The Columbia, August 12 1996

The Columbia has been around since 1958 and is still with us, thankfully. It is unique among Disney park watercraft (as far as I know). On busy days it will carry passengers on the Rivers of America along with the Mark Twain, though usually it seems that if one is running, the other is out of service.  I have been told that there are wheels on the bottom of the Columbia, and that it actually half floats, half rolls. Maybe my leg was being yanked! After looking at vintage photos for so many years, it is strange to see the Big Thunder Mountain Railway in the background.

It's a shame that the "powers that be" have decided to leave the sails furled permanently, though I know they would be a lot of additional work and expense to maintain. But the sails look so good!