Alaska Excursions--post your reviews here!

[nanaguide]

Ok - I'm trying to decide on which tour to do on Ziptrek at Whistler. We are all set on accomodations and now need to decide on excursions. Grandson will be 8 1/2 when we are there in August. He loves all the rides at Disney except Tower of Terror. I can't keep him off Rockin Roller Coaster so I'm wondering if we should do the Bear or the Eagle zipline tour. We have never ziplined. I'm a little scared of heights but if I'm fastened in I'm fine with enjoying it all - don't mind the walking or hiking as we are both active. Would appreciate your input (Whitney). You sound sold on Wildplay so think we should do the Monkido course there - are you hooked in there also? Thanks in advance for any reassurances you can give me. Grandpa is sitting all this FUN out as he is 70 with health issues. I run, bike, swim so I'm physically OK - just want to be sure it is totally SAFE - read on tripadvisor about walking close to deep ravines (yikes!). I promise his Mom I'll take good care of him so I'm extra, extra careful.

 

[jlwhitney]

Ok - I'm trying to decide on which tour to do on Ziptrek at Whistler. We are all set on accomodations and now need to decide on excursions. Grandson will be 8 1/2 when we are there in August. He loves all the rides at Disney except Tower of Terror. I can't keep him off Rockin Roller Coaster so I'm wondering if we should do the Bear or the Eagle zipline tour. We have never ziplined. I'm a little scared of heights but if I'm fastened in I'm fine with enjoying it all - don't mind the walking or hiking as we are both active. Would appreciate your input (Whitney). You sound sold on Wildplay so think we should do the Monkido course there - are you hooked in there also? Thanks in advance for any reassurances you can give me. Grandpa is sitting all this FUN out as he is 70 with health issues. I run, bike, swim so I'm physically OK - just want to be sure it is totally SAFE - read on tripadvisor about walking close to deep ravines (yikes!). I promise his Mom I'll take good care of him so I'm extra, extra careful.

For ziptrek, go with the Eagle Tour. I am a little afraid of heights as well, but with being in harnesses makes it no problem for me. The check your harness before you zip at each line, and the platforms you wait on for your turn, are large and have railings all around them.

For WildPlay, the Monkido course is so much fun. Its like a big playground in the sky, there are rope bridges, barrels, tight ropes and so much more. You are also harnessed in, but you do have to clip your self to the cables. You have two safety lines and you clip one at a time so you are always attached to the cable or the tree. Look up videos on Youtube about it, thats what i did. You do get up kinda high (about 50 feet) but you end up so focused on what you are doing that you don't end up knowing it half of the time. It is a workout for your arms and mine were sore the next day, but it was worth it. They have many spots were you can easily exit the course if you need to. I felt completely safe the whole time, and never fell or slipped either.

 

[smb6]

We did the same Chilkoot Charters tour on the first Alaskan cruise. It was fantastic! They picked us up at the pier at 7:30am and drove us a couple minutes to the train. They then met us at the Frasier, Canada end point of the RR (looked like one of their tours also got on there, since there is an option to do the RR going back to Skagway instead of first thing). Our tour had about 12 people, but 1 was an employee of the charter service along for the ride. The excursion lasted until around 3:30-4 or so, I think. That left us plenty of time for shopping! We also added the dog sledding, which was fun.

We booked the same excursion with Chilkoot. We also added the dog sledding. And like you are taking the train up firs at 7:30am... Did you have any trouble boarding quickly enough to meet them?

 

[amyg1]

You might want to check with Ziptrek about his weight. As I recall, there was a weight restriction (because if they are too small they get stuck on the line) Since the Eagle line is longer, you have to weigh more. I also don't think they can do the tandem for the longest line. At 7 (and my son is tall and about the 75% for weight, so above average) they put him on the scale before going. I just wouldn't want him signed up for the Eagle and then not be able to do it. I don't remember the requirements, but check their website.

Heights are not my thing, but this isn't scary - well except the first step. It really wasn't a big deal.

 

[Disney Dreams]

Could you please tell me what went wrong on the steam train? Part of my family has this one booked and I would love to hear the good and the bad.

Sure. The steam train has two scheduled refill stations where the train is given water (to create to the steam). We stopped five times. This added approximately an hour to our ride. So, our excursion ended at 5:00pm instead of 4:00pm.

After the numerous additional stops getting up to the top of the mountain, the conductor had arranged for another train (diesel engine) to hook on to ours and more or less pull us down the mountain. For this to happen, we had to wait a bit at the top of the mountain for the other train.

To DH and I, all this meant was extra time to enjoy the gorgeous scenery and champagne. We had booked the excursion through DCL so we were not concerned about the ship leaving without us if we got back after all-aboard (which turned out not to be an issue), but some others were very scared the ship would leave.

We had a great time! I would absolutely recommend this tour.

For those who may not be aware: If you book an excursion through DCL and your excursion is later than all-aboard time, the ship will not leave without you because it is Disney's vendor/partner who is responsible. If you book a tour independently that gets back too late, you are responsible.

- Dreams

 

[SoThisIsLove]

Hi Disney Dream....

Would you recommend the steam train over the diesel train trip? Do you the steam train experience was worth the extra money? Did Disney do anything different on the steam train trip since they have contracted all the steam train reservations?

I also saw that you went on the summer dog sledding excursion...is this excursion worth the money? i have a 4 year old and have gotten mixed reviews. Some say its too expensive and that my daughter may get upset over the dogs and others say its nice. What is your opinion?

Right now I have the steam train in skagwaybooked and can not book the summer dog sled thru disney due to timing....if i book the diesel trip i can do the dog sledding with her. The white pass agent said to do the steam engine because its unique and you can not do it all the time as its only runs on certain dates and Disney holds all the reservations slots for it....

Decisions.....Decisions.....

 

[sabrecmc]

We booked the same excursion with Chilkoot. We also added the dog sledding. And like you are taking the train up firs at 7:30am... Did you have any trouble boarding quickly enough to meet them?

No problems at all. I was concerned about it though, so I emailed them beforehand and was told not to worry, they knew the Disney Wonder's schedule and it would not be a problem. It really wasn't. We disembarked pretty much as soon as the ship docked and met the van at the end of the dock (it is RIGHT there, so no worries). They took us to the train station with enough time to get a cup of coffee at the little gift shop/coffee place there at the station. It was good coffee too! Strong! Called Dead Man's Brew or something. I like it strong though, lol.

 

[GrumpyBelle]

We booked our exursions yesterday.

Skagway...WhitePass Railway and Trail Camp

Juneau...Mendenhall Glacier Adventure Hike and Mt Roberts Tramway

Ketchikan...Totems, Exclusive Lumberjack, and Potlach Park with youth activity.

Would really appreciate some feedback especially on the Mendenhall Glacier Adventure Hike as I really haven't read any on this one yet.

TIA

 

[disneypoor]

Are you asking about the excursion for the cruise that left on 5/17 or for the cruise that left on 5/24?
It's my understanding that any of the air excursions in AK could be cancelled at the last minute due to flight conditions. So it's possible that an air excursion can happen on one cruise and then the next cruise be cancelled.

I know this isn't much help to you on whether you should cancel and rebook. But would you be more upset to have it cancelled because of flight conditions or for you to cancel it before sailing and then when you're on the ship you find out the excursion is still scheduled? If it's something I'd really like to do I'd keep it and look over the excursions for a back up plan and then once on the ship check if it's still on or not and then go from there. I have a feeling this is going to be happening over the course of the season as flight conditions change from week to week.

Hi! The excursion I'm talking about isn't on a float plane but rather a white water rafting excursion. I had heard that it was canceled on the first cruise due to the river still being too low with chunks of ice. Just wondering if it is still continuing to be canceled. Just worried we'll get there and there won't be any excursions left to book that interest us and don't want to be left without one. I'm looking into Coastal Helicopters but I do realize that those can be canceled very easily due to weather conditions as well. What to do...what to do??? I'm probably just putting too much thought into it and should just let the cards fall where they fall. Afterall, we'll be in Alaska. Even if we're stuck without an excursion, I'm sure it's going to be a GREAT time!

 

[disneypoor]

We were not booked on that excursion, but our tablemates told us that they were booked on the "Mendenhall Float that got cancelled because the water was frozen." So, I am guessing, the answer to your question is, "Yes, it was cancelled."

We did:

Skagway - Steam train excursion: LOVED it! We had some issues with the steam and some on our train got upset and let it ruin their day. We rolled with it, knew we would be okay getting back to the ship, enjoyed the beauty and the adventure. Sometimes, it really is perspective that can make the difference.

Juneau - Dog Sledding Camp: Fun. A little cheesy, but cool at the same time. It was fun. And, lucky timing, we got to hold a 6 day old puppy!

Ketchikan - We booked the Misty Fjords boat trip (not the flightseeing). Found out it was cancelled an hour before departure. This was my birthday and suddenly we were left with no plan. With some quick action, a little luck, and some MAJOR pixie dust we got to do Totems, Lighthouses, and Eagles. LOVED IT!

- Dreams

P.S. If I goofed the titles of the tours a bit, sorry. Sleep-deprived still.

Hello! I'm sure your tablemates were booked on the same excursion we are, and it sounds like it's still be canceled. It sounds as if you are booked on all of the same excursions we are with the exception of Juneau which is where we're planning to do the float trip. Glad to hear you enjoyed the other ones though, and I'm crossing my fingers the Misty Fjords boat excursion won't be canceled as well. Did they tell you why that one was canceled? Also, when you went to book another excursion, was there still quite a bit left to choose from? We aren't that picky, but we were on a cruise one time where something got canceled, and there was only two things to choose from, so that's why I'm so worried about it. I need to let my over obsessive vacation planning quit getting the best of me. It will all work out, I'm sure.

 

[finkerbell]

Hey there

I have the following booked for our August 23rd cruise:

Wildlife Expedition (Seasonal) -Skagway

Adventure by Helicopter - Juneau

Misty Fjords and Wilderness Explorer - Ketchikan

Any input or reviews on the above would be greatly appreciated. It's been very hard for us to decide on these excursions so would really greatful for opinions here. Not everyone in our group is happy with the final choices and they can be changed lol.

Thanks!

 

[jlwhitney]

Hi! The excursion I'm talking about isn't on a float plane but rather a white water rafting excursion. I had heard that it was canceled on the first cruise due to the river still being too low with chunks of ice. Just wondering if it is still continuing to be canceled. Just worried we'll get there and there won't be any excursions left to book that interest us and don't want to be left without one. I'm looking into Coastal Helicopters but I do realize that those can be canceled very easily due to weather conditions as well. What to do...what to do??? I'm probably just putting too much thought into it and should just let the cards fall where they fall. Afterall, we'll be in Alaska. Even if we're stuck without an excursion, I'm sure it's going to be a GREAT time!

In regards to Coastal, excellent company, we did dog sledding via helicopter with them and here is what they told me. Book for late morning/early afternoon (ours was 12:15-3:15, we have no problems everything ran like clockwork) since fog in the morning can be an issue. They guarantee you will make your ship, or they will pay for you to get back to your ship (they said they have had only one group miss there boat since 2004).

They day of our tour which was amazingly beautiful, we were talking to the van driver and the pilot and they said all in all you only have a 25% chance of being cancelled.

 

[smb6]

No problems at all. I was concerned about it though, so I emailed them beforehand and was told not to worry, they knew the Disney Wonder's schedule and it would not be a problem. It really wasn't. We disembarked pretty much as soon as the ship docked and met the van at the end of the dock (it is RIGHT there, so no worries). They took us to the train station with enough time to get a cup of coffee at the little gift shop/coffee place there at the station. It was good coffee too! Strong! Called Dead Man's Brew or something. I like it strong though, lol.

They told me the same thing when I emailed them my concern when I originally booked; but it's still very reassuring to hear that it worked out perfectly for someone else. We head out this Sunday for the Tuesday sailing

 

[GrumpyBelle]

Looking for a review of the Mendenhall Glacier and Rainforest Garden Adventure.

Canceled my Mendenhall Glacier adventure hike as I think it may be a bit too challenging for some members of our party.

TIA

 

[disneypoor]

In regards to Coastal, excellent company, we did dog sledding via helicopter with them and here is what they told me. Book for late morning/early afternoon (ours was 12:15-3:15, we have no problems everything ran like clockwork) since fog in the morning can be an issue. They guarantee you will make your ship, or they will pay for you to get back to your ship (they said they have had only one group miss there boat since 2004).

They day of our tour which was amazingly beautiful, we were talking to the van driver and the pilot and they said all in all you only have a 25% chance of being cancelled.

Thanks for the advice. I would definitely LOVE to do this excursion, but the price is pretty much double what our original plan was. I keep telling myself this might be a once in a lifetime trip so we should just go for it. But then again, I told my husband and kids 7 Disney cruises ago that our first DCL cruise would be once in a lifetime.

 

[deltadinah]

I also would like to hear something about the Mendenhall - Rainforest Garden
Excursion.

 

[Inkmahm]

Thanks for the advice. I would definitely LOVE to do this excursion, but the price is pretty much double what our original plan was. I keep telling myself this might be a once in a lifetime trip so we should just go for it. But then again, I told my husband and kids 7 Disney cruises ago that our first DCL cruise would be once in a lifetime.

Many people fall in love with Alaska and return over and over. We did our first Alaskan cruise/tour as our honeymoon and decided we would return every 5 years for as long as we could. It's such a beautiful place!

 

[NurseNash]

Hello Fellow Dis-ers! I have been lurking on this post and would love any information on the excursions we have booked during our June 14th Alaskan cruise:
1- Skagway: Takshanuk Mountain Trail 4x4
2- Juneau: Enchanted Taku Glacier Lodge Flight and Feast
3- Ketchikan: Rain Forest Canoe Adventure and Nature Trail

Any feed back will be greatly appreciated!

 

[Perdita&Pongo]

Hello Fellow Dis-ers! I have been lurking on this post and would love any information on the excursions we have booked during our June 14th Alaskan cruise:
1- Skagway: Takshanuk Mountain Trail 4x4
2- Juneau: Enchanted Taku Glacier Lodge Flight and Feast
3- Ketchikan: Rain Forest Canoe Adventure and Nature Trail

Any feed back will be greatly appreciated!

I second the request for any reviews of the Takshanuk Mountain Trail 4x4!!! Looks like so much fun!!

 

[NurseNash]

Perdita and Pongo- While I have not seen any reviews here for the Takshanuk excursion, the reviews on Trip Advisor are all fabulous!