One of the best parts of a Disney Cruise is participating in Fish Extenders! Here is everything you need to know from what fish extenders are, to how you sign up, to what you put inside and everything in between!
We recently returned from the Disney Creators Celebration and to say the whole week was a dream would be an UNDERSTATEMENT. We spent the first three days at Walt Disney World and the last three on board the Disney Dream with Disney Cruise Line!
Disney Cruise Fish Extender
Everyone had different favorite things about the trip, but one of the things the kids had the most fun with was the fish extenders on the cruise! It was so fun “pixie dusting” other families, and the kids loved coming home from all the different cruise festivities to find fun goodies in our extenders!
If you want to learn more about Disney Cruising check out this post! Or check out how to make your own cute Minnie Ears, or our fun and simple Pirate Night Costume!
Okay, now let’s get down to business!
Why is it called a fish extender?
First things first. One of the most common questions we are asked is why it is called a fish extender! Well it’s actually pretty simple. Outside every stateroom on Disney Cruise Line is a fish shaped hook (or sometimes a seahorse) where the cast members leave important mail or announcements.
The pouches hang on this hook, thus extending the mail fish! See photo below.
Fish Extenders
A common misconception is that the fish extenders are put on by Disney, or facilitated through them. This is actually not the case! So, if Disney didn’t start this fun tradition, who did?
How did fish extenders start?
Fish extenders were actually started by cruisers on an early DCL sailing (2005 Panama sailing on the Disney Magic), not by Disney Staff! It was a long sailing and people going wanted to get to know each other better, so they decided to use a gift exchange to facilitate that. Enter– the first ever fish extender group!
This Disney sailing tradition spread like wildfire, and is now a common practice on all Disney ships!
How do you find a fish extender group?
Once you are booked for a sailing on a Disney Cruise ship, search facebook for the group for your sailing. There you will be able to connect with other cruisers on your sailing and sign up for fish extender groups!
If you are going with a family reunion or other large group, you can also totally form your own group and pixie dust each other! There is nothing official about it, just make sure all parties involved are aware of what the plan is!
What is pixie dusting?
Speaking of pixie dusting… what the heck does that mean? Well, when you drop gifts in someone else’s extenders cruisers named that pixie dusting! When you come back from a yummy dinner at the Enchanted Palace to find goodies in your pouches, you’ve been pixie dusted!
What do you put in a fish extender?
The short answer to this is, anything you want! Gifts can be small or large, homemade or store bought! Most groups will set some guidelines as to roughly what the rules will be for their group that sailing.
For example, on the sailing we just went on we decided as a group that if we were going to give nicer (ie: more expensive) gifts, we would just give one during the duration of the cruise. If we were going to give smaller less expensive gifts we could pixie dust multiple times. Some people gave something small every day and some opted for a bigger gift once and it worked out really well! We had a fun mix of nicer things and still a lot of volume, which is what the kids cared more about ;).
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Fish extender gift ideas:
Here are a few things we got in our fish extenders that we loved to get your juices flowing! For more details about our fish extender experience and to see some of the unique items we received, check out the video below!
- Inflatable light sabers
- Star Wars socks and Princess socks
- Character chapsticks
- Re-usable straws to use while on the ship
- Pirate night gear like these eye patches
- Sprinkles and toppings for the soft serve ice cream
- Beach toys for Castaway Cay
- Sunscreen, Dramamine, or other cruise essentials
- Cruise lanyards
Where do you get the fish extender pouches?
Many people make their own pouches, but you can also easily buy your own! I made the ones in this post, but here are a few really cute easy options on amazon!
- Simple Three Pocket Nautical Fish Extender
- Natural Cotton Four Pocket Fish Extender
- Navy Polka Dotted Four Pocket Fish Extender
Any of these could be spruced up by adding names or Disney paraphernalia!
Fish Extenders on Disney Cruise - Everything You Need to Know
Video
Equipment
- Fish Extender
Materials
- 1 Fish Extender Pouch for Everyone in Your Stateroom
- Gifts to Put in Other Cabins Pouches
Instructions
- Why is it called a fish extender?First things first. One of the most common questions we are asked is why it is called a fish extender! Well it's actually pretty simple. Outside every stateroom on Disney Cruise Line is a fish shaped hook (or sometimes a seahorse) where the cast members leave important mail or announcements. The pouches hang on this hook, thus extending the mail fish!
- A common misconception is that the fish extenders are put on by Disney, or facilitated through them. This is actually not the case! So, if Disney didn't start this fun tradition, who did? How did fish extenders start? Fish extenders were actually started by cruisers on an early DCL sailing (2005 Panama sailing on the Disney Magic), not by Disney Staff! It was a long sailing and people going wanted to get to know each other better, so they decided to use a gift exchange to facilitate that. Enter-- the first ever fish extender group! This Disney sailing tradition spread like wildfire, and is now a common practice on all Disney ships!
- How do you find a fish extender group? Once you are booked for a sailing on a Disney Cruise ship, search facebook for the group for your sailing. There you will be able to connect with other cruisers on your sailing and sign up for fish extender groups! If you are going with a family reunion or other large group, you can also totally form your own group and pixie dust each other! There is nothing official about it, just make sure all parties involved are aware of what the plan is!
- What is pixie dusting? Speaking of pixie dusting... what the heck does that mean? Well, when you drop gifts in someone else's extenders cruisers named that pixie dusting! When you come back from a yummy dinner at the Enchanted Palace to find goodies in your pouches, you've been pixie dusted!
- What do you put in a fish extender? The short answer to this is, anything you want! Gifts can be small or large, homemade or store bought! Most groups will set some guidelines as to roughly what the rules will be for their group that sailing. For example, on the sailing we just went on we decided as a group that if we were going to give nicer (ie: more expensive) gifts, we would just give one during the duration of the cruise. If we were going to give smaller less expensive gifts we could pixie dust multiple times. Some people gave something small every day and some opted for a bigger gift once and it worked out really well! We had a fun mix of nicer things and still a lot of volume, which is what the kids cared more about ;).
Notes
Fish extender gift ideas:
Here are a few things we got in our fish extenders that we loved to get your juices flowing!Where do you get the fish extender pouches?
Many people make their own pouches, but you can also easily buy your own! I made the ones in this post, but here are a few really cute easy options on amazon!- Simple Three Pocket Nautical Fish Extender
- Natural Cotton Four Pocket Fish Extender
- Navy Polka Dotted Four Pocket Fish Extender
Now you should be all set for your first fish extender experience! Get excited friends, Disney Cruising is an experience unlike any other! If you have any questions that I missed please drop them below in the comments!
xo,
Do you have a pattern for the fish extender? I love the idea of adding to it for adding family members.
Is there any way to join a group without Facebook? I do not have a Facebook account
Unfortunately not that I know of :(
This is so great!! I had no idea. We will be doing this the next time we cruise with them for sure. Thanks!
Yay! I’m so glad, you will have so much fun doing it!
What a super cute idea! Thanks for sharing!
You are so welcome!
We need to do this next time!! We haven’t & it seems so fun, I mean who wouldn’t like to come back to fun surprises at your door! Love this tradition!
I almost didn’t but I’m so glad we did! Your kids will LOVE it!
Awwwwww… I love this idea! What a great way to meet other passengers. :)
It really was so fun to get to know some other people on board! Plus, it gives your kids instant friends in the kids clubs!