Cheap And Easy DIY Fish Extender Hanging Basket For Your Disney Cruise

Irene Vane
Oct 28
3 min read

What is a Fish Extender? This is an optional gift exchange similar to a Secret Santa between a group of 10 cabins or so. It's called a Fish Extender because you hang your basket to gather gifts on your door's fish hook. This is not an activity organized by Disney, but by cruise passengers, and it's very popular on Disney Cruises. So, how do you get involved in this gift exchange? If you want to connect with shipmates prior to your sailing, you can find a Facebook group for your cruise by searching your ship name and sail date. Fish Extender groups are organized within these Facebook groups.

In order to participate, you will need a hanging basket outside your stateroom door to collect your gifts. You can easily make an attractive hanger with a few items you can purchase from Amazon that aren't very expensive. As an added bonus, after your vacation, these hanging organizers can be repurposed and used for storage or organization at home!

Door with room number 7170, Disney character decals, and text. Hanging pockets with red and white stripes, featuring Ariel. Whimsical, colorful decor.

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Here's how you can make your own fish extender hanging basket cheaply and easily!

First, start with a hanging organizer with pockets. I like this one because it's the perfect size to fit next to your cabin door, and it has nice, deep, sturdy pockets.

Next, personalize with iron-on patches. It's a really good idea to add names. This will help shipmates in your fish extender group know they have the correct stateroom for your gifts. You can add your last name or the first names of the family members who are participating in the gift exchange. On mine, I used one-inch iron-on letters for our last name. The one-inch letters were a good size.

Once the letters are in place, you can embellish your project with character patches. I added my daughter's favorite Disney princesses. If you want a patch that will nicely fill the outside space of the pocket, look for one 3 inches in diameter. Here are some you might like!

No time to make your own? Check out these fish extenders from Amazon. They have 3 styles including a Christmas design if you are headed on a Merrytime cruise.

Wall organizer on a door with cruise and holiday designs. Text reads "Very Merrytime Cruise." Features red, white, and black motifs.

Disney cruisers also enjoy decorating their doors. I have made my own magnets using magnetic sheets. Making your own allows for a lot of creativity, but as you can see from my picture, if you go too large, they don't stick as well. I recommend if you use magnetic sheets, go for a smaller design.

Mickey Mouse cutout with sailor hat, steering wheel, and text Our Dream Cruise. Gloves with text "We're with them." Bright, playful theme.

If you are looking for a pre-maid option, check out these Disney cruise door magnets you can purchase from Amazon. They also come in Christmas designs!

Deck chairs on a cruise ship overlook a calm sea with distant mountains under a clear blue sky. A seagull flies above. Relaxing mood.

Cruise ship docked by a rocky shore, turquoise water, clear blue sky with clouds, green shrubs in foreground, tropical and serene setting.

Ready to start planning your next Disney adventure? I'm Irene, a travel agent with Mouseketrips, an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner and I would love to work with you! My planning services are free and I price monitor saving you time and money! Request a no obligation quote here.

Smiling woman with sunglasses on her head takes a selfie on a ship. Windblown hair, ocean backdrop, cloudy sky. Relaxed mood.

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