Monday, April 1, 2024

Complete Guide: Disney's Alaska Cruises for 2023, 2024 and Beyond

disney alaska cruise

During the glacier viewing, Disney characters, donning galoshes and parkas, were on deck for hugs and photos. Know that sometimes the cruise itinerary is in reverse, so depending on your itinerary this may be your last stop. By far our favorite Alaskan port, Skagway is home to the astounding history of the Gold Rush. While this little town may look a bit sleepy, there is so much history here that it’s completely worth the deep dive. And you really get the rich storytelling when you book the excursion we did.

Exploring Skagway’s Gold Rush History and Nearby Attractions

disney alaska cruise

Many people recommended this restaurant to us, but we were still apprehensive. It’s right along the main drag of Juneau’s downtown shopping district, and we worried it’d be like the Alaska version of Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. or Joe’s Crab Shack. In Juneau, we also hiked Mount Roberts Trail up, and took the Tramway down (a savvy option for frugal travelers as the tram is “free” that way). There were another half-dozen things on my list that I wish we had time to do there. Some of those questions I planned on answering in future posts and some I answered in the comments there (but subsequent readers have asked again since this blog’s comment display sucks). With that said, I’m going to save myself some work and jump ahead and preemptively answer some questions and provide additional tips now.

Dog Sledding and Glacier Flightseeing $629

Disney Cruise Line unveils plans for summer 2025 - Travel Weekly

Disney Cruise Line unveils plans for summer 2025.

Posted: Thu, 14 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Skagway, Alaska, is situated along Alaska’s southeastern coast, nestled at the northernmost point of the Inside Passage. The town sits above the top of a glacier-fed fjord, with the Skagway Cruise Port sitting along its southern coast. There is something for everyone and you really should take the opportunity to explore this amazing place. There are so many activities that you can do in Juneau you will find yourself struggling about which to choose.

When is the Best Time to Book a Disney Alaska Cruise?

Disney Cruise Line announces itineraries for summer 2025: Europe, Alaska, The Bahamas, Caribbean - KGO-TV

Disney Cruise Line announces itineraries for summer 2025: Europe, Alaska, The Bahamas, Caribbean.

Posted: Thu, 14 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Plenty of helicopter tours are ideal for cruise ship passengers, as they allow you to take in an incredible amount of scenery in a limited time. Save time and view the mountains, glaciers, fjords, and forests from above. Visiting Skagway offers cruise passengers a wide range of outdoor adventure and exploration opportunities. Beyond Skagway’s small-town charm and famed ties to the Gold Rush Era, the surrounding area offers breathtaking views of the rugged Alaskan wilderness.

disney alaska cruise

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This was overall a low-stress, uneventful day, but it was also a great way to start to wrap up our trip. While rain would have put a damper on some of our walking, overall I think I’d still plan to do something similar on future visits (but with the lumberjack show, probably). After yesterday, we had no intention of skipping the nap today, so we headed back to the ship. With Zoe walking, we made the “15-minute walk” in about 20 minutes. The “world famous” Red Dog Saloon is probably the most famous saloon in Juneau, and it’s a really fun spot. I’d call it a must-do so long as you don’t have an excursion that takes up your whole day.

Rainforest Sanctuary and Totem Park Disney Excursion $149

With our cruising crew now off the ship and back home in the lower 48, here are 10 things to know before you set sail on a Disney Alaska cruise. In fact, all of downtown Skagway has been designated part of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, so many of the original buildings and artifacts have been preserved. As such, the entire town almost feels like a functioning museum. Temperatures can range from 25° to 45°F, but you can also expect a mix of rain and snow. While this time of year brings the great thaw and a rise in wildlife activity and wildflower blooms, you still need to pack appropriately. You will need waterproof outerwear, as well as winter gloves.

Maybe we had a less crowded ship, or maybe we’re just more inclined to walk around the ship at our leisure. But I felt that I had plenty good views from the decks of the ship, and I generally preferred being outside of the room to being in it. I think it’s probably a mistake to nitpick these costs (but yea, that’s a big ‘nit’). The fact is that if we were backpacking through Alaska, we’d probably have better experiences at a lower price.

Read Our Quick Guide to Quick Service on the Disney Wonder

I packed a travel steamer so we could avoid the laundry room which gets very busy. We always recommend arriving in a port city at least one day before embarkation just in case there are flight delays or cancellations. The water was plenty warm and crowds were low so Elizabeth and her friends changed into suits and had a good time using the pool and slide before the Sail-A-Wave party. There are a couple photo ops before boarding Disney Wonder and it’s best to be camera ready. Packing early meant that as I thought of missing items I still had time to order them.

Disney Cruise Alaska Skagway Port and Excursions

Make sure to bring your binoculars, and consider getting a camera extension for your iPhone to increase your zoom strength. And you’ll still want to bring a bathing suit and sunscreen, in case you plan to enjoy the pool or spa. Excursion options will vary based on your length of cruise and the time of the year. Another incredible dinner experience was on our third night at Animator’s Palate. What wildlife we saw from Disney Wonder on our Alaska cruise generally needed binoculars.

Spanning about 3 hours this was a fairly decent deal for $149 if you wanted to get an inside look at the forests and learn about the birds and totems. However, there were definitely elements of this tour we would have changed if we had the option or had gone on our own. Included in this tour excursion are the Tongass National Rainforest Walk, The Raptor Sanctuary, and the Totem Park. This stretch of our tour featured an amazing storyteller and previous National Park Ranger, Doug from the Skagway City and Summit Tour team.

In our search for coffee, when everywhere else was closed, we happily stumbled upon the Just Dandy Apothecary and Cafe. Serving up not only specialty coffees, like mochas, London fog teas, and pistachio matcha lattes but also wraps, bowls, and salads, this would have been a great place for lunch. Offering a public restroom, indoor seating, and an open library, this restaurant also had some cute souvenirs. Much like Pirate Night on a Disney Cruise, on an Alaska Cruise, you get to Freeze the Night Away with friends from Frozen. This evening deck party happens between the first and second dinner seatings and includes the entertainment team, Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf.

Full collections of Harry Potter and Studio Ghibli merch sit happily next to Italo Calvino, Kafka, and Agatha Christie. The most amazing bookstore to browse if you’re looking for a unique book gift or a special edition of a classic. Creek Street in Ketchikan was a nice surprise for a stroll and browsing. Featuring several restaurants and shops, this area is very historical and offered a lot of neat details and history about the area. A great place to grab a souvenir, this was a nice one-stop shop for us to get a feeling of Ketchikan. Not only did we get a little history of The Cadillac Lounge, where we were hosted, but also a slew of alcoholic drinks to try.

This is a key element of why Disney ships are very different from any other that you will experience. Disney knows how to put on a show and you will be amazed at their Broadway-quality entertainment. There really isn’t anything to compare in the cruise industry. There are many other cruise lines that sail to Alaska and many of them go to exactly the same places. There are several Disney Port Adventures available to the National Park which is also known as Totem Park. The basic tour is $64 for adults and $44 for children aged 3 to 9.

I’ll try to space future Alaska posts out a bit more so as to not flood those of you who don’t care with Alaska content. There are laundry machines to minimize the about of bulky clothes you need to pack. And the dryers are particularly handy for drying clothes that got soaked in the rain or snow. The machines can be operated by tapping your room key and charging the laundry to your room.

If anyone in your group has trouble walking long distances you may want to get a wheelchair for the walk through the check in process. There is lots of winding back and forth through the Disney Cruise Line security, customs, passport control, and then boarding the ship. When you first board the Disney Wonder in Vancouver each restaurant will be open for you to enjoy lunch.

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