Building the Empress Lilly at Walt Disney World

Building the Empress Lilly at Walt Disney World

Do you remember the Empress Lilly? (It used to be where Paddlefish is at Disney Springs.)

In the mid-1970s, Walt Disney World was working to come out of the slumps that paralyzed the travel industry. Various Phase II hotels were scrapped and new ideas were brought to the table. In line with Walt’s vision for EPCOT Center, WDW management developed…

The Empress Lilly, some of you Disney historians know of her and cherish her memory, while many out there don't even know what she is. The Empress Lilly was one of WDI early and coolest visual wonders. What looked like a docked 19th century paddle-wheeler boat was actually a giant restaurant, with various rooms that all offered different menu's. The boat had a lovely giant and iconic red paddle wheel and was truly one of the finer and more beautiful experiences in the early years of Walt Disney World. Sadly like most fantastic things in the resorts early history the boat eventually fell off its state of grace over the years. The paddle wheel had rust and wood rot and instead of replacing it they just removed it, the boat was put into a contact and lost most of it's charm and became Fulton's Crab House. Even so this boat is still a beauty and remains one of the more beautiful parts of the Downtown Disney Area. For a full in depth history of the ship please follow these Links.