Spring break is a time to relax with your family. It’s a time to reconnect with your loved ones, spending quality time with each other. One of the best (and most fun) ways to do this is to take a family trip. When you take a family trip over spring break, you’re guaranteed to have fun! Here are a few fun family trips you should consider taking this spring break. For years, I taught in a different district than where my children attended school and we didn’t have the same Spring Break.  My husband and I used this to our advantage to take a trip by ourselves but I always wished the kids and I had the same Spring Break so we could go on an adventure.  The last two years, they have done local mission trips which was awesome.  If you are looking for a fun getaway, here are my favorites (plus one wish list place too).

Disney World

Disney World is a magical place to visit, which is why this destination should be on the top of your list! There’s something for everyone in the family when you visit Disney World, from the Animal Kingdom to Epcot! If you do decide to visit Disney World, you should consider purchasing the fast pass so that you and your family can make the most of your time there. I’ve been eight times and even as an adult, it is my favorite place to visit. Check out  my Disney tab in our travel section for more tips!

Legoland

If you want to have some fun this spring break, you should consider visiting Legoland. This is the perfect destination if one of your kids (or yourself) love Legos. When planning your Legoland trip, you have a few options. If you want to go all out, you can get tickets for the Legoland Theme Park. If you’d like to stay closer to home, you can look for a Legoland Discover Center near you. Regardless of what you decide to do, your family will quickly fall in love with all things Legoland. I took my youngest son and nephew to Legoland in CA four years ago. My son is on the spectrum and is a genius when it comes to legos. I hope he works for them one day. We had the BEST time!

Great Wolf Lodge

You’ve dealt with the snow and cold all winter, so for your spring break trip, it’s time to have some water fun. Great Wolf Lodge is the perfect place for this. Usually, you have to travel south to for some fun in the water, but with Great Wolf Lodge, you can enjoy water slides, pools, and the lazy river in any climate. You can usually find a Great Wolf Lodge close by, so you’ll know you’ll have a ton of fun without having to travel far away. We have only been to the Dallas, TX location but my kids LOVED it.  There is more than just swimming too. They also run specials all the time.

Take A Cruise

Do you want the ultimate getaway this spring break? Take your family on a cruise! There are many family-friendly cruise ships out there, giving you and your kids plenty of time to relax and have fun. You’ll also enjoy the warmer weather as you cruise around tropical waters. My kids favorite part of a cruise: unlimited room service! They loved the kid activities, swimming and the food. This picture is from our excursion in Cozumel.  My sister and I and our husbands were ready to get back on the ship. My mom offered to take the kids to walk around to look in the stores and would be not far behind us.  We waited with our dad on their balcony and you could imagine our reaction when our mom walks up with our six children and they ALL have a guitar. My sister and I looked at each other and mumbled, “What the hell?” under our breath. Ha! Yup, toting them all home and through customs was awesome (insert eye roll). This picture makes me laugh every time I see it. Great memory.

Rent a Cabin

Does your family love the outdoors? This spring break you should experience the great outdoors by renting a cabin. This is on our bucket list. We would love to rent one of these cabins in Tennessee. There’s so much to do, from hiking up and down mountainous peaks to having fun in Gatlinburg. You’ll quickly fill up your entire week with fun activities the whole family will enjoy. Maybe this is where we will head this year!

What are your plans this spring break? I’d love to hear where you plan to travel!

The post Fun Family Trips For Spring Break appeared first on Kreative in Kinder.

Planning a trip to Walt Disney World can be a large task, but once you get there, it can be so much easier and tons of fun, if you use the My Disney App.  Here are some ways to use it to the fullest and get the most out of all it has to offer.  So, go ahead, plan your trip, download the app, and happy vacationing!

1. Make dinner reservations. One of the best features of the My Disney App is making easy dining reservations   Here you can make dinner plans even before your vacation begins (up to 180 days in advance) and book tables for some of the best restaurants at Walt Disney World.  
2. Check out the menus. Now that you have picked some cool restaurants to try, you can check out their menus before you even step foot inside.  Not only can you see what kind of food is served, but what kind of prices to expect as well.  
3. Check wait times.  With this feature on the app you can check and see how long the wait will be in the ride lines. You don’t need to walk across the entire park to Space Mountain if it’s a 2 hour wait, so check the app for all your favorite rides and attractions before a long trek.
4. Disney characters.  Your kids will love this perk because you can find out where and what time all their favorite Disney characters will be in the park.  This includes specific locations so that you can make the most of your day and put smiles on all of their faces. Make sure you find out where Mickey is so that you don’t miss him!
5. Find the restrooms.  How many parks have you been to and wonder around looking for a bathroom? There is never a restroom when you need one, so with the My Disney App this is no longer a problem.  Just check out the app for the nearest one so everyone is happy and there are no accidents!
6. Reserve FastPass+.  With all the many entertaining shows and experiences at Walt Disney World, reserving the best time to go with FastPass+ is the only way to make that happen. This can all be done right through your My Disney App, its super easy and anyone can do it!.
7. Change FastPass+.  What happens if you are running behind and need to change a wait time on one of your kids’ favorite shows?  You go right on your smartphone, hit the app, and change your time! So easy!
8. Showtimes schedules.  Speaking of shows, this is a such must use feature on  so that you can make the most of your My Disney App.  All the latest and greatest shows and Disney experiences, such as Frozen Ever After list their showtimes right on the app for convenient planning during your vacation.
9. Memory maker pictures.  You definitely be on your My Disney App all the time checking out your ride photos because they will be right at your fingertips almost immediately after you exit the rides!  This is such a fun feature to capture all the amazing memories you will create at Disney!

Traveling during the holidays? Check out our post for tips for the best holiday trips to Disney World here.

The post 9 Ways to Get The Most Out of Your My Disney App appeared first on Kreative in Kinder.

If you are gearing up to head to Disney, there are a number of ways you can make your trip more magical for the entire family!  I am probably an odd ball, but planning and packing are my favorite.  I work really hard to make sure we get the most out of the money we have saved and plan to send and also the time we spend there.  We have had two day adventures and then week-long ones.  You can have an amazing trip with any amount of time if you plan well.

Here are some surprising tips to make your trip to Disney more magical:

• Stay at a Disney resort. Although staying at an outside hotel can sometimes save money, there’s something so magical about staying at a Disney resort! Each one has a special theme, restaurants and fun opportunities.  No two places are alike. You can also take advantage of the free transportation and extra magic hours, which is awesome.
• Opt for Park Hopper tickets. This allows you to go to multiple parks in one day, so you can visit Animal Kingdom in the day and still take in the fireworks at Magic Kingdom at night!
• Arrive at Magic Kingdom before it opens. They choose a “Family of the Day,” which includes a private photographer, more chances to meet favorite characters, and more!
• Consider going back to the resort to enjoy the pool in the middle of the day when the temperatures are highest and your family is more likely to experience heat exhaustion. Every resort has a great pool.  Often, we would come back to the hotel and swim or take a nap in the middle of the day and head back out early evening when there were extra magic hours.  It’s hard to stay at Magic Kingdom until 2:00 a.m. without a nap. Ha! But, if you can swing it, it’s pretty awesome. One year, my daughter and I rode Space Mountain THREE times in a row after midnight.  When you are there that late, most of the families with small children head home and the lines dwindle. It’s quite amazing.
• If you’re celebrating a special occasion such as a birthday or anniversary, be sure to pick up a button from Guest Services. You might end up receiving special treatment in the parks!  Disney goes above and beyond when it comes to making you feel special.  My son and I went for his 18^th birthday for two days.  He wore his button and every staff member said Happy Birthday to him.  He ate it up. Even big kids love the MAGIC!

These are just some surprising tips to make your trip to Disney more magical! No matter what you do, you’ll be sure to enjoy your trip to the happiest place on Earth.

The post Surprising Tips To Make Your Trip To Disney More Magical appeared first on Kreative in Kinder.

When it’s time to plan my Disney Vacation, there are a few big things I try to establish upfront. What parks will I visit? What rides are must-do’s? Are there new shows should I check out? And – just as importantly – what am I going to eat?

Disney World is packed full of delicious food. Whether you’re eating around the world in Epcot, grabbing a quick bite between rides in the Magic Kingdom or exploring one of the many restaurants spread throughout Disney World’s numerous resorts, there’s always something tasty to sample. With so many options, deciding what you actually want to try can be an impossible task, but never fear – I’ve compiled a list of five things that absolutely must make it on your must-try list!

 Dole Whips.

A quick Google search will pull up tons of Dole Whip copycat recipes, but for the authentic Dole Whip experience, you’ll need to head to Disney world. Dole Whips are creamy, delicious pineapple-flavored soft-serve desserts. They taste like ice cream, but they’re technically non-dairy. You can technically also find these in Hawaii, and offered by impersonators at restaurants across the country, but for the real deal, you’ll want to grab a Dole Whip at the Aloha Aisle in Adventureland in the Magic Kingdom. For the adult drink lover, you can get these in Animal Kingdom with a little rum added. I may or may not have tried this out last time we were there!

The Grey Stuff.

In Beauty and the Beast, Belle is encouraged to “try the grey stuff – it’s delicious!” And boy, they weren’t kidding! You can try the Gray Stuff at the Be Our Guest restaurant, situated inside the Beast’s enchanted castle in Fantasyland. The French-inspired menu is absolutely worth the splurge, but you shouldn’t fill up on your food – leave room for dessert and order a plate of the grey stuff! Even the pickiest eaters shouldn’t be put off by this treat. Despite its strangely-colored appearance, this novel confection isn’t anything too crazy – it’s actually a cookies and cream mousse.  During one of our trips, we celebrated my niece’s birthday at Be Our Guest. Make sure if you are celebrating, to let them know. Our amazing hostess brought her the magical Grey Stuff filled with confetti and a lit candle. Our night was complete!

Cheeseburger Spring Rolls.

Yes, you heard right! Cheeseburger spring rolls might sound like a little strange, but they’re one of my favorite savory treats you can pick up around Disney World – so don’t miss out! These little guys are only available at the Adventureland Egg Roll Wagon, hidden near the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse entrance. True to its name, the filling tastes just like a burger – only instead of a bun, it’s wrapped in a crispy spring roll wrapper and fried to perfection.

Macaron Ice Cream Sandwiches.

Experience a taste of France and beat the Florida heat with a macaron ice cream sandwich. You can find these delectable desserts in Epcot at L’Artisan de Glaces. Tucked away in France, this sweet shop serves a variety of rich ice creams, sweet sorbets, and other desserts. While everything on the menu is worth trying, the macaron ice cream sandwiches can’t be missed! Flavors like peaches and cream, peppermint, and pumpkin spice rotate through the menu based on the season.

Source: Picky Palate

Zebra domes.

These little desserts were once only available at the Boma restaurant at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, but you can pick up a few to go from Mara (the Lodge’s counter service restaurant) too! Zebra domes are essentially a creamy mousse filling, covered in white chocolate and decorated with a chocolate drizzle. They’re slightly reminiscent of tiramisu, but I haven’t found anything like them anywhere else, which makes them a must-try item at Disney!

Did your favorite Disney treats make the cut? Leave a comment and let me know!

Great Disney Reads

The post Five Must-Try Treats You’ll Only Find At Disney World appeared first on Kreative in Kinder.

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

Are you planning on attending Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party this year? If you have never been to a special event at Disney World, you are missing out. They are totally worth the time, expense and that extra magic that you can’t get anywhere else.  Plan for five fun filled hours meeting special characters, Spooktacular shows, parades and of course Trick-Or-Treating in the  most magical place on Earth. Sounds like a dream, right?

Can I tell you something that may shock you? I went without my children. Yes, you read that correctly. Before you question my life choices, let me just say that my grown children couldn’t miss work or school and Bennett was only a few months old so it didn’t work out for them but honestly, I wasn’t sad about it. I think all adults should experience Disney without kids but that’s for another post. Ha!

Mickey’s Halloween Decorations

Disney spares no expense to make Magic Kingdom enter into the Fall spirit with decorations. Just when you think Magic Kingdom can’t get any better, they totally step up their already five star game for after hour parties.

Photo: Life Family Fun

If  you have visited the Disney World website lately, you can’t help but miss this magical heading , “Halloween fun awaits at an after-dark Special Event at Magic Kingdom.”  This may be the spookiest thing you will find at this celebration. The Haunted Mansion is obviously a fan favorite during this fun event.

Photo: Life Family Fun

Every where you look, there will be little touches of  pumpkin lovin’ and in my opinion, there is nothing spooky about this.

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Tips

Special events usually sell out so pick your date and book it as soon as possible.

The party doesn’t start until 7:00 p.m. but with your ticket,  you can enter Magic Kingdom at 4:00 p.m. Be prepared to party until midnight.

Don’t forget your costume too! Make sure you check the Disney World website for rules and restrictions. Your favorite Disney characters dress up for the party too!

There are trick-or-treat stations all over the park. How cool would it be for your kids to go trick-or-treating at Disney World?

Fast passes are not available, but you really don’t need them because the crowds are smaller. When we went to Mickey’s Christmas Party, we rode Space Mountain three times in a row with no wait!

Make sure you check out party exclusives like these fun glow in the dark balloons.

Pay attention to special event times (fireworks, parade, etc.), character and trick-or-treat locations (bring your own bag) and special ride experiences.

Eat All The Things

I love a good Disney World snack and they definitely have exclusive ones during the party. I also brought my family home a lot of goodies, which they loved. Check out my favorites!

I was seriously sugar wasted by time I left the party and I have zero regrets. Zero.

Exclusive Experiences

During special events, Disney World provides some extra magic for participants. I personally think the time you wait in line for rides is already worth the price of the after hours event ticket but these are the best bonuses.

Certain rides are changed up. For example, Pirates of the Caribbean has live characters throughout the ride. They don’t tell you where they will pop up so keep your eyes open!

Fireworks and Shows

Fireworks are my absolute FAVORITE. Disney World always amazes me with out amount of thought and skill it must take to create their phenomenal fire works displays. During the party, they have an amazing stage show. In 2018, it featured the Hocus Pocus crew which was spectacular! The showed was followed by fireworks that had everyone in the crowd (including me) saying ohhhh and ahhhh!

We aren’t heading the Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party in 2019. We will be attending Mickey’s Christmas Party this year and we are super excited. Seriously, attend a special event. Just when you think it couldn’t get more magical, it does!

If you are heading to Disney World during the holidays, check out our tips by clicking here.

Happy travels.

The post Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party appeared first on Kreative in Kinder.

If you are looking to bring your family for an exclusive magical experience, Disney World is a top theme park that continues to attract people from around the world.  With over four parks, five living-complex communities and dozens of stores, it is no wonder everyone is flocking here for a vacation.  We are so excited to share with you Tips For Traveling To Disney World During The Holidays.

Surviving Disney World, especially during the holidays, requires strategic planning, organization and plan-ahead scheduling. Here is how you can get the best experience from Disney World during your stay.

Book Your Flight as Soon as Possible

One of the most raved about things at Disney World are the accommodations. They have a way of making their guest experience the magic from the moment you set foot on their property. Planning ahead is the most important part of receiving the fullest accommodations at the park, especially during the holidays.

Book your trip a few months ahead of time. Purchase plane tickets and send the information over to Disney (via website or app). Disney World workers will expect your arrival, putting aside any pre-purchases for you until you get there – including park passes booked months in advance.

If you’re staying on Disney property, this also helps notify the location of when they can expect you and have transportation readily available to pick you up. That’s right – when guests stay on DW property during your vacation, they will get free transportation to and from the airport and all around the theme parks for free!

Plan Which Theme Parks You’re Going To

Don’t wait until you get to Disney World to figure out which theme parks you plan to check out. Doing this advance will not only help save you time, but it also saves you money.

Purchasing theme park passes in advance usually comes with a significant price cut. Disney World rewards you for planning your trip ahead of time, giving you even more incentive to be more organized.

Not only does purchasing the theme park passes to either Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom or Hollywood Studios help save money, they also allow you to access a “Fast Pass +” option to help you reserve times for up to three rides in advance. This way you can start your trip off right, knowing exactly what the plan is when you get there.

Our first year doing the holiday experience, I had this ridiculous spreadsheet schedule and actually thought it was best to hop all over the place. Wrong! We got hopper passes for the four days we were there but we decided to do a park a day and that worked great for us.  We chose the park that had special events and early or late hours for that day.  The holidays offer so many wonderful experiences that we didn’t want to miss so it was important that we had a night at each park too.

If you are staying on property, one of the perks includes extra magic hours. Y’all, those are like gold. We would get up early and hit the park as soon as it opened. We would go until mid afternoon when it got really hot (and yes, it got super hot last December and I thought I was going to die, ha) and went back to the hotel for a nap. Then, we woke up and headed back out around 8:00 p.m. and would go until 2:00 a.m. when the park closed. Eventually all of the littles tire out and those families go home. One year, Grace and I rode Space Mountain THREE times in a row after 1:00 a.m. It was awesome! Oh, and last year, my mom and I got up ridiculously early (I think at 5 a.m.) on New Year’s Eve to be at Epcot by time it opened because we wanted to ride Soarin’ without a wait and couldn’t get a fast pass. We looked all kinds of tragic but we didn’t care. We waited maybe 30 minutes, road Soarin, and then went back to our hotel to sleep. Ha! It was worth it! I knew my mom would love it so we had to figure out a way to do it. Who cares if we were running on three hours of sleep.

Signup for My Disney Experience Mobile App

The holidays are a rough time of the year anywhere, nonetheless at a huge theme park like Disney World. You can expect to have delays on rides and even to purchase tickets at the booths in Disney.

Downloading the My Disney Experience mobile app promises to eliminate all wait times.  You can pull up any ride at any given time and see how long the current wait is. It’s awesome! You can automatically link your theme parks tickets into your My Disney Experience app too.

Set Up Your Fast Pass + Immediately

Set these up with the rides you want to get on first and reserve your time. You will be able to bypass the normal line and jump onto the “Fast Pass +” line. Generally, you have an hour reservation, so you can take your time getting to the location without worrying about missing your opportunity.

This is great because you can set it up months in advance to ensure you have your entire trip planned out accordingly. This makes the holiday trip run much smoother.  Now, don’t be crazy like me and grab the first three fast passes you can get your hands on. Our first day, I had us running a hundred miles an hour to get from one side of a park to the next to catch a fast pass. The best way to get the most out of this luxury is to plan all of your passes in one area.  You can download a Disney map online or call and get one mailed to you.  This way, you know which rides are close to one another.  Try to get as many fast passes as you can in the morning.  After you have used all of your fast passes, you can go to a kiosk and book one at a time. Most days, we used six fast passes or more. It was ah-mazing and the large crowds didn’t keep us from skipping a beat.

If you don’t have a fast pass, consider going in the single rider line. My mom, kids and I did this last year for a roller coaster and we all got through within 30 minutes vs the two hour wait without the fastpass. Ain’t nobody got time for that. Ha!

Make Reservations for Everything

Chances are, there will be no available seating in the restaurants on Disney property during the holiday season. Why is this though?

Everyone makes their reservations ahead of time, so most of the restaurant will be reserved for the entire holiday season. Planning ahead and making reservations on the mobile app can get you into the best restaurants Disney World has to offer without any issues. In 2014, my girls and I went the first week in December and reservations were not an issue. We got to eat wherever we wanted (besides the castle, that was a bummer).

I took my whole gang back in Dec. 2015 for New Year’s Eve. This time I made reservations for at least one meal a day during that trip or else we may have starved. Okay, that’s dramatic but you get my point.  It’s super busy right before Christmas through the New Year.  Also, you are charged a reservation fee per person if you do not show up for your reservation or cancel within 24 hours, which means people are more likely to cancel if they think they can’t absolutely make it.  This is good for you.  I checked the app several times a day if we were trying to get into a specific restaurant until we got it.  The first time I looked in October, there were no reservations.  Within two weeks, after persistent searching, I had us at least six good reservations. Check out the My Disney Experience for more information.

Disney Photo Pass

This seriously was worth every penny.  When you prepay for the photo pass, it will save you money.  We decided we didn’t want to lug around a big camera but really we didn’t have to.  Everywhere you looked, there were Disney photographers.  You can ask any of them to take your picture whenever you want.  All they have to do is scan your wristband and the pictures automatically save to your account.  Not only that, but you get all of the photos taken on rides too. If we didn’t have the photo pass, we would have missed out on these gems. Bwhahaha. #terrifiedfaceforthewin

Other Tidbits

There are several things you don’t want to miss out on during the holiday season.  First of all, if Mickey’s Christmas Party is going on while you are there, get tickets. You won’t regret it! The lines as so short, the cookies and hot chocolate are amazing and the Christmas spirit is strong.  Make sure when you are at Magic Kingdom, you watch a fireworks show and see the electric parade. I had enough magic in me after those experiences that I could have channeled my inner Tinkerbell and flown away!

We also loved Fantastmic at Hollywood Studios.  Really, Hollywood Studios has THE BEST shows! Make sure you are at Epcot one night and early enough to get in line for the Candlelight Processional.  It’s the most magical display of Christmas music. If you can afford it, buy the dinner tickets so you don’t have to wait in that long line. They have a celebrity guest host each night and do the reading, which is pretty neat.  Our first year, Whoopi Goldberg was the celebrity guest.  The fireworks at Epcot were the most amazing fireworks I have ever seen in my life.  On New Year’s Eve, they actually have two shows and the one at midnight will blow your mind. It was the most amazing experience to share with my family last year. Just know that you will wait forever and ever for a bus to take you back to your hotel after the New Year’s Eve fireworks. Go to the restroom and grab a snack on the way out of Epcot. Magic Kingdom usually has their New Year’s Eve fireworks show on Dec. 30th and Dec.31st so go to MK on Dec. 30th and Epcot on the 31st.

Oh, and another thing, you can bring snacks into the parks! I think this makes me love Disney World even more.  We packed PB&Js, granola bars, crackers, etc. each day into our bag.  I made everyone in our family each pick two snacks for every day. We had one backpack that we took turns carrying.  In it we had snacks, band-aids, lotion, hand sanitizer, sun block and bug spray…all travel sizes.  We would also each have a water bottle that we could refill at various places. Everyone will give you water. Stay hydrated!

In true travel fashion, we hit up the fun stuff for each person in the family.  The boys loved Star Wars and Grace was over the moon for The Little Mermaid.  Sure, she was 18 but a girl never stops loving a princess! As you can see from our pictures, we did coordinate our outfits because yes, I am THAT mom.  I purchased various shirts from disney.com, amazon and Etsy.  Everyone was allowed to purchase one shirt and ears during the trip though.  Ordering a few things ahead of time definitely saved us money, which helped us get more fun stuff while we were there…like THREE light sabers that my boys just HAD to have. (eye roll lol)  Don’t worry, you don’t have to lug that stuff around though.  Anything you purchase at a theme park can be delivered to your hotel.  You just pick it up in your hotel’s gift shop when you get back.  This makes shopping easier and also gives you no excuses when your kids want ridiculousness, such as THREE light sabers…I’m really going to have to let that go. Ha!

At the end of the first day, I really felt like I deserved a prize for keeping us all from killing each other and zero melt downs to boot, especially since we literally went for 14 hours.  Parents, there are nice beverages at your hotel for you to grab on your way back to your room!

We have now survived Disney World during the holidays for two straight years and I’m not gong to lie, I am a little heartbroken we are not going back this December.  We were fortunate enough to plan those trips because my daughter was the high school mascot the last two years and received NCA’s All American award so she got to dance in the Christmas Day parade in 2014 and do a skit before the Citrus Bowl on New Year’s Day in 2016. Needless to say, I have done my share of fundraising the past two years but it was worth every single ounce of effort.

I’ll leave you with this picture we took last year.  For our one year Family Anniversary, we took our kids to Disney World in 2007.  We fostered our kids for three years before adopting them and this was a very special trip.  My daughter remembered taking this picture when she was younger so we had to find it on FB and recreate it.  We have now been to Disney World twice as a family (only the girls went in Dec 2014) and both trips hold memories that I will forever cherish!

Best of luck in your holiday travels.  Christmas is my favorite time of year and Disney World spares no expense in their decorating.  It’s simply amazing.  They showcase the most beautiful holiday decorations you will probably ever see in one place and the lights are phenomenal.  Disney is already magical but when you throw in the holiday spirit, you can’t help but have a full heart and embrace the spirit of happiness and joy.  I, myself, would go back in a heartbeat.

For this last trip, my kids were 15, 17 and 18 and had the time of their lives.  It doesn’t matter how old your kids get, they are never too old for Disney World.  After all, it is the Happiest Place On Earth. 

The post Tips For Traveling To Disney World During The Holidays appeared first on Kreative in Kinder.

I recently returned home from my very first Disney Cruise.  Before going, I joined a Facebook group for people cruising on this particular cruise. This is where I learned all about the MAGIC known as Fish Extenders.

What is a Fish Extender?

Also called a FE, a fish extender is a gift you give another cabin.  You voluntarily participate in this fun Disney cruise tradition.  I have cruised several times with other cruise lines but this was a first for me. Each group has up to ten cabins which means you could have up to 40 people in your group.  You fill out a google doc with your cabin number, names, ages and favorite characters.  The great thing about FE gifts is that you can do whatever you want.  You can give each person one gift or three. You can even opt for a bigger cabin gift. Being a crafty person, my head was spinning with ideas but you do not have to be crafty to participate. I repeat, you do not have to be crafty. Ha.

My Fish Extenders

We all have go-to spots for our favorite items. One of mine is Oriental Trading.  As soon as I decided what I was going to do, I teamed up with Oriental Trading to spread some pixie dust to my group.  Since this was a short, three night cruise, I decided to give each person one gift but I wanted it to be magical. I decided to put together a cup of goodies for the kids. My “big idea” was pirates meets princesses. I ordered gold coins, pirate necklaces, sun glasses, crowns, mini wands, and cups for each child.

I wrapped the crowns around the cups and filled the cups with the goodies. Then, I wrapped them in clear party bags (also from Oriental Trading) and tied them with red and white ribbon. I decided to use Nemo stickers on the tags because that felt very “fish” extender to me. (See what I did there?) There was one teenager in my group so I bought her something special (glitter makeup bag, lip gloss and more).  Right before we left I found fun activity sets at Five Below that were based on different Disney characters so I bought one for each room. I really had to stop myself because I wanted to buy all the things.

For the adults, I ordered small plastic coffee cups from Oriental Trading . I used my Silhouette Cameo machine to cut the Disney cruise logo and put them on each cup.  Their bags included the cups, a first aide kit and a Mickey bottle opener to each bag. I hope they liked them!

We also decided to join an Adult Only FE group, which was so FUN! I looked at what the rooms were celebrating and decided on gifts based up that. The first image was for a best friends trip with a group of girls. I bought planners at Target and added the Disney cruise logo to them. I bought red measuring cups from the Dollar Tree and added black Mickeys to the large cup. I also had a shot glass with a small Mickey on it.

There were two rooms that had just a parent and child. I made them fun tumblers filled with all kinds of goodies. I had three couples in this group but didn’t take a picture of their gift. It was a cylinder that had a bottle opener, flash light, “magic” germ gel (as any kindergartner would say, ha) from Bath & Body Works, tissues, and more. I crammed as much as I could in those things. I really had so much fun giving!

Last thing I made was just for fun and not FE. I participated in Disney’s Social Media Moms Celebration while on the cruise and I wanted to bring something fun in case I met a new friend or two. I am pretty outgoing but something about being in groups like this makes me stress about finding a tribe. I figured if someone were kind enough to adopt me, then they deserved a prize…cue the ornament (Insert awkward smile)!

Now for the fun part…I had to PACK ALL OF THIS!! It took an entire LARGE suitcase. Oh snap.

But That’s Not All..

Giving all of these goodies is totally fun and my favorite but I’m not going to lie, I totally loved checking our FE carrier (I still have no idea what that thing is actually called) each time we came back to our room. I had ours made from a store on ETSY. I loved it! I picked our favorite characters, which was awesome. After I ordered ours, I saw many people post theirs in the Facebook group and how easy it was to make different kinds. I kicked myself for all of five minutes for not making ours but who am I kidding? I sew with no sew glue. Ha! When ours arrived in the mail, I knew I had made the right decision. I’m pretty crafty but I have to draw the line somewhere. You totally get a gold star if you made yours though. I also saw people just attach cute bags and hang them. Little geniuses!

Check out our FE bag/carrier/hanger thing.  Seriously, what is this called?

We loved delivering our FE gifts to the other cabins and checking out their hangers and doors! (The families posted below do not belong to me. They were kind enough to share their pictures with me. Love the fun they are having!)

Oh, but there is MORE…

I’m kind of feeling like a game show host with these headlines Ha! I am sure you noticed above that door decorating is SERIOUSLY a thing on a Disney cruise. People do not play. I thought I was on top of my game with what I brought but man, oh man. It was fun just walking around looking at all of the doors.

I ordered our Ariel set from this ETSY store. I could have cut and laminated something similar with my Cameo but I was worried about dimensions so I just purchased it. It was very well made and my daughter LOVED it! I did make us mouse heads and a cruise tag with my website on it since I was there for a social media conference.

Check out these awesome doors on our cruise!

So Many Goodies

We LOVED checking to see what FE’s were left for us. Some were personalized based upon the characters we loved, which was so cool. There wasn’t one thing we didn’t love. It didn’t matter if it came from the Dollar Tree or was handmade, it was a pixie dust filled holiday that we experienced over three days. The picture on the left has all of the items my crew received throughout the cruise.  The picture on the right is from someone in another FE group. As you can see we all receive different things and the possibilities are endless. One of the coolest gifts I received was from Bits of Joy. She must have went to my website or personal FB to see that I was an educator because she made me the coolest planner dangle with charms made from clay that included a pencil, paper, etc. How thoughtful is that?! Oh, we also received personalized luggage tags with our favorite character. Pixie dust!!

Read To Join In On The Fun?

Do it! Do it! Do it! Ha. Once you have booked your cruise, search Facebook for your cruise name and date.  Here are a few fun ideas to get you started but if you are a visual person like me, there are a million images on Pinterest when you search fish extender.

Water Bottles

Customized Dry Erase Boards

Ears

Flashlights

First-aide Kits

Picture Frames

Bottles (to put sand in at the beach)

Something fun from YOUR state

Bubbles

Glow Sticks

Candy

Luggage Tags

Nail Polish Set (Mickey colors)

Disney Cookie Cutter

Ornaments

Games

Key Chains

Are you so excited to cruise?  More importantly, can I come with you? No, really.

We LOVED our experience on the Disney Wonder and can’t wait to go back.  There are a million things that I can’t wait to share with you.  It’s always fun to play fairy godmother and this is a memory we will forever cherish.

The post The Magic Known As Fish Extenders appeared first on Kreative in Kinder.