10 Reasons Disney Offers the Best Alaska Cruise for Families

It’s all about the views, and the scenery, on an Alaskan cruise. We’re talking whales, seals, dolphins, icebergs (lots of icebergs), seal-topped icebergs, big, huge glaciers, cloud-topped mountains, (occasional) bears, bald eagles, majestic pine forests, fast-flowing waterfalls… it’s all amazing and it’s all around you. And, it’s a priceless experience that you can share with your family. It’s all about the memories.

Sure you can walk around the towns of Skagway, Juneau, and Ketchikan by yourself, and maybe do a hike or two—Alaska is the perfect place to do this—but Disney offers some pretty incredible opportunities to experience the Alaskan outdoors like Glacier Dog Musher for a Day or the Bering Sea Crab Fisherman’s Tour. Sure, they cost a pretty penny, but you’ll be thankful you booked them—this is a once in a lifetime trip after all. Our favorite (and one of the priciest) is the helicopter tour from Skagway to the Mead Glacier with Temsco Helicopter Tours. There is no way to thoroughly explain the euphoric feeling of flying over the mountains (if weather conditions are right) and landing on a glacier. Nor are there words to properly describe the feeling of walking on a glacier or watching your kids drinking glacier-cold glacier water from a rapidly flowing glacier stream. It’s as mind-blowing as it sounds.

Speaking of excursions, if you or any member of your party are Disney fans, then the thrill of going on an excursion with a Disney character dressed in Alaskan gear will be the icing on the cake. Panning for gold with Donald at the Liarsville Gold Rush Trail in Skagway? Seeing Goofy at the Disney-exclusive version of the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show in Ketchikan? Both are experiences only on a Disney cruise. And, many of these excursions are suitable for any age or level of mobility.

One of the best parts of a Disney Cruise is the access to all things Disney, especially the Disney characters. Sure, you have to line up to get your picture with Mickey and Minnie, but with only about 2,000 people on board, the line is going to be significantly shorter (and you’re not standing in the hot California or Florida sun). There are numerous opportunities for meet-and-greets too, from pre-arranged times in the ship’s atrium to spontaneous encounters out and about the ship. And, the best part (if it can get even better) is that the characters are dressed in their Alaskan gear—Mickey decked out in fisherman’s gear, Minnie in a winter parka, and Goofy donning a plaid flannel to explore the wilderness.

This is Disney after all, so you can expect food and lots of it. You can also expect exclusive food and beverage offerings that are location appropriate. Yes, that means Baked Alaska will be on the menu as well as Alaskan King Crab legs. Actually, you can expect a “Regional Inspiration” dish on the dinner menu every night, but the dishes aren’t often repeated so if you see something you like, order it. There are also cooking demonstrations that focus on preparing local dishes like roasted Alaskan King Salmon filet with crisp new potatoes or roasted venison loin with parsnip puree and morel mushrooms. But, one of the best treats is the hot drink carts strategically placed around the decks during prime viewing times and awaiting guests as they return after port days—a cup of mulled wine or hot chocolate really takes the edge off…of the cold.

Almost every cruise has evening entertainment, and a cruise to Alaska is no different. But how many people can say they saw an actual Disney Broadway show at sea? And, what could be more perfect than seeing Disney’s Frozen while floating among icebergs and glaciers? In fact, the  Disney Wonder has an entire day of “Frozen” fun for its guests. There’s a meet-and-greet with Anna, Elsa, and Olaf, and “Anna’s Chocolate Chase,” a ship-wide scavenger hunt with a special surprise at the end, and much more. The day ends with a fantastical deck show with Anna, Elsa, and friends. Spoiler alert: There’s snow.

Speaking of Disney friends, the Disney Wonder is the only ship in the fleet that features the Pixar Pals Party. If your kid is (or you are) a big Pixar fan this is a HUGE deal as you don’t get to interact with Mike Wazowski (Monsters Inc), Remy (Ratatouille), Mr. and Mrs. Incredible (The Incredibles), OR Russell and Dug (Up) on any other boat. Let us repeat that…you don’t get to interact with Pixar characters on any other boat.

Disney knows how to entertain kids—there’s just no way of getting around it—and, they entertain kids well. On the Disney Wonder, more than 15,000 square feet—almost an entire deck—is devoted to the entertainment and enjoyment of children. The main attractions are Disney’s Oceaneer Club and Disney’s Oceaneer Lab, which cater to children 3-12 years old; it seems odd to group such a wide range of ages together, but there’s plenty of space and age-specific activities to make everyone happy. The Oceaneer Club has the MARVEL Super Hero Academy, a Disney Junior space, and exclusive to the Wonder, the Frozen Adventures room—it looks like Oaken’s shop. The Oceaneer Lab is more focused on maker space type activities like cooking classes, science experiments, a craft studio, and The Wheelhouse, which has navigation simulators that help kids steer their very own Disney ship. Characters pop in throughout the day for dance parties and activities. There’s also a tween-focused space called Edge, and a space for teens called Vibe that’s open until 2 am. A nursery for kids under 3 is an extra fee.

Disney knows how to entertain kids, but it also knows that adults need entertainment too, especially that that involves time away from those aforementioned kids. Luckily, there are ample opportunities for kid-free entertainment. Adults can start their day in the Cove Cafe for specialty coffee drinks (the space turns into a bar at night) and then lounge in the Quiet Cove area that has comfy chairs, a pool, two hot tubs, and the Senses Spa & Salon. In the evening, adults can retreat to the Crown & Fin Pub, the Cadillac Lounge, or Azure nightclub; the spaces are exclusive to the Wonder. Another adult-only treat is having dinner (or brunch) at PALO. The attention to detail and personalized service is a notch above the amazing service you get on the rest of the ship. And the silence will be most welcome—even though there’s an additional cost, make a reservation. You will thank us.

At just under 1,000 feet long, the Disney Wonder is one of Disney’s smaller ships, and one of the smaller ships from the big-name cruise lines. This means it can travel to places the bigger ships can’t like the beautiful Endicott Arm. Believe us when we say, Wow. The ship’s small size means it holds fewer people, about 1,300 guests less than on the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy, so there will be fewer people to contend with, meaning shorter lines to see characters, fewer people to wrestle seats for the evening shows, fewer people on the viewing decks, fewer people in the pool and on the water slide…you get the picture.