Decorating stateroom doors on a Disney Cruise Line sailing may be a cherished tradition among passengers, but the cruise line has tightened its rules on the types of trimmings guests
are allowed to use.
Disney Cruise Line
recently updated its guidelines for guests who look forward to embellishing
their onboard home away from home. Evidently, this has been due to an
increasing number of excessively decorated doorways, including those featuring
streamers, signs and photos that encroach on shared hallway space.
In the FAQ
section of its website, the line clarifies that, while passengers are welcome
to personalize their stateroom doors with “a tasteful magnetic sign for a
celebration—or simply to add a touch of fun!" such “decorations should
only be placed on doors and are not permitted on corridor walls or ceilings.”
A Disney spokesperson
confirmed to Fox
News that the popular door-decorating tradition isn't going anywhere.
However, the updated policy was put in place to address safety concerns that
have arisen as some displays have gotten out of hand.
Although the
practice of decorating cabin doors isn’t specific to guests who sail with Disney
Cruise Line, it’s especially popular because of the line’s family-friendly culture
and celebratory atmosphere. Cruisers often create custom magnets and themed
displays to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, first sailings, honeymoons and
other special occasions.
But according to some
passenger reports, what was once just a bit of harmless fun has, in some
instances, become excessive and potentially problematic.
On social media,
travelers have reported that these decorative displays sometimes extend onto
hallways and ceilings, creating a visual mess and making it more difficult for
guests using wheelchairs, mobility devices or strollers to navigate the
corridors.
One cruiser shared
on Reddit, "I love to decorate the door, but on our last cruise … some of
the decorations were so extensive they made the hallways an obstacle course. It
was a nightmare with the wheelchair trying not to get caught on stuff."
Another passenger
expressed similar concerns, writing, "I appreciate people’s creativity,
but only to a certain extent. The people who do full-blown displays, including
a gallery wall of photos from prior cruises, are out of their minds. It’s
getting out of hand and into fire hazard territory with some of these extensive
displays."
Besides keeping the decor confined
to cabin doors, Disney Cruise Line also has some existing restrictions on the types
of materials that can be used. Tapes, adhesives and over-the-door organizers
are not allowed because they can damage the finish of stateroom doors, and
decorations featuring sound or video elements are also prohibited. The company even
specifies that passengers who damage stateroom doors will be fined $100 per
incident to cover repair costs.
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