Disney cruises bring a lot of fun with extraordinary and entertaining amenities, from dining with Disney characters to onboard services. However, there’s yet another way to enhance the enjoyment of your Disney Cruise Line vacation: Disney Cruise Line Fish Extenders. It is an informal tradition that offers a fun opportunity to meet other passengers, explore the ship, and experience some magic for yourself.
- Fish extenders are hanging gift bags embellished with the names of the family members traveling together.
- Passengers give little gifts to the other group members by participating in Secret Santa-style drawings through the fish extenders.
- You can make new friends through Disney message boards or Facebook on the cruise ship.
You can read on to learn all there is to know about fish extenders on the Disney cruise line.
What Are Fish Extenders?
A fish extender is a mailbox hanging from the fish outside your stateroom door. The cruise line staff uses the fish on each door to place cards, invitations, and other reminders outside your door. However, other passengers can use it to get to know you by sending small gathering invitations.
The Disney Cruise Line does not offer fish extenders, and participating in a fish extender exchange is optional. However, you must bring an extender because you cannot buy one on board.
When we joined a message board for our first Disney cruise, we got our first taste of the world of fish extenders. We were suddenly confronted with acronyms and a level of order we had never experienced in our lifetime of cruising. Fortunately, the friendly message board was there to help us out with the gift exchange.
Although it is an unofficial tradition, and not all visitors will participate, it is a worthwhile experience you should not miss out on. It’s your decision whether you want to participate in it because it can be incredibly time-consuming and a lot of fun.
It can get expensive after you have a list of the participating cruise passengers because you’ll need to buy small presents for each person on the list. But then you’ll also be receiving a lot of gifts in exchange.
Price of Fish Extenders
The fish extender culture is driven by DIY, so your creative skills will come in handy when you craft your family’s bags. Making your own fish extenders is affordable, but you can get one online for a higher cost. You can even have one tailored for your family. In either case, ensure you have enough time to get the fish extender before your trip.
The price of the gifts that you choose for the other participants will depend on your choice and budget. It can be as small or as big as you want. Once you’ve bought all the gifts, make sure that you pack and label each of them according to the stateroom.
How To Make Your Own Fish Extenders
You’ll need some flat cloth to act as the backdrop and some extra material to serve as pockets to build your fish extender. Attach string to the top of the flat hanger after sewing the pockets onto it so you can hang it over the fish. If you have embroidery skills, this is a beautiful way to create a special fish extension for you and your family.
How To Participate in Disney Cruise Fish Extenders
The Disney Cruise Meet boards make it easy to find people taking the same trip as you. You can get connections to every meetup for almost any sailing on that discussion board. So find your thread, drop by, and introduce yourself. Learn more about the people you’ll be traveling with, and if you are still waiting to see something about the Fish Extender gift exchange, inquire about it.
The signup options may differ because the Disney Cruise Line doesn’t manage fish extenders. Generally, you look for your cruise ship name and departure dates on Facebook and join the group that interests you. Rules can change depending on who is in charge of the organization.
You’ll receive a list with your stateroom number, the number of people in the group, and other details before onboarding. This will allow you to start the gift-choosing process well in advance. You are expected to get a gift for everyone in the group if the group is small. However, if the group is too big, you will be given a smaller group within that, so you don’t have to spend too much on the gifts.
You must hang a fish extender outside of your room if you choose to participate in the fish extender gift exchange, and you must then distribute gifts to other cabins according to the list you have.
Why Should You Participate in Fish Extenders
Kids love returning to a room full of surprise kids (yes, big kids too!) It’s also entertaining to visit different staterooms to see how each person’s Fish Extender is decorated. This is a terrific way to get ideas for your extenders.
Crafting the gifts before the cruise and having fun together while on the cruise are excellent ways to spend quality time with your family while making Fish Extenders.
Gift Ideas for Your Next Fish Extender Adventure
You have a wealth of gift options at your disposal for fish extenders on your Disney cruise. These range from small retail purchases to handcrafted presents. Most fish extender presents have a Disney or cruise theme, but the choice is all yours. Some give a single, larger present, while others give multiple smaller ones.
Some suggestions for fish extenders are:
- Bottle openers
- Fancy colored pens and pencils
- Glow sticks
- Ornaments and accessories
- Disney door decorations for cruise ships
- Bath products
- Keychains
Conclusion
Disney fish extenders can be a magical experience when you understand the community involved. If you’re traveling with children, they can be particularly magical because they’ll enjoy the surprise of a gift in their room. Additionally, personalized and one-of-a-kind gifts are highly valued and can be enjoyable if you have a specific crafty skill.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Find My Fish Extender Group?
Enter the name of your ship and the date of your trip into a Facebook search to find the Fish Extender group for your trip. This should provide information about the group and further details regarding the exchanges.
Why Is It Called a Fish Extender?
Every room on the Disney cruise has a fish hook on the door to hang invitations and leave important messages. In addition, people sometimes hang bags on the hook to extend an invitation to other visitors for a gift-exchanging tradition.
