What the heck is a Fish Extender?!
- offwego403
- May 13
- 3 min read
What it is
A Fish Extender exchange is an unofficial tradition among many guests on Disney Cruise Line.
Each stateroom door on Disney Cruise Line ships has a small metal holder outside it. On the Magic, Wonder, Dream, and Fantasy, these are typically shaped like a fish or seahorse. On the Wish Treasure, they utilize different shapes like a shell or Cinderella's carriage, but the Fish Extender name has survived that change.
Cast members use these "fish" to leave messages, and you will find your stateroom keys there on embarkation day. This is also what people hang their hanger (think of it like a mailbox) on - hence the name "Fish Extender". The hanger can be a shoe organizer with several slots, or reusable bags tied together. Some people order them from places like Etsy or Amazon, and others pick up theirs at the dollar store. There are no rules here.
How does the exchange work?
Since this is not a Disney organized event, you would need to find your cruise group. Within the group, someone - usually someone who is an experienced cruiser - will organize your Fish Extender exchange group. Often, these groups are kept on the small side, and some groups will even break it down further, offering different categories of exchange you can opt in to such as adult only exchanges, kid only exchanges, stateroom gift exchanges (one gift per stateroom) or individual gift exchanges (a gift for each person in the stateroom). Some groups are quite creative with their options!
How do I find my cruise group?
On social media! Typically, the groups are hosted on Facebook, as the platform is quite accessible for most. Just search in the Facebook search bar for your ship name plus the full sail date. For example: "Disney Dream July 10, 2025". Although most people use this familiar naming convention, as these groups are user-created, the naming convention maybe different for some groups.
Some other places that people may form cruise groups would be cruising forums like Cruise Critic or DISBoards,
What do I buy for my exchange group?
It depends! Some groups will have themes, such as only homemade items, or only Disney items, or only bookmarks. If your exchange group has a theme, try to stick with that theme. If not, the possibilities are endless. Some ideas are:
Small Disney-themed toys or games
Small games or puzzles
Homemade crafts - we did friendship bracelets and bookmarks, both personalized with each person's favourite character's colours!
Travel sized toiletries
Glowsticks
Stickers
Snacks
Souvenirs local to you - we did Canadian snacks for ours! Maple fudge, Smarties and Mars bars, to name a couple
Fun socks
Do I have to participate?
No! This is a fun add on. You may be reading this thinking that it seems stressful, or like another thing on your to do list. You don't have to do it.
Is Pixie Dusting the same as a Fish Extender exchange?
Not exactly. It is the same premise, where you put trinkets and gifts into a Fish Extender, but it is not organized. You can pick up a pack of glow sticks from the dollar store and randomly put them in Fish Extenders you find throughout the ship, with no obligation to get certain items for certain people. Pixie Dusting is fun and can be less panic inducing for someone who doesn't want another task on their list of things to do before their cruise.
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