Guests Prohibited From Bringing Power Strips on Disney Ships

Disney Cruise Line has officially changed its policy and added surge protectors, extension cords, and power strips to the list of items that prohibited.  This news, which came out last week, threw me for a loop as a power strip is on our top ten items to pack for any trip--click here to read more.  A power strip keeps all of our electronic chargers—cameras, phones, games—all in one place.  Typically, electronic outlets are either limited in quantity or difficult to find in staterooms and hotel rooms for that matter, which makes a power strip even that more convenient.  The power strip with chargers is the last item I throw into the luggage and the first item out. 

I understand, or am trying to understand, DCL’s stance on this—it is about safety.  Safety is one of the four pillars of Disney Customer Service and the most important one. 

Though, while guests are prohibited from bringing power strips, they can “borrow” one from Guest Services for a $50 refundable deposit.  So, the policy isn’t so much about not using power strips, but ensuring that the power strips are safe and in good working condition.  Got it.

So, we can get access to a power strip during the cruise portion of our summer vacation, but what about the land portion?  We are using Disney transports which means we won’t be able to swing into a Wal-Mart on our way back from the port.  And, if I pack a power strip, even without using it, it will be confiscated from my luggage and I may or may not get it returned at the end of the cruise. 

It only took us one vacation when we had chargers strung up all over the room one night trying to charge all of our electronics before we started taking a power strip.  Our last vacation, we had to upgrade to two power strips—one for phones and cameras and the other for the tablet and games.  Do we go back to no power strip for the World portion of our vacation?

I sent an email to GardenGrocer. Com and asked them to consider adding power strips to their list of available items for guests.  We were already planning to have groceries delivered, so adding a power strip to the items would be an easy fix.

Another option is to mail a power strip to ourselves at the resort.  That way, it could be waiting for us upon our arrival.

I’m also checking out various other options such as power mats that will charge various electronics without plugging in or devices that charge multiple electronic items simultaneously.  Though, how are these any different than power strips other than in design?

Right now, the plan is take an old power strip for our two days at the Hyatt and “abandon” it when we leave.  Then us a $50 Disney Gift Card as a deposit for a power strip for our cruise.  Then see about ordering a new power strip to be delivered to our resort for us.  Isn’t Wal-Mart’s shipping  fee $.97?