This week I want to talk about an icon at Downtown Disney,
and that icon is The "Empress Lilly" AKA Fulton's Crab House.
The Empress Lilly was the name of the riverboat at the once named Lake Buena Vista shopping district now Downtown Disney. The boat was built in 1976 and was official opened on May 1 1977.
Lilly is a replica of a paddle steamer riverboat, and is 220 feet long by 62 foot wide. The name of the boat comes from Walt Disney's widow Lillian.
Notable was the decorative paddle wheel at the back of the ship that turned and churned up the water, although the boat never moved an inch.
The Lilly was home to one of WDW’s first character breakfasts, aptly titled the “Disney Character Breakfast.”
The Baton Rouge Lounge was located forward on the main deck, and had a full bar and entertainment provided by the Riverboat Rascals.
The restaurants were:
The Steerman’s Quarters – a steakhouse located in the aft section of the Main Deck.
The Fisherman’s Deck – a seafood restaurant located on the Promenade Deck, forward.
The Empress Room – a formal dining room located aft on the Promenade Deck. Richly decorated and always busy, this restaurant required reservations and was lavishly decorated in gold.
On April 22, 1995, the Empress Lilly closed her doors, and had the interior gutted in preparation for a new dining experience. The smokestacks and paddle wheel were removed from the exterior, and on March 10, 1996, it reopened as Fulton’s Crab House.
Until next week.......Look Closer!
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