Disney Fantasy July 2, 2016 Cruise Meet

[dkorrison]

Here is our cruise meet thread!! Can't wait!!
http://www.disboards.com/threads/disney-fantasy-july-2-2016-cruise-meet.3463376/

 

[dkorrison]

Here is our cruise meet thread!! Can't wait!!
http://www.disboards.com/threads/disney-fantasy-july-2-2016-cruise-meet.3463376/

Irish Cowboy could you please add this to the Cruise meet list 2016? Thank you!!

 

[dkorrison]

Hi everyone, I'm Debra and my kids, my parents and I are ready to set sail on our first Disney Cruise. We will be on the Disney Fantasy July 2, 2016! We are so excited for this. We will be surprising the kids! I am trying to make sure their trip is as amazing as possible! I would like to be involved in a Fish Extender Exchange, but will need some help here. I have no idea how to get it started! Any suggestions, tips or whatever will be so appreciated!
A little about us...we are from Annapolis, MD... the kids are Aidan, he will be 13 at time of cruise; Liam will be 12 at time of cruise and Evelyn will be 6 at time of the cruise! Our rooms are 8558 and 8551. Looking forward to hearing from some of you guys!

 

[StewieL]

Hi all..Debra and anyone else. My DW Marilyn and I (Stewart) (We are from Santa Barbara) are making our 4th Disney Cruise...this one just us and the 4 grandkids...Quinn who will be 17 (4th Disney Cruise),Simone who will be 14 (4th cruise) Elijah (who will be 8...2nd Disney Cruise) and Greta who will be 3 and a half (or GG as we all call her) and this will be her first. No parents...just Papa and Nana....we've been doing this stuff for 11 years...including hitting all 30 MLB parks. Debra...I have to find my fish extender, and we get little gifts geared to the ages of the kids and leave gifts in the extenders. It is such a treat to come back and have the kids soooo excited to see a little trinket. For GG, it could be a little plastic bracelet ot necklace, or a toy lipstick...whatever...a yo-yo or bubbles....whatever. As we grow the list, we will see those who want to participate...and we will build a list and stateroom numbers. We always wait till the 2nd or 3rd day to give our gifts. Some do it right away. This is our first trip on the Fantasy...picked this cruise because of July 4th. We have adjoining staterooms....in the past we took the 2 BR suite on the Magic (you have to wait a long time to get that)...but now...the big suite only for 5 and we are now 6! Debra, if you have been on other cruise lines be ready for a shift in brain. This is all about the kids and being a kid yourself. I LOVE Disney Cruise lines. We've been on Holland America, Cunard, Celebrity, Oceania, Princess, Carnival, Regent...and maybe one or 2 others.....each has its good/bad/ugly...but no negatives on Disney. One secret is the FOOD is fantastic. The other not so secret is the entertainment.

We will be at Disney World from June 28th till cruise day.. We are DVC members with out home resort at Beach Club Villas. If anyone doing the same...would be nice to meet before cruise. We have been going there for 12 or 13 years now.....never gets old.

Looking for others....and perhaps someone who will take over as the "go to" person here. We should set up a meet on sail away day and have a little party so the kids can all meet.

 

[77catwoman]

We will be on this cruise as well. It will be me, DH, and DD 5. This is our third Disney cruise, our daughter's second. We live in the Orlando area. Would love for our daughter to be able to meet some other kids. Last time her cousins came with us so it would be nice if she met some other kids.

 

[CaliR]

We want to join in! Our first Disney Cruise ever and we are very excited. Hubby has to work and my 18 year old who is now in college, decided to pass on this trip (teenagers!). My little world traveler (10 year old son) will be joining me on this trip. He is very excited but thinks he is too old for the character meets. I insisted he still try to be a kid at heart. He is a very kind and gentle boy and makes friends easily! He is Padi certified so we are thinking of a scuba excursion and also a shark one. We thought going through Costco presented some good prices but we are still open to other ideas.

A little about us...we are from the Bay Area. We have managed to travel to many places around the world but are just discovering Disney Cruises. We would love to meet families and to participate in any and all events. We booked our trip through Costco and frankly waited to long even though it is only January. The cost continues to go up and up. This is by far one of the most expensive vacations we have taken. So for now we are clipping coupons! LOL .

 

[kdogfister]

Thanks Stew for suggesting we move over to DIS from another board that will remain nameless. I was wondering if the ship was going to be just us but glad to see some fellow cruisers.

Sailing on the 7/2 for my parents anniversary. It'll be the parents, my 2 sisters, our spouses and 3 children each (ages 1.5, 2, 3, 5, 6, 6, 7, 8, 10). It's a first cruise for all the kids and myself and the first time on Disney for all. Our family of 5 would participate in the Fish Extenders, though I'm not sure about the others. All four rooms for us right around 6600, with us in 6594 (not all right next door unfortunately). We will be at MK on 7/1 as well and staying at Port Orleans Riverside in advance of the cruise.

Our kids (1.5, 3 and 6) have known about the cruise since Christmas 2014 and have been playing "Disney Cruise" most days since. July can not get here fast enough. If you see a large group of Midwesterner's (pasty, corn-fed, pronounces a water fountain "bubbler") you've likely stumbled upon us. I'm apologizing now.

 

[TheBoss1138]

My wife and I are bringing our son that will turn 1 on the cruise on our first Disney cruise! we can't wait. I was also directed here from another board

 

[kmickey]

We just booked! Hubby, son (14), grandma, and me (wifey). We did the extenders about 4 years ago and it was so much fun. Count us in - thanks for organizing!

 

[dkorrison]

Hi Everyone! It's Debra! I am so excited for this cruise! Wondering if anyone is able to take control
Of a Fish Extender list and maybe explain how it works. This is our first Disney Cruise and although I started the thread, I have no clue what I am doing or how any of it works!! HELP!! Lol! I want my kids to not miss a thing!!

 

[DavidCSz]

Hey Intrepid Mariners,
Family of 4 will be sailing with Mom, Dad, Teenager, and Grandma. This is our second Disney cruise but our Tenth trip out to sea. Stop by and say Hi at 8532 & 8534. We'll also be squeezing the last few days out of our WDW annual pass from 6/25 to 6/29 of anyone is around in advance.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I would like to be involved in a Fish Extender Exchange, but will need some help here. I have no idea how to get it started! Any suggestions, tips or whatever will be so appreciated!

I have to find my fish extender, and we get little gifts geared to the ages of the kids and leave gifts in the extenders.

Our family of 5 would participate in the Fish Extenders,

We did the extenders about 4 years ago and it was so much fun. Count us in - thanks for organizing!

Wondering if anyone is able to take control
Of a Fish Extender list and maybe explain how it works.

There appears to be no Fish Extender group started for your cruise.

Here's some info for those new people who may be interested:
WHAT IS A FISH EXTENDER? (FE)
Outside your room onboard is a message holder, in most cases it's shaped like a fish:

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

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 basically an organizer-type hanging bag with separate pockets for each person in the room:

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.

HOW MANY CABINS WILL BE IN MY FE GROUP and WHO PARTICIPATES???
That depends on your cruise meet group. They range in average from 10-15 sometimes even 25 and up. Most do the smaller groups with the option to join more than one. It makes it more manageable.

This is typically a whole cabin event. You usually may not just sign up the kids. There are some cruise meet groups that have Adult Only groups. But not Kids only.

If you are signing up more than one cabin to participate, you should not combine them. It’s not fair for people to make items for 2 cabins and receive from 1 of them. They should be counted as 2 separate cabins.

DO I HAVE TO BUY FOR EVERYONE? DO I NEED TO GIVE PER CABIN?
Sort of…You have to do something for EVERY CABIN PARTICIPATING, You choose whether its adult gifts or kids gifts or cabin gifts or a combination.YOU CAN NOT LEAVE A CABIN OUT IF THEY HAVE SIGNED UPAt the very least, 1 cabin gift, per cabin. Some do a cabin gift, and then do a few items for the kids. Some do individual for each member of the cabin. Some people are crafty and make gifts, and some are store bought. Some gifts are to be used on board and some are to be used at home.

WHEN LEAVING A GIFT, DO WE IDENTIFY WHO IT IS FROM?
Some people do put some kind of to/from tag on their items. Most want to know who it came from. Some do it because they don't want people to think they got shorted a gift or assumed theft of an item. Others go with the original intent and deliver anonymous gifts.

And, now, - how to set one up:

SETTING UP A FE GROUP
There really are no “rules” as to how a FE program runs. Basically someone maintains the list of those who wish to participate. The group can decide on what information is necessary to produce FE gifts. A basic list may only have DISname/room number/number of people in the room. A more involved list could be first & last names/ages/room number/ favorite character/ favorite color/allergies/whatever is deemed necessary to know in order to create the gifts. Also a decision can be made as to size of FE group. Some groups break out the list(s) at 10-15 rooms max, so that there are multiple lists (and some people will participate in more than one list). Other groups just make one big list (upwards of 20-30 rooms).

The easiest, most private way to handle the information necessary to prepare the list (many people prefer not to put sensitive information on a public forum), is to use the “Conversation” feature here. There needs to be at least two people to start a conversation. Only the starter of the conversation (usually the organizer) can add additional people into the conversation (as long as they do NOT select “Allow anyone in the conversation to invite others” at the bottom of the reply window). Then when new people express a desire to join, usually by just saying “we want to join the FE”, the organizer can add them by clicking on the “Invite more” button in the “Conversation Participants” window (lower right of conversation page). Only those people participating in the conversation can see what’s posted there, and respond there. I will also note, to participate in conversations, everyone needs to have at least 10 posts. For those who wish to use this option for private conversations that don’t have 10 posts yet, head over to the Test Board to post and up your post count. http://www.disboards.com/forums/test-board.88/

Up to 20 people can participate in any given conversation.

At some point the list will “close”. Typically this happens 30-45 days out from the cruise, so that everyone participating has time to organize/prepare their gifts. Shortly before this time (about 2-3 weeks prior) the organizer will post the list, either directly on the Cruise Meet thread, OR via private conversation, or, possibility, via e-mails. This is to confirm everyone on the list is still participating. It’s important to make a statement about “anyone not confirming by XX date will be dropped” at this time. A little harsh, yes, but often there are people who will post on the cruise meet thread as soon as they reserve the cruise and say “I want to participate”, and are never heard from again.

Once the list closes, the organizer will post the final list. Also, a decision must be made as to whether to allow late additions. Sometimes there is a “pixie dust” list. That is, basically, a latecomers list that gets posted about a week out from the cruise that others may or may not add to their “final” list. Be sure the “pixie dust” list participants realize they may or may not get gifts from others, but are expected to provide gifts for the other FE participants anyway.

The other “biggie” is no other social media sites are allowed to be linked or search directions posted as to how to find that other site here on DISboards. Please read this: http://www.disboards.com/threads/im...uise-meet-and-fish-extender-programs.3353477/

As it seems there are a few here on your cruise meet thread who would be interested in doing this, who’s going to step up and volunteer to maintain the list?

Have fun everyone.

 

[SFed]

Howdy all - I have not been on DisBoards in quite awhile. It makes me miss the ships too much. This will be #14 on DCL for me, DW and DD (15 going on 25). #6 for DS (11) and DS (11) - yes twins. We met a family from outside Sacramento on #12 and this will be our third cruise together as our daughters have remained friends - as well as the adults. Always fun to have a good group to cruise with. I booked all our stuff last night at midnight. Must be quite a few concierge people since there were only three cabanas left - all in Serenity Bay (and then there were two). Not surprisingly, everything else was wide open. Last time we did the planes, trains and automobiles to get to Trunk Bay. It is the most beautiful beach I have ever seen, but it is a lot of work and time. May try Meagan's Bay this time around. We have 12 in our group so we chartered a boat in Tortola to go explore some of the BVI. Soggy Dollar Bar on Jost Van Dike is a bucket list for me that I get to check off.

You first timers are in for the time of your life - I will never forget walking on the Disney Magic 15 years ago for #1 (it was also over the 4th of July). My advice to you is do not try and do everything - I am certain I still have not after all this time. However: Do go to the shows - not to be missed. Do go to Remy and Palo if you can (I would take dinner over brunch). Do plan something inside in the early afternoon on a sea day (the detective game for sure). Do go out late and ride the Aqua Duck when there is no line (we have a family contest every cruise on who can get the most rides in). Do talk to the cast members - they work hard and really enjoy interacting with you. Do spend some adult time in Quiet Cove and Serenity Bay (if you can work lunch in out there it is much better than at Cookies). Do get one of the martinis in Skyline with the glowing ice cube (you can thank me later). Finally, do get on the ship and start your vacation as early as possible on the first day. We always take bathing suits and hit the Duck/Pools as soon as it is open and eat up on deck - they try to steer you to a restaurant when you get on board.

Anyhow, I will jump on here now and then, so if anyone has any questions I am pretty sure I can answer them.

 

[StewieL]

Hi all,

I have been silent because I am very swamped with work. I will speak with DW and see if we can help organize Fish Extender (FE).

 

[StewieL]

Hello,

We are getting to the 90 day mark here, so I am hoping everyone is waking up and getting ready. Our first stop is Tortola and I have been scoping out some of the private snorkeling and exploring charters....and am wondering if any others are interested. There are 6 of us....probably room for 4 or 6 more. Wife and me, 4 grandkids...boy 17, girl 15, boy 8, and another girl who will be 3 and a half. Looking at some options, but my experience has been that the excursions from the Ship tend to be very crowded, and these charters/excursions are less so, and if we get enough of us we can charter the whole catamaran. They come with all the snorkel gear, drinks, and some with food. Please post here if interested.

As for Fish Extender... we have 4 kids. Let's get an idea of how many are interested. We are. The deal here is to buy a small gift...age appropriate....not costing much...for each of the participating kids. Then...we will post stateroom numbers and everyone participating will have a list, and can drop off the gift by placing it in the extender pocket...usually we try to do this before dinner or during lunchtime.....or sometimes at night. We usually put a few a day and we then come back to find someone has returned the favor. Usually a blast for the kids....and don't kid yourself, the older ones appreciate as well.

We are: Quinn will be 17, Simone will be 14 and a half, Elijah will be 8, and Greta who was 3 in February. (This is Quinn and Simone's 4th Disney Cruise with us) we are in 10096 and 10094 (Adjoining Family staterooms).

Stewart

 

[RobertRo]

Hi Stewart,
We are really looking forward to the cruise. Two years ago we did the 7d Western Caribbean and had a great time with the fish extender (and everything else). We would love to participate in the FE. We have 4 girls (Jasmine-19, Ariel-17, Aurora-13 and Jade 10) in 2 rooms (9048 and 9050).
Robert

 

[StewieL]

Robert,

OK...Have you down on list. Looks like the Teens will have fun and we will hardly see them. Where are you guys from?

I will keep a list of names and staterooms, and will put it on thread once a week or so.



Everybody else....91 days now.....let's get it all started. You can also PM me if you want.

Stewart

 

[StewieL]

Robert,

Re you interested in Joining us on a day of snorkeling in Tortola. Our 6 and your 6 would be enough to rent the whole boat and set up our own day as we wish. They promise to get us back in plenty of time. We would probably have enough room for a few more.

For the newbees....Get a Pr=irate costume for the kids for Pirate night. It's a blast for them. We all deck out and actually some cruisers have stopped us and asked if we were characters!

Get signed up for FE program.

Stewart

 

[StewieL]

Hey Intrepid Mariners,
Family of 4 will be sailing with Mom, Dad, Teenager, and Grandma. This is our second Disney cruise but our Tenth trip out to sea. Stop by and say Hi at 8532 & 8534. We'll also be squeezing the last few days out of our WDW annual pass from 6/25 to 6/29 of anyone is around in advance.

Go to Disboards soon and get signed up for FE program

Stewart

 

[StewieL]

Hi Everyone! It's Debra! I am so excited for this cruise! Wondering if anyone is able to take control
Of a Fish Extender list and maybe explain how it works. This is our first Disney Cruise and although I started the thread, I have no clue what I am doing or how any of it works!! HELP!! Lol! I want my kids to not miss a thing!!

Debra...I have started getting a list together......so go to Disboards and list the kids, ages and the stateroom.
Stewart