FE (Fish Extenders) FAQ

[sasmmb]

OK, there seems to be no definitive "go to" place to find out info about Fish Extenders. So I thought I'd start an FAQ thread for all of us cruise newbies. I only know the answers to a few of these questions (I think), so hopefully the experts will be able to answer them all.

1. What is a Fish Extender (FE)? A hanger that hangs off the decorative fish next to your room door. Made of fabric they have 2 or more pockets.
2. What is a SHE? Sea Horse Extender. Sea Horses have replaced Fish on certain parts of the newer ships.
3. What are they used for? To exchange messages among DIS'ers, as well as gift exchange.
4. How can I purchase/make an FE? Search eBay or Etsy.com for purchase. I got mine from Stitches N Bows on Etsy.com. See http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=30302583&postcount=609 for making a "no sew" FE/SHE. It is recommended that the width be no wider than 8".
5. If I participate in a gift exchange, how many gifts am I expected to buy? This can change from one cruise to another. Some FE "hosts" give suggestions or guidelines. Some say there are no rules or guidelines ... some suggest only one gift per stateroom ... some people give on item per stateroom ... some give special treats for children. For my Alaska cruise, you are expected to give 1 gift to each cabin participating.

6. Does it differ if it's a 4 night cruise or a 7 night cruise? Nope! Whether it's 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 15 days ... it's a simple task ... to spread Pixie Dust amongst fellow DISers!

7. What price/price range should I spend on each gift? this can change from one cruise to another ... some FE "hosts" give suggestions of limitations. Don't go overboard (ha, ha!). Some people will give little candies or chocolates, some make custom bookmarkers or other crafts & knick knacks (Disney, DCL or port destination) ... while others bring souveniers from their home town.

8. What are some examples of previous gifts? glow sticks, chocolates (ie: fun pack size, similar to Halloween or Easter candy), custom imprinted Koozie Cooler holders, custom DO NOT DISTURB door hangers, custom CD mix of DCL cruise music, custom book markers, small bottle/can openers, *zip ties* ... which are useful for locking zippers on luggage (for those without locks), imprinted pens or pencils ... just about anything that can be hand made or customized (ordered in bulk from magazines). Keep in mind that what you give needs to be packed in your suitcases and recipients must pack their gifts too. So items that are small and/or consumable are good candidates.

9. How far in advance of the cruise sailing date can I expect to get my recipient info? Depends on who is organizing the FE gift exchange list. Could be 2-6 weeks in advance of sailing.
10. Any other info I should be aware of that you'd like to share?
11. How do i get in a group to give? Go to http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=85 and find your ship and year, then select that link to find your specific cruise date forum. Any FE groups will be amongst that thread.
OK people, answer away!
Michelle

 

[lbgraves]

There are some links in the FAQ thread under FE. Here is one great post.

http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=33184281&postcount=2

So just what exactly is a “fish” and just why does it need “extending”? Well… The “fish” is a combination wall decoration/ornament and message clip that is attached to the wall outside every cabin on the Magic & Wonder. The CMs (that’s “Cast Members” for the newbies) use them to leave messages, official forms or invitations for the occupants of the cabin as needed. It’s kind of like a glorified fridge-magnet and it looks like this: (click on the image to enlarge)



A “Fish Extender” is any thing that you care to hang on the fish. Literally anything will qualify, but in general, they are usually some type pocket organizer similar to a shoe caddy or mail organizer. They can be as simple as a canvass bag or as complex as your imagination cares to stretch. Here are a couple from our last cruise: (click to enlarge)




We’re are not very good with a needle and thread, so we engineered ours out of a couple of small cotton bags, a Disney themed bandana and some chain from a light fixture and ended up with this variation on the idea: (click to enlarge)



So, what’s it for? Well… It’s become a kind of “Secret Santa” game played by the folks who roam the DIS Boards. The idea is that every DIS Member who is on the same cruise will go around the ship and leave a little “nick-nack” or “whats-it” in the pouches for the other members that are playing along. The generally agreed rules are that you give out gifts to each participant once per cruise, and that the gifts should be very inexpensive trinkets that either fit a cruise or holiday theme and/or show off a little taste of who you are or the place that you call home. Here’s a link to a continuing thread on the boards that discusses the subject at length:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1219607

Another thread with basic info:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1219607

Directions to make a no-sew FE.

http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=30302583&postcount=609

 

[nenis]

OK, there seems to be no definitive "go to" place to find out info about Fish Extenders. So I thought I'd start an FAQ thread for all of us cruise newbies. I only know the answers to a few of these questions (I think), so hopefully the experts will be able to answer them all.

1. What is a Fish Extender (FE)?
2. What is a SHE?
3. What are they used for?
4. How can I purchase/make an FE?
5. If I participate in a gift exchange, how many gifts am I expected to buy?
6. Does it differ if it's a 4 night cruise or a 7 night cruise?
7. What price/price range should I spend on each gift?
8. What are some examples of previous gifts?
9. How far in advance of the cruise sailing date can I expect to get my recipient info?
10. Any other info I should be aware of that you'd like to share?

OK people, answer away!
Michelle

thank you so much for posting this!!! i have been searching for these answers...i cant wait to see the answers for numbers 2,5, 7,8,and 9. my cruise is for halloween. im so antsy to start my fish extender!

does anybody think glow sticks are a good FE gift?

 

[ibouncetoo]

does anybody think glow sticks are a good FE gift?

Yes, and they make great night-lights!

.

 

[AmandaRG]

Answers to how much to spend/when you will get recipient info will differ with each exchange group. For our March 5 cruise, we set a Jan 15 deadline to sign up. I sent out a list and gave a week for corrections. That left about 6 weeks to get things together, but I did have some ask me about how many were participating prior to, and I gave them what I had then.

Ours isn't too restrictive, do what you want to. Some do kids only, some do a cabin gift. I love to give stuff, so I have been "collecting" things for months...and didn't realize how much I have. I broke it up into boy/girl and under/over age 7 or so for the kid gifts, and then did a few fun grown-up items, too!

I think the SHE is a SeaHorse Extender, since some of the staterooms have seahorses rather than fishes.

 

[nenis]

heres another question:
what dimensions should the FE be?...

 

[lbgraves]

The dimensions are given in the make your own FE post, however, reports from the Dream are that the space is narrower. I haven't seen anyone post the measurement. I will be using the same FE we use on the Magic though. It might stick out slightly but it will still work.

 

[sasmmb]

Thanks LBGraves for the link. But going thru over 1300 posts is a little overwhelming! I went thru the first few pages and of course found some answers, but not some key stuff like how many gifts are you expected to give (assuming 1 gift per cabin). I plan to update the first post with the answers so future new cruisers likewise don't have to sift thru over 50 pages of posts.

 

[girl_barrie]

As someone else answered, some people do one gift per cabin, some do kids only - its up to you.
On our FE list for our cruise on the Wonder (in less than a week!!! Squeeeee!!!) there are 99 people participating - so we got gifties for everyone!! Our son collects rubber duckies, so we got rubber "pirate" duckies to give away - girl "pirates" for girls and boy "pirates" for boys.
But it was not an obligation - we just wanted to!!
Also, I believe that I read on one of the threads that the space for the FE is 8" wide. No info on length, but I think that has to do with how many pockets you need.

 

[girl_barrie]

Would love to post our FE pics, but I have to post 5 more times to do so.

 

[Tanzanite]

Answers to how much to spend/when you will get recipient info will differ with each exchange group. For our March 5 cruise, we set a Jan 15 deadline to sign up. I sent out a list and gave a week for corrections. That left about 6 weeks to get things together, but I did have some ask me about how many were participating prior to, and I gave them what I had then.

Ours isn't too restrictive, do what you want to. Some do kids only, some do a cabin gift. I love to give stuff, so I have been "collecting" things for months...and didn't realize how much I have. I broke it up into boy/girl and under/over age 7 or so for the kid gifts, and then did a few fun grown-up items, too!

I think the SHE is a SeaHorse Extender, since some of the staterooms have seahorses rather than fishes.

How do i get in a group to give?

 

[newmommy_2010]

On the Cruise meet boards

 

[girl_barrie]

Here are pics of our FE;

 

[girl_barrie]

Here are pics of our FE;

Huh!! Why did the pics not show up???

 

[GRITS]

maybe they are too big??

just a thought!

 

[lbgraves]

...

 

[lbgraves]

You have http twice at the front of your links. I can view it if I copy & paste then remove one of them.

 

[lbgraves]

Here are pics of our FE;

Not sure what was off with the links but I removed the extra http:// and reposted for you.

 

[ChocolateTrish]

Not sure what was off with the links but I removed the extra http:// and reposted for you.

Oh brilliant ... I love your FE .... wow the Disney thing u have are great ... we cant get anything like that here!!! xxxx

 

[AmandaRG]

I finally finished ours!!!