The “World” According to Jack

The next section of American Waterfront I’m going to discuss is the New York Harbor area.

The most prominent feature here is the S.S. Columbia.

This ship harkens back to the Gilded Age when luxury liners sailed between New York and Southampton. You can board this ship and wander around several of its outside decks. You will even find a shuffleboard court, a standard on all passenger liners of the time.

One of the things that helps make this ship look so real is that it backs up onto Tokyo Bay. When viewing the Columbia from a distance, you can see the ocean in the background so it takes on a realism that would be difficult to recreate in a landlocked park. Also, this ship is large. You don’t feel like you’re looking at a scaled-down version.

Along side of the Columbia is a tug boat, maneuvering the ship into port.

The interior of the ship is elegant, just as you’d expect from a first class ocean liner. Dark woods, damask wall coverings, and ornate statues greet guests as they enter the ship.

Located on “B” Deck you’ll find the S.S. Columbia Dining Room. This is an elegant restaurant, worthy of the millionaires that sailed on these ships in the early 20th century. This is a full service restaurant, offering multi-course meals, an impressive wine list, and soft piano music.

Several times a day, a show is presented on the Dockside Stage called “Over the Waves.” The story revolves around the Columbia setting sail on a “dream cruise” when the Disney characters get involved in the festivities.

Next door to the Columbia is a freight terminal. Here, guests can enjoy an elaborate, all-you-can-eat buffet while sitting beneath cargo from ports around the world.

Much of the rest of the harbor area is devoted to wharfs and piers where you’ll find water craft from dinghies to schooners tied up to the docks. This is truly a wonderful place just to wander and soak up the atmosphere.

To get to the Cape Cod section from the harbor area, you must cross a bridge and round a piece of land that juts out into the “ocean.”

You see, in order to keep the realism alive, Cape Cod cannot be seen from the bustling New York section of American Waterfront, so it’s tucked away in a secluded cove. And while crossing the bridge, keep a watch out for interesting plaques posted on the stone supports.

There are two attractions in Cape Cod, Big City Vehicles and the DisneySea Transit Steamer Line.

The Big City Vehicles are vintage automobiles that take a small number of guests on a leisurely drive to the New York City section of American Waterfront. This is one-way ride and the distance is sizable so plan accordingly.

The DisneySea Transit Steamer Line is a scenic boat ride that circles the many ports around the park. There are three stations and depending on which station you board, you will be required to exit at a different place. However, when boarding in Cape Cod, you make no stops and return to your original station.

Cape Cod feels like a real town as it has many of the facilities you’d expect to see in a seaside village such as a church, cannery, fire department, boat builder and numerous other places of business. In order to make the volcano in the background blend in, the rocks on this side of the mountain are reminiscent of the boulders you’d find in New England.

Inside the church and fire department you’ll find a counter service restaurant called Cape Cod Cook-Off. The menu is typically all American, serving hamburgers, sandwiches, and salads. What makes this eatery different is the live entertainment that’s presented in the dining area. While enjoying your meal you can watch continuous shows featuring Donald Duck cartoons and live performances starring Donald and many of his friends. This is a fun spot for lunch.

Humor is also alive and well in Cape Cod.

First, there’s Mickey mimicking the classic pose of the Fisherman Statue found in Gloucester, MA. Musicians singing sea chanteys can also be found performing in front of this statue throughout the day.

Then there’s this interesting sign.

For those of you who don’t get the joke, D.B. Cooper was the man who hijacked a Boeing 727 in 1971 and parachuted from the plane with $200K in ransom money. What I find interesting about this joke and so many others scattered around the park is that the typical Japanese guest, even those that read English well, would never understand the humor because they don’t share our background.

A lighthouse stands guard over this small harbor. This is also a popular “make out” spot for young lovers after the sun sets as the location is rather remote.

Next port of call, Port Discovery.