This article is about the ship from Tokyo DisneySea. For the ship of a similar name from Disneyland, see the Sailing Ship Columbia.
The SS Columbia is a representation of a passenger ship in Tokyo DisneySea at the Tokyo Disney Resort in Japan. It is located in the 'New York Harbor' section of the American Waterfront in the park. The ship was designed as a recreation of a 20th century steam-powered ocean liner.
Origin and design[]
Tokyo DisneySea was designed with a nautical and maritime theme. The liner was chosen as a representation of iconic steam liners such as RMS Titanic, though the Columbia is not a specific recreation of the Titanic. However, historical photos of the Titanic and Lusitania were doctored into the Columbia for photos in the queue of Turtle Talk displaying the ship's construction and launch. The ship's funnels are painted in the Cunard Line's color, and is similar in appearance to the RMS Queen Mary, currently a museum ship and hotel at Long Beach, California. The Columbia was not designed as a recreation of the Queen Mary owing to initial plans to build DisneySea at Long Beach, California, an idea which was later scrapped, but many of the designs were transferred to the Tokyo Disney park.[1].
The SS Columbia is also named for the Sailing Ship Columbia, a classic sailing ship attraction found in Disneyland.
The ship was designed to take visitors to the park from 'New York Harbor' to 'Mediterranean Harbor', two locations in Tokyo DisneySea. To make it more like a 20th century passenger ship, the ship is towed by a small steam tug before departure.
Backstory[]
The S.S. Columbia belongs to Cornelius Endicott, owner of the U.S. Steamship Company and business rival of Harrison Hightower III. Construction began in 1909, with an early test launch taking place on April 11, 1911, and its maiden voyage to Liverpool, England taking place on March 20, 1912. Beatrice Rose Endicott, daughter of Cornelius, supervised much of the interior design of the ship and was the one that christened the ship on its original launch.
As seen in a poster for the U.S. Steamship Company, the Columbia also has two sister ships: the S.S. Housatonic and S.S. Monongahela.
Interior and exterior[]
The ship houses restaurants and serves as the backdrop for live stage shows on the Dockside Stage. The ship's visitors can explore the ship. The ship's upper deck provides elevated views of the park. The main dining room is located on Deck B (the ship's third level). Inside, period atmosphere is provided by a music from a grand piano. The third level is home to the Teddy Roosevelt Lounge, a restaurant celebrating the adventurous life of Theodore Roosevelt. On the lower deck is the Undersea Observatory, home to Tokyo's version of Turtle Talk with Crush.
Gallery[]
References[]
External links[]
- SS Columbia at Chris's Tokyo DisneySea Resort Fan Site
- TDR Fan - SS Columbia Photos
- SS Columbia's dining room
