Charging on the Go!

I’m going to take a short break from my trip report to give a little shout out to one of my favorite new “theme park touring must have products”!

FUEL ROD!

I started seeing these vending machines pop up around Disney World last fall. I wasn’t familiar with the product but I read the quick overview on the screen and knew it was for me!

I swiped my credit card and out popped my very own Fuel Rod kit.  It came in a little, plastic case that included the battery, cord and adapter pieces.  The various adaptors make this compatible with almost any phone/tablet!  They also work with any USB charging cable.  The battery was fully charged and I was able to immediately connect it to my iPhone 6.

I know it’s not impressive yet–any portable charger will do that!  But the cool part is that you can exchange the battery at any time for a fully charged one! You just have to deposit your dead battery into one of the vending machines and a new, fully charged battery pops out!  There is no limit to how many times you can exchange your battery and you  never have to purchase anything else.  I used my rod for my entire trip last September and it was a lifesaver!  I exchanged my rod multiple times during the trip.  My only complaint was that there were only a handful  of swapping locations so I had to be strategic about when and where I swapped!

I must not be the only one who started to use these rods as on my return to Disney World last week I saw a massive increase in the number of exchange stations! In fact, you can now look up the locations of all of the vending machines on the MY DISNEY EXPERIENCE app!  The machines are located in all of the theme parks, many of the resorts and in multiple locations in Disney Springs.  The expandable map on the app came in very handy on my visit and I referenced it quite a bit as I swapped out my rod every day (and sometimes multiple times a day!).  The map also came in handy because the machines are pretty tucked away! I think this is a good move on Disney’s part as no one wants to see vending machines all over the parks! Or, at least I don’t! 🙂

I have also started to see the vending machines pop up in other locations—most recently at both the Atlanta airport and the Minneapolis airport.  And while I was swapping at these locations I realized that there is a more economical way to get these babies!  Apparently Disney charges $10 more than every other location for the initial purchase!  I picked up a second rod in the Atlanta airport and paid $20 for it instead of $30.  They are also “only” $20 if you purchase one online.

http://www.fuel-rod.com/

So there you go! I just saved you $10 on your next Disney trip.  That’s two Mickey Bars. You’re welcome!