Disney Cruise Fish Extender Ideas

Updated on June 12, 2014
V.T. asks from McKinney, TX
4 answers

I'm going on my first Disney Cruise in November, and I'm going to be a part of the Fish Extender program. It looks like so far most of the people that have signed up have preteen kids (10-13), both boys and girls. I don't have any idea what to get kids this age. I'm looking for something small as I will be flying to Miami and don't want to carry a lot on the plane. I have great stuff for younger kids and adults, just no idea what to get this age group.

Also, if anyone knows of any places I can order in bulk for gifts and great crafting ideas that would be great. I've already looked at Dollar Tree and Oriental Trading, but I know there are tons of Disney specific websites.

Thanks.

1 mom found this helpful

What can I do next?

  • Add yourAnswer own comment
  • Ask your own question Add Question
  • Join the Mamapedia community Mamapedia
  • as inappropriate
  • this with your friends

More Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.L.

answers from Los Angeles on

we did fish extenders on our last cruise and it was way fun. For the preteens I made fleece scarves but we were in Alaska. I do shop a ton from Pickyourplum.com and they are actually having a blow out sale today. Its a daily deal site. There are a ton of headband type items today. I'm not shopping today so I will pm you my 20% off code. I have been buying from them for YEARS. The boys might be a bit trickier but I'm sure there will be something on the horizon for them. I did make "can't lose your place bookmarks" onetime and that was fun:

http://www.makeit-loveit.com/2013/04/the-stay-put-elastic...

Maybe for the boys even a water bottle. Most of the stuff we got wasnt keep it forever stuff. Though we really didnt get junk. It was all super usable and very helpful stuff for our trip. I fridge is full of the cheap magnets we got. (laminated paper with magnets stuck on the back) BUT I LOVE THEM!

good luck and have a great time!

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.C.

answers from Los Angeles on

I Like Yellow - a Fish Extender is like a fabric pocket that you hang outside your door and do a gift exchange with other people on the ship (organized in advance, usually through the forums on disboards.com)

Anyway, we got a lot of magnets in our fish extender that could be used to decorate the door. Many were homemade, using clothespins and bottle caps. When I was looking for ideas, I went on Etsy and searched for Fish Extender. One that I saw and really liked was a Disney Cruise bingo game - it said either "Magic" or "Dream" across the top and and had 25 boxes with different things you could do on the cruise, both on board and in ports. It was designed to have one for each family member so they could compete to fill their game boards. This isn't the exact one I saw, but I like this one a lot, too: https://www.etsy.com/listing/183563606/instant-download-p...

Another great one, though certainly much more expensive - someone actually gave us an 8 x 10 picture frame mat and sharpies that we could turn in to guest services and get signed by the characters (in case you're not aware of that program, you can get up to two items signed per room and it doesn't have to be related to the fish extender at all). That was a pretty cool thing to get.

I just remembered a couple of other things we got and really liked - one was luggage tags that were brightly colored and stood out on our suitcases. The other one was fabric handle covers for our suitcases. We still use these all the time. They were very bright and made it both easy to identify our luggage and comfortable to hold the handles.

Some families gave one item total, while others gave one item for each member of the family. You have to remember to think about how much room it's going to take up in your suitcase, too.

Other people really like to give something that represents their hometown. If you have anything your area is known for, that can make a nice gift.

Someone else gave out mini, homemade scrapbooks with Disney-themed pages. They could also be used for getting character autographs on board.

Have fun!! We were supposed to go on another Disney cruise this summer and had to cancel. I'm so bummed!

1 mom found this helpful

T.R.

answers from Milwaukee on

V., it has been a long time since I did a Disney cruise, & I don't think this program was in place back them. But OH! What a really cool idea!

So I did a quick search online & found this website (for those of you who don't know what the Fish Extender program is, it explains it easily).

http://www.familytravelmagazine.com/everything-need-know-...

There are some ideas @ the bottom of the page for you to do as gifts.

If you are very craftsy, here are some ideas on Pinterest:

http://www.pinterest.com/platypus6/disney-cruise-fish-ext...

Also, a similar question was asked on a board a few years ago, lots of good ideas for older kids in the replies:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2900541

And this site had a great "craft gift" idea that can come from your family, & can be tailored for different ages:

http://suchthespot.com/2011/01/disney-cruise-how-to-fish-...

Hope you have a fantastic cruise!! T. =-)

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.H.

answers from Minneapolis on

What is the Fish Extender program?

For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us

Related Questions