.
Once your power runs out, you can instantly swap for a fresh Fuel Rod! It’s that simple! The LED light will change from red to green when your Fuel Rod is fully charged.
How to keep going
Your Fuel Rod will come with several different cable adaptors for Android and Apple devices. You can recharge the Fuel Rod if you choose in any standard wall outlet, or you have the ability to swap instantly for a fully fueled unit at any Fuel Rod Kiosk. A swap fee may apply at some locations. I swapped at 4 different kiosks, and there was never a fee for any of the ones I used, which was amazing! You can also use the app to scan the code on the kiosk and do all of your swapping right on the app. It connects directly to the kiosk.
If you download the fuel rod app, you get a free $5 credit to use for any swap. Since none of my swaps had a fee, I still have my credit ready to go.
My favorite thing was the size. It was so small and compact, even more so than the one I already had! Which when you are at Disney and carrying all the things you need, you know smaller size can make a huge difference. It fit in my pocket with my phone!
Overall, it was well worth the cost, and I’m going to continue to use Fuel Rods each time I visit the Disney parks, or anywhere else they are available. You should try them out as well!
Best Day Ever Journeys 
2 thoughts on “Fuel Rods – The Poratble Battery Pack”