Hi, Sharon!
These are the times I wish I could meet guests for a cup of coffee and give them my exhaustive reviews of a Disney Cruise Line vacation -- especially an Alaskan voyage!
It was an amazing adventure! I maintain high expectations for Disney cruises -- and this surpassed what I had expected. I had no idea the scenery was going to be that awing and so amazingly close to the ship! From our verandah, we saw seals, whales, and otters. Bald eagles flew over us like they were pigeons at home. I way overpacked (especially "nice" clothes), but I'm thankful I had my waterproof raincoat. You definitely need a couple of pair of jeans, a rugged pair of khakis and two layers of shirts with a water-resistant shell at all times. Gloves and hats are okay to have but not completely necessary. Repeat your clothes in the evening since you don't have them on for that long.
Keep in mind...the main purpose of my voyage was to film my family and me on board and on Port Adventures for our Disney Alaskan cruise, and the resulting videos will be posted really soon on the
DisneyCruise.com site. So, you'll get to see exactly what we did!
We did take the helicopter in Juneau to the dog-mushing camp and to a glacier, and it was incredible! The experiences were unlike any other we've ever had while traveling, and the majestic mountains literally brought tears to my eyes. I asked the heli pilot about bringing little ones, and he said that as long as they were big enough to be buckled into a seat they were welcome. Double check with DCL's Port Adventure folks and have them communicate with the tour operator, too.
We also liked the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show in Ketchikan and zip-lining and panning for gold in Skagway. We did a bunch more, but I have run out of room. Come back if you have more questions...or want me to ramble on! Bon voyage!
Andi