Welcome Aboard, Leslie!
Once you board the beautiful Disney Wonder on your first day, I would recommend heading to
Parrot Cay for your lunch. While it is a buffet like Beach Blanket Bingo, there are servers who bring your drinks and seat you at a table. Since you are not in a hurry to get to the pool, you have no need to be up in the hustle and bustle of BBB with all the families hurriedly trying to get their kids fed and off to the pool.
After a relaxing lunch, you might consider heading to
Guest Services to inquire about special activities, such as a tour of the ship's galley, cooking demonstrations, or wine, martini, or whiskey tastings. These things require a ticket and the tastings have a nominal fee. If you are interested in meeting the Princesses or Anna and Elsa (if they are sailing with you), you will also need a ticket for these.
Since it is your first cruise, I would suggest you check the Daily Navigator for a tour of the ship. These typically happen a couple of times on the embarkation day, and is a great way to learn the layout of the ship. You might also want to head up to the spa, where they will give you a tour, offer specials for the day, and enter you in a raffle to win a free treatment.
I know you said that you are not interested in dining in Palo, but you might want to consider booking Palo brunch if you get a chance. It is one of my favorite things to do on a day at sea. I usually don't want to miss dinner in the main dining rooms, so brunch is the perfect way to treat myself to Palo. The grape and gorgonzola pizza is NOT to be missed! If you choose to book this once onboard, you can inquire at Guest Services where they are booking.
Happy Cruising to Alaska, Tracy V.