January 26th, 2018 5-Night Bahamian on Magic

[Bells2Disney]

No. Disboards is extremely specific about that.

No problem...I suppose people know how to use the search function =-)

 

[DisneyGirlSara]

Hi Sara, welcome to the thread! I think you will really enjoy the Disney touch, and I know the kids will. We don't have an FE group started yet, would you be interested in organizing one? You would just need to decide what info you want everyone to include (boy/girl and age is typically the minimum), keep the list and keep in touch with the group. Let me know if you would be up for that and I will add that to the activities post.

Hmmm would normally jump at this opportunity but slightly intimidated and afraid I would mess it up being so new.
Would I get all that info from ppl through this thread or would I need to start a new one?

 

[NS8VN]

Hmmm would normally jump at this opportunity but slightly intimidated and afraid I would mess it up being so new.
Would I get all that info from ppl through this thread or would I need to start a new one?

You would use this thread to collect the basic information (disboard name, number participating, etc) and welcome new people, post updates, etc, and use private messages for more personal information such as room numbers. Here is something PrincessShmoo (one of the true DCL experts on the site) wrote up about FE and organizing a list:

WHAT IS A FISH EXTENDER? (FE)
Outside your room onboard is a message holder, in most cases it's shaped like a fish (but can be a starfish or sea horse): View attachment 203255 View attachment 203257

The fish is there for Disney to place important communications to you such as excursion tickets and notes from the Cruise staff. It is like a mailbox for your room. A Fish Extender (FE) it is something that you hang off the fish, much like a pocketed organizer. View attachment 203258

By hanging the Fish Extender off of the fish, the Cast Members can still use it for its original purpose.

Once a cruise meet thread is up and running, someone in the group will (should?) step up and say "I'll maintain the Fish Extender exchange list". That person is the center point for all those who want to participate in the exchange. The list can be as simple as DISnames/room number/number of guests or as involved as full names/room number/ages of guests/like & dislikes/allergies/favorite characters/whatever is deemed necessary to know assemble the gifts.

Then each room on the FE list (note this will not be everyone on the Cruise Meet thread for your specific cruise), makes a Fish Extender holder. THIS IS NOT A ONE ON ONE EXCHANGE, YOU ARE PART OF A GROUP. All the people in the exchange buy or make little items and place them in each other's fish extenders. It is great fun to come back and check the items you have received.

The most common Fish Extenders are ones that have a pocket for each person in that stateroom. Some are very fancy, some are very plain. Some are store bought, some are homemade. Search "Disney fish extender" and you will get options that range in price. You should make sure your Fish Extender is between 8" & 12"" wide. Otherwise it starts to get in the way of your stateroom door. It should not exceed 5 feet; otherwise it will hit the floor. If you are creating your own it is suggested you make the pockets a little deeper than normal too. It will keep items from falling out and keep curious hands from reaching in (average depth is 5-6 inches)but 8-11 is a better way to go if you are making it yourself

They also make up gifts (either individual gifts or room gifts - whatever is decided by your group) to be delivered during the cruise).

One note about the gifts, some groups set up specific delivery dates, and specify "each person gets a gift" or "only one gift per room" or (even) maximum/minimum price ranges for gifts. Other groups just say "whatever", so people can choose what/how many gifts to give. Some give individual gifts, others only one gift per room, while others might do one for the adults and separate gifts for kids. Or only gift the kids.

So organizing the list really just involves keeping the list of people, deciding on any rules you want to follow, and making sure everyone has the list before the cruise. It is up to you, it is a bit of work and you have to be willing to see it through to January, but I'm sure if you decide to do it you would have no problem at all.

 

[DisneyGirlSara]

You would use this thread to collect the basic information (disboard name, number participating, etc) and welcome new people, post updates, etc, and use private messages for more personal information such as room numbers. Here is something PrincessShmoo (one of the true DCL experts on the site) wrote up about FE and organizing a list:


So organizing the list really just involves keeping the list of people, deciding on any rules you want to follow, and making sure everyone has the list before the cruise. It is up to you, it is a bit of work and you have to be willing to see it through to January, but I'm sure if you decide to do it you would have no problem at all.

Okay, I will organize the fish extenders ... just a couple of questions first.

Lets say 40 staterooms want to do it. Should I split these ppl up into multiple groups? And if so, what is a common number of staterooms per group? Make sense? And if I do need to split them up into groups should I try to organize the groups so their staterooms are near each other so it is easy delivery or would that take the fun out of it??

 

[NS8VN]

There is no set rule, but it is common to keep a single group to about 10 staterooms. As far as organization I would suggest just going by time; first 10 in one group, next 10 in another, etc. The ship isn't all that big so distance shouldn't be an issue.

I will add you to the extender list, thanks for organizing it! If you have any other questions just ask. If I don't have an answer I can easily get you in touch with someone who does.

 

[Amym2696]

Hi, my husband, our 4yr old son, and I are looking forward to our first Disney Cruise. My son will actually be celebrating his 4th Birthday on the cruise (Jan. 27th.) We're very excited! I'm especially excited as this will be my first ever Disney trip of any kind! We'd also love to participate in the FE group.

 

[NS8VN]

Welcome Amym2696! Your son will certainly be celebrating his birthday in style. Also welcome to Disboards! It's a great collection of information and knowledgeable people.

@DisneyGirlSara is organizing our FE group, she will let you know what information she needs. You will need 10 posts to be able to inbox her. The best way to get there is to participate in the forums, ask some questions, join some conversations and get to know some other Dis'ers, but there is also a test forum you can throw some posts up to help get you there faster.

 

[Amym2696]

I was wondering if there were any tips or tricks to getting a cabana at Castaway Cay? It seems as though they're pretty difficult to come by unless you're a concierge or platinum guest. Am I crazy to even hope for one? Thanks!

 

[NS8VN]

Truth be told, for your first cruise, I would put money on you not being able to get one. There are even times when platinum cruisers are unable to secure one. The best tip (outside of booking concierge that is) is to watch the availability. Every cruise has someone that books one on impulse and then decides it won't be worth it or cancels their trip altogether. There have been several stories on the board on people who logged on one day to find a cabana available and were able to pounce on it. So I would not count on it happening, but with a bit of diligence you might get lucky. You can also go to guest services once you board and ask to be put on a waitlist, just in case someone cancels theirs at the very last minute. You never know.

 

[mimi2ty]

Hello, Family of 5 from South Jersey booked the first day the itinerary came out for this cruise--celebrating grandsons 5th birthday.
Traveling will be myself, hubby, Daughter, grandson and Son. I would like to join the fish extender for my grandson-- I think my kids are too old (27 & 24) LOL.
First time with fish extender so let me know what else is needed besides starting to look for little gifts. We were on Disney cruise in 2003 and I don't remember anything to do with the extenders but such
a cute idea.

 

[NS8VN]

Welcome to the thread mimi2ty, and also to DISboards! It has been nearly as long for us since our last cruise but I guarantee you that the forum is so full of information you go in well informed. You have 39 weeks to get ready

@DisneyGirlSara is organizing the Disboard FE group for this cruise, I tagged her so she should be in touch with you soon.

Glad to have you, and once again

 

[mimi2ty]

@DisneyGirlSara if I can help you in any way with fish extender let me know--I have never done this either so we would both be in the same boat!

 

[DisneyGirlSara]

@mimi2ty thanks for your offer to help! Many people have mentioned an interest so far on this thread but None of them have enough messages (10) for me to private message them. (To get details like rm # names and ages) So I have added everyone that has shown an interest to a list (including you ) and plan to get everyone's details in a couple months. I believe all ages are included in FE.... "Adults are only kids grown up, anyway." -Walt Disney

 

[crowls]

This just made my evening, finding this thread! We are excited to join the cruise as well! It will be myself, DH, daughters 11 & 14. This is our first Disney cruise and we would love to joint the FE group if possible!!! (Again, first cruise with Disney so we are new to this but the FE group sounds super fun!! Can someone list a few gifts that they have previously received? Just trying to understand expectations and start percolating ideas And while I am asking questions (sorry I have alot!) - has anyone booked a pre-cruise hotel in Miami? Looking for recommendations....

 

[NS8VN]

Welcome crowls, we are excited to have you on the cruise as well!

DisneyGirlSara is keeping an eye on the thread and noting the FE interest, as she said above she will be working on making contact with everyone in a couple months. Here is a post by PrincessShmoo with some links to gift extender idea threads, it is a pretty popular topic so you aren't alone in wondering how to go about it: https://www.disboards.com/threads/fe-gift-idea.3419631/#post-53856561

Definitely don't be afraid to ask too many questions! Questions help keep us all excited while we wait the 7 more months til the trip. I remember about this time last year booking our room for WDW at the 7-month DVC window, and the time flew by with the help of Disboards so absolutely make use of the forum for all your questions! As for hotel, we booked the Holiday Inn Port of Miami - Downtown. We wanted something close to port within walking distance of food and entertainment. The Bayside Marketplace is just across the street so that was perfect. We also got a bay view room so hoping we can open the curtains in the morning to see the ship docked. There are plenty of other options including some with port shuttles (Comfort Inn and Suites is a popular shuttle option) but we liked the price and location more and would rather have a very quick cab/uber ride to the port than a crowded shuttle. That's 100% personal preference though, it is Miami so lots of great options. Keep in mind that the downtown area is not a beach area so if you are hoping to hit the beach the day before it will either be a drive or you will want to find something down the shore a ways.

Any other questions absolutely do not be afraid to ask! I will add you to the manifest. It will be here before we know it!

 

[mimi2ty]

Hello Crowls, we have cruised on Disney only once but never heard of FE until this time so I am right there with ya! We are staying at the Best Western Plus- North, we have points to use with them and I don't like staying too close to the port with all the crowd so I stay a few minutes away! Just using uber instead of the shuttles where we would have to wait for others. Flying in day before and surprising family with a limo ride from FLL to the hotel.
If anyone is interested I found a great company that offered personalized Disney cruise shirts--5 for $40-- am I allowed to post name on here??

 

[crowls]

Thank you everyone! Super excited - this is going to be great! I love how we will have a community set up before sailing, keep the ideas coming, I appreciate all of the suggestions!

 

[NS8VN]

If anyone is interested I found a great company that offered personalized Disney cruise shirts--5 for $40-- am I allowed to post name on here??

The board rules say no advertising or selling, so I would say that as long as you are not making any money off of sharing it is probably alright. Now if a mod says differently then obviously that's their call. That's my disclaimer

 

[crowls]

Sorry for yet another question - but yes, I am an over-planner Disney fanatic. Thinking about the FE......and transporting the gifts. How many families are usually in each exchange? (I.e. how many gifts would I be packing?) Do we get the # of family members and ages of kids in advance? Thanks again for the help DIS'ers!

 

[NS8VN]

The only thing you should be sorry about is being sorry, lol. In honor of our Bahamian cruise, "no worries mon!" Typically the coordinator will limit a group to 10, so if there are like 14 or something they might split it in to 2 groups of 7. That's all going to depends on the number of people who confirm their participation and how the coordinator wants to handle it. You will get number of people and ages of kids so no worries there. It will be up to the coordinator too whether to gather other info like names or male/female or anything like that.

One reminder I will send everyone: If you showed interest make sure your post count is above 10 within the next month or two so you can get and receive messages from DisneyGirlSara. Only 33 weeks to go