Hi Melissa,
Welcome to the Moms Panel! It looks like you’ve already made two of the hardest decisions necessary for planning a Disney Cruise vacation –
when to go and
where to go!
The 7-night Alaskan voyages set sail each Tuesday in July 2011, so your options will be the 5th, 12th, 19th or 26th of July. Due to the limited number of Alaskan voyages and this ideal time of year to visit Alaska – I wouldn’t wait too long to book your voyages. Ideally if you can book now, you will have the best selection of staterooms on the Disney Wonder.
Your cruise can be booked with a $600 per person deposit for these voyages. The deposit is fully refundable if you cancel more than 90-days prior to sailing (so you would need to cancel before April 2011 for a full refund of your deposit – specific dates will be outlined with your reservation).
I know the passports are another expense, but I would obtain them as soon as possible. They can take eight weeks for processing, and Disney requests that you provide a valid passport number at least 75-days prior to sailing. Personally, I would make sure that I obtained them while my deposit is still fully refundable, just in case there are any issues. You can see the recommendations and guidelines
HERE.
I hope this helps!