Fish extender gifts stolen?

[Chandra C]

I am wondering how often this happens. Really my concern is because I am participating in a fe group and somehow I got carried away lol, now I’m realizing some of my gifts aren’t going to fit in the actual fish extender. What should I do? Just place the gift in front of their stateroom door? Or maybe hang it in a plastic bag? Or should I just get some different gifts that will actually fit in the fe pockets?

 

[KashasMom]

I bought Disney themed plastic bags and hung them on the door or put them in front of the door. (They have them at Dollar stores or stores like Party City.)

On one cruise we did have FE gifts stolen (on multiple nights). I know this because we didn't participate in an official FE. I brought all the gifts for my daughter. Guess they were too good for someone to resist. People tend to think those kinds of things don't happen on Disney...but they do.

 

[darnheather]

I have never had it happened to my knowledge. Participated in multiple FE groups on each cruise. Do not leave things out. Bring them in as soon as you see them. Especially do not leave them overnight. Stateroom attendants are around nearly all day. I'm sure it happens but I don't think you should stress about it.

 

[ElenaRN]

It hasn't happened to us to my knowledge. I don't keep track of who we have recieved from though maybe it has and i just didn't notice? I doubt it though, but I'm sure it does happen.

On our last cruise our gifts didn't fit in the actual FE so we just placed it on the floor leaning up against the wall under where the FE was hanging.

 

[DynamicDisneyDuo]

If their stateroom host(ess) is around, you can ask them to place it in the room.

Does it occur? Yes, just like decorations being taken off the door. But don't let the chance of that ruin your experience. Do what you can/want to and don't worry about what might happen.

We know it has happened to us because we saw something in our FE on the way out the door to something we were late for. When we got back, the FE was empty. It is possible though that whoever dropped it in ours did so mistakenly, realized it and came back for it. We had at least 2 FE groups going on our last cruise and had to double-check our list a few times to make sure we were at the right stateroom.

 

[Shanti]

I am wondering how often this happens. Really my concern is because I am participating in a fe group and somehow I got carried away lol, now I’m realizing some of my gifts aren’t going to fit in the actual fish extender. What should I do? Just place the gift in front of their stateroom door? Or maybe hang it in a plastic bag? Or should I just get some different gifts that will actually fit in the fe pockets?

I've participated in 3 FEs and have never had any issue with theft.

When a gift doesn't fit into an FE, I place it on the floor by the door. The cabin hosts know about FEs and won't be surprised to see that.

 

[RedSox68]

I've had my fish extender used as a trash can a couple of times , but never (to my knowledge) had any gifts stolen. Now we have had many magnets taken off our door, but we always have duplicates.

 

[Chandra C]

Well

I bought Disney themed plastic bags and hung them on the door or put them in front of the door. (They have them at Dollar stores or stores like Party City.)

On one cruise we did have FE gifts stolen (on multiple nights). I know this because we didn't participate in an official FE. I brought all the gifts for my daughter. Guess they were too good for someone to resist. People tend to think those kinds of things don't happen on Disney...but they do.

I was actually thinking of getting some things for my 4 year old daughter and putting in the fish extender. This has changed my mind. Probably will just let her pick something from gift shop. At least I’m not as likely to notice if something is stolen if it’s not something I personally bought myself. I hate that happened to you.

 

[KashasMom]

Well

I was actually thinking of getting some things for my 4 year old daughter and putting in the fish extender. This has changed my mind. Probably will just let her pick something from gift shop. At least I’m not as likely to notice if something is stolen if it’s not something I personally bought myself. I hate that happened to you.

I wouldn't (and didn't) let it keep me from participating in future FEs. My daughter enjoys them too much. Your daughter will love coming back to the room to see if something is there for her or waking up and running to check the FE.

 

[All about me]

Well I was actually thinking of getting some things for my 4 year old daughter and putting in the fish extender. This has changed my mind. Probably will just let her pick something from gift shop.

Just a thought: On my trips to Disney and Universal I did 'Wake-Up Surprises', a little wrapped something sitting on the nightstand, for my granddaughters to wake-up to. An autograph book the first morning, pearl cage pendent after doing pick-a-pearl on another morning, pins to commemorate a park or event, pressed penny book, ect. If you wanted to, you could do this instead for your daughter.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I participate in Local candy/Snack Exchanges. I believe a theft has happened once, I did mail a treat to the person who did not get our gift.

I have been pixie dusted many more times than that single bad time.

I would get a bag with a handle and hang it from the “fish.”

 

[gotomu212]

We had some stolen, and probably more we didn’t realize. I got to the door and noticed we had something, went inside to tell my son to come here he got a present, in the minute between then and walking back out it was gone. We just kind of roll with it, but it does happen.

 

[southerngirl528]

I was actually thinking of getting some things for my 4 year old daughter and putting in the fish extender. This has changed my mind. Probably will just let her pick something from gift shop. At least I’m not as likely to notice if something is stolen if it’s not something I personally bought myself. I hate that happened to you.

I wouldn't (and didn't) let it keep me from participating in future FEs. My daughter enjoys them too much. Your daughter will love coming back to the room to see if something is there for her or waking up and running to check the FE.

ChandraC, I wouldn't let the fact that someone COULD take something from your FE extender keep you from surprising and delighting your little DD. It really is not common for things to disappear. I have done a couple of FE's including on a 10 night sailing with a much more extended time frame to have things out and available if someone wanted to steal, but to my knowledge nothing was taken at all. What DID happen was that almost every time we came back to our stateroom, there would be something in one of my FE extender pockets! And when we took our little grand princesses for a 4 night Dream cruise, I did the FE exchange and they absolutely LOVED coming to the room to see if anything was waiting for them! And almost every time, something was!

If it was me, I would do the FE for your DD, just don't put anything pricey in it for peace of mind.

 

[DCL_Wonder]

I am wondering how often this happens. Really my concern is because I am participating in a fe group and somehow I got carried away lol, now I’m realizing some of my gifts aren’t going to fit in the actual fish extender. What should I do? Just place the gift in front of their stateroom door? Or maybe hang it in a plastic bag? Or should I just get some different gifts that will actually fit in the fe pockets?

I doubt it happens much at all.

 

[Shanti]

The FE items aren't supposed to be of much value. We've never been stolen from in any way on a Disney cruise that we're aware of, but if some one (undoubtedly a kid) did pilfer from our FE without our knowing, we'd never miss the item we didn't get. The giving is our focus, with Fish Extenders. Getting stuff is just a bonus, though it is a nice treat to come back to a filled FE. We don't keep most of the stuff we get, anyway.

I think the occasional theft that could potentially happen is a good argument for sticking with the traditional FE practices of keeping items low-priced & symbolic, rather than substantive gifts, and actually exchanging gifts rather than just buying things for your own kids & putting them in the FE. If you aren't the one buying, you'll never know or miss what you didn't get.

 

[mammacaryn]

We’ve never had they participating in 4 exchanges-none that i was aware of. Like another said, i don’t track the gifts i receive. I would bring extra bags to hang things that don’t fit-even if they are just grocery bags no need to be fancy. I personally wouldn’t leave anything on the floor. People have strollers, scooters and wheelchairs-one of our neighbors on our last cruise was in a wheelchair and i know it would have been problematic for him if stuff was on the floor-that’s just me though. I also don’t leave my room service trays on the floor...

 

[bumbershoot]

Don’t leave stuff on the floor. Such a pain for neighbors. We were next to a FE participant who was overflowing and we got to step over their stuff for days.

 

[Burgundy Rose]

I also don’t leave my room service trays on the floor...

Our first night on the Dream I couldn't believe my neighbours would leave their trays in the corridor. I thought it was incredibly rude and entitled of them because then it would be the stateroom host's job to pick it up. And then the following day I ordered room service for myself. They had a little note on the tray asking us to call them back when we're finished so they could come and pick it up. I called, thinking they'd knock on my door and retrieve it from my room but they asked me to just leave the tray in the corridor.
I don't know if they always do that but I felt really rude doing it even if they'd told me to. I'd have happily waited in the stateroom for them to pick it up!

Sorry for the OOT post, I just wanted to reply to this particular part of the message

 

[RedSox68]

Our first night on the Dream I couldn't believe my neighbours would leave their trays in the corridor. I thought it was incredibly rude and entitled of them because then it would be the stateroom host's job to pick it up. And then the following day I ordered room service for myself. They had a little note on the tray asking us to call them back when we're finished so they could come and pick it up. I called, thinking they'd knock on my door and retrieve it from my room but they asked me to just leave the tray in the corridor.
I don't know if they always do that but I felt really rude doing it even if they'd told me to. I'd have happily waited in the stateroom for them to pick it up!

Sorry for the OOT post, I just wanted to reply to this particular part of the message

Every cruise line I have been on has done that -- told us to call and when we do, told us to leave them in the hallway. Only a couple of times, when we had dinner in the room, was our room steward around to just take everything.

 

[DCLDVC1]

I am wondering how often this happens. Really my concern is because I am participating in a fe group and somehow I got carried away lol, now I’m realizing some of my gifts aren’t going to fit in the actual fish extender. What should I do? Just place the gift in front of their stateroom door? Or maybe hang it in a plastic bag? Or should I just get some different gifts that will actually fit in the fe pockets?

I'm guessing it happens more than people realize. I've seen many posts in various DCL groups where people will mention they had 12 people in their group but only received gifts from 8 or 10 or whatever number. I'm sure some people sign up and don't follow through but I have to believe quite a few of those gifts were stolen.