Wonder--10-day Vancouver to Hawaii 9/7/2015

[Learn to be a Mom]

Welcome to the cruise! You'll love cruising with Disney. There is lots of information in this forum that you can read about the FE. In a nutshell, through online meet ups like this forum we organize a list of participants who agree to bring a small gift for each of the other cabins. At random times during the cruise these gifts are delivered and left in a pouch that hangs from a fish-shaped clamp outside the cabin door. These pouches are known as Fish Extenders or FEs for short. Gifts vary from small hand-crafted items, to candies brought from the cruisers local area, to cruise-related trinkets and more. We'll be giving several items for both the adults and children in the cabins we give to. There's no spending requirement or limit, it's left to each family to decide what they can give. In my opinion one of the main reasons I participate is for the friendships that develop and the good times we have online as we coordinate various activities and get to know each other and share cruise planning ideas prior to the cruise. There's some magic, especially for the kids, when you return to your cabin and see that someone else has left a little gift at your door. And there's also magic in seeing and greeting new friends all around the ship. On this cruise there are many adults cruising without children. In fact about 70% of the FE participants have no children in their cabins. So it's not just an activity for the little ones.
Right now there are 56 cabins total that are participating in the FE. Most of those have chosen to be a part of only one or two groups of 10 cabins that they will give to and receive from. That's one way to keep the cost down and make sure your FE gifts don't take up too much luggage space. Still, others will give to every cabin that is participating.
Some of the other activities that are planned are an open bar event, a pajama breakfast (yes even I have agreed to show up in my pajamas), an exercise/running program, and more.
We are still accepting people to join the FE until Aug 7, but the earlier one joins the better it is for me as I coordinate all the various lists. If you joined now I would add you to one of the groups of about 10 cabins that you would give to and receive from.
The form to join resides on another social media site. It's not appropriate for me to link to it from here, but you can search for the group on that social media site under the group name "Disney Wonder Hawaii - Sept 7 2015 - Itinerary A - Fish Extender" You'll have to request to join the group and once you are in you will find the form to submit your name, cabin number and other info for the FE.
Please let me know if you have other specific questions.

I finally found the group! I requested to join 3 times already. I am not sure why. Can you please explain. I would love to join the FE. Thank you very much.

 

[Learn to be a Mom]

I found the group & requested to join!

Requested to join many times already but why didn't I get approve? Please help. Thank you.

 

[Steamboat Mom]

First time on the DIS boards - very happy to have found them. We booked this trip while on the 9 night Alaska trip last May - they just announced it while we were on board and we couldn't resist! We are doing B2B - you can never spend too much time on the Wonder!! The people at our dining table during that Alaska cruise became fast friends with us and booked the trip as well (although not the B2B) so we are even more excited that we get to see our friends from Scotland again! Love that Disney brings people together!! Next stop - try and get in on a FE group!

 

[Steamboat Mom]

Welcome to the cruise! You'll love cruising with Disney. There is lots of information in this forum that you can read about the FE. In a nutshell, through online meet ups like this forum we organize a list of participants who agree to bring a small gift for each of the other cabins. At random times during the cruise these gifts are delivered and left in a pouch that hangs from a fish-shaped clamp outside the cabin door. These pouches are known as Fish Extenders or FEs for short. Gifts vary from small hand-crafted items, to candies brought from the cruisers local area, to cruise-related trinkets and more. We'll be giving several items for both the adults and children in the cabins we give to. There's no spending requirement or limit, it's left to each family to decide what they can give. In my opinion one of the main reasons I participate is for the friendships that develop and the good times we have online as we coordinate various activities and get to know each other and share cruise planning ideas prior to the cruise. There's some magic, especially for the kids, when you return to your cabin and see that someone else has left a little gift at your door. And there's also magic in seeing and greeting new friends all around the ship. On this cruise there are many adults cruising without children. In fact about 70% of the FE participants have no children in their cabins. So it's not just an activity for the little ones.
Right now there are 56 cabins total that are participating in the FE. Most of those have chosen to be a part of only one or two groups of 10 cabins that they will give to and receive from. That's one way to keep the cost down and make sure your FE gifts don't take up too much luggage space. Still, others will give to every cabin that is participating.
Some of the other activities that are planned are an open bar event, a pajama breakfast (yes even I have agreed to show up in my pajamas), an exercise/running program, and more.
We are still accepting people to join the FE until Aug 7, but the earlier one joins the better it is for me as I coordinate all the various lists. If you joined now I would add you to one of the groups of about 10 cabins that you would give to and receive from.
The form to join resides on another social media site. It's not appropriate for me to link to it from here, but you can search for the group on that social media site under the group name "Disney Wonder Hawaii - Sept 7 2015 - Itinerary A - Fish Extender" You'll have to request to join the group and once you are in you will find the form to submit your name, cabin number and other info for the FE.
Please let me know if you have other specific questions.

 

[Learn to be a Mom]

First time on the DIS boards - very happy to have found them. We booked this trip while on the 9 night Alaska trip last May - they just announced it while we were on board and we couldn't resist! We are doing B2B - you can never spend too much time on the Wonder!! The people at our dining table during that Alaska cruise became fast friends with us and booked the trip as well (although not the B2B) so we are even more excited that we get to see our friends from Scotland again! Love that Disney brings people together!! Next stop - try and get in on a FE group!

Did you get in to the group? I saw there are 2 members added to the group now. I requested to join the group many times but still not in the group. Can anyone please advise how to join the group please. I feel like giving up already.

 

[Learn to be a Mom]

I have put a request to join many times. Sometimes a few times a day. I am very curious why I have been rejected.

 

[Steamboat Mom]

Yes, I did get into the group but not sure when or how they notify of specifics of who is in our group so I can get my gifts ready. I am very sorry that you haven't gotten in yet...not sure what the problem could be but don't give up yet. Hoping someone with knowledge will extend a helping hand out to you. Wish I could help but I am a newbie to all this myself.

 

[Learn to be a Mom]

Yes, I did get into the group but not sure when or how they notify of specifics of who is in our group so I can get my gifts ready. I am very sorry that you haven't gotten in yet...not sure what the problem could be but don't give up yet. Hoping someone with knowledge will extend a helping hand out to you. Wish I could help but I am a newbie to all this myself.

Thank you so much for your reply. I finally in the group!!! whew...see you on board.

 

[Steamboat Mom]

So glad you got in the group!! Let me know if you find out about what group they are putting us new people in! Hope to meet you on the cruise sometime!

 

[LKShep]

Sorry to see anyone having trouble joining the FE gift exchange group. As the coordinator of that list I will do what I can to help you out.
I hope you have found the form (its a pinned post at the top of the group) and filled it out to join the exchange. Watch there for the next revision of the list to be published that will include your FE group, showing who you will give to and receive gifts from.
If you have any questions, please message me. I'm sorry but I don't get on to the Disboards regularly to check activity here. I'll try to be better about that.

 

[Shara]

Hi. We haven't got our group assignment, either. We signed up last June. Can you point us in the right direction to find our group?
Thanks!

 

[NC DCL fans]

As to the FE group, as LKShep posted on the previous page of this thread: "The form to join resides on another social media site. It's not appropriate for me to link to it from here, but you can search for the group on that social media site under the group name "Disney Wonder Hawaii - Sept 7 2015 - Itinerary A - Fish Extender" You'll have to request to join the group and once you are in you will find the form to submit your name, cabin number and other info for the FE."
Most of this cruise's chatter is going on over on that site...

 

[darrenwatson66]

Hi all! My better half and I will be sailing on this cruise as well. . We are on the FB page but wanted to say HI here as well! Just over two more weeks! Woohoo!!

 

[orenwolf]

Hi All,

Excited to be on this (our third Disney) cruise! My partner and I will be on, with a stayover at Aulani afterwards.

Just like our last Cruise in May, we seem to have managed to not get into the FE group, I'm not sure why we keep getting rejected. I thought the idea was to share cute items from where you are from, I guess there must be more to it.

Like our last cruise, then, we will be marching up and down the decks and giving gifts to any FE's we see. We were hoping this time we'd be able to be part of a "group" for reciprocal gifts but that's ok. For us, the fun is in random acts of kindness and hopefully interesting gifts for others, even if they don't want us in their group.

I hope to see all of you on board! I'm so happy to find that there's so much activity for this cruise! We're expecting to have a blast.

 

[Vegam060]

I believe we have 1 extra gift as we counted our room in our total (OOPS!!!) What room number are you in?

 

[darrenwatson66]

We will have a few extra gifts as well!! Just let us know your room number! Can't wait for the cruise!! D

 

[B&D]

I heard a rumor that there is going to be a Frozen deck party on September 9th. Does anyone know if this is true? ...and do we dress up in the frozen theme just like we do for pirate night?

 

[bobbiwoz]

Hi everyone, we are not on this cruise but are sailing on RCCL to Honolulu and will be in Aulani afterwards, arriving September 21st. I hope to meet some of you to talk about the voyage. We would have loved to do DCL, but are with friends who like a casino on board. Since we are a few days behind you, I had worried about being blocked out of staying in Aulani on DVC points, but that was not a problem.

Have a wonderful voyage!

Bobbi

 

[LKShep]

Hi All,

Excited to be on this (our third Disney) cruise! My partner and I will be on, with a stayover at Aulani afterwards.

Just like our last Cruise in May, we seem to have managed to not get into the FE group, I'm not sure why we keep getting rejected. I thought the idea was to share cute items from where you are from, I guess there must be more to it.

Like our last cruise, then, we will be marching up and down the decks and giving gifts to any FE's we see. We were hoping this time we'd be able to be part of a "group" for reciprocal gifts but that's ok. For us, the fun is in random acts of kindness and hopefully interesting gifts for others, even if they don't want us in their group.

I hope to see all of you on board! I'm so happy to find that there's so much activity for this cruise! We're expecting to have a blast.

Welcome to the cruise. Sorry that you haven't had luck with participation in the FE groups. I would suggest connecting with them early, even months before the cruise. Our initial cutoff for the FE for this Hawaii cruise was in early May and we added additional cabins until August 7. Most FE participants want the groups to be organized at least several months in advance so they can prepare their gifts. Also, much of the FE coordination and group planning has now moved away from the DISboards to another social media site. Be aware that to connect in the future you may have to search and find where everyone is meeting up online. Best wishes for a fantastic cruise. We'll see you on board.

 

[dclpluto]

its almost time less than 100 hours till we are on the ship. Some good news Clayton should be our cruise director. He's the best on DCL. Another good news no bucket and boards they are scheduled to be on the fantasy. Hope everyone has a safe trip. Enjoy