Stateroom Door Decorations
Cruisers love to decorate their stateroom doors. When you are on a cruise, it's not uncommon to find doors decked out to recognize a birthday, anniversary, or any other special occasion someone might be celebrating. But Disney cruisers take door decorating to a whole new level. Disney fans don't need a reason to decorate their door other than their love of cruising and Disney. As such, you'll find far more stateroom doors decorated on Disney ships than on other cruise lines.
Below are some example decorations from guests aboard the Disney Wish:
Door Decoration Basics
One thing that door decorations have in common is that they are magnetic or that are attached using magnets. Many people create their own decorations using printable magnet paper that you can find on Amazon or at local office supply stores. Others purchase premade decorations from online stores such as Etsy or eBay.
Here are some examples of common ways people decorate their stateroom doors:
If your magnet is strong enough, you can even attach your decorations to the wall on either side of your door. Some people have also been known to hang decorations from the ceiling using magnets. As a courtesy to other guests, don't take up more space than the area of your stateroom and make sure that your decorations aren't obtrusive to people walking down the hall. Decorations should be close to the door or wall and not hang over into the walkway.
Door Decoration Guidelines
Before we get into specific door decoration ideas and suggestions, we should cover the rules and guidelines that you should follow when decorating your door.
First, door decorations must be magnetic or attached to the door with magnets. Disney does not allow you to use tape or any other type of adhesive in order to prevent damage to the door. In fact, Disney's official policy on door decorations, found here, advises that guests who scratch or damage the door will be charged $100 USD per incident to cover repairs.
Even using magnets, you should still be careful. Some magnets have metal housings that can scratch the door. You should avoid dragging or moving strong magnets while they are stuck to the door. To prevent scratches, you should instead pull the magnet off the door and replace it in the desired location. To be safe, you can also make sure that there is something, such as the item you are affixing, between the door and powerful magnets.
If you use printable magnet paper or magnetic sheets (discussed below) you won't have to worry about damaging the door. Magnet paper is not abrasive and is not very strong.
Disney specifically does not allow over the door hangers for decorations, or even for storage purposes inside of your stateroom. Avoid using these as they are sure to be removed.
Door decorations should not be obtrusive to people walking by. They should remain close to the wall and not stick out into, or hang over, the walkway.
Finally, decorations should be respectful and in good taste. Obviously, Disney will remove offensive decorations and they may not appreciate it if you put up a "We Love Royal Caribbean" sign.
Door Decoration Supplies
When it comes to door decorations, you can make them yourself or buy them online. Even if you make them yourself, there are templates that you can find online, or even buy, to help you along.
Magnet Paper
The most important supply to the do-it-yourself stateroom door decorator is their magnet paper. This paper is compatible with most home inkjet printers and can be used to print any design you want, such as your favorite Disney characters or other Disney clipart images found online. This paper can be cut using a good pair of scissors. Once cut, your printed designs are ready to hang.
Remember, magnet paper does not stick to Suite or Concierge doors on the Disney Dream or Disney Fantasy.
Printable Magnet Paper
Not all magnet paper is created equally and some magnet paper doesn't stick very well. I've had the best luck with Avery and Staples brand magnet paper.
Adhesive Magnet Paper
If you don't have a printer, or if you already have printed pictures or decorations, you can use adhesive magnet paper. One side is sticky and attaches to your photo or decoration, while the other side is magnetic for your door. This works best for flat, light weight décor, such as paper and photos.
Magnets
There are a variety of magnets that you can use for your door decorations depending on your needs.
Regular Magnets
Simple magnets that can be used to hold photos, papers, or other thin decorations to the door. These can also be hot-glued to the back of decorations so they are hidden.
Adhesive Magnets
Magnets with built in adhesive to stick to your decorations. Be sure use the adhesive side on your decoration and not the stateroom door.
Push Pin Magnets
These strong neodymium magnets are great for attaching fabric or banners to your stateroom door. They can also be used to hold photographs or paper decorations.
Neodymium Disc Magnets
These magnets are very strong and will even stick to the wooden Concierge doors on the Dream and Fantasy. However, they are very fragile, they break easily, and they are difficult to remove from the door. The smooth finish helps to prevent scratching, but there is still some risk.
Hook Magnets
Hook magnets can be used to hang decorations from the ceiling. These specific magnets are strong neodymium magnets rated to hold up to 25 pounds (11 kgs).
Dry Erase Boards
It's somewhat common for people to have magnetic dry erase boards, or even note pads, on their door. This was more common before Disney developed the Disney Cruise Line App that allows guests to communicate for free using their smartphones. Prior to that, a popular way to communicate was to leave a message on the door, such as "Going to the pool" or "Watching Finding Nemo in the theater".
Even though they no longer serve their original purpose, many people still hang dry erase boards on their door to write messages to other guests or even let guests write messages to them. You'll see notes like "Have a great day on Castway Cay!" or "Welcome aboard!". You can even use the boards to get to know your neighbors and ask questions, such as "Where are you from?". It can be fun communicating with complete strangers. If want people to be able to write back, be sure to leave a magnetic dry erase marker so that people have something back to you with.
When choosing a dry erase board, be sure that it can be safely affixed to the door using magnets. Some boards have metal backs that can scratch the door. Look for boards with a plastic back or boards that are simply magnetic sheets. Heavier boards have a tendency to slip when the door shuts, so the magnetic sheet boards work best.
Be aware that the flat area of the door, where most people attach their board, is only about 13 inches (33 cms) wide. Be sure to find a whiteboard small enough to fit there.
Inmorven Dry Erase Sheet
This magnetic whiteboard sheet is the most stable option to use for your stateroom dry erase board. It's light, and the entire back is magnetic, so it resists slipping when the door is shut.
Dry erase sheets are rather plain by themselves. You can plus them up by applying a ribbon border, gluing on embellishments, or by adding your own decorations in permanent marker.
U Brands Dry Erase Board
This U Brands board is an inexpensive, lightweight dry erase board that has an attached marker. It can be mounted by attaching multiple magnets to the back. Use strong magnets to keep it from slipping when the door is shut.
Viz-Pro Dry Erase Board
The Viz-Pro Dry Erase Board is an option for those who prefer to hang their board. It can be hung easily with a hook magnet or strong push pin style magnet. You can also glue or attach any of the magnets above to make it self stick. Make sure to attach it securely so it doesn't fall or slip when you close the door.
Purchase on AmazonDisney Cruise Line Door Decoration Art Pack
Disney Cruise Line has put together the Door Decoration Art Pack that contains a variety of clip art pictures that you can print on you on your own magnet paper. You can also print the designs on regular paper or card stock and then attach them to the door with magnets.
Decorations For Purchase
Cruise door decorating is so popular that there are multiple online shops that sell products specifically for this purpose. Etsy and eBay are great sources for Disney specific and general cruise decor. Many items can be customized with information such as the family's name, sail date, ship name, etc. Amazon can also be an option for more generic cruise decorations.
Read on to see some of the best and most popular door decorations from my favorite shops.
A Wonderful Thought Co
Do It Yourself Stateroom Number Ears
The stateroom number ear decorations from A Wonderful Thought Co are one of the most popular Disney specific door decorations. These popular, character inspired magnets fit over the stateroom number and make a great addition to your door. They have over 50 styles to choose from.
Please note that you are only purchasing a downloadable template and not the actual magnet. You will use their template to print the design on your own magnet paper. Instead of using magnet paper, you can also print on regular paper or card stock, laminate it (optional), and adhere magnets to the back.
For some designs, the print out is wider than a single sheet of paper and is actually, two separate pieces put together. If you look closely at the picture above, you can see the seam between the two pieces.
You will also need to be able to follow the directions to print at exactly the correct size, otherwise it won't fit over the stateroom number perfectly. Those who are not good with computers may want to opt for premade magnets instead (see below).
These stateroom ears are designed to fit perfectly over the rounded stateroom number signs on the Disney Magic, Wonder, Dream and Fantasy. The Disney Wish has different stateroom number signs that are not rounded. Though the fit is not perfect, the designs still look nice. Please be aware that the indentation in the doors on the Wish does not give the magnet as much surface area to stick to the door. Some magnet sheets may have trouble sticking.
Ashalina Ballerina
Premade Stateroom Number Ears
If you don't want to deal with printing stateroom number ears yourself, you can order premade ears from Ashalina Ballerina. The options aren't as plentiful as with A Wonderful Thougth Co above, but she does offer a variety of characters and other magnets for your stateroom door.
Grayson Tags and More
Disney Cruise Line Magnets
Grayson Tags and More features several Disney Cruise Line themed magnets for decorating your stateroom door. Their DCL name tag magnets are very popular.
CruiseDesignsBB
License Plate and Mickey Icon Magnets
The license plate and Mickey icon magnets from CruiseDesignsBB are two deisgn options unique to this Etsy shop. They also offer a variety of other cruise door magnets.
Nick and JoJo
Disney Cruise Line Magnets
Nick and JoJo is another Etsy shop with dozens of unique, nicely designed magnets.
Disney Door Fantasy
Character and Mickey Icon Magnets
Disney Door Fantasy has a huge variety of designs from smaller magnets to full body characters.
Free Cruise Planning
