May/June 2018 Cruise on Disney Wonder to Alaska

[RockyMtns]

Welcome to my second DCL cruise trip report! We had first cruised on the Disney Wonder in January 2017. There were several issues during the cruise, mostly fog, so Disney ended up giving us an additional 15% off another cruise. I was the only one who booked an on-board placeholder, but the whole family - me, my DD (7), my mother, my father, my sister, my BIL, and my niece (5) - all went to Alaska.

The cruise left out of Vancouver. We flew from Colorado to Seattle on Saturday, May 26th. We spent the night close to the airport and rented a car the next morning (my sister and her family live in Seattle so they drove their own car). Then, all of us drove into Canada, entering at Peace Arch Park.

 

[RockyMtns]

Pre-planning: I love reading other people's trip reports and deciding which excursions might work best for our family. We also had sailed on the exact same ship, so everyone had some input on what worked last time vs. what did not work.

Since the trip is expensive, my sister and I decided to spend a little less on the Tinker Bell gifts (we give the girls gifts every morning instead of participating in the fish extenders). I picked up some nice finds at Toys 'R Us since it was going out of business.

While looking around on the boards, I found a roll call. It was for the cruise before ours, but Pumba's Dad had created a great magnet for that cruise. He kindly switched the dates for me, and all three cabins put these outside our doors for the cruise. Speaking of door decorations, the people on this cruise went all out - it was fun to walk around and see how creative people are.


We decided to stay forward instead of aft. My parents and I were on deck 6 - I was inside at 6019 and they had a porthole in 6020. My sister's family stayed on deck 2 with a porthole. Besides not being close to the buffet, I really enjoyed staying forward. It seemed quieter.

At our Silver booking window, we got tickets to the Princess Meet and Frozen Meet (just the girls, me, and my sister), and all of us got tickets to the Disney Fab 4 Breakfast. Since the girls are a little older, we are glad it was the main characters vs. Disney Jr. We also got the girls appointments to BBB.

 

[RockyMtns]

Sunday, May 27th

After much debate about where to stay the night in Vancouver, the Pan Pacific won. It seemed very convenient to have them take your luggage to the ship, which it was. It was expensive, but we enjoyed being in Canada Place.




After we checked in, my parents headed to church. The rest of us went to Flyover Canada. We bought our tickets online for a little bit of a discount. Everyone enjoyed the ride, which is very similar to Soarin'. Then, we all met up for dinner at Tap & Barrel. We ordered gyozas (dumplings), pretzels, fried pickles, and two people split a poke bowl. Then, we ordered more dumplings. After dinner, we headed back to the Pan Pacific.

 

[RockyMtns]

Monday, May 28th

The girls woke up to their first (and nicest) gifts from Tinker Bell. They each got a Mickey drawstring backpack (for our excursions) with a Mickey wristlet. My sister got them on Amazon. And, I designed Autograph books for them on Shutterfly.




Since we booked the cruise package, the breakfast was included. It was a delicious buffet, and the servers were very friendly. We even had a view of the cruise ship during our meal.

Before too long, it was time to board the ship. We didn't have any issues. We all wore our Mickey shirts from last time (I planned ahead and got my daughter a bigger size, and we gave her shirt from the last picture to my niece) for the All Aboard picture. We got the grand welcome and had a nice lunch in Triton's. The girls got to run around the Kids Club for a while, played on the electronics, and then we had the Mandatory Drill.



To avoid the crowds, we decided to just grab a drink in the Promenade Lounge for the Sail Away. The girls enjoyed dancing to the piano. Our first dinner was in Animator's Palate - the same rotation we had the last time. Only this time, we got to see the whole show, which was great. And, our servers, were amazing. The head server was great with the girls (Elizabeth from Mexico). She would bring their food early and make them origami. Our servers weren't bad last time, but this time, it was more enjoyable because she was concerned about the girls and making sure they were having fun.



We all kept saying how this cruise was already so much more enjoyable than the last cruise, and it was only the first day. It was a two-hour (soon to be three-hour) time difference for us, so we went to back to the room and called it a night.

 

[ofcabbagesandkings]

Following along! We’re on this cruise next year.

 

[RockyMtns]

Following along! We’re on this cruise next year.

Great! I'm glad this information will be helpful to at least one other person!

 

[RockyMtns]

Tuesday, May 29th

My daughter got bath bombs and rings from Tinker Bell this morning, so of course, she wanted to take a bath right away. After we got ready, we headed to Cabanas for breakfast.



It was getting close to 9am, but Captain America was meeting still so we got in his line. She met Thor, Black Widow, and Groot last summer at California Adventure - she has started liking the Marvel characters. The Marvel characters still had large lines on the ship, but they weren't as long as last time. My daughter really wanted to meet Black Widow (her favorite) so we jumped right back in the line to meet her. It was a 30 minute wait (time stamp from my pictures).



We then went around the ship doing Anna's Chocolate Chase Scavenger Hunt. This was fun, and I recommend doing it. We finished up with just enough time to meet Chip & Dale. Next, we headed to the Promenade Lounge for Family Crafts. It was the Alien from Toy Story - very cute, but I would not say this craft is recommended for younger kids. It was hilarious to look around at all of the parents cutting it out, which took a while. At least the kids could help put on the glue dots.




We grabbed lunch - I think Cabanas again - and my daughter and I went to Avengers: Infinity War. My niece went to the Kids Club. She went a lot more on this trip than the last trip and enjoyed it so much more. The movie was long and had a lot of fighting (I should have figured from the name), so I could tell it was too long for my daughter. She wanted to do more fun things on the ship! If I had to do over, I don't know if I would have "wasted" time watching the movie. It was one thing I didn't do last time, and I was sure we would watch several movies this time, but this ended up being the only movie we watched. I shouldn't have bought the refillable popcorn bucket.

We had a little time to get ready before the Captain's Reception and family pictures in the lobby. It was formal night, and we were eating at Tiana's Place. Tiana was great and so was Louis - the girls enjoyed meeting both of them. For those of you that are new to the Wonder, this restaurant is a lot of fun. It can be loud, but it is also such a unique experience.



After dinner, we actually made it to one of the evening shows - the Golden Mickeys. We enjoyed it and were glad we stayed up to see it.

 

[RockyMtns]

Wednesday, May 30th

The Tinker Bell gift had a theme of Moana, even though it wasn't really part of our day. But, I didn't really come up with any glacier themed ideas, and some of the gifts had to come out of my suitcase when I was packing because of the weight limit. Those costumes take up some space!



We started our morning with the Disney breakfast in Animators Palate at 9am. We had a time change last night, so we were all ready to eat. As I mentioned, it was really nice to meet "main" characters vs. Disney Jr. We saw Pluto, Minnie, Goofy, and Mickey. The food was better than last time, but they were moving us through quickly. It was definitely less than 45 minutes total.



Last cruise, we had booked the Rainforest Room ahead of time (you have to book before you leave if you only want a one-day pass). This time, we decided against booking it because we didn't want to have too many things scheduled. But, my mom surprised my sister and I with passes. We decided the best time to go was now before the glacier viewing. I'm still undecided on whether or not I recommend doing it. It isn't expensive, but you don't really get much. The heated loungers are the best part, and I can only lay there so long on a cruise.

Around noon, we went to Deck 9 for lunch and some hot chocolate. The sun was shining, but if we stayed at our table, which was covered, it was too cold for the girls. My sister, BIL, and niece decided to go down to the Promenade. They came up occasionally for some pictures, but they avoided the crowds for the most part. My father was wearing shorts, but he was sitting in the sun on the deck chairs.

It was fun to see the characters in their Alaskan outfits, but those lines were long and confusing. People looked to be taking pictures of the glacier/scenery, but they were also in line for the characters, which was the other way with large gaps. We did have Goofy surprise us when we got off the elevator, so that was fun!

My daughter got some ice cream from Eye Scream.



This picture of Dawes Glacier is around 3pm. Our cruise went to Endicott Arm instead of Tracey Arm (like most of the cruises had). There was a huge crowd to get your picture taken with the glacier in the background. Most people were very kind - took their picture and let others take pictures.



My favorite part of this day was just sitting back in one of the loungers and taking in the scenery all around - not just the glacier. It was just beautiful. We were lucky to have the sun shining.



Around 4:30pm, we headed to the Lobby Atrium for Oaken's Maypole. They had the kids dancing and jumping all around the Maypole - the kids had fun and it was cute to watch.



It was almost time for dinner in Triton's. Tonight was the Freezing the Night Away Party, but we had a big day planned for tomorrow, and my daugher was tired, so we missed it. We also got our Chocolates from the Scavenger Hunt.



This is the night my sister and her husband went to Palo - they enjoyed it. They did take my niece to the early showing of Frozen (during our normal dining time). We had seen it last time and would have liked to see it again, but it just didn't work out.

 

[RockyMtns]

Thursday, May 31st

Last night, I set out the request to have breakfast delivered. We ate our room service while we were getting ready so we could be outside by 8:15am for the 8:30am Chilkoot Charters excursion - Yukon Rail & Bus Excursion With 15-Minute Dogcart Experience. It was $390 for one adult and one child. I thought the bracelets would be a good idea for the train ride, so Tinker Bell brought those today, along with a Frozen activity pack, and a candy treat.



But, something very unlikely had happened - a rock slide occurred on the train tracks. We had heard all the Disney train excursions were cancelled yesterday afternoon. I decided not to panic (we didn't have access to phone or email), and when we docked, I checked my messages. Just as we were hoping, we could still do the tour, it would just be the shuttle both ways instead of the train back down.

We boarded the shuttle, which held around 25 people and was almost full. Then, along with our passports, we headed towards Canada. Our guide drove and made frequent stops for scenery. It was beautiful. We saw both the Welcome to Alaska sign and the Yukon sign.



Around 11:30am, we made it to Caribou Crossing for lunch. We were able to sit in the covered wagons, which was fun for the girls. The lunch was just ok. They were feeding a lot of tour groups there.



At noon, we had tickets for the dog cart. Those dogs were loud - the joke was they were saying "Pick me, Pick me!") It was fun, and the girls really enjoyed it.




Afterwards, we went over to the area where they keep the puppies. I had seen pictures of people holding the puppies, but we weren't able to hold them. Someone would hold them up to the fence, and you could pet them. That was very disappointing from what I was expecting, especially since there were so many people around.



We had a little time for shopping and to run through the museum. It had a lot of taxidermy, but it was definitely worth a stop if you have time.

We got back into the shuttle and around 1pm, we pulled over to see a bear! This was a bucket list item for myself, but since we went so early in the season, I wasn't counting on seeing any bears. My picture is not that great, but it was a very large bear.



Our next stop was Emerald Lake, which was just magnificent!



We stopped in a little town where you could get a treat or shop. And, then stopped at a place where the kids could throw rocks in the water. A lot of them were saying it was their favorite part - HA!



We choose to be dropped off in town as my father and BIL were having beers at a couple of the breweries. We stayed for a bit and then walked back to the ship. We boarded a little bit before 5pm. It was a great excursion, but we all wished we would have been able to ride the train back down. The shuttle ride did get long for the girls, but hey, we might not have seen the bear!



We went to dinner and called it an early night. We had a big day, and we're getting up early again for Juneau tomorrow morning.

 

[RockyMtns]

I went over my limit of 10 pictures on the last post....

 

[OurLuce]

We are doing that tour in August. Was it easy to find them?

 

[RockyMtns]

We are doing that tour in August. Was it easy to find them?

Yes, it was very easy to find them. We just stepped off the ship and walked a little bit, and there were several people with signs. You will enjoy your day!

 

[EllieBride]

Following along!

We will be on the 5/27/2019 sailing. We will have with us our almost-7 year old twins. I'm looking forward to hearing more about your trip, especially things that kids enjoyed.

 

[lilsonicfan]

fun trip report so far, thanks so much for sharing!

 

[RockyMtns]

Friday, Jun 1st

I had read a lot about whale watching excursions in Juneau, but I also read that it gets long for younger kids. And, it can be tough for them if it is difficult to see the whales. Our other two excursions were expensive, so I decided that this day would be a little cheaper. There was some good information on Cruise Critic about renting a car from Juneau Car Rentals. Originally, all seven of us were going to go on my planned day trip, but after the long day yesterday, my sister decided it would be too long for her daughter (later, she said she wished they had come along - we did have a great day!) It was $109 to rent a larger vehicle that would fit us all.

Tinker Bell brought a Princess sticker book and Wiki Stix for the car ride, and a wand.


We were up early, ate breakfast in Cabanas (we wanted protein and room service doesn't have it), and left the ship a little after 8am. My daughter had a backpack of activities and her new Husky (had to get one yesterday!)



The Juneau Car Rental location was just to the right of the ship. It is tiny, and there are shipping containers all around, so we missed it at first. We also saw an Eagle at the dock, so that was distracting us a bit. We picked up a booster seat for my daughter, and we were on our way. We arrived at Mendenhall Glacier around 9am.

We paid for parking and parked in a lot very close to the Visitor Center. Right next to the parking lot was an information kiosk. I don't remember what I stopped to ask, but the Ranger asked my daughter if she wanted to become a Junior Ranger. She was so excited! She really wanted to do it, so they gave us a book about Tongass National Forest and one for Mendenhall Glacier. She did the activities throughout our time there.


We did the easy hike to Nugget Falls and got there around 9:40am. We took our time - stopped for some pictures and stopped to fill in some of the Junior Ranger book activities. We stayed in the area for 20 minutes taking pictures, and my daughter threw rocks into the water. The scenery was beautiful, and I definitely recommend this trail. Once again, we were lucky with the weather - blue skies and sun shining.



It took another 30 minutes to walk back. My daughter and I finished up the Junior Ranger books while my parents went into the Visitor Center and watched the video. Then, my daughter was "sworn in" by a Ranger and given two patches and a badge. She loved every minute of it. The Ranger told us she loves Disney Cruise ship day.




Back home, while I was researching our day in Juneau, I saw a Safeway on the map. I decided it might be nice to stop by the grocery store, pickup some food, and have a picnic lunch at the Shrine of St. Therese. There was a great selection of food at Safeway, and I am so glad we did it.


We headed north and made it to the Shrine around noon. There were even some picnic tables, so we had a wonderful little lunch right by the bay (just remember to take all your trash back with you). Guess who decided to give us a "show" during our lunch? A whale (not pictured). It was (yet again) another wonderful experience.



We walked around for about an hour before heading back to the car. I had said if I saw any cars pulled over on the side of the road, I was going to pull over. And, what a treat! A bear was devouring all the plants and flowers right alongside the road. It was an amazing way to end our day in Juneau.

 

[RockyMtns]

Continued....

We filled the car up with gas, put our garbage into the trash cans, and made it back to the ship around 3pm.




We got ready quickly - our family had decided to dress up in buffalo plaid for family pictures this night - and made it to the Pixar Pals Party in the Lobby Atrium. These parties are crowded, but it is worth attending. You pick a spot (my sister had saved us a spot up front) and the characters rotate around you. It is fun, and the kids loved it. We saw Woody & Jessie, Sulley & Boo, Mr. and Mrs. Incredible, Remy & Emile, Russell & Doug, and Joy.




After the party, we took some family portraits and then headed to the Promenade Lounge for some dancing before another delicious dinner at Tiana's Place.



After dinner, my daughter was tired so she went to the room with my mother. My niece went to the Kids Club. My father, BIL, sister, and I all went to Cadillac Lounge for a drink. We hadn't had a drink there (this cruise or the last one). I think we all prefer Crown and Fin, but it was nice to experience something different.

 

[ofcabbagesandkings]

Was the Skagway day still the Frozen menu day or have they changed that?

 

[RockyMtns]

Was the Skagway day still the Frozen menu day or have they changed that?

I didn't take pictures of our dinners, but I am almost positive that Skagway day was still the Frozen menu.

 

[RockyMtns]

Saturday, Jun 2nd

The gifts from Tinker Bell this morning: do-it-yourself slime, a Paris-themed necklace (perfect match for the Ratatouille-themed activity we did later that morning), and a wand. We never used these wands on the trip - it was still light out when she went to bed most evenings.



We got up, got ready, and headed to Cabanas for breakfast. We finished around 8:45am. We were in the lobby atrium and saw Spider-Man with no line. So, I talked my daughter into meeting him - you know, he is friends with Black Widow - HA! He was entertaining and had some good one-liners.

At 9:15, my daughter and I headed to the Oceaneer Lab for Anyone Can Cook: Cookies. The cast member who led us through the whole experience stayed in character and did a great job engaging everyone during the whole event. It was one of my favorite things we did together on the ship.



I also made sure to book another cruise. We aren't sure if we are going to do another Disney cruise, but better to book and figure it out later. We loved this cruise, but we also like going to Disneyland/Disney World (and my niece has never been to Disney World, and I want to go again before my daughter is considered an adult for food and tickets.)

Around 11:15am, we met in the Promenade Lounge for our only Disney excursion. I hadn't read much about this excursion online from people who went on it, but from the description, I thought it would be the best one for our family. So, all seven of us booked the Wildlife Safari and Beach Bonfire (KE56). It was $350 for one adult and one child.

This was our coldest day, and it wasn't pouring rain on us. We were all wearing jackets, but it was still a pretty nice day in Ketchikan.

We boarded a boat (or expedition vessel) in search of wildlife. They provided binoculars on the seats, and there was also an activity for the kids to do in the books (they got a treat when they finished at the end of the tour). Along the way, they had unique treats for us to try - I believe we all tried seaweed pickles with crackers. I also brought along a Disney-themed snack!



Along the way, we saw some seals all around a little island. Then, we got a special treat with a couple of whales. We actually got to see one of them bubble feeding. Even the guide was seeing it for the first time.

We made it to the island around 1pm. We were greeted by our Tsimshian hosts. You could hold one of the little crabs they found on the rocks.



We crossed over all the rocks, made it to our lunch spot, and split into two groups. One group went on a nature walk while the other group started roasting our reindeer sausages - they were delicious. We also had chips, more pickles, and jams. There was a good assortment of drink choices as well, including beer, wine, juice, and water. Then, we all met up for roasting marshmallows. They even had Reese's Peanut butter cups for the S'mores - delicious! And, during our meal, the Tsimshian told stories about their culture. Hands down, this meal was so much better than our Skagway lunch.



The whole family was glad we had picked this excursion. It was good for the kids and still engaging for the adults. We lucked out with our wildlife sightings. And, good food.

 

[RockyMtns]

Continued....

We headed back to Ketchikan and walked around the town for a bit before boarding the ship. There was a lot of shopping, and my daughter got a necklace.



There was time to relax in the room a bit before dinner, so I braided my daughter's hair in a mini-version of Uma from Descendants 2.



We went to dinner at Tritons and made it to another show: Disney Dreams, An Enchanted Classic. I liked this show and the girls enjoyed it as well. Tomorrow is our last Sea Day, with BBB and two character meets.