Disney Cruise Fish Extender

Would you like to know more about the Disney Cruise Fish Extender and get some DIY Disney Cruise Fish Extender gift ideas? As someone new to the Disney Cruise Liner you might hear the term “Fish Extender” or (FE) 8and have absolutely no clue what that means. Or, you may have been on a recent cruise and seen gifts hanging outside some of the rooms and wondered how you could join in on the fun. If you read my Disney Cruise secrets, tips, hacks and Review you would know what a wonderful experience we had and I definitely feel that the Disney Fish Extender added to that magic.

I was lucky enough to have discovered the Fish Extender groups months before my Disney Cruise and was able to prepare ahead of time for the fun! I love traveling with my kids especially when I am well prepared!

Disney Cruise Fish Extender Gift Ideas

What is a Disney Cruise Fish Extender?

You may be wondering what it is and if it is even worth doing… Here is an FAQ for The Disney Cruise Line Fish Extender:

What is a fish extender? Outside your stateroom there will be a metal fish next to your door. The fish is used for messages for the cruise team, however, some people use something called a fish extender and hang this outside of their staterooms. This allows them to participate in a gift exchange! Here are some useful threads to look at if you would like to learn more about Fish Extenders.
What is a fish extender?

How do I join a fish extender group? You need to sign up ahead of time for the Disboards fish extender group. This is located in the Disboards Disney Cruise Meets section. The fish extender groups are actually one of the reasons I don’t recommend booking a Disney Cruise at the last minute. While you may get a really great price doing that (my room price was apparently hugely discounted right before our cruise date for new bookings.) you will definitely miss out on those FE Groups and that is 15% of the Disney Cruise fun!

Are fish extender gifts expensive? It is as expensive as you would like it to be. Often times people go to the dollar store and purchase little trinkets from there. Some (like me) make DIY fish extender gifts to add a personal touch.

Where do I get a fish extender from? There are a lot of fish extenders for purchase on Etsy. I purchased mine from DooDadsWithCharacter and was more than happy with mine. Some opt to sew or create their own. There are many tutorials online that show how to make a fish extender. When in doubt, Google it.

You can find a similar fish extender here, lots here and more here.

Was it worth the time and effort? It was worth more than that! My kids loved receiving special surprises and equally enjoyed spending time roaming the ship dropping our surprises into other peoples fish extenders. It was especially rewarding to see kids around the ship wearing the items we made! I love that it gave us more incentive to go through every part of the ship. We visited almost every floor and tried to be super quiet while we dropped our surprise gifts in people’s fish extenders. I would definitely participate in a fish extender in the future if we do go on a Disney Cruise again. I definitely think it’s all a part of the Disney Magic! It made the experience unique to Disney and gave us special memories. But be prepared for a bag full of trinkets when you leave! The gifts we gave out:

Can you give me some traveling with kids tips? I have travelled 2-3 times a year on long international flights with my kids and the biggest thing I have learned is to come prepared. Read this post to see my baby and kids travel tips and necessities.

Disney Cruise Fish Extender Craft Ideas:

Disney Cruise Gifts for Kids

These are the Fish Extender Gifts for girls:

I gave the girls beaded necklaces that I made.

Fish Extender Gift Ideas for adults.

This is what I packed for Moms and Grandma.

Fish Extender Gifts for Dad’s, Family and Teenagers:

I gave the Dad’s chocolates from South Africa. The babies got bath toys. The boys got sticker books with stickers and the teenagers got word search books and bookmarks I made with my Cricut Machine.

At the end of the day we were bursting with surprises and presents. There are no words that I can use to describe the excitement my kids felt when they would come to our room and find these gifts. I highly recommend you participate in Disney’s Fish Extender! I hope that this post has convinced you. Please send me an e-mail to let me know how your planning is going. I would love for you to share your cruise experience on my facebook page or private facebook group.

Suggestions for Gifts:
Chocolates
Trinkets from your home Country or State
One of my favorite gifts we received were these little empty bottles that had labels on them saying Castaway Cay and Nassau. This was meant for us to put sand into whenever we got to an island. I loved how special that was!
Bubbles
Bath Toys
Sand Toys
Coloring Pencils
Notepads
Magnets
Homemade goodies