Miles For Family

We show middle class folks (like us) how they can leverage their good credit score to finally take that long-awaited trip. Travel isn’t free but we can help you take trips for pennies on the dollar!

  • Start Here
    • Free Consulting Service
    • Ask a Question
  • About
    • Resources
  • Credit Cards
    • Best Credit Card Deals
    • Apply for Credit Cards
  • Support the Site

Texans in Alaska: Last Day On Board the Disney Wonder

August 4, 2017 By Nancy 22 Comments

One or more of these credit card offers may no longer be available. See our Hot Deals page for the latest offers.

My family just returned from a 7-night Alaskan cruise aboard the Disney Wonder with 5 nights in Vancouver tacked on to the beginning of our vacation. The only way to keep me from being sad about our trip being over is to write about it in detail to re-live the memories. In case you missed the first installments, see Trip Video and Hyatt Regency Vancouver Review,   Vancouver Part 1 (Arrival, Stanley Park, Sea to Sky Tour),  Vancouver Part 2 (Capilano, Grouse Mountain and Vancouver Whale Watch),  Boarding the Disney Wonder to Alaska, Sea Day to Alaska ,  Tracy Arm,  Dog Sledding in Skagway,  Rainy Day in Juneau and Sunny Skies in Ketchikan. 

Sunday, June 18, 2017

Today was our last full day on board the Disney Wonder, sniff sniff. It also happened to be Father’s Day! Our normal chocolates were replaced by these Father’s Day chocolate coins:

Texans in Alaska: Last Day On Board the Disney Wonder

There was also a Father’s Day dance in the lounge that evening, but we did not make it. (See the full navigator here).

Princesses Galore!

After a quick breakfast at Cabanas, my family split up. The boys went to the clubs, my husband went to spin class and my daughter and I headed to meet the princesses.

Before the cruise, I could pick the day and time for the Princess Meet and Greet and the Frozen Meet and Greet. I love that we can now reserve these in advance so that we don’t have to wait in a long line. I chose the last sea day of our cruise because I didn’t want it to interfere with the hustle and bustle of activities that we normally do on our first few days on the ship.

At 9:00, we had a reservation with the Frozen characters in Animator’s Palate restaurant. We were the third family in line, so we didn’t wait very long.

Next, at 9:30, my daughter met Ariel, Tiana, Belle and Cinderella. I will be sad when she is too old to want to hang with the princesses!

Texans in Alaska: Last Day On Board the Disney Wonder

The meet and greets went by so quickly, and my daughter wasn’t ready to get out of her fancy dress. So I did a photo shoot with her in various spots on deck.

Texans in Alaska: Last Day On Board the Disney Wonder

Bears and Cars

I took my daughter back to the room to change and dropped her off at the Oceaneer Club so that I could attend another naturalist presentation. Doug Jones was going to speaking about Bears.

Texans in Alaska: Last Day On Board the Disney Wonder

I’m so glad I went to his presentation! I learned a lot about bears, and he shared stories about his encounters with bears over many years living in Alaska. If Doug is speaking on your cruise, go!

After lunch, we picked up the kids and headed to the big theater to see Cars 3. I liked it so much better than Cars 2. Our oldest son stayed at the Edge since he saw it late on the premiere night.

Texans in Alaska: Last Day On Board the Disney Wonder

After the movie, we walked around the deck. We were very close to land on all sides. The ship passed by lighthouses, and we were solidly in Canadian waters.

Texans in Alaska: Last Day On Board the Disney Wonder

Friendship Rocks

On the two classic ships, the Magic and the Wonder, the kids’ club performs the Friendship Rocks show on the last day. The show includes the kids (participation is voluntary), some counselors and Mickey and Minnie. This show is not available on the Dream and the Fantasy, but my kids have participated twice before on the Magic.

I desperately wanted my 9-year-old to participate in this show because I knew it would be his last opportunity. He will most definitely be in the Edge on our next cruise. However, I couldn’t persuade him. He just wanted to hang with his dudes.

Well, at least my daughter participated. The counselors break up the kids into ages, with the older kids being in the “lab” group and the younger ones being in the “club” group. The lab group went on stage first and sang a song, followed by the club group and the characters.

Texans in Alaska: Last Day On Board the Disney Wonder

After the club group sang, we watched a photo slideshow of the kids having fun in the clubs all week. Sniff sniff. Then, both groups sang a final song with the characters. I don’t know why, but it was such an emotional, sentimental show for me.

Texans in Alaska: Last Day On Board the Disney Wonder

Animation Show and Final Night

Our dinner rotation had us in Animator’s Palate for our final dinner. We would be in our favorite restaurant for our final meal.

Texans in Alaska: Last Day On Board the Disney Wonder

Tonight was the animation show where the guests create the animation! We each got a placemat with guidelines on how to draw our character:

Texans in Alaska: Last Day On Board the Disney Wonder

Then, toward the end of dinner, our drawings come to life on the screens! This was our third time doing this, but it never gets old.

Texans in Alaska: Last Day On Board the Disney Wonder

After dinner, we dropped the kids at the clubs while my husband and I spent a few minutes packing. Oh, how I hate packing on the last night!

The last big evening show was Dreams. I’ve seen it twice before, but it’s so good that I was looking forward to seeing it again. The show has many classic Disney songs and characters in it, plus it’s a little sappy about a child growing up. Cue the tears.

I stopped by the Oceaneer Club to pick up my daughter because she said wanted to see the show with us. When I arrived, Pluto’s PJ Party was still going on. Pluto was there, and the cast member running the party was doing a really great job of getting all of the kids involved. I waited a few minutes, then tried to get my daughter to come with me to see the show.

She asked for just a few more minutes. I waited 5-10 more minutes, but she just couldn’t pull herself away. She was having was too much fun. That’s ok, I left here there, and my husband and I saw the show by ourselves.

After the Dreams show, we picked up the kids and headed to the Eye Scream station for ice cream cones one last time.

Debarkation and Vancouver Airport

I couldn’t believe that it was time to leave the Disney Wonder. What a week it had been!

Since we were in the early dinner group, we were supposed to meet our servers for an early breakfast at Animator’s Palate. But, on our last few cruises we learned that we really don’t have to get up that early for breakfast (6:45 or 7:00 a.m. scheduled time). The breakfast buffet in Cabanas is open on the last morning, although it’s not advertised.

We were able to sleep in for an extra hour, and we went to Cabanas at 8:00 a.m. You can see the tired and depressed look on everyone’s faces:

Texans in Alaska: Last Day On Board the Disney Wonder

Normally, when we sail out of Port Canaveral, we can just walk off the ship after breakfast, claim our luggage and walk through customs. However, the cruise terminal in Vancouver was not quite the same. After breakfast, we had to wait for our Daisy group to be called. It was a much slower process. I believe we left the ship around 9:30 a.m.

Texans in Alaska: Last Day On Board the Disney Wonder

When we got off the ship, I understand why it took so long. The area where luggage was picked up was much smaller than in Port Canaveral. Only one or two groups could fit in the area.

Once we debarked, we made it through customs in a short amount of time. We piled in two taxis and headed straight for the airport since we had a 1:00 p.m. flight. From the time we got off the ship until the time we were waiting at our gate, it was only one hour. Not bad!

I was thankful that the Vancouver airport had a great playground for kids! Many airports have little play areas for toddlers, but this one was geared for a wider age range.

Texans in Alaska: Last Day On Board the Disney Wonder

Home Sweet Home

Our direct flight home was an uneventful 4-hour flight. Only one of our kids slept:

Texans in Alaska: Last Day On Board the Disney Wonder

Since we didn’t book MileSAAver awards on AA but instead booked the AAnytime awards, we were in Main Cabin Extra seats at the front of the plane with more leg room. Our kids didn’t care, but my tall husband appreciated the extra room.

We landed around 7:00 p.m., and we were hungry for dinner. Since we had gone 12 days without Mexican food, a stop at Chuy’s was in order!

Texans in Alaska: Last Day On Board the Disney Wonder

Final Thoughts, and our Future with DCL

Alaska was amazing! The scenery and the excursions are unbeatable. This cruise was so different from the Caribbean cruises we have taken in the past.

I’m really glad we splurged on Disney Cruise Line for this Alaska itinerary. The service and entertainment on DCL is unparalleled. Our kids were so happy and entertained the entire time. Happy kids = happy parents.It was worth every penny.

Before this cruise, I had been toying with the idea of booking a cruise on Royal Caribbean. But after this cruise, I can’t bring myself to do that for a while. Even though DCL is more expensive, I would rather cruise less often and save for it.

My youngest was only one year old when we went on our first Disney Cruise. I’ve watched my oldest transition from the Oceaneer Club to the Lab and then to the tween Edge. DCL truly caters to every age group.

We hope to cruise on Disney Cruise Line again in early to mid 2019. I guess we better start saving!

If you have any questions about our Alaska cruise, please don’t hesitate to ask. Thanks for following our trip!

Click here to view various credit cards and available sign-up bonuses

 

 

 

Save

Save

Save

Save

Author: Nancy

Nancy lives near Dallas, Texas, with her husband and three kids. Her favorite vacations include the beach, cruising and everything Disney.

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • More
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Email

Related

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Comments

  1. Tracey says

    December 27, 2017 at 5:53 pm

    Nancy, We are getting close to time for booking our excursions. We cannot afford to do all that we would like but was wondering about whale watching. I know you and your family did that in Vancouver. Did you see any whales while on the cruise? We are considering leaving the whale watching off. Thanks in advance!

    Reply
    • Nancy says

      December 27, 2017 at 8:31 pm

      Hi Tracey! We didn’t see any on our cruise but others on our same cruise did. We just weren’t outside at the right time. Your cruise is coming up so fast!

      Reply
  2. Tracey says

    August 6, 2017 at 3:03 pm

    Loved reading all about your adventures. 294 days and counting until we board the Wonder. Cannot wait!!! Appreciate the tip about Cabana’s on the last morning. Wasn’t aware of that. Now that our flights are booked and hotel reservations are made, my next focus is on port adventures. Thank you again for all of your tips!

    Also ironic that my son’s favorite restaurant is Chuy’s. We will make the 2 hour drive to Birmingham just to eat there!

    Reply
    • Nancy says

      August 6, 2017 at 7:57 pm

      @Tracey I’m so excited for you! That’s great that your flights and hotel are all set.
      Ah, Chuy’s! I can’t get enough of it.

      Reply
  3. Lindy says

    August 4, 2017 at 8:55 pm

    Great tip about the buffet being open the last morning. Thanks for that and bravo on a great trip. I enjoyed reading about it. You made some wonderful memories. That’s why we do this!

    Reply
    • Nancy says

      August 6, 2017 at 2:39 pm

      Thanks for following along, Lindy! That buffet on the last morning has really helped us get just a tad more sleep and not be quite as grumpy. It’s always hard getting off the ship on the last day.

      Reply
  4. onesharpmamablog says

    August 4, 2017 at 3:54 pm

    This is so exciting! I am literally on the DCL site looking at cruises right now

    Reply
    • Nancy says

      August 4, 2017 at 7:35 pm

      @onesharpmamablog I have to stay off the DCL site or I might “accidentally” book another cruise!

      Reply
  5. Tricia says

    August 4, 2017 at 3:00 pm

    Thanks for sharing your vacation with us! We are traveling with our travel trailer via the ferry to Alaska next year. Your trip definitely has be excited about Alaska!

    Reply
    • Nancy says

      August 4, 2017 at 7:35 pm

      @Tricia That sounds like a great trip!

      Reply
  6. Stephanie says

    August 4, 2017 at 11:13 am

    Great write up Nancy! No joke on the Mexican food – every time we fly back home, we drive thru our favorite restaurant.

    We’re planning for mid 2019 DCL. I better start saving as well.

    Reply
    • Nancy says

      August 4, 2017 at 12:01 pm

      @Stephanie I’ve actually been researching Mexican restaurants at our vacation spot for next summer. I can’t go a month without Mexican food, LOL!

      Reply
  7. joan Kirshenbaum says

    August 4, 2017 at 10:15 am

    Thank you!!!!

    Reply
    • Nancy says

      August 4, 2017 at 11:10 am

      Thanks for following along, Joan!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. The One Souvenir I Always Buy on Trips - Miles For Family says:
    December 22, 2020 at 11:30 am

    […] Alaska Bear: We purchased this ornament from a small shop in Ketchikan, Alaska on our Disney cruise. See my full trip report here. […]

    Reply
  2. Summer Travel Flashback: Alaska Cruise - Miles For Family says:
    July 22, 2020 at 8:44 am

    […] If you want to see all the details of our trip, you can read my full trip report here. […]

    Reply
  3. Review: 3-Night Very Merrytime Cruise on the Disney Dream - Miles For Family says:
    December 5, 2019 at 9:17 am

    […] Recently, my family went on a 3-night Very Merrytime cruise on the Disney Dream. This was our first Very Merrytime cruise as well as the shortest cruise we’ve ever taken. How did this cruise measure up to past cruises? Note: This review focuses on the holiday aspect of the cruise. For more details on DCL’s rooms, kids’ clubs, etc., see my previous detailed trip report. […]

    Reply
  4. Review: Star Wars Day at Sea (SWDAS) on the Disney Fantasy - Miles For Family says:
    January 16, 2019 at 6:31 am

    […] My family just returned from a 7-night cruise to the Western Caribbean on the Disney Fantasy. This was our 7th cruise on DCL, our 3rd time on the Disney Fantasy, but our first cruise that had a Star Wars Day at Sea. (See my previous trip report on the Disney Wonder to Alaska). […]

    Reply
  5. Texans in Alaska: Sunny Skies in Ketchikan - Miles For Family says:
    December 4, 2018 at 9:59 am

    […] Up Next: Last Sea Day on the Disney Wonder Alaskan Cruise […]

    Reply
  6. 10 Gift Ideas for Hodophiles (Travel Lovers) - Miles For Family says:
    November 21, 2018 at 6:32 am

    […] I keep a travel journal so that I can remember the details to write a daily trip report. (like my Alaska Cruise report). Check out this MALEDON travel […]

    Reply
  7. 8 Tips for Smooth Sailing on Disney Cruise Line - Miles For Family says:
    August 8, 2018 at 7:00 am

    […] my last Disney Cruise to Alaska, another mom was venting her displeasure to me in the atrium. She had been trying to take her kid […]

    Reply
  8. Is Scrooge McDuck Sailing This Ship? Crazy 2019 DCL Prices - Miles For Family says:
    November 1, 2017 at 7:01 am

    […] a month of our last Disney Cruise to Alaska this past June, our kids were already asking when our next cruise is. We can’t deny it, we just love Disney […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Search

Follow Us on Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Follow me on Twitter

My Tweets

Archives

Recent Posts

  • Huge News: Disneyland Abu Dhabi coming to the UAE
  • All the Ways I’m Maximizing My Amex Platinum “Coupons” (One Will Shock You)
  • Alaska Airlines: Sweet Spots and Realistic Award Redemptions
  • (Now Reduced) Earn $300 Bonus on Certain Chase Cards from Rakuten Shopping Portal (CSP Included)
  • My Surprising Credit Card Denial

Find Us On Facebook

Find Us On Facebook
  • Privacy Policy

© Miles for Family All Rights Reserved.

Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Miles for Family with appropriate and specific directions to the original content.

 

Loading Comments...