Hi there, Kelly!
Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel! I am thrilled to hEAR that you have an Alaskan adventure planned for next summer! My family cruised through Alaska last month with Captain Mickey and had the BEST time and I know you will too! You simply cannot beat the incredible sights and fantastic adventures that you will have all while making some
WONDERful memories that will last a lifetime!
My boys are right about the age of your son, so when it comes to the best excursions for that age, I went right to the sources to find out what excursions they enjoyed the most and what they would love to do if we went back to Alaska again (which I definitely plan to do one day….hopefully sooner than later)! By far their favorite excursion in Juneau was the
Sled Dog Summer Camp that we visited where they could not only experience a dog sledding ride but also play with the puppies! After we did that, we opted to go up to the top of Mount Roberts where we had some spectacular views of the “Mickey Boat” from afar while enjoying some yummy hot chocolate and they could sit in a real-life sized eagle’s nest to really see how large they build their nests! When we visited Ketchikan, we all enjoyed the
Lumberjack Show which was interactive for the kids (and grown-ups, too) and it was walking distance from the ship, so we were able to continue exploring the town afterwards! I would also recommend trying to sneak in a whale watching excursion, if at all possible!
Disney Cruise Line’s Port Adventures are a great way to get to see and do the best of the best in each of the ports that you visit, and they do take care of so much of the work for you! But, if you want to make the most of your entire day on land, I would recommend looking into some private tour companies to see if there is a way to maximize your time getting to do more since often you will only be able to book one excursion through Disney Cruise Line due to time restrictions. There are a number of companies that offer a variety of options and will even meet you right at the port!
Wishing you nothing short of the best adventure ever! Please come back with any other questions you have as you continue planning for your Alaskan adventure!
Happy Sailing!
Stephanie