- Greg Antonel has helped book thousands of Disney rides with his company, MickeyTravels.
- When he’s not planning vacations for others, he spends the day at Walt Disney World.
- aNetunell told Insider that he never goes to Disney World without two cell phone chargers.
Greg Antonel is the founder of MickeyTravels, a Disney travel agency. He works with a team of 250 travel agents to help book Disney trips for everyone from budget travelers to celebrity clients and is estimated to have been to the parks more than a thousand times.
When he’s packing for a Disney trip, there’s one item he never forgets to bring. Well, technically, it’s more than one: cell phone chargers, and he always packs two.
This is because much of Disney is accessed through your phone, Antonel said. And while a portable charger has been useful for years; Today he said it is a necessity. Here’s why.
From accessing express passes to mobile dining, visitors need a fully charged phone
General views of Walt Disney’s Magic Kingdom.
Photos by AaronP / Bauer-Griffin / GC
Antonel said one of the biggest mistakes travelers make when visiting Disney is that they don’t realize how much they need their cell phones. In fact, Antonel said it’s now nearly impossible to visit Disney without a phone and the My Disney Experience app.
On the app, guests can purchase Disney tickets, reserve a spot in a park through the company’s new Park Pass reservation system, order mobile dining, see wait times for tours, and book express tickets.
He said even things like your spa room key can now be accessed via your phone.
In addition to needing a phone for the Disney app, Antonel said you’ll likely take pictures and post them on social media throughout the day. And if you have kids, phone games are a great way to keep them distracted while waiting in the long Disney lines.
All of this can drain your phone battery quickly, Antonel said. So he recommends packing a portable charger and, if you have enough space, packing two to be on the safe side, he said. Antonel’s favorite is the Anker Power Bank, which can recharge a phone 10 times and costs $140, but Antonel said you can find other options for less.
“If your cell phone won’t charge, you’re in trouble,” he said.
Disney makes portable chargers, but Antonel said it’s best to have your own
The FuelRods power plant booth at Walt Disney World.
Johnny Honeybot/Shutterstock
At Disney parks and resorts, guests have access to “gas stations,” kiosks where visitors can purchase a charging kit to bring home for $30 that comes with a portable charger and wires, according to the Disney website.
In fact, Antonelle said the “life on the FuelRods is really short” compared to some of the portable chargers he’s used. Antonel said that if your phone dies in the morning, you may need to use several fuel bars throughout the day. This will not only cost you more money, Antonel said, but also take time waiting in lines and finding a booth.
easiest solution? Pack it yourself.
“You always want to bring a charger,” he said. “Your cell phone is basically everything.”
