Iconic
structures have been a part of Disney theme parks since the very beginning.
When folks first walked through the gates of the original Disneyland in
1955, Sleeping Beauty Castle drew them to the center of the park and
provided a central point of reference. American Waterfront's icon is the
S. S. Columbia, a nearly full-scale recreation of an early 20th-century
steam-powered ocean liner. (For those that are wondering, the S. S. Columbia
is not a recreation of the Titanic. Also, the S. S. Columbia should not be
confused with the Sailing Ship Columbia at Disneyland in California; other
than both being ships, the two are unrelated.)
While the S. S. Columbia makes a grand scale prop for New York Harbor, it is also functional, housing a couple of restaurants and serving as the backdrop for live stage shows on the Dockside Stage. The ship is also fun to just walk around and explore, and offers some nice elevated views of the area from its upper decks. This is also the best place at Tokyo Disney Resort to see Mount Fuji when it is visible from Tokyo.
