150 Fish Extender Gift Ideas For Your Disney Cruise

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These Disney cruise fish extender gift ideas are perfect for adding a touch of Disney magic to your next cruise vacation. Whether you’re looking for something practical, personalised or just plain fun, there’s something on this list for everyone.

What Is A Disney Cruise Fish Extender Gift Exchange?

If you’re new to Disney Cruise Line, you may be wondering what a Fish Extender (FE) gift exchange is. Simply put, it’s a fun and creative way to connect with other passengers on your cruise.

The Fish Extender tradition started when guests on a Disney Cruise Line sailing began hanging small, fabric organisers on the fish or seahorse-shaped hooks outside their stateroom doors.

These organisers serve as a “mailbox” for fellow cruisers to leave small gifts and trinkets during the trip.

This is a completely optional activity, but it’s one that many Disney cruisers look forward to and enjoy, especially if it’s your first cruise. These days there is a Facebook group dedicated to each Disney cruise sailing so you can join in the fun.

If you’re new to the Disney fish extender gifts concept, you can read our complete Disney cruise fish extender guide here.

The Best Disney Cruise Fish Extender Gift Ideas

Now that you know the basics of Fish Extender groups and gift exchanges, it’s time to start thinking about what gifts to bring.

There are many different places you can find fish extender gift ideas.

From your local dollar store, discount online marketplaces such as Ali Express, Temu or Wish, handmade fish extender gifts on places such as Etsy.

You can also make your own DIY fish extender gifts if you are crafty. Get out your sewing machine, your Cricut machine or laser laser and see what you can come up with.

Here are some of our favourite Disney Fish Extender Gift Ideas for all ages to help you plan what to gift during your fish exchange.

Disney Fish Extender Gift Ideas For Babies & Toddlers

For the little ones, we recommend gifting items that are fun or practical for the tiniest cruisers. Here are some baby and toddler fish extender gift ideas:

• Disney stuffed toy or plushie
• Baby’s first Disney Cruise bib or onesie
• Sippy cup
• Water bottle
• Small sensory toys like a rattle or teether
• Mini board books with Disney characters
• Personalised pacifier clip
• Bath toys
• Sand toys
• Washcloth set with Disney characters
• Burp cloths
• Pacifier strap
• Disney-themed headbands or hair accessories

Disney Fish Extender Gift Ideas For Kids

Kids will love anything related to their favourite Disney characters, so here are some suggestions for fish extender gifts that are sure to delight big and little kids alike:

• Colouring book and crayons
• Temporary tattoos with Disney or Marvel characters
• Personalised autograph book
• Small toy cars or figurines
• Mini puzzles or brain teasers
• Fun character-themed socks
• Travel games
• ‘Do you want to build a sundae?’ kit (Cup & spoon with ice cream mix-ins to use with ice cream machine on board)
• Trading cards
• USB night light (great for inside cabins)
• Mickey head-shaped straws
• Novelty erasers
• Self-inking stamps
• Stickers
• Toothbrush
• Pirate necklaces or eyepatches
• Treats
• Disney cruise scavenger hunt challenge
• Books
• Colouring pencils or pens
• Beaded bracelets
• A personalised puzzle
• Pencil case
• Mickey ears or Minnie ears headband
• Swim goggles
• Straw covers
• Colour-changing night lightssc
• Slap bands
• Pez dispenser & candy
• Craft kits
• Bath sponge
• Fidget toys
• Build your own LEGO Disney cruise ship kit
• Croc charms (for the Croc shoes)
• Crayon shapes (use an ice cube tray to make them into Disney shapes)
• Travel journal
• Minnie mouse scrunchies
• Hair bows
• Rubber character bracelets
• Bubble wands
• Glow sticks

Fish Extender Gifts For Teens & Tweens

For teenagers and tweens, consider gifting items that are both trendy and practical. They are at that awkward in-between stage where cute gifts aren’t as appreciated as they are for younger kids, but they still want a little Disney, Marvel or Star Wars magic of their own.

• Disney trading pins
• Lip balm
• Hair accessories
• Jewellery
• Character USB stick
• Drink bottle
• Reusable straws
• Hat
• Socks
• Bandana
• Collectable coins
• Toothbrush holders
• Lanyard
• Notebooks
• Photo scavenger hunt challenge
• Funko Pops
• Small makeup bag or toiletry bag
• Nail polish
• Earrings
• Nail stickers
• Character cable covers
• Sleeping mask
• Diary
• Pop socket
• Snack container
• Watch band charms
• Keychains
• Light saber pencils

Fish Extender Gifts For Adults

Adults will appreciate practical gifts and personalised fish extender gifts that they can keep as a keepsake long after their cruise is over.

• Reusable tote bags
• Travel sized toiletries
• Portable phone charger
• Disney cruise survival kits (bandaids, sanitiser wipes, mini sewing kit, hair band, mints)
• Mugs
• Glasses
• Can koozies (can coolers)
• Bottle opener
• Keyrings
• Bookmarks
• Laundry bag
• Wet bag
• Reusable shopping bag
• Cap
• Socks
• Coasters
• Hand cream
• Pens
• Coffee dusting stencil
• Reusable coffee cup
• Pen holder
• Crossbody bag
• Cork pot holder
• Wine glass charms
• Small candle
• Personalised luggage tags
• Hand sanitiser holder
• Disney calendar
• Planner
• Trinket tray
• Car air freshener
• Handheld paper fans
• Post it notes
• Travel pillow
• Disney cruise light card wallet
• Water bottle clip
• Small purse
• Shot glasses
• Wine bottler cooler bag
• Can cooler bag
• Handbag hook
• Beach bag
• Salad servers
• Laser-engraved wooden spoon

Family Fish Extender Gift Ideas

Getting a family fish exchange gift can often be easier or more affordable than individual gifts and it means you can get some decent fish extender gifts even when trying to keep your budget down.

These might be personalised or store-bought items that the whole family can enjoy together. Here are some Disney cruise line fish extender cabin gifts:

• Small board game
• Popcorn bucket
• Handmade games such as tic tac toe or dominos
• A photo frame to get signed
• Magnets for the cabin door
• Christmas ornament
• Card game
• Hot chocolate kit
• Mickey dice
• Farkle dice game
• Cruise fund money box
• Ice block moulds
• Deck of cards
• Family vacation scrapbook kit
• Disney-themed kitchen utensils (spatula, whisk, etc.)
• Ice cube tray
• Muffin tray
• Cake tray
• Frisbee
• Wooden Disney sign

Pixie Dust Gift Ideas

Disney cruise pixie dust gifts are another way of sharing a little extra fun while on your DCL cruise.

Pixie dust gifts are not pre-organised like a fish extender group. Instead, you just randomly gift people in their fish extender holder or hang gifts on stateroom doors or the metal fish beside their cabin door.

Most of the little gifts included in the list above would work just as well for pixie dust gifts if you are participating in both or just doing pixie dusting.

We did both for our cruise, mostly using leftover fish extender gifts we had made to pixie dust random cabins.

Our Favourite Fish Extender Gifts

We got some really cool Disney cruise fish extender gifts on our first cruise on the Disney Wonder. It was actually crazy how much we brought up and we were so appreciative of everyone’s kindness and creativity.

Some of our favourites included an engraved wooden tic tac toe board with the ship name and dates on the back and a handmade resin dominos set with gold fleck and Mickey heads instead of dots.

The kids especially loved the Disney craft and activity kits, socks and make-a-sundae kit.

Planning Your Fish Extender Gifts

When it comes to planning your fish extender gifts, there are a few things to consider.

We want to make sure we have a great way to show our appreciation to our fellow Disney Cruise Line passengers, while also keeping our budget in mind.

Here are some things to consider when you plan your fish extender gifts.

Budgeting for FE Gifts

Before you start planning our fish extender gifts, you need to decide how much money you want to spend.

Some people like to go all out and spend a lot of money on their gifts, while others prefer to keep it simple with small gifts from the dollar store or Dollar Tree.

We recommend setting a budget and sticking to it. The idea isn’t to spend a fortune. It’s about bringing some joy to others in your fish extender exchange.

Sometimes the best gifts for a FE exchange are those that are handmade and cost very little!

Packing and Transportation

When packing for a Disney Cruise, always make sure to leave room in your suitcase for your fish extender gifts.

If you’re bringing a lot of gifts, you may want to consider packing them in a separate suitcase. You’re going to need room to take gifts back home too.

Don’t forget to attach a gift tag with your name and cabin number if you want others in your FE group to know who your gift is from. This isn’t compulsory but it’s nice.

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Overall, the best fish extender gifts are the ones that come from the heart. It’s not about how much money you spend, but about the thought and effort you put into each gift. Whether it’s your first Disney Cruise or your tenth, participating in the FE program is a much fun way to meet new people and make lasting memories.

We hope these tips help you plan your fish extender gifts and make your Disney Cruise even more magical!