Alaska with 8 and 5 year olds

[miss1180]

Hi!
I think we're about to book Alaska in August 2019 (40th birthday trip for DH and I!!!) , and our boys will be 8 and 5 when we go. Just looking for some input before we actually book.
Are the boys "too young" for Alaska still?? ( we've been on 3 other DCL cruises and loved them!) Which excursions might be the best for kids this age? I'm guessing we should splurge on the balcony vs. oceanview room??
Any other advice/ experiences? VERY excited- this will be a total bucket list trip for me!!

 

[cadien]

They won't be impressed by the scenery or learn a lot about the wildlife, but there is plenty that will be a lot of fun. The lumberjack show in Ketchikan. Walking on the glacier in Juneau. The train in Scagway.

 

[PHamrick]

I took our son to Alaska when he was 16 months old (don't even get me started...). Alaska is AMAZING for kids. I respectfully disagree with the above poster. Even at 16 months old, our son was enthralled (to all future posters, I'm sure he would have been enthralled with a paper bag too...).

First, YES splurge on the balcony. The scenery is amazing and hanging out on the balcony watching the glaciers go by is fantastic. It's so pretty to sit out on the balcony with breakfast or a late evening nightcap. Remember, the sun will stay up VERY late during the summer, so there is plenty to watch going by.

As for excursions, only you really know what your kids are interested in, but here are a few things that we really enjoyed: whale watching (private boat excursion better than a big cruise excursion), salmon fishing, ziplining down a mountain (don't remember the height requirement, but what a rush!), looking for bears while flying around the fjords, hiking the glaciers, dog sled tours, etc. If your kids like the outdoors, they will LOVE Alaska. I'm trying to figure out when we can go back so my daughter can experience it too.

To put this in perspective, my kids are almost 7 and 9. I'm taking them to Northern Europe this summer. I really don't believe in being "too young" for any type of travel (except maybe Vegas ). All trips can be geared towards activities that the whole family will enjoy. Alaska is SUCH treat for the senses.

 

[Geomom]

Balconies are so costly on Alaska cruises--for us in 2016 it would have added $3000 to our costs--which was better spent on excursions! We did a category 9C oceanview on deck 2 and were very happy with it! We spent plenty of time outside on deck 4 and deck 9/10 whenever we wanted and had great views out our window (and stayed warm!) at other times.

With younger kids, I might do the Liarsville Gold Panning with Disney characters. My girls were 12 and 16 on our trip--we booked through Chilkoot Charters in Skagway for the Yukon bus/train with dogcart ride--highlight of our trip! For Juneau we did one of the 'glacier express' shuttles for $30/person roundtrip to go to Mendenhall Glacier--my kids did the Tongass National Forest Junior Ranger badge while there. Ketchikan we did the DCL excursion of Saxman Native Village and Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show--really enjoyed both.

 

[Nicks80]

We went when our son was 5 and there are things he remembers. In Skagway, We did the White Pass train which he really enjoyed. You can book through DCL or on your own, but I think the price was about the same. The one we did took a bus to Carcross... beautiful views and we saw some bears just out of hibernation. Then there was a bbq lunch at a place that has a little museum and sled dogs you can interact with. They even had a litter of little puppies. Finally, we rode the train back to Skagway and they tell you about the Alaska gold rush. On Amazon Prime there is a kid show called Mighty Machines and one episode is all about that train. Our son had seen it a lot so that helped with the excitement. In Juneau, we just kind of did our own thing but did eat at Tracy’s Crab Shack at the port... It was amazing! In Ketchikan, we booked a seaplane ride through the fjord that was amazing and our son really liked that. We booked it through Costco so it was so much cheaper than DCL. But there are lots of excursions for kids... the panning for gold, local shows, whale watching. My son also really enjoyed the glacier day. They bring a big chunk on board for the kids to touch. We had an inside cabin on deck 6, but spent all day on deck 9. We like having an inside room because we feel like we all get better sleep. We saw lots of eagles and orcas from the deck...especially in the morning & evening. The frozen shows and the characters in their Alaska gear was super fun, too.

 

[EllieBride]

following...

 

[WishUponAStarryNight]

My son will be 8 when we go to Alaska. He specifically requested this trip. He loves all things nature and I think will get a ton out of the trip and will be amazed by it all. He's a big fan of Wild Kratts on PBS and their Alaska show was great. Do I think he'll spend all of Tracy Arm day at the railing? No. But will he love whale watching, dog sledding, a corny lumberjack show, panning for gold? Yes, yes, yes and yes!

 

[DisneyWishes14]

We did an Alaska cruise when DS was 4 and we had a fantastic time! His favorite excursion was a helicopter ride to the top of a glacier where we did dog sledding - it was amazing. We also enjoyed seeing the totem poles and Lumberjack show in Ketchikan and taking the funicular in Juneau (there's also a GREAT crab shack by the library in Juneau). We did the Yukon train in Skagway and it was a bit too long for him. If we did it over again, we would just explore the town of Skagway.

 

[xavier2001]

We went in 2016 with my then 8 year old twins, it was great, they were at the perfect age for it, you can read about our trip here: https://disneyalaska2016.wordpress.com

 

[WishUponAStarryNight]

We did an Alaska cruise when DS was 4 and we had a fantastic time! His favorite excursion was a helicopter ride to the top of a glacier where we did dog sledding - it was amazing. We also enjoyed seeing the totem poles and Lumberjack show in Ketchikan and taking the funicular in Juneau (there's also a GREAT crab shack by the library in Juneau). We did the Yukon train in Skagway and it was a bit too long for him. If we did it over again, we would just explore the town of Skagway.

Do you recall who you used for the helicopter excursion? Did you go through DCL or book privately? TIA

 

[fredandkell]

I think it depends on your kids and also where you live. If you're in California, for example, the time change won't be too atrocious for your kids. If you're on the East Coast, the time change is a bear. When DH and I went before the kids were born, we woke up at seriously like 4am every day because our bodies felt like it was 8 or 9 am. We just got back from Utah a couple weeks ago, which was a 2-hour time change, and sure enough, the 8-year old woke up every day at 5 am (he normally wakes up 7 am back home) so we were like, no way are we taking this kid to Alaska anytime soon, haha! Now as far as scenery and things to do, yes, I think an 8 year old and a 5 year old would love Alaska.

 

[TestingH2O]

DD was 5 last summer in Alaska. Newly 5 at that! She remembers everything. She talks about the wildlife, the glacier, and, of course, the Disney stuff. I think it all depends on what you do.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Do you recall who you used for the helicopter excursion? Did you go through DCL or book privately? TIA

We actually sailed NCL in Alaska and booked the excursion through them. It was not cheap, unfortunately, but it was AMAZING! We also did a horse carriage ride through the gardens in Victoria which my son enjoyed.

 

[Snowwhyt]

My only advice to you, with your age children, is to save the money and do not take the children on the excursion at Tracy arm/Endicott. I brought a 16-year-old who was able to watch hours of National Geographic, she did okay. But all of the kids that were younger were sitting at their seats/on the floor with toys that their parents brought for them to play-with (bless those parents.) The children they did not have the toys to play with were tired of the books and toys on the ship and were now playing on the stairs and pacing in front of the snack bar.
Most definitely spend time with them outside as you sail up to the arm. Enjoy the glacier as the small boat catches up to the ship. Then take the kids to the club while you take the excursion. The kids were mis-behaving they just weren’t entertained. If your child is willing to watch an hour long program on Alaska and glaciers, then take him/her they will have a blast on the short adventure. The kids are going to have a great time in Alaska looking at all the old looking towns. They will feel like they’re in the wild Wild West, pan for gold, definitely take them!