Wondering what the longest-lasting and most reliable portable phone chargers are for Walt Disney World and other travel? We’ve used dozens of backup batteries in the parks & beyond, and share our list of top recommendations for recharging your dead devices here. (Updated May 5, 2025.)
If you’ve visited Walt Disney World, you’ve probably wandered into a counter service restaurant or gift shop in the middle of the afternoon and seen guests sitting in random corners charging their phones at power outlets. It’s a common sight. It’s also a weird sight. Time is money at Walt Disney World, and sitting in a corner in CommuniCore or wherever is a comically poor use of it. A portable charger would pay for itself after only a couple days in the parks.
If you’ve visited Walt Disney World, you also know how necessary it is to have plenty of juice for your phone. The My Disney Experience app alone can be a tremendous drain on your battery, as you do everything from Mobile Ordering to refreshing the Walk-Up Waitlist for table service restaurants to Mobile Checkout to playing the Lightning Lane ride reservation refill “game.” It’s easy to see why people end up sitting on the floor charging phones, and it’s certainly a better solution than having a dead battery for half the day!
Before turning to the portable chargers we do recommend, I want to quickly share our philosophy on backup batteries. To the greatest extent possible, we try not to use them. There are field testing days for me when this is absolutely unavoidable, as I’m in the park from Early Entry until after park closing, booking Lightning Lanes and refreshing for better times along the way, while also responding to comments here and doing blogger stuff. But for the sake of your own sanity, I hope you are not a blogger.
While Walt Disney World does make some screen time practically inevitable, it is not mandatory. You can book Lightning Lanes when eligible without compulsively refreshing. You don’t need to post real-time updates on Facebook or wherever; give your social media addiction the week off and share when you get home.
When we’re in the parks for fun, we make a concerted effort to be present in the moment–talking with one another, seeing our daughter as she discovers this or that and her eyes light up, poring over the little details throughout the parks, and even people-watching. During fun park visits like this, both of us can make it through a full day without using a charger…most of the time.
Nevertheless, we realize this is overly idealistic and we’re not going to change the behavior of a TikTok-obsessed tween with a few paragraphs here. Still, something worth considering given all of the money you’re spending to be at Walt Disney World…why spend the time glued to your phone, something you could do anywhere else?
Since this approach only works most of the time, we also pack three backup batteries before each trip and try to each bring one to the park every day. This is our rule for a simple reason: we sometimes forget to charge a battery overnight and one of us also sometimes forgets to bring a battery to the park.
There have been plenty of times when we’ve brought three batteries and, by the end of the trip, we find ourselves rushing out the door with only 1 charged battery. This is precisely what FuelRod fans argue is a selling point of that device in the first place…and we’re finally seeing the light after nearly a decade of hating that device (more on this below).
Another rule we have is that we no longer buy generic batteries. You’ll see some great deals on brands that are like QWEDHYX or a bunch of other random letters. We’ve had our share of no name batteries over the years–they’re all junk. Our storage container of random cords and electronics accessories is littered with these bricks that barely hold a charge. Portable batteries have come down in price so much over the years that it’s silly to buy anything other than name brands.
For us, this means Anker. In fact, that’s the only brand on this list…not because we have a lucrative sponsorship deal with them (sadly, we do not), but because they’re the best brand that also offers good value. There are other higher end options, but with the propensity for batteries to get lost or degrade over time, we don’t see the point in spending more. Anker is the sweet spot.
Finally, we try to find the best balance between size, capacity, and speed. It’s literally impossible to have all of these things, so tradeoffs are a must. Since we try to minimize phone use, we’ve found that we no longer need the highest capacity (and biggest) batteries. Instead, we go for options that are the size of the phone or smaller and can fit in our pockets. Your mileage may vary on that–you might want a ‘family-sized’ option that’s sufficient for 4 full phone charges. That’s overkill for us.
With that lengthy preface out of the way, here are our favorite portable phone chargers for Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and traveling in general…
Anker Zolo 10,000mAh 30W Portable Charger with Built-in USB-C Cable for Travel – This charger was just released in the last couple of weeks, and it is–without a doubt–the charger we’d buy if we had the iPhone 15 or Samsung phones–or anything with a USB-C connector instead of the Lightning connector. Everything about this looks perfect to us, from the built in cable to the size and speed. And the price is certainly right, too! Also available in 20k capacity.
As of May 5, 2025, this device is on sale for 50% off as part of a limited-time deal, making it only $12.94. This is the lowest price we’ve ever seen for it, cheaper than Black Friday or any of Amazon’s various deal days.
Anker Nano Portable Charger – The big selling point is the built-in Lightning connector for iPhones, meaning that you don’t need to carry additional cords. That alone is a game-changer for me, as I can hold the phone in my hand while the charger is attached and simply use it like normal. The only downside is slightly slower charging than the other batteries below, but that’s actually remedied by an updated, faster version that was just released.
FuelRod 2-Pack – Amazon is selling the “old” model of FuelRods at a price that’s lower than one FuelRod at Walt Disney World. Buying the older version doesn’t matter, since upgrades are free at the kiosk in the parks. If you’re on the fence about FuelRods, we recommend giving them a try–and buying this 2-for-1 deal before inventory sells out. (It’s really convenient to have two FuelRods as opposed to just one, anyway.)
You might be surprised to read a recommendation for FuelRods here, as the device used to be one we strongly discouraged readers from using except in extreme emergencies. Well, times change. FuelRod updated its devices last year, and the new model has higher capacity and faster charging, which alone is a gamechanger. Add to that the ubiquity of FuelRod kiosks around Walt Disney World, and it’s now a great option for diehard Disney fans. First-timers and infrequent visitors should still look elsewhere, as FuelRods are as much a service as a device. Read our new review of FuelRods for more info.
Anker 3-in-1 Power Bank USB C Charger Block – As the name suggests, this is a portable battery that doubles as a power bank with two USB-C ports. That’s the issue for us (again) as it’s better for iPhone 15 (and future) or non-Apple devices. (Speaking of which, I use and highly recommend the Anker 100W USB C Charger Block for that purpose. Great for a MacBook, iPhone, and Apple Watch!)
Anker Slimline Phone Charger 20,000mAh Battery (USB-C) — Even before Lightning Lanes, we recommended bringing a backup battery pack to charge your phone while using My Disney Experience or social media at Walt Disney World. This one has great capacity and the fastest quick-charging capabilities. This is perfect for the two of us–probably insufficient for a larger family or one (1) TikToking teenager.
Anker 24,000mAh Power Bank 3-Port Portable Charger with 140W Output – For those who really go hard or have large families (or teenagers) wanting a single charger. This is also often on sale for 40% off, making it a great price–but it’s massive and more than most people will need!
As always, we receive a small commission from Amazon for your purchases, so buying through these links helps support the site. However, neither the price you pay nor our recommendations (or lack thereof) are impacted by that. There’s a reason we don’t recommend the cheapest off-brand junk or the most expensive and fanciest chargers on the market–they’re not the ones we use or recommend. These are. Well, with the exception of the new Anker Zolo, and that’s only because we still use the “old” (heavy air quotes) iPhones. Jealous of anyone who isn’t and can use that one–it’s pretty clearly the best option!
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Which is your preferred portable phone charger for Walt Disney World or other travel? Any great ones that we’ve missed? Do you opt for Anker, or go with whatever is cheapest and just buy new ones regularly? What matters most to you: speed, size, capacity, or cost? Have any product recommendations (or dislike any of the items listed here)? Any questions? We love hearing from readers, so please share any other thoughts or questions you have in the comments below!