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What I Packed for a September Disney Alaska Cruise With Little Kids
Packing for Alaska is intimidating enough.
Packing for Alaska with little kids? On a Disney Cruise? In September?
That felt like an entirely different level.
When we started planning our Disney Alaska cruise, one of the things I researched more than anything else was what we actually needed to pack. Alaska weather can change throughout the day, September is already moving toward the end of the cruise season, and then there are all of the extra things that come with sailing Disney—character outfits, dinner clothes, princess dresses, cruise door decorations and approximately 500 things I was convinced the kids might need.
Our family is sailing on a seven-night Disney Alaska cruise in September, and after months of planning, organizing and slowly creating packing piles around the house, this is what made the final cut.
This isn't meant to be a minimalist packing list.
We're traveling with little kids. Minimalism left the conversation a long time ago.
Instead, this is everything I'm packing to make our Disney Alaska cruise comfortable, organized and magical without bringing our entire house onboard.
[IMAGE: Horizontal editorial image of an open suitcase on a beautiful neutral bedroom bed, packed with children's sweaters, rain jackets, knit hats, neutral layers and subtle Disney-inspired accessories. Elevated family travel magazine aesthetic, natural light, no text.]
Packing for Alaska in September: Layers, Layers, Layers
The biggest thing I kept seeing while preparing for Alaska was not to pack for one temperature.
You need to pack for layers.
A port morning could feel cold and damp, the afternoon could warm up, and then being outside on the ship can feel completely different again.
Instead of trying to predict exactly what we'll wear each day, I built everyone's wardrobe around pieces we can layer.
For the kids, that means:
Short-sleeve shirts
Long-sleeve shirts
Sweatshirts and sweaters
Fleece layers
Comfortable pants
Warm socks
Waterproof outer layers
Knit hats
Comfortable walking shoes
Waterproof shoes or boots
For myself, I used essentially the same strategy, just with pieces that can easily mix and match.
I wanted to be able to start with a basic outfit, add a sweater or fleece, and then add a waterproof outer layer when necessary.
The goal is to be able to adjust throughout the day without returning to the stateroom every time the weather changes.
What I'm Packing for the Kids
Kids are messy on a normal Tuesday at home.
Add excursions, meals, rain, snacks and seven days away from our laundry room, and I'm assuming we're going to need backups.
I'm packing enough everyday outfits that I'm not constantly worried about preserving something for later in the trip.
For daytime, I'm focusing heavily on comfortable separates.
Long-sleeve tops, leggings or comfortable pants, sweatshirts and fleece pieces can all be mixed together instead of creating seven completely separate outfits.
I'm also packing extra socks.
More socks than seems reasonable.
Because if there is one thing I don't want to deal with in Alaska, it's a toddler with cold, wet feet.
Pajamas
Of course, we're bringing Disney pajamas.
Cruises are one of those trips where I love having cute pajamas for the kids because so much of the experience happens onboard. There are mornings grabbing breakfast, evenings winding down in the room and plenty of opportunities for those little everyday vacation memories.
But I'm also bringing practical warm pajamas.
Cute is wonderful.
Warm and sleeping through the night is better.
Our Rain Gear
This was one category I didn't want to skip.
I'm packing waterproof jackets for everyone, and the kids will have footwear that can handle wet conditions.
The important distinction here is waterproof versus simply warm.
A beautiful wool coat might be cozy, but it's not what I want to rely on if we're outside during steady rain.
Our outer layers need to keep everyone dry while the layers underneath keep us warm.
I'm also packing a compact umbrella, although I'm expecting our waterproof jackets to do most of the work when we're out exploring.
Shoes: Trying Not to Bring 47 Pairs
Shoes are always the category where luggage space disappears.
For the kids, I'm prioritizing:
A comfortable everyday walking shoe
A waterproof option
A nicer shoe if needed for dinner outfits
For myself, I'm following essentially the same formula.
I don't need a different pair of shoes for every dinner outfit.
Everything needs to earn its place in the suitcase.
Comfortable walking shoes are especially important because port days can involve much more walking than a typical day at home.
What I'm Wearing on Port Days
I built my port-day outfits around a very simple formula:
Base layer + sweater or fleece + waterproof jacket + comfortable bottoms + walking shoes.
I'm sticking mostly with a neutral palette so everything coordinates.
Cream.
Navy.
Black.
Denim.
Camel.
Olive.
That way, I can change layers depending on the weather without creating an outfit that suddenly doesn't work together.
It also makes packing much easier.
Dinner Outfits
One thing I love about cruising is that dinner feels like an actual event.
Even with little kids.
I wanted to pack pieces that feel nicer than what we'd wear exploring a port without bringing an entirely separate formal wardrobe.
I'm packing dresses and elevated separates that are comfortable enough to sit through dinner with children.
For the kids, I have a handful of nicer outfits that can be reworn or mixed throughout the week.
And yes, there are Disney outfits involved.
This is still a Disney Cruise.
The Princess Dresses
If you have a little one who loves princesses, you already know these were never staying home.
I'm bringing princess dresses for character experiences and other moments onboard.
Rather than having the kids wear elaborate outfits all day, I prefer bringing them in a small separate bag so we can change when necessary.
That means they can comfortably play, eat and explore without me worrying about keeping a princess dress spotless for a character meeting.
I'm also packing comfortable shoes to go with them.
Because a magical princess moment does not require uncomfortable feet.
Character Outfits and Disney Extras
Part of the fun of a Disney Cruise is getting to lean into Disney a little more than we normally would.
We're packing a few character-inspired outfits and Disney pieces for the kids, but I'm trying to make sure most of them can also function as regular clothes.
A themed sweatshirt that can be worn around the ship is much more useful than an elaborate outfit that only works for one photo.
I'm also packing our autograph book.
The kids are at such a fun age for character interactions, and I want to document as much of that as possible.
Frozen Night
Alaska sailings have their own onboard entertainment, so I planned for our Frozen-themed evening as well.
I don't think you need an entirely new wardrobe for every themed event on a cruise.
A princess dress, Frozen-inspired colors or something the kids already own can make the night feel special without adding another pile of clothing to the suitcase.
The goal for me is to participate in the fun without making packing completely unreasonable.
Our Cruise Door Decorations
This might be one of the things I'm most excited about.
We made our Disney Cruise door decorations specifically for this trip, and they're absolutely coming with us.
I'm packing our magnets and decorations together in a protective folder or pouch so everything stays flat and organized during travel.
I also want all of our door pieces together so I'm not digging through four suitcases on embarkation day trying to find one tiny magnet.
It's a small detail, but decorating our stateroom door is one of those things that makes the trip feel even more special for the kids.
Fish Extender Supplies
We're also bringing our fish extender and everything associated with it.
The fish extender itself will be packed flat when possible, and I'm keeping anything that belongs with it together.
For cruise-specific items like this, I love using labeled packing cubes or zippered pouches.
One pouch.
One purpose.
No wondering which suitcase something ended up in.
What I'm Packing in Our Embarkation-Day Bag
This might be one of the most important bags I'm packing.
Your checked luggage isn't necessarily going to arrive at your stateroom immediately, so anything we could realistically need during those first few hours is staying with us.
Our carry-on will include things like:
Travel documents
IDs
Medications
Diapers and wipes
Change of clothes for the kids
Essential toiletries
Chargers
Snacks
Anything valuable
Anything we absolutely cannot afford to lose
My rule is simple:
If not having it for several hours would create a major problem, it doesn't go in the checked luggage.
The Kids' Travel Medicine Kit
I hope we don't need most of this.
But I would much rather bring familiar kid essentials from home than be searching for them while traveling.
Our family travel kit includes the basic things we normally rely on for minor everyday needs, along with any personal medications.
I'm also bringing a thermometer.
It's tiny, takes up almost no room and is one of those things I always want available when we're away from home.
Any medication for children should, of course, be packed and used according to its directions and your child's healthcare guidance.
Stateroom Organization
Cruise staterooms are incredibly functional, but we're still putting an entire family's belongings into one relatively small space.
Organization matters.
I'm packing:
Packing cubes
Zippered pouches
A small laundry bag
A wet bag
Reusable bags
Stroller accessories
Compact organizers where useful
I'm trying not to pack an entire organizational system just for the sake of organizing.
The things I'm bringing need to solve an actual problem.
Packing cubes keep everyone's clothing separated.
A wet bag contains damp clothing.
A laundry bag keeps dirty clothes from migrating across the room.
Simple.
Our Stroller Setup
We're absolutely bringing a stroller.
Between the ship, ports, travel days and the possibility of tired kids, I want somewhere they can rest.
I'm also packing a rain cover.
This is Alaska.
In September.
The rain cover made the list.
I'll also have our usual stroller essentials organized so we aren't constantly repacking the diaper bag.
Snacks for the Travel Days
Even though there is plenty of food onboard, getting to the ship is still a travel day.
And traveling with small children without snacks is a risk I'm unwilling to take.
I'm packing easy, familiar snacks for our travel days and keeping them accessible instead of buried in the luggage.
The snack bag is never glamorous.
It is, however, one of the most important pieces of luggage we own.
Things I'm NOT Packing
This list is almost as important as what we're bringing.
I'm trying not to pack something for every possible scenario.
We're not bringing enormous amounts of toys.
We're not bringing seven completely unique dressy outfits.
We're not packing full-size versions of everything we use at home.
And I'm trying very hard not to bring an excessive number of "just in case" items.
Disney Cruise Line has rules around what guests can and cannot bring onboard, so I'm also checking Disney's current prohibited-items information rather than assuming something that was allowed on another vacation can come onto the ship.
My Packing Strategy: Organize by Person and Purpose
I'm using packing cubes for this trip because they make traveling with kids significantly easier for me.
Each person's clothes stay together.
Then specific categories—swim, princess/character items, accessories and cruise extras—can have their own smaller bags.
I'm also trying to pack outfits that coordinate with one another.
The more pieces that can be mixed and matched, the fewer things we need overall.
A Few Things I'm Glad I Thought About Before Packing
There were a few questions I kept asking myself while packing:
Can this be layered?
Can this be worn more than once?
Can these shoes handle a lot of walking?
Will I care if this gets wet?
Do we actually need this onboard?
Can I easily replace this if I forget it?
Those questions eliminated quite a few things from my original packing piles.
The Real Goal: Being Prepared Without Packing Our Entire House
I could probably spend another month adding things to our Alaska packing list.
There will always be one more gadget someone recommends or another "must-have" cruise item on social media.
But ultimately, I want to arrive prepared—not overwhelmed.
We're going to Alaska to see places we've never seen before.
We're taking our kids on their first Disney Cruise.
We're going to watch them meet characters, explore the ship, see mountains and glaciers, eat dinner together every night and experience something completely new as a family.
If someone's sweatshirt gets dirty twice?
We'll survive.
If I wish I'd packed one different pair of shoes?
We'll survive that too.
The suitcase doesn't have to be perfect for the vacation to be incredible.
So the rain jackets are packed.
The layers are packed.
The princess dresses are packed.
The cruise magnets are packed.
And somehow, after months of planning, it's finally time to close the suitcases and go.
Alaska, we're ready for you.
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