Have you done a Fish Extender? Will you do it again?

[FloridaFun]

I have read the post and every response here. As the organizer of the FEE group for my February cruise, I find it sad that some people are feeling like they should not participate.

This is to be about the fun of being in the group. Everyone should do what works for them time wise, cost wise, and space wise.

We recently had a bingo night at my kid’s school. My son was one of the first to win and went to the front to select his prize. They had things that retailed for up to $25 and things all the way down to $1 items from Dollar Tree. After looking everything over, he selected one of the dollar items. He came home and played with that thing for days!

Don’t ever feel that what you gave is junk as it just may be the one thing that is loved more than anything else.

As I am getting ready to give my FEE gifts, I am looking forward to walking the halls, looking at all the FE designs my fellow cruisers have, and spending time with my kids (and my mom who is cruising with us) while passing out the things we created (or yes, purchased). I hope the others in my group are looking forward to the same things.

 

[Wendy&Grumpy]

We recently had a bingo night at my kid’s school. My son was one of the first to win and went to the front to select his prize. They had things that retailed for up to $25 and things all the way down to $1 items from Dollar Tree. After looking everything over, he selected one of the dollar items. He came home and played with that thing for days!

Don’t ever feel that what you gave is junk as it just may be the one thing that is loved more than anything else.

That's what happens when kids are taught appreciation.

 

[bats]

Funniest thing I find is trying to stuff present bags into the FE pockets and the people come out of the room and catch you!! Not so Secret Santa but funny all the same as I end up being all embarrassed at them 'finding' me!!

People should give whatever they feel is appropriate and not be made to feel guilty about it. We're not doing it this year as my partner gets fed up with me packaging things for weeks on end, trying to fit all of the gifts in our luggage, delivering presents (I make him come with me), then trying to pack the gifts we've received for the journey home.

I'll still take some British sweeties with me in case I meet people who I think may like them.

 

[lady9]

We been on 2 Disney Cruises and participated in an FE for both. I do enjoy making gifts and have the summers off to do so. My children were 16 and 11 on our last cruise. My DS16 took some of the tattoos, eye patches, and candy we received to VIBE. Later than night we saw about 6 teen boys proudly sporting the tattoos and eye patches around the ship. Even at their ages, they enjoy seeing the "loot", as they call it, in the FE. It never occurred to us that any of the things we received were junk. We had fun with it all. Some of the items were one time use fun-tattoos, candy, stickers and some of the things we enjoy to this day-a beautifully scrapbooked album we just had to add pictures to, hand painted or embellished pictures frames, and even the Disney ribbon used to tie a bag together is happily tied to DD's drum sticks bag so she knows it's hers. If some people don't enjoy my or other gifts, it's their problem. I think most people join an FE with the spirit originally intended.

 

[Silverfox97]

I'll still take some British sweeties with me in case I meet people who I think may like them.

Mmmmm.....Flake & Crunchie Delish!

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[Lexa]

This makes me sick!!! What is wrong with you all!!! All of you that are complaining are greedy people! It's like the saying "if you don't have Anything nice to say then don't say anything at all!" If your so greedy about the gifts your getting in return don't participate!!! Two weeks ago I gave out wonderful handmade made, time consuming, hand blistering key chains (adults) and necklaces (kids), 70 of them!!! And I don't care what I got back, it made me feel good!! Just because you may be blessed to afford nice FE gifts certainly does not indicate everyone else's financial situation! This is not about money, quality, quantity, or who gives what, its about fun, and your taking a lot of fun out if it right now by these negative comments. Just don't participate, keep negative thoughts to yourself to prevent harming others....

Amen to that!

Our FE group got too big. There was a tremendous of organizing, purchasing and then hauling all this stuff internationally. I was spending up to 2 hours every day trotting up and down halls depositing gifts. I then then had to pack it up all home and haul it back internationally. All for a bunch of meaningless dollar store crap I will never use. If we did something where we exchanged something homemade (even construction paper cards made by the kids etc.) I might do it again but on a much smaller scale.

Mistake by person who organized and other members, why you didn't split in smaller groups. FE shouldn't be a chore, if you have problem walking up and down the ship then don't do it. But after eating all that good food feels good to stretch your legs. Why in the world you even haul meaningless dollar store crap overseas, you should throw them in a trash can.

We are a military family stationed in Germany, would people think it cool or lame if I gave things like magnets from our military base or German candy?

Would love German candy...I find overseas candy way better then all US candy combined

FE Exchange should be fun and about giving...if you want diamond ring as a FE gift then you should not participate.

 

[JustUs275]

This is our first Disney cruise, and our 6 yr old granddaughter is sooo excited about the FE gift exchange! She loves to do crafts, but is not extraordinarily talented at it, shall we say? Just this morning we spent a couple of hours making our pirate eye patches...are they perfect? No. But as we crafted, we talked about the cruise, all the kids that will be on the ship, her "cruise fund" that she has been diligently saving for almost a year now, the programs on the ship, her Belle gown hanging in the closet, as well as how the FE exchange works. She is so excited to "sneak" around on the ship with me and distribute the gifts! LOL When she realized that she might also get some gifts similar to what we are giving (Disney tattooes, stickers, glo sticks, etc) - well, that just made her day...she will be wanting to make several trips to the cabin during the day, just in case something is there for her!

No way was I going to tell her that her pirate patches weren't cut nice enough or that the holes she made for the elastic were too big. I believe in instilling wholesome values and principles in children. It's not about how perfect or expensive the gift is, it is about caring and giving with the intention to bring a little happiness and a smile to another human being.

I have never done a FE before, but it is pretty obvious to me that if getting a certain level of quality, price, or finely crafted gift is important to me - then most likely the FE exchange is not for me! I hope no one in our group goes away thinking our gifts are "cr*p"...but I suppose in the end it will be their loss because our intentions are good and my granddaughter will have a ball distributing our gifts.

 

[disneypoor]

I went way above and beyond what I needed to do for our first FE, but I always thoroughly enjoy giving to others. It definitely wasn't ever about the receiving for me. Plus, it was a great way for my family to spend time together putting together our goodies at home before our cruise and roaming the ship and delivering our goodies during our cruise.

Although I think the OP is entitled to her opinion, I do think others should know that there are many people who participate for the same reasons as I did and who don't have expectations about what they will receive.

OP, although I know you weren't happy with the majority of the things you received, maybe you can find some happiness in knowing that your gifts likely brought happiness to others that were sailing with you. To me, that would make it worth it.

Susan

 

[Plselv]

I have read the post and every response here. As the organizer of the FEE group for my February cruise, I find it sad that some people are feeling like they should not participate.

This is to be about the fun of being in the group. Everyone should do what works for them time wise, cost wise, and space wise.

We recently had a bingo night at my kid’s school. My son was one of the first to win and went to the front to select his prize. They had things that retailed for up to $25 and things all the way down to $1 items from Dollar Tree. After looking everything over, he selected one of the dollar items. He came home and played with that thing for days!

Don’t ever feel that what you gave is junk as it just may be the one thing that is loved more than anything else.

As I am getting ready to give my FEE gifts, I am looking forward to walking the halls, looking at all the FE designs my fellow cruisers have, and spending time with my kids (and my mom who is cruising with us) while passing out the things we created (or yes, purchased). I hope the others in my group are looking forward to the same things.

We ended a Fantasy cruise (Eastern C) today and participated in FE for our first time. We've cruised multiple times over several years and really hadn't paid much attention to the FEs at the doors, though we have really enjoyed the door decorations and wondered how to decorate our own.

As first time participants, we had two primary responses: 1) very fun, 2) anxiety over what we chose to give. I did some research after I stumbled onto the FE forum, trying to figure out what would be appropriate to give, and really didn't understand. I'm almost certain that receivers of our gifts could tell we were first time participants, and we're embarassed about the simplicity of our gifts.

Now that we've been through it once and have a better understanding, we'll definitely have more appropriate gifts to give next time (we didn't give candy--or any food for that matter, I figured ahead of time there was enough on the ship). It was very fun seeing the gifts and creativity, and we now have some door decorations, . . ., and we have a much better understanding about appropriate gifts. We love the items that were personalized to the state of origin, and we loved the Disney themed items.

For anyone who received FL recipes, we'll apologize for the simplicity of our gifts. Please sail with us again, and maybe you'll enjoy your next gift better. Many thanks as well to several who shared with us some of the cutest door decore. We love it, and walking the halls to find the rooms took us into parts of the ship we would not have otherwise seen--great fun!

 

[Vertigo127]

I would love them!! One of my favorite things about FE is getting things from where people live.

Me too!

 

[lorenni]

We ended a Fantasy cruise (Eastern C) today and participated in FE for our first time. We've cruised multiple times over several years and really hadn't paid much attention to the FEs at the doors, though we have really enjoyed the door decorations and wondered how to decorate our own.

As first time participants, we had two primary responses: 1) very fun, 2) anxiety over what we chose to give. I did some research after I stumbled onto the FE forum, trying to figure out what would be appropriate to give, and really didn't understand. I'm almost certain that receivers of our gifts could tell we were first time participants, and we're embarassed about the simplicity of our gifts.

Now that we've been through it once and have a better understanding, we'll definitely have more appropriate gifts to give next time (we didn't give candy--or any food for that matter, I figured ahead of time there was enough on the ship). It was very fun seeing the gifts and creativity, and we now have some door decorations, . . ., and we have a much better understanding about appropriate gifts. We love the items that were personalized to the state of origin, and we loved the Disney themed items.

For anyone who received FL recipes, we'll apologize for the simplicity of our gifts. Please sail with us again, and maybe you'll enjoy your next gift better. Many thanks as well to several who shared with us some of the cutest door decore. We love it, and walking the halls to find the rooms took us into parts of the ship we would not have otherwise seen--great fun!

If you're saying you gave out recipes, I think that's a fantastic gift and one I would truly appreciate. I don't craft or scrapbook but I sure do love to cook!

Just goes to show - one FE's trash is another's treasure and vice versa.

 

[Plselv]

If you're saying you gave out recipes, I think that's a fantastic gift and one I would truly appreciate. I don't craft or scrapbook but I sure do love to cook!

Just goes to show - one FE's trash is another's treasure and vice versa.

We did recipes! Maybe I'll keep 'em in the mix.

 

[FloridaFun]

 

[robin09]

We did recipes! Maybe I'll keep 'em in the mix.

I would LOVE to get recipes... :>

 

[Vertigo127]

Candy--

I don't/can't eat candy.
Food! The ship is filled with food, why would I want more.
Ack! Processed in a plant that handles nuts! Death trap!
Hershey! How cheap! I only eat Godiva!
Eew! Left over from Halloween, probably! Cheapskate!
Candy! I love candy!

Handmade--

Oh, good grief, who told this person they have any talent at all!
More junk to carry home!
Oh my! They spelled cruise wrong!
This does not match my decor!
Oh, I was hoping for candy!
Love it! I will cherish this forever!

Trinkets--

If I had wanted cr-p I would have bought it myself.
I only use things made in the U.S.A.
CHOKING HAZARD!
Princess for girls, pirate for the boys! How sexist!
More junk to carry home!
Play today, throw away tomorrow, perfect!

Celebrate MY hometown--

If I wanted a magnet from OshKosh, I would have gone there!
This isn't all about YOU!
Shot glasses! Are you implying devil rum would pass my lips!
This will be a great addition to my keychains of the world collection!

This definitely made me giggle a bit- darned no matter what you do!

 

[mommameah]

I am on the "WOW" list too. How ungrateful! We are participating in our first FE on our upcoming cruise and I have put a lot of thought but not a lot of money into our gifts. AND I am handcrafting them....therefore, they will probably look like "crap" because my craft skills equal that of a 5 year old.

The ones that are complaining that the gifts aren't up to snuff...what do you want? Tying a string around highlighters doesn't make it any more thoughtful than buying a kid a pirate coin...because kids LOVE pirate coins!!!!

Here's a news flash for the Negative Nellies. The fact that people have signed up to participate and made purchases indicates that at least some thought has been put into it. And if some one is giving out old halloween candy just to get gifts in return...well....they are in the same catagory as the OP. You're not giving to get.

The people who are on here saying "we don't do it, we never will, we don't want to...blah blah blah...." Why are you even on here. If you don't want to do it...or don't want to do it again...then don't. We'll never know the difference.

Oh..and if anyone that gets one of my gifts doesn't like it or thinks it's crap...bring it on back to me, I'll give it to someone who will be appreciative as is expected in the tone of the event.

 

[jdb in AZ]

I am on the "WOW" list too. How ungrateful! We are participating in our first FE on our upcoming cruise and I have put a lot of thought but not a lot of money into our gifts. AND I am handcrafting them....therefore, they will probably look like "crap" because my craft skills equal that of a 5 year old.

The ones that are complaining that the gifts aren't up to snuff...what do you want? Tying a string around highlighters doesn't make it any more thoughtful than buying a kid a pirate coin...because kids LOVE pirate coins!!!!

Here's a news flash for the Negative Nellies. The fact that people have signed up to participate and made purchases indicates that at least some thought has been put into it. And if some one is giving out old halloween candy just to get gifts in return...well....they are in the same catagory as the OP. You're not giving to get.

The people who are on here saying "we don't do it, we never will, we don't want to...blah blah blah...." Why are you even on here. If you don't want to do it...or don't want to do it again...then don't. We'll never know the difference.

Oh..and if anyone that gets one of my gifts doesn't like it or thinks it's crap...bring it on back to me, I'll give it to someone who will be appreciative as is expected in the tone of the event.

Last time I checked, the title of this thread was, "will you do it again?" This is a discussion board. We're here to discuss different points of view.

 

[3princessMommy]

We LOVE FE's! Will keep doing FE's!!! It's the thought that counts, not the value or the item. I hand make most of my FE gifts (we're on cruise number 7). It takes a lot of time (and sometimes $$$), but I love giving things without expecting anything in return! (Another reason why I still love SANTA and every person always gets a stocking at my house on Christmas morning!)

If you don't want to play, don't. Not a problem for me. But for everyone else, let's get those FE sign-up lists going! Can't wait!!!!!

 

[DLBDS]

We LOVE FE's! Will keep doing FE's!!! It's the thought that counts, not the value or the item. I hand make most of my FE gifts (we're on cruise number 7). It takes a lot of time (and sometimes $$$), but I love giving things without expecting anything in return! (Another reason why I still love SANTA and every person always gets a stocking at my house on Christmas morning!)

If you don't want to play, don't. Not a problem for me. But for everyone else, let's get those FE sign-up lists going! Can't wait!!!!!

I love your enthusiasm! We love the whole FE thing too. Doing our 4th in March/April. Can't wait!

 

[Goofysrus]

Love Love Love It!!!!!