FE question...........origins?

[wcw57]

How did this thing start? I mean, someone decided to have meets on the board and then people started giving each other gifts (I assume) which is real nice but who thought of the FE.....some mastermind deserves credit.

Did they have any idea that it would become a tradition?

One person can have huge impact.

THANX!

 

[Morgey24]

Great Question! My DD(13) was just asking this last night and I had no answer for her. She told me to go check my "book" (Passporter guide!!!) and I told her that I'd read it cover to cover and there was no mention!

 

[Yensidfan]

How did this thing start? I mean, someone decided to have meets on the board and then people started giving each other gifts (I assume) which is real nice but who thought of the FE.....some mastermind deserves credit.

Did they have any idea that it would become a tradition?

One person can have huge impact.

THANX!

I copied this from a cruise meets thread:

"A bit more explanation about the fish extenders. We were fortunate to be in the first "fish extender" cruise. One of the disers found a three pocket hanging 'thing' which could be used for mail or misc stuff. It was about 12" wide, 24" long, and has Mickeys on all the pockets. It was at a clearance store and she bought all they had and gave them out to other disers on the cruise. Someone hung it on the message fish next to the cabin door, it fit nicely and became known as a fish extender. Then people who worried it might get taken started using a "fish club" (a plastic wire tie around the cord it hangs by). On subsequent cruises disers started making thier own fish extenders, different shapes, sizes and designs. Some cruises had fish extender contests. The main requirements for a fish extender is it needs to hang from the fish and have pockets (for fish extender gifts). It is amazing how talented some people can be.
Other things disers do is make name badges for everyone, lanyards, t-shirts with cruise logo (on Zazzle or similar site so everyone can order what they want and get it before the cruise), disers meetings before and on the cruise, group pictures (like for pirate night).
If a few people become the ring leaders for the cruise and organize things it helps. The best part of the cruise is that those who want to participate in group activities can, and other times can choose to go it alone."

I hope this helps. Not sure exactly when it started but this is how it started.

 

[macd4]

How popular are the door decorations? fish extender hangers?

Can I expect to see them on 1 of 10 doors, 1 of 100 doors?

Or just the 20 or 30 cabins from the disBoard meet thread?

 

[lbgraves]

I believe that it all started in 2005 with the first PC repo cruise...IDK if it was WB or EB.

 

[wcw57]

If we had name for the originator, we could celebrate her birthday! SOMEONE must know the persons name!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

 

[DisneyWhirled]

How popular are the door decorations? fish extender hangers?

Can I expect to see them on 1 of 10 doors, 1 of 100 doors?

Or just the 20 or 30 cabins from the disBoard meet thread?

It's definitely a "Dis" thing, so I'd say that you would probably find most of them outside of the cabins of Diser's.

It's a little "extra" something fun to do!!

 

[Az Pirates]

I know, I know!

It was on the first Panama Canal Repositioning cruise in 2005 (Westbound)

We all had matching Mickey fish extenders on that cruise... just in different colors. We had a large Dis group, so it was great fun seeing them all over the ship.

I even know who to give credit to: Epcotkilterfan... Thanks Debbie!

Who knew way back then it would become the huge Dis tradition it has?

I still have my original Mickey fish extender. Very Cool!

 

[macd4]

This old thread from 2006 discusses the origins.
In post #17 the originator self-identifies.

disboards-dot-com/showthread.php?t=1219607&page=2

(I'm still earning my mouse ears, so I can't post a link yet.)

 

[wcw57]

TERRIFIC!!!!!!!!!

Now, we need to find out her birthday so we can have national DIS holidays!


is she still posting? there must be some way to find members by name but I don't know how to do it.

 

[ktc42spike]

How popular are the door decorations? fish extender hangers?

Can I expect to see them on 1 of 10 doors, 1 of 100 doors?

Or just the 20 or 30 cabins from the disBoard meet thread?

You will be lucky to find them. On our cruise, I didn't see any. I only saw a handful of DIS door decorations total. I guess it depends on how many DISers are on your boat.

 

[disneycrazzzy]

How popular are the door decorations? fish extender hangers?

Can I expect to see them on 1 of 10 doors, 1 of 100 doors?

Or just the 20 or 30 cabins from the disBoard meet thread?

I think it depends on the cruise. I'm thinking the larger the cruise meets thread the more decorated the cabin doors will be. We were on the 2005 EB Panama Repo Cruise and I'd think 1 in 10 was decorated...

There are 877 cabins on the ship...if 1 in 10 is decorated that would be 87 cabins. We have two cruises planned for this summer. The 8/8/2009 meets thread is very small with just a few families participating. The 8/15/2009 has about 20 families participating in the FE exchange and 80 or so on the meets thread. It will be interesting to see how many doors are decorated.

I added Mickey ears on our 2005 cruise to everybody's door that was registered on our meets thread....I think I cut out 40 pairs of ears and delivered each one. I think I would have remembered if it was 87 cabins....I'm guessing a lot closer to 1 in 20 then....

 

[lbgraves]

It's definitely a "Dis" thing, so I'd say that you would probably find most of them outside of the cabins of Diser's.

It's a little "extra" something fun to do!!

It is not just the DIS groups that do the FEs. Disers have taken this idea to other sites and there were many on the EB PC repo that were not DISers who had the FEs up.

 

[tvguy]

Okay. Next question. Who started door decorations? I know there were none on our 2003/04 NYE cruise. I bet that started about 2005 too.

 

[lbgraves]

We did door magnets for our November 2003 cruise due to suggestions I saw here on the boards. It was DS's birthday and I did a special magnet for him and one for DD with Cinderella on it. It made it so easy to find the door because there weren't many of them that we saw. We were deck 7 forward.

 

[ppiew]

There seems to be fewer on the 3 or 4 day than the 7 day. On our 3 day last spring, there were 6 families in the FE participation, but many more with magnetic door stuff - probably 30 or more.

Can't say enuf good stuff about FE's. The kids at first thought it was 'dorky', but after one round of the ship they thought it was GREAT!! (also wore off some energy up and down the halls!!) They had a ball and each day just looked forward to ANYTHING in the hanger!

Whoops! Almost forgot! the CM's would always be smiling and directing us to the next FE. I think they enjoyed watching the kids as much as they did in participating. Just like 'trick or treat'!!

 

[Waltworshiper]

We are on a 7 day end of Aug and have about 23 families participating in ours. On a ship the size of the Magic, if you weren't specifically looking for them, you wouldn't find them. Of course, we have lists of which cabins are participating, so that makes it a lot easier! We have so far had a wonderful experience with our FE's and can't wait until Aug 29th to start the fun again!

 

[mindy327]

Whoops! Almost forgot! the CM's would always be smiling and directing us to the next FE. I think they enjoyed watching the kids as much as they did in participating. Just like 'trick or treat'!!

So true. Our Room Host actually helped us find a zip tie for our FE!! The CMs smiled as we were going around the ship with our Bag-o-stuff. Like Santa. When we were decorating our door numerous families stared. One child said, "mom how come we dont have stuff for our door?" LOL. My kids felt really "COOL" putting stuff in the FE and going to the room to find it. I will ALWAYS do FEs. But I do hope that it doesnt end up in the Passporters Book. Its fun to have a SECRET TRADITION that all I can say it...

(on my door it read) ITS A DIS THING, YOU WOULDNT UNDERSTAND!

Please, dont let it get to the book Jennifer!

 

[plutojudy]

So true. Our Room Host actually helped us find a zip tie for our FE!! The CMs smiled as we were going around the ship with our Bag-o-stuff. Like Santa. When we were decorating our door numerous families stared. One child said, "mom how come we dont have stuff for our door?" LOL. My kids felt really "COOL" putting stuff in the FE and going to the room to find it. I will ALWAYS do FEs. But I do hope that it doesnt end up in the Passporters Book. Its fun to have a SECRET TRADITION that all I can say it...

(on my door it read) ITS A DIS THING, YOU WOULDNT UNDERSTAND!

Please, dont let it get to the book Jennifer!

We always bring extras so we can give something to the CMs who enjoy enjoying the fun. They are thrilled.

 

[EpcotKilterFan]

How did this thing start? I mean, someone decided to have meets on the board and then people started giving each other gifts (I assume) which is real nice but who thought of the FE.....some mastermind deserves credit.

Did they have any idea that it would become a tradition?

One person can have huge impact.

THANX!

TERRIFIC!!!!!!!!!

Now, we need to find out her birthday so we can have national DIS holidays!


is she still posting? there must be some way to find members by name but I don't know how to do it.

Yes I am the instigator of the Fish Extender I had NO idea that it would get this big. I still laugh when I see LONG threads about fish extenders and their gifts.

The intent is to share with other DISr's. Put a gift in and if you get a gift in return that is a bonus! I always have fun passin out the FE gifts on the cruise. But now.... I won't know who is a DIS'r and who isn't! There are other groups that have adopted the fish extender.

My favorite quote from a guest in the hallway was.... "those things hanging on the doors must mean that there are children in the room"

I am glad the tradition continues and can't believe I innocently started a phenomenon 4 years ago on the FIRST time through the Panama Canal

Debbie