Tips for Traveling to Canada for an Alaskan Disney Cruise
- Ashlie & Lauren
- Jun 15
- 6 min read
Updated: Jun 16
While many cruise lines do port out of Seattle for their Alaskan destinations, Disney Cruise Line leaves out of Vancouver, Canada. It would have been so much easier for us to only need one travel day there, but after listening to the DCL Podcast, I learned that porting out of Vancouver actually makes the cruise more enjoyable, as you get more time in the inside passage and less time in the Pacific, which can be a difficult journey for those who might deal with motion sickness. Our family of four just completed our first Alaskan Cruise, and I have to say, even though it was more inconvenient, it was worth it.
Traveling with small kids can always be stressful, and this trip was particularly tricky for us due to time changes and customs. At first, I was a little annoyed by porting out of Canada because of the extra cost and travel time we had to add on for our family. We live near St. Louis, Missouri, right in the heart of the Midwest and have two kids who are under 10. Our kids are used to traveling to Disney World and Disneyland, but we knew this was going to be a whole new ballgame. While our kids love to explore new places, they tend to get overwhelmed quickly, and one of our kids has sensory needs. Even if your kiddos don’t fall into these categories or even if you are traveling without kids, hopefully these tips will help make your trip a smooth process.
Plan for AT LEAST two travel days for arrival
It’s always a good idea to err on the side of caution when traveling for any cruise. With airlines being so unpredictable, it’s best to give yourself plenty of time to make your embarkation time. If you have the time and budget, I would even suggest three. Our cruise left on a Monday, so we scheduled our flights for Saturday. There were no direct flights from STL to CAN, so we actually booked a flight to Seattle and took the train to Vancouver (more on this later).
But, one of the biggest reasons I am suggesting a minimum of two travel days is the time change. I REALLY underestimated this aspect of our cruise. Since we had tackled Disneyland last summer, I assumed that this wouldn’t be much different. I was very wrong.
Not only was a it a lot of traveling in two days, but the time change was really hard on the kids. The sun being up for so long really threw them off. By the time we reached embarkation day, my kids were overstimulated and tired. So, if it’s within your budget, give yourself some wiggle room and take it easy getting there. Sleep in, and take this opportunity to enjoy new sites at a slow place so you’re well rested and ready to enjoy embarkation day (which is stressful in itself!)
We chose to put our priority on exploring Canada for a day, and we were so glad
we did. I was getting mixed messages about Vancouver prior to our trip. When I reached out on Threads for hotel recommendations, A LOT of people commented on how dangerous the city can be.
This made me a bit nervous, but I am happy to report that we had a wonderful time exploring different sights without any issues or feeling unsafe. I will note that my family lives near a fairly big city, and we love traveling to Chicago and New York City, so my kids are somewhat used to a city life. I would highly recommend the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park and Vancouver Aquarium if you are looking for some fun things to do in Vancouver.
If I could do it all over again, I would have budgeted to leave on Friday for Seattle and arrive in Vancouver by Saturday. That way, we would have had an entire day on Sunday for sleeping in and letting our bodies adjust and recover before we set sail.
Take the Amtrak from Seattle to Vancouver
Flying with little ones can also bring an extra layer of stress to the trip. My kids had not been on a flight longer than 4 hours. So, when we first started looking at flights from STL to Canada, none of the options where great. There were no direct flights, and I tend to stress about missing connecting flights, lost luggage, and long delays. Flight times were also averaging anywhere from 6 and a half hours to 8 hours. I knew that this would not work for our family, as one of my kiddos really struggles with sitting/standing in a confined space for too long.
That’s why I am forever grateful for Melanie’s blog over at Polka Dot Pixie. (Her entire blog is amazing for an Alaskan Cruise!) She suggested taking the train from Seattle to Vancouver, and it was a lifesaver. This option was wonderful for our family. We found a direct flight to Seattle from STL, which was around 4 hours for Saturday and a train that left on Sunday. We stayed at the Hilton Embassy Suites, which I would highly recommend if you can make that work for your budget. It’s directly next to the train station and offers free breakfast. You can literally walk a few steps from the entrance and you’re at the station!
Even though the train ride is a bit over 4 hours, you have so much more room and ability to walk around. The snack cart is actually quite delicious, as we really enjoyed the farmhouse mac and cheese and cheese pizza.
Customs is also very simple. You do not have to get off of the train at the border and are able to just go through it when you arrive at the train station. The process was super easy and smooth. But, the best part for me was the views. You get to see some absolutely beautiful places in both Washington and Canada.
Amtrak will let you check two bags per person, plus a carry-on. They also offer
discounted tickets for kids, and we only had to pay for one child. Truly, it made our travel days a bit easier, and my kids loved the experience. It was a bit different leaving Canada, and the process seemed a little bit more chaotic, but overall, I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Stay at the Pan Pacific Hotel
Before you start googling prices of this hotel, please hear me out. This hotel is literally AT the port. It is connected to where you will be getting on the ship. Melanie had suggested this in her blog, and being someone who likes to budget, I saw the prices and started to look elsewhere. We booked a room at the Rosewood on Rosedale, as it had decent reviews and was only about 10 minutes from the port. We saved about $200, but I am here to tell you, we did not save our sanity.
The Rosewood was…..fine. It was super outdated, and in our experience, it wasn’t super clean. We had booked it because of the space it provided, which was two full beds and a sleeper sofa. Because we had 7 pieces of luggage, we had to order a Lyft XL from the train station AND to the port, which costs more money. But honestly, it’s the convenience factor for me. You literally can check your bags for your cruise AT the hotel. This would have been so much easier on our kids if we had booked our stay here.
You also don’t have to worry about making it through traffic on time the day of your embarkation day because friends, Vancouver traffic is BUSY. Not having to haul luggage around multiple times and worry about leaving pieces here and there might have saved me a few gray hairs. There is also a lot to do around the port within walking distance, so it might save you money in the long run for Lyfts!
What I Wore
And because outfit planning is what we do, I thought I would share what I wore on our travel days. I knew we wanted to explore the suspension bridge, so I wanted to be comfy and practical with light layers. A lot of this outfit is from Old Navy and no longer in stock, but I will link similar options. These pants are my favorite, and I have them in two colors. They are perfect for Alaska, and I wore them again on the cruise. My go-to waterproof shoes are Vessi's, but if you need a different price point, I’ve added another option that’s a little less expensive. I’d highly recommend getting a pair of water resistant/waterproof shoes for your cruise.
If outfit planning seems to overwhelm you, we'd love to help! We offer customized outfit planning services, and now that we've cruised to Alaska, we have firsthand knowledge of what you need to pack and wear. You can check out our services below.
We had a lot of fun on our travel days, but they were exhausting. Hopefully, you can learn from my mistakes and budget in a few of the convenience factors during your stay. If this is your once-in-a-lifetime trip, take advantage of being in Canada! It’s truly beautiful and a wonderful way to kick off your incredible Disney Alaska cruise.
If you have any questions, please feel free to leave them in the comments! I'd love to help in any possible way for your Disney Alaskan Cruise!
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