10 Tips for a Great Alaska Disney Cruise

Disney Cruise Line’s Alaska sailings are very popular, but the experience you have on this itinerary can vary widely. This offers our top 10 tips & tricks for having the best sailing, with port excursion recommendations, character advice, and how to improve the quality & comfort of your experience.

We first shared some of these Alaska DCL tips & tricks following our first cruise, and have decided to expand upon these tips for a couple of reasons. First, because Disney Cruise Line will have a second ship sailing to Alaska for the Summer 2026 season, as the Disney Magic joins the Disney Wonder.

The latter has offered Alaskan itineraries since 2011, the only ship in the DCL fleet to set sail to the Last Frontier. With the introduction of a second ship to Alaska, Disney Cruise Line will return with double the sailings bound for the picturesque glacial landscape of North America.

Both the Disney Magic and the Disney Wonder will embark on seven-night voyages to Alaska from Vancouver, Canada starting in May 2026. Itineraries will vary and include ports of call such as Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan, all famous for their prehistoric glaciers, rich histories and eclectic shopping.

On most sailings, cruisers will also discover the incomparable natural beauty of Alaska when they visit Dawes Glacier, a majestic tidewater glacier that towers over 600-feet tall. Itineraries on the Disney Magic will feature a stop at Icy Strait Point, known for its unique wildlife.

With the release of Disney Cruise Line’s Summer 2027 Itineraries, it’s once again confirmed that both ships will sail to Alaska. Both ships offer seven‑night sailings in 2027, while the Disney Magic will also offer six‑night and eight‑night options. This alone suggests that early bookings for 2026 have been strong–or why else would DCL do the double dip for a second season?!

Because of this, we’re anticipating more reader interest in Alaska itineraries among Disney Cruise Line planners. Honestly, though, the main motivation is that we are starting to plan a return cruise to Alaska and, in so doing, I realized I’d never revisited the topic after this and 7 Mistakes We Made on Our DCL Alaska Cruise.

That was especially popular (you all seem to love when we screw up!), and prompted a lot of questions. I had planned on answering those questions in future posts and a comprehensive trip report…that never ended up happening. Life got in the way, I guess.

However, I do fairly comprehensive journaling while traveling and take copious photos, allowing me to revisit the subject a few years after the fact and still share our experiences and recommendations we’d make to you. And ourselves for that matter, as a lot has changed now that we’re no longer just a couple, and will be taking a do-over cruise with our toddler. (Although probably not until 2028 as we want to wait until she’s fully out of the stroller and can do some hikes.)

With that in mind, here’s Past Disney Adult Tom’s advice to Future Disney Dad Tom and all of you, too…

Do Plenty of Port Adventures

For our first Alaska cruise, we did the White Pass Scenic Railway at our first stop in Skagway. We were on the fence about this excursion prior to the cruise and decided to make a game-day decision based upon the weather. It was gorgeous when we arrived in Skagway, so we opted to buy tickets.

You can purchase these directly from the White Pass & Yukon Route ticket agent at the train, which is maybe 100 yards from where the ship docks. We highly recommend the White Pass Scenic Railway Port Adventure–it was well worth the money and one of the most memorable experiences of our Alaska cruise.

Had we not done the White Pass Scenic Railway, our plan was to hike Upper Dewey Lake Trail for the view along the route to Devil’s Punch Bowl. That would’ve taken most of the day, and we didn’t have the time when we were done with the train, so instead we did the easy 3-mile loop hike on Lower Dewey Lake Trail followed by more in-town activities.

If our budget were unlimited, I would’ve added the Dog Sledding and Glacier Flightseeing to our itinerary, which could be done in the same day as the White Pass & Yukon Route with plenty of time to spare. I’d do this in Skagway over the Mendenhall Glacier Dog Sledding because I found there to be more to do in Juneau than Skagway, and also no shortage of interesting ways to experience Mendenhall Glacier.

Speaking of which, in Juneau we did the Mendenhall Lake Kayak Adventure. This was incredible and well-worth the money, but it’s impossible for me to say it was better than other Mendenhall Glacier experiences. My recommendation for Juneau is to do a Port Adventure that features Mendenhall Glacier in some way; whatever way that might be, you’re likely bound for a great experience.

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). Of the three ports, Juneau was our favorite. There were another half-dozen things on my list that I wish we had time to do there.

As we plan our family’s next Alaska cruise, I’m leaning heavily on the DCL Alaska itinerary shared by our friend, Scott Gustin. Obviously I cannot vouch for all of those Port Excursions, but our plan is to book much or most of what he scored as 8/10 or above.

Our final port was Ketchikan, which is the rainiest city in America, receiving over 150″ of annual rainfall (compared to Seattle’s ~38″), including a record amount last June, July, and August. Suffice to say, it poured the entire day we were in Ketchikan, which is to be expected.

Not letting this spoil the experience, we did a rainforest hike through the fittingly named Rainbird Trail. This was more difficult than anticipated due to several impromptu waterfalls and washed out sections of trail. On the plus side, we only saw 2 other people during the entire hike. (Funnily enough, this is one of my strongest and best memories of the cruise a few years later.)

We also purchased a combo ticket for the Tongass Historical Museum and Totem Heritage Center, both of which were excellent and highly recommended. In our ideal Ketchikan itinerary, an excursion involving a floatplane and the Tongass National Forest would’ve been fun. And perhaps an all-you-can-eat crab feast.

Splurge on a Verandah

We used to be adamantly anti-verandah, viewing them as an unnecessary expense for us since we spend so much time outside the room. When it came to Alaska, many readers and friends who had taken the cruise offered pushback on this perspective, with many highly recommended a verandah. We didn’t have a verandah on our Norwegian Fjords cruise and felt like we didn’t miss anything, so I ignored this advice.

This was a mistake. With 2 days at sea plus 1 day going through an iceberg-filled fjord, we would’ve gotten plenty of use out of the verandah. Even on port days, it would’ve been great for whale watching. Instead, we ended up spending a lot of time up on the outdoor public decks. Much of that time it was windy, raining, or cold, and I would’ve rather been back in the room sitting down with a cup of coffee. We stayed outside even in nasty weather because we felt a sense of obligation to be outside of the room since we spent so much money on the cruise.

Mind you, we took this Alaska cruise when we were childless Disney Adults and still regretted not splurging on a verandah. Now that we’re Disney Parents, I cannot fathom not getting a verandah. We spend much more time in the room now, as everything takes longer. There is no racing up to the outdoor decks at a moment’s notice. We’ve only done two cruises with our daughter, on the Disney Wish and Disney Treasure, both with verandahs. I cannot imagine going back at this point. Definitely not for an Alaska cruise, and probably not at all.

Explore Beyond the Port Areas

It’s not uncommon for there to be touristy shopping districts right around cruise ports no matter where you go. I don’t know why I expected Alaska to be any different, but I was still surprised to see Diamonds International, my arch nemesis (not really), with large storefronts in the Last Frontier. (I’m so thankful Sarah has no interest in diamonds.)

The trouble with these ports, particularly Skagway, is that much of the local economy is predicated upon tourism. Again, this is par for the course with cruising, but if you’re visiting Alaska for its undeveloped scenery, it’s still mildly surprising. With that said, if you venture beyond the port area, you’ll be rewarded.

Aside from a quick stop in a store for surprisingly cheap souvenirs, we largely ignored the shopping areas at each port. There were worthwhile museums and other ways to get a sense for authentic culture of Alaska, but this wasn’t as easy as it was in Norway.

Dress in Layers

Ketchikan is the rainiest city in America. Weather in the other ports can likewise be dodgy, with heavy rain and sunshine in the span of an hour. One of our days at sea really underscored this, as we went from t-shirts to insulated layers and GORE-TEX within 20 minutes.

You’ll absolutely want to dress in athletic and outdoor attire and pack in layers. Ideally, pack a waterproof & windproof outer layer, an insulating layer, and a moisture-wicking base layer. We’d recommend packing multiple moisture-wicking shirts, as well as extra socks and waterproof hiking boots–even if you don’t plan on hiking.

We both use GORE-TEX jackets for our outer layer, and those kept us totally dry and warm. GORE-TEX is expensive and might be overkill if you live somewhere dry and warm, but it’s a good investment if you’re exposed to rain or snow regularly. We saw a lot of people wearing Disney Parks ponchos at port, which had to have been suboptimal. If GORE-TEX is out of the question, consider that dorky Frogg Toggs Rain Suit I recommend on our Disney Packing List Tips post. It’s not as dry of a solution, but it’s cheap and far superior to ponchos.

I’d also recommend softshell hiking pants that are water-resistant or quick-drying. These should have spandex in them; unlike the rest of my wardrobe, that’s actually not cause for concern here. Even if you don’t plan on hiking, softshell pants are a better option for the ports than jeans because you’ll end up wet all day if you just wear jeans. Good pairs of these aren’t cheap, but REI stores should have some that are under $100. I’m a big fan of Mammut, but any 4-way stretch option should suffice. If it makes the cost more palatable, these are the most comfortable pants I own, and I frequently wear them around the house on lazy Sundays.

Bring Binoculars

Continuing the “pack appropriately” genre of tips, we’d highly recommend packing binoculars. There is a lot to see both in the ports and while sailing through Alaska, and much of it is quite distant.

For the photographers out there, I’d also recommend packing or renting a wildlife lens. I’ve gone hiking in the mountains of California, Montana, and Canada in wildlife-dense areas and have never felt the need for a good telephoto lens (we’re talking 300-600mm) like I did in Alaska (Glacier National Park was close).

What I didn’t expect was so many seals on icebergs and bald eagles. Seriously, it’s like bald eagles are the pigeons of Alaska. They were everywhere. On the way to one Port Adventure, we saw two fields with–literally–hundreds of bald eagles just chilling on the ground. (It was a surreal sight and it almost looked like they were building an army to rise up against the humans.)

Eat at Tracy’s King Crab Shack

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.

Thankfully, we gave it a chance and our fears were totally unfounded. It was the best crab we’ve ever had, and was an excellent experience. In hindsight, I wish we would’ve bought the Large Alaskan King Crab Bucket. Not because we needed that much food, but because I’m a total sucker for gimmicky experiences that involve overeating.

Arrive Early or Late for Characters

From a distinctly Disney perspective, one of the coolest aspects of the Alaska cruise is that the characters meet in Alaska-exclusive costumes. You know the outfits–the iconic photo of Mickey and Minnie in Tracy Arm is featured heavily in pretty much all Disney Cruise Line’s marketing materials for Alaska itinerary.

Unquestionably, the best day to meet these characters is on the Tracy Arm fjord cruise day, when they appear for a couple of sets on Deck 10, weather permitting. Minnie is by far the most popular of these characters (probably because her outfit is best), and the ideal approach for her is lining up about 10-20 minutes before her first set.

Info about this in the Navigator is vague, but character attendants will start popping up where characters will be. Don’t be shy about asking them which characters will meet in each location and when. Once the characters actually come out, lines balloon and waits are significant.

If you’re unable to meet every character on the fjord cruise day (perhaps someone has a better strategy than us, but we found it to be impossible), they’ll appear inside on subsequent nights. These are far easier to do, but the backdrop is far duller, too.

The 10 p.m. meet & greets have the shortest waits, which worked well for us as childless Disney Adults. Now that we have a toddler who is fast asleep by then, we’ll have to rework this strategy for our second Alaska cruise!

Go Hiking

On our second Alaska cruise, there’s no way we’ll go hiking as much as we did on the first. We overdid it then, and that was without a toddler. Our daughter makes that much hiking an absolute non-starter.

With that said, we will go on some hikes and highly recommend doing the same. We had a blast on each of the hikes and they were unique, even if so many was physically exhausting. Perhaps my In-N-Out Diet, patent pending, is not as healthy as everyone assumes?

While 4 hikes might be too many, we’d highly recommend at least a couple. For the shorter, less strenuous ones, you don’t even have to plan in advance (aside from attire, but we’d recommend dressing for a hike no matter your plans). Each of the ports has Visitor Centers where you can get recommendations for hikes under 2 miles, and free maps. These hikes are a great way to see Alaska’s beautiful and surprisingly diverse natural scenery.

All Alaska Sailing Dates Have Pros & Cons

I spent hours researching the best time to go in order to determine whether we should go early, late, or during peak season. From prices to weather to wildlife to mosquito season, there are compelling reasons to go or avoid every single month of Alaska cruise season.

While we obviously only did this cruise during one particular week of the year, I’m at peace with my belief that there’s no perfect time to go, and upsides and downsides to all options. The big upside for us was price and crowds, and our ship was definitely not filled to capacity. (Although this had its own downside: there was a great last-minute deal on our sailing, meaning we overpaid…which pains me.)

In any case, do the research about what each month offers/lacks, determine your own priorities, and book accordingly. As we’ve already demonstrated, it’s easy to Monday-Morning QB your decisions, but compromise is one aspect of cruising!

Use a Travel Agent with Alaska Experience

I’m a firm believer in the value of specialized knowledge and expertise. I also love learning, and the sense of accomplishment that comes with putting in the work, doing the research, and becoming an expert.

Sometimes, these two notions are in conflict, and our first Alaska cruise was one of them. With further distance and the benefit of hindsight, I realize that I was in over my head when planning for Alaska. That I did not know what I didn’t know. If I’m being honest, I was overly confident in my planning abilities and what would transfer from our experiences in Norway. I had a false sense of security based on the ease of planning other DCL sailings, despite the stakes being higher for us and Port Adventure bookings mattering more (and seemingly being more competitive).

If we had our first Alaska cruise to do over again, we’d use an experienced travel agent. Not just one that has booked X number of cruises, but one who has extensive Alaska experience, booking for clients and ideally have taken a cruise or two to Alaska themselves.

We’d ask for recommendations, which Port Adventures reviewed positively among their clients, etc. We’re usually good about recommending a travel agent to Walt Disney World first-timers to “do the work for you” to save time and stress. We should’ve followed our own advice for our first Alaska DCL sailing, and would now recommend you learn from our mistake and work with Be Our Guest Vacations, an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner.

Be Our Guest Vacations is our preferred travel agency because they have agents with extensive Alaska cruise experience and expertise, and offer exemplary guest service. Using a travel agency is incredibly advantageous when it comes to cruising–most will provide on-board credits based upon the size of the booking, along with itinerary advice and suggestions for the cruise. They’ll also deal with Disney on your behalf and, speaking from experience, this can be invaluable when something goes wrong.

YOUR THOUGHTS

What do you think of these tips? If you’ve cruised to or visited Alaska, what tips would you add? Will you be sailing to Alaska on the Magic or Wonder in Summer 2026 or 2027? Thoughts on any of these–or other–Port Adventures? Agree or disagree with our advice for setting sail to Alaska aboard Disney Cruise Line? Any questions for those taking or considering an Alaska cruise? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!