By: Undercover Diva
My dad was a boy scout so growing up he always made sure to instill one thing in my mind ‘always be prepared’. Now this is something I always live with. I have friends who laugh at me because I always bring more than I need when I go out and I always seem to have something for any minor disaster. So this is something I want to try and pass on to you today, always be prepared… for your phone to die.
Especially now with the new My Disney Experience app that lets guest check wait times and make dining reservations from anywhere in the park, phones are dying quicker than ever. No one wants to go back to their room to charge their phone. But never fear, Disney is here! At least in the Magic Kingdom, there are three different charging locations throughout the park to help keep your day moving smoothly.
In Tomorrowland you can check out the charging station that is in the exit of Space Mountain, which is also the Video Arcade next to the ride. This is probably the least idea of the three since it is so secluded and not very convenient. My recommendation here is that if you have one guest of your party who isn’t a fan of Space Mountain, have them sit with the phone as it charges. You could also have mom or dad (or grandma or uncle) sit here while junior plays video games or dances their heart out at the 626 dance party. Or maybe this is a good place to relax out of the sun if your little one is napping in the stroller.
Fantasyland is home to the next two charging stations. The first is in the Dumbo and Barnstormer
Fast Pass Distribution tent. This is the big yellow tent at the back of the Storybook Circus, located next to Pete’s Silly Sideshow. This is a good place to charge a phone while part of your family waits in line to meet some of their favorite circus themed pals. And it’s close enough for you to hop on over and catch up with your family once they get to the front.
The last place is in between Fantasyland and Liberty Square right across from the Tangled themed bathrooms. While this location is in the sun, it has great music and hidden Pascals to keep you busy while your phone charges. This area is also not located very close to any rides unless you want to skip out on ‘its a small world’ or the Haunted Mansion.
What I do love about the Fantasyland locations is that they both have benches. So this would be a great place to eat if you’ve brought your own lunch or grab a quick service bite to eat. Then you can let your phone charge as you eat and you won’t be thinking about all the fun you are missing out on. Also, both Fantasyland stations take both a normal plug and a USB, which can be convenient for some phones.
Sometimes our phones are one of our most trusted sidekicks when we visit the park, but they also like to turn against us. Some good ways to keep your battery up are to make sure you are closing your apps, especially the My Disney Experience because it loves to kill battery. For you Apple users, turn off your Push Notifications for email. I also like to turn off my Facebook notifications as well because that means I’m checking Facebook less (and who needs Facebook when you are at Disney!).
As tempting as it is, try not to give your little ones your phone to distract them. I know it’s really easy to just turn on a video and distract the from the wait times, but try something different while at Disney. You are gonna want that battery if your phone is the only camera you have when something magical happens. If you can, you can have one phone be the playing phone where you distract the little munchkins and one be the camera. If not, maybe you splurge on a little doll or book that would keep your little mister or misses distracted. Maybe a coloring book will do the trick, or if you want, there are many little hand held games for kids and toddlers already out that do many of the same things as your phone without stealing your phone.
So next time you head off to the Magic Kingdom, make sure you bring your phone charger. And keep your eyes our, there are plans for bringing charging stations to the other Disney Parks.
