I’ve no downside admitting once I’m fallacious. Simply ask Sarah. Really, don’t. She’ll let you know simply how frequent of an prevalence it’s, probably undermining my ‘correctness credibility.’ (For no matter it’s price, I’m incorrect principally about issues pertaining to the kitchen and different supposed frequent sense topics—not Walt Disney World.)
However, “I used to be fallacious about…” is especially its personal style of posts on this weblog, together with however not restricted to Animal Kingdom’s excellence and full-day standing and crowds in the course of the starting of spring break. And guess what? There are two extra such topics within the drafts folder, awaiting publication. I’ve discovered to personal my errors and take them in stride.
I want this had been extra frequent. These days it looks like individuals type snap judgments and don’t deviate from entrenched positions. One thing is both unquestionably superior or irredeemably terrible, and never worthy of reevaluation. Clearly, this extends far past Disney. Simply because it isn’t wholesome in different points of life…it isn’t right here, both.
On this case, I’m not a lot admitting I used to be fallacious as I’m being open to evaluate new info and adjusted circumstances, and ‘evolving’ my opinion in consequence. One other factor I want had been extra frequent, however that is about me coming round on one thing I’ve beforehand, fairly vehemently, disliked.
In opposition to that backdrop, it’s time to take a recent have a look at FuelRods, one of many few issues that this weblog has been virtually obstinate about since their introduction a number of years in the past. For individuals who are unfamiliar with FuelRods, they’re transportable chargers that may be bought at kiosks all through Walt Disney World or Disneyland (together with airports, conference facilities, and many others.) parks and used to recharge your iPhone or different system on the go.
The ‘twist’ with FuelRods is that if you’re executed utilizing them, you’ll be able to commerce out your depleted FuelRod for a fully-charged one on the many kiosks all through Walt Disney World and Disneyland. The attraction is thus the ‘limitless’ cost the FuelRods supply by advantage of swapping them out. When put that approach, it’s simple to see the attraction of FuelRods.
A part of my dislike for FuelRods, I’ll admit, was a response to the over-hype because it was the product itself.
I had heard so many rave critiques that, once I lastly tried FuelRods myself, I used to be left befuddled as to why so many Walt Disney World and Disneyland followers liked this, a product that was inferior to principally each different battery available on the market. As coated within the easy We Don’t Advocate FuelRods, the system was higher in idea than actuality.
Earlier than you get apprehensive–no, this isn’t a sponsored put up nor did “Huge Gas” lastly get to me. As a substitute, it’s the circumstances which have modified since I final used FuelRods. It actually took lengthy sufficient, particularly as time had way back handed by the primary era of the system, however a few months in the past, FuelRod rolled out its first-ever product overhaul.
This launched the next:
- Extra Energy: The brand new FuelRod boasts an elevated capability of three,200 mAh (over 23% extra energy than the unique FuelRod), offering longer-lasting energy to maintain your units charged all through the day.
- Extra Management: With USB-C compatibility, the brand new FuelRod affords versatile charging choices for a variety of contemporary units. It additionally contains a energy button and 4 LED battery gentle indicators, giving customers larger management over their charging expertise.
- Similar Swap: Sustaining the simplicity and comfort that FuelRod is thought for, the swap course of stays easy. Simply go to any FuelRod kiosk, insert your previous FuelRod, and obtain a completely charged new one immediately.
Right here’s a have a look at the previous (left) vs. new (proper) FuelRods:
Swapping stays free at Walt Disney World and Disneyland. There was a category motion lawsuit just a few years again that resulted in FuelRod giving “Founder’s Standing” to anybody who purchased their units earlier than late 2019. For some time, this was verified at kiosks at Disney areas, which then offered free swapping.
The verification now not happens for no matter motive, that means there’s no cost for swaps at Disney no matter when/how/the place you obtain. FuelRod has began to introduce free swaps at different areas, so I’m now not apprehensive that is going to vary at any second. The system would have so much much less attraction to me (principally none!) if I needed to pay something for swaps.
The improve course of can also be free at Walt Disney World. All you do is stroll as much as any kiosk, click on the swap button, place your unique FuelRod into the kiosk, and observe the on-screen directions. The machine will mechanically acknowledge you’ve submitted the previous era of FuelRod, and provoke the improve course of freed from cost. You’ll obtain the brand new FuelRod Package, which incorporates the upgraded totally charged USB-C FuelRod together with new cables and adapters. For free.
The opposite circumstance that modified was the value of FuelRods. I found that Amazon sells FuelRod 2-packs for under $30. Once I noticed this as an early Black Friday deal, I simply needed to pull the set off. Paying $15 for an okay charger with a small dimension and free swaps was a no brainer. It’d be like if PizzeRizzo had been providing infinite pizza. Positive, it’s not my favourite meals…however I’ll nonetheless eat an embarrassing quantity if it’s limitless!
To place the Amazon worth into perspective, the charge for FuelRods at Disney Parks has really gone up elevated lately. The price of a single FuelRod is up from $30 to $38, two rods are actually $76, and three rods are $114. In different phrases, Amazon is promoting two for lower than the worth of 1 at Walt Disney World…which is about par for the course.
I additionally like the concept of getting two of them. Sarah and I can every carry one, making the swapping much less inconvenient (ditto charging–our batteries often run low across the similar time once we’re on the parks collectively). Despite the fact that I’m coming round on FuelRods, there’s nonetheless no approach I’d advocate a household of 4 carry solely one in all them. That’s simply unworkable. Everybody in your occasion who has a telephone ought to in all probability have their very own (except they’re like my dad who solely carries his telephone for emergencies and goes days with out even turning it on).
The ultimate circumstance that modified was I discovered myself in a state of affairs the place a FuelRod would possibly really come in useful! My present backup batteries may be inadequate for a latest journey, in order that plus the early Black Friday deal plus the system upgrades felt like an indication that it was time to offer the system one other likelihood. Because it turned out, there ended up being just a few the reason why the FuelRod labored out to be advantageous over this go to.
To start out with, I used to be flying into Orlando Worldwide Airport just a few hours previous to the Christmas occasion. I often like to offer myself a giant buffer, however that simply wasn’t doable right here. And as luck would have it, my flight was delayed, that means that I needed to take an Uber (as an alternative of my regular Mears Join) to Pop Century earlier than dropping off my baggage and instantly heading to the park.
Usually, I’d spend about an hour on the resort, giving myself—and my units—time to recharge. That wasn’t doable, so I went into the evening with an virtually completely drained battery. Just a few FuelRods later, and I left the occasion with a full cost—and a full FuelRod—regardless of utilizing my units extensively.
The opposite upside of this was that I didn’t should cost my regular Anker Nano Transportable Charger in a single day. The Anker 3-Port Charging Block has grow to be my go-to energy adapter, however it solely has 3 ports: one for my telephone, laptop, and watch.
Something past that requires switching units once I invariably get up in the course of the midnight (about 50/50 that I bear in mind to do that since I’m half awake, at finest), or doing so instantly within the morning (additionally about 50/50 for comparable causes).
The large particular ‘use case’ motive I purchased the FuelRod bundle was as a result of I used to be planning on doing a day of Early Entry, TRON testing, and Lightning Lane Multi-Move at Magic Kingdom on a day when the park was open from 8 am till 11 pm. On high of that, it was ABC vacation particular filming day and the Detroit Lions had been enjoying on Sunday Night time Soccer. Suffice to say, the stage was set for a historic day for my system utilization at Walt Disney World.
Not that it’s actually related, however I’m not one in all “these guys” who goes to Walt Disney World begrudgingly, face buried in telephone watching soccer. Exterior of final 12 months’s playoffs, I’ve by no means executed this. It was a particular circumstance, as I used to be watching the Disney ABC Vacation Specials being filmed that evening and had so much of downtime in between takes of the musical performances.
The above picture could not seem like a lot, however this was my “workstation” for the night–Sunday Night time Soccer, Peppermint Brownie Sundae from Plaza Ice Cream Parlor (maybe a couple of), and an ideal view of Cinderella Fort with fireworks exploding overhead about each 10 minutes or so. It was an awesome evening.
For his or her half, the FuelRods carried out admirably. I did burn by means of just a few of them that day, however I additionally arrived on the park at round 7 am, stayed till after midnight, and used my telephone so much. Had I taken my regular go-to charger, it could’ve run out of juice by halftime. Which means I might’ve had a lifeless system earlier than Jake Bates nailed a game-winning subject aim within the sport’s closing seconds to safe an inconceivable comeback for the Lions. I might’ve left Magic Kingdom feeling a bit defeated, assuming that they had misplaced, as an alternative of on cloud 9. The FuelRods paid for themselves with that night’s vibes alone.
Altering out FuelRods that night was exceedingly simple, as there’s a kiosk lower than 100 yards from the place I used to be sitting in Casey’s Nook. However it was additionally simple all through the journey.
I knew FuelRod kiosks had grow to be pretty ubiquitous round Walt Disney World, however I used to be stunned at simply how typically I randomly noticed them. So even when my battery was nonetheless half full, I’d make a fast swap when passing a station on the best way to the bus or leaving a counter service restaurant, and many others. By no means as soon as did I’ve to exit of my option to alternate a depleted FuelRod.
I used to be additionally pleasantly stunned by the pace with which the FuelRod charged my telephone. Don’t get me fallacious, it’s nonetheless gradual in comparison with any trendy Anker battery, however this stuff was glacial. I’d nonetheless like to see the system cost slightly faster and have barely increased capability, however it’s adequate now–particularly with kiosks everywhere.
In the end, the second era of FuelRods have exceeded my expectations and are actually our go-to batteries for Walt Disney World and Disneyland. The capability is enough, swapping is easy, and it’s extra handy for us than utilizing conventional chargers as we’ve got been for years. Particularly now that we’ve got a child and are sometimes “distracted” when getting again to our resort for the evening–typically plugging in all the pieces slips by means of the cracks.
I do need to supply the caveat right here that we’ve decided FuelRods are proper for us, however that doesn’t essentially imply the identical is true for you. We’re Annual Passholders on each coasts and spend a ton of time within the parks. We’ll simply swap FuelRods over 50 occasions in 2025. Possibly over 100 occasions. (I ought to’ve saved depend of what number of occasions I exchanged them on this one journey, as I really feel prefer it was nicely over a dozen.)
If you happen to’re a Walt Disney World or Disneyland first-timer or rare customer, the calculus is totally different for you. If you happen to’re judging the system itself, FuelRods are nonetheless not an objectively product. These chargers are nonetheless nicely behind the competitors and I’d by no means advocate them for every day at-home use or for non-Disney journey. The place FuelRods excel is as a service. It’s the free limitless swapping that holds all the attraction, so for those who can make the most of that considerably recurrently, we extremely advocate FuelRods.
If you happen to can’t, we nonetheless don’t. By which case, we nonetheless advocate buying one of many Anker units on our record of the Finest Backup Batteries for Disney. There’s a variety of fast and high-capacity transportable chargers on that record, most of that are sooner and cheaper than FuelRods. For what it’s price, you in all probability will want a transportable charger within the parks. All the things from Cell Order to checking wait occasions to discovering showtimes to Lightning Lane Multi-Move at Walt Disney World and Disneyland are critical battery drains.
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Study resorts on our Walt Disney World Inns Critiques web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Critiques. To save cash on tickets or decide which sort to purchase, learn our Suggestions for Saving Cash on Walt Disney World Tickets put up. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys put up takes a novel have a look at intelligent objects to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Journey Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, the most effective place to begin is our Walt Disney World Journey Planning Information for all the pieces you must know!
Your Ideas
What do you consider FuelRods? Excited in regards to the second-generation improve that provides increased capability units and sooner charging? Assume the system/service is a no brainer given the present value of solely $30 for a 2-pack at Amazon? Will you give FuelRods an opportunity at Walt Disney World or Disneyland? Or have you ever already been utilizing them for years?! Do you agree or disagree with our new FuelRod evaluate? Any questions we may help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even if you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!