You may have heard the term Fish Extenders, or you may have been researching Disney Cruise Line on Pinterest and run across Fish Extenders and not really sure what it is. OR you may know all about them and ran across this blog looking for ideas. Whatever the reason, I am glad you stopped by. I am going to give you all the information you need to help you make the decision if Fish Extenders is right for your family.
What are Fish Extenders
Every stateroom has a fish of some kind hanging on the wall outside the door. This is part decoration and part message center. The fish is there for Disney to place important communications to you such as excursion tickets and notes from the Cruise staff. It is like a mailbox for your room. A Fish Extender (FE) it is something that you hang off the fish. By hanging the Fish Extender off of the fish, the Cast Members can still use it for its original purpose. All the people in the exchange buy or make little items and place them in each other’s fish extenders. It is great fun to come back and check the items you have received.
What do Fish Extenders look like, and where do I get them?
The most common Fish Extenders are ones that have a pocket for each person in that stateroom. Some are very fancy, some are quite plane. Some are store-bought, some are homemade and many are bought on eBay or Etsy.com. There are even options on Amazon depending on what you are looking for. Search on “Disney Fishextenders” and you will get options that range in price. Size does Matter! You need to make sure your Fish Extender is no more than 8″ wide.
How do I find Fish Extender Groups?
Many of the Facebook Groups arrange the Fish Extender Exchanges. You can usually find the Facebook Group for your Cruise Dates. Everyone that would like to participate will sign up by a deadline. Normally the deadline will be about 4-6 weeks before you sail. This allows everyone ample time to pre-buy/make what they want to exchange.
How many Fish Extender gifts do I prepare for?
Most groups will have a maximum number of staterooms in each group, so you will have a set number of staterooms. From there some people will choose to get a gift for every person in the room, and some will get one bigger stateroom gift. This is totally up to you.
What types of gifts?
Some people get very crafty and make items, some are store-bought. Again no set rules. Magnets, anything Pirate, anything Disney, anything with your cruise sailing dates on it (pencils, pens, candy . . . )It isn’t about how much you spend, it is about the fun in exchanging and the excitement of coming back to your room for a fun surprise. Amazon has some great options, like these which can be broken up and good for multiple gifts. On our last cruise, we did a sundae kit so we had a bag with the larger things in it and then individual bags with some individual bowls and toppings.
Who can join?
Anyone and everyone! Even if your stateroom is 2 adults, you can join and have just as much fun! Some do an individual gift per child and then a combined/cabin gift for adults. The only rule I would say is to HAVE FUN!! if it’s not about the gift it’s about the thoughtfulness behind it.
What About Door Decore?
For the cool magnets/graphics you see on everyone’s door check on Facebook, there are many groups that offer graphics. The best way to “make them” is to print out on heavy paper, laminate and stick a really heavy magnet on them. Magnet paper is not strong enough. There is a lot of paint on the doors. You are not allowed to tape anything to the doors.
Have you used a Fish Extender on your cruise? Let us know if in the comments or on Facebook what your favorite gift was. If you are ready to book your Disney Cruise one of our travel professionals would love to help you plan.
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