What to Do in Skagway During Your Disney Cruise
- Ashlie & Lauren
- Jun 25
- 4 min read
Updated: Jun 27
*This post contains affiliate links. That means we may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through one of these links.
Booking your excursions and planning your visits for your Alaskan cruise can be exciting and a little overwhelming if you’ve never been to Alaska. I was more on the overwhelmed side as we hit our booking day window for our Disney cruise on the Wonder. I didn’t want to miss a thing during our port days, and I am here to tell you friends, that Skagway is the perfect way to kick off your Alaskan adventure.
What I Wore
Before we dig in, one of the most common questions when traveling to Alaska is "What do you wear?" We cruised the first week of June and found Skagway to be the coldest area. This was mostly due to the wind. I still would recommend layers and a medium to heavy jacket, but hats, gloves, and fleece lined leggings were helpful for this day.
If you don’t want to deal with the outfit planning or are too overwhelmed with all of it, we’d be happy to help. We are actually outfit planners for magical vacations and can help you navigate the Alaskan cruise season.
Small Town Vibes
While most towns that you visit on your cruise are small, Skagway is especially small. Population is around 800-1000 people. But what it lacks in grocery stores and hospitals, it makes up for in beauty and rich history. Originally inhabited by the Tglingt people, this town gained popularity after a couple of news reporters lied about finding a large chunk of gold nearby.
One of the best parts about this being our first stop was that you dock right near the heart of the town. You can walk right off the ship and in just a few minutes, you are transported to a welcoming main street filled with shops and excursions. Our dog sledding excursion was cancelled, so we took the opportunity to just explore the town. Even though we were initially bummed about our excursion being cancelled, this ended up being a very memorable day.
What to Do in Skagway
Support Local Shops
Skagway depends a lot on cruise season, and while there are a lot of jewelry and “tourist” shops, we found Skagway to have the most reasonable and unique offerings of merchandise and local art. I am still kicking myself for not grabbing an Alaska crewneck sweatshirt here. Since it was our first stop, I was hesitant to buy anything as a souvenir, and I highly regretted it. Our other stops were overpriced and didn’t have as many adorable options!
If you’re looking for a place to get coffee, I would HIGHLY recommend Glacier Coffeehouse. They had a variety of fun flavors as I grabbed a butterbeer latte. It was delicious and I should have grabbed one before we left. If you’re looking to grab some lunch, my mother-in-law loved Bonanza Bar and Grill.
And make sure to stop by Kirmse’s Curios. Not only is it historical, but the
guard dog there in an actual queen and I am still taking notes on how to channel her energy.
Play Near the Mountains
After being on a cruise ship for 3 days, our kids were ready to get some energy out. Thankfully a local let us know about a playground directly behind Broadway Street. It’s called the Mollie Wash Park.
This secret hideout was a lifesaver as it provided a safe space for playing and a gorgeous backdrop for the adults. If you’re looking for the exact location, it’s between 6th and 7th ave near Broadway. It is a bit hidden so just look for the coffee house and it’s right behind it!
Book a Local Tour
Once you get off of your ship, you will be greeted with local tour information. We
weren’t quite ready to commit to anything yet, so we headed further into town. Once we explored a few shops we stumbled upon Southeast Tours. My kids were getting a bit antsy at this point so I inquired about a few tours. We had a long day in Skagway so I opted for the 6 hour Yukon Discovery Tour.
It was $179 per person although seeing the look of desperation on my face, the employee gave us a discount. This included lunch, access to the wildlife museum, and a mushing training camp.
You take a guided tour through the White Pass and then into Canada through the Yukon territory. There are many stops along the way including the incredible Emerald Lake. I will have a complete review of this excursion very soon!
However, if that seems like a little long for your family, there are many other local tours including the White Pass Railway, salmon bakes in Liarsville, and for those of age, a brothel tour. I would highly recommend downloading the Viator app or using their site. They book local excursions and have other options such as kayaking and hiking.
We very much enjoyed the town and tours of Skagway and beyond. For our family of 4, it truly was the best way to kick off exploring the ports. It was small, easy to navigate and the people of the town were truly wonderful.
If you have any questions, please feel free to drop them in the comments! We are happy to answer anything about your upcoming Disney Alaska cruise. Until then, remember, theme park (or cruise!) fashion doesn't have to be complicated, it just has to make you smile.
留言