Holiday Gingerbread Magic at Disney Parks & Resorts

This just in from Disney Parks!
You’ll soon be walking in a winter wonderland because gingerbread season is upon us! In just a few short weeks, Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort will be home to some dazzling creations for the holiday season. These gingerbread displays have become a yuletide tradition for the entire family, and for good reason. They are masterfully brought to life by the talented bakery teams following months of hard work and artistry. Trust me when I say, these are not to be missed.

This year there are some new and returning creations to get you in the holiday spirit with a Disney touch. New this year, EPCOT will be welcoming Gingerbread Spaceship Earthmodeled after the iconic attraction. Returning to Walt Disney World is the adorable Life-Size Baby Gingerbread Giraffe and Baby Zebra at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. And what holiday season at Disneyland Resort would be complete without the Haunted Mansion Holiday display nestled within the mansion itself!

I cannot wait to see what the bakery teams have in store for us this year. While we wait for them to arrive, why don’t we check out some of this year’s fun facts and take a look at last year’s dazzling displays?

EPCOT will be home to a brand-new creation starting on November 29 – Gingerbread Spaceship Earth. This offering in CommuniCore Hall will feature Spaceship Earth in gingerbread form. The EPCOT Festival Team and Walt Disney Imagineering have teamed up with the talented EPCOT Pastry team to create this 8-foot-tall gingerbread display, which took over 160 hours. It even will light up and dance to music throughout the day.

The sphere itself is made up of almost a thousand handcrafted gingerbread triangles to mirror the iconic attraction. There are 240 pounds of honey dough, 100 eggs, 100 ounces lebkuchen spice, 55 pounds dark chocolate, and 100 pounds royal icing. For a final Disney touch, there are 11 hidden Mickeys to represent the 11 countries of the World Showcase.

Back for its fourth year, the Life-Size Baby Gingerbread Giraffe and Baby Zebra displays will be trekking into the lobby of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge starting November 24. This adorable creation features Ginger, the baby giraffe – or rather a ginger-affe – along with Debra, the baby zebra. These life-sized displays stand nearly 7 feet tall and are brought to life by the incredibly talented Animal Kingdom Lodge bakery team with a combination of gingerbread, sugar dough, and modeling chocolate. New this year, there is a limited-edition pin, cookie jar, and holiday ornament inspired by Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge available for purchase.

For some tasty bites to enjoy on this holiday safari, the team has also whipped up some tasty items, including the Gingeraffe Cookie and specialty cocktails.

This year, we’re celebrating 25 sweet years of the beloved Gingerbread House at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. Starting November 6, the iconic house that smells as good as it looks will be available for guests to bask in the holiday festivities. As you explore the various details of this incredible display, you’ll find white chocolate candy canes, edible snowflakes, sugar poinsettias, and an 88-pound white chocolate Santa. The gingerbread itself is baked with 1050 pounds of honey, 800 pounds of flour, and 600 pounds of confectioners’ sugar. The decorations feature 700 pounds of chocolate and feature over 10,000 pieces of gingerbread – yes, you heard that right. The team spend over 500 hours baking the gingerbread and 480 hours bringing all the dazzling details to life. To celebrate the 25 years of holiday tradition, there are 25 hidden Mickeys scattered throughout. See how many you can find!

There will also be a limited-edition collection of 25th anniversary merchandise including a pin, ornament, cookie jar, magnet, tumbler, t-shirt, and more available for purchase to commemorate your holiday memories.

If you’re looking to take a taste of gingerbread home, you’re in luck because nestled within the display itself, you’ll find treats available for purchase, including:

Because parking at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa is limited to guests with hotel and dining reservations, those visiting this sweet holiday display will need to park at the Transportation & Ticket Center and take the resort monorail.

For 24 years, Disney’s Beach Club Resort has continued their cherished tradition with the life-sized Holiday Carousel. Did we mention it actually spins? Each holiday season, the horses are decorated to a different theme and this year, the characters from “Mickey’s Christmas Carol” will be brought to life by the talented Yacht and Beach Bakery. This yuletide celebration is masterfully created with chocolate, sugar, and fondant with hand-painted characters and handcrafted gingerbread shingles and snowflakes adorning the carousel.

This is done with a whopping 432 pounds of honey, 200 pounds of icing, 100 pounds of eggs, and 2024 pieces of gingerbread, not to mention the creativity and enthusiasm of the bakery team. Be sure to keep an eye out for the 24 hidden gold Mickeys placed throughout the display. To take a piece of the memories home with you, there’s also a limited-edition pin, cookie jar, and holiday ornament available, too.

Some of the holiday treats available at this location include:

Just a short trip around crescent lake, Disney’s BoardWalk Inn plays host to a miniature gingerbread version of its iconic and fan-favorite spots from the BoardWalk itself. The BoardWalk Deli Gingerbread House, starting November 12, is beautifully created with details that look just like the seaside escape, but just in a smaller and sweet form. The BoardWalk Deli itself is home to none other than the BoardWalk Inn Bakery team, who brings this display to life. This year, there’s also a limited-edition pin, cookie jar, and holiday ornament available for purchase to bring the gingerbread magic home with you!

Before leaving, be sure to check out some of the treats made by the team, like:

Starting November 8, Disney’s Contemporary Resort will be getting an extra holiday (and sweet) touch with their Castle Display. This dazzling creation, back for its 13^th year, can be found on the 4^th floor of the resort. Walt Disney Imagineers have designed this new overlay inspired by the Cinderella Castle Dream Lights.

The Contemporary Bakery team has been hard at work creating this display that stands over 17 feet tall and 25 feet wide. It’s made with 613 pounds of sugar, 1013 pounds of flour, 113 pounds of gingerbread spice, 51 pounds of chocolate, over 4,000 castle gingerbread bricks, and plenty of pixie dust! Don’t forget to search for the 13 hidden Mickeys and the one and only, 5-legged goat. You can also purchase limited-edition pins, cookie jar, and holiday ornament here, too!

For those wanting a sweet treat, the following will also be available for purchase:

For guests taking a trip to Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, nestled in the lobby, you’ll find a delicious selection of sweet treats. Starting November 21, get in the holiday spirit with bites like:

For our next stop, we’re taking a trip to the West Coast for two mesmerizing gingerbread displays at Disneyland Resort. Starting November 22, you’ll find Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa Gingerbread Display. This year’s creation in the lobby features a gingerbread replica of Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa with none other than Chip ‘n’ Dale in their pajama attire seen in Mickey’s Holiday Pajama Party Breakfast and Brunch at Storytellers Cafe.

Standing 7 feet tall and 12 feet wide, the structure is created from more than 600 pounds of gingerbread, 600 pounds of powdered sugar, 250 pounds of fondant, one pound of pixie dust, and features 25 hidden Mickeys!

Looking for a sweet bite to get your taste buds in the holiday spirit? Treat yourself to one (or multiple) of the following from November 15 through January 5:

Over in Disneyland Park, the Haunted Mansion has been transformed into a festive celebration by Jack Skellington, or should we say Santa Jack. Here atHaunted Mansion Holiday, inspired by “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas,” the sweet smell of gingerbread leads you to the display. Halloween Town’s resident mad scientist, Dr. Finkelstein, has been hard at work with his trusted assistant Igor to bring his Gigantic Gingerbread Zombie, Lil’ Franky, to life.

This haunting holiday offering is comprised of 60 pounds of gingerbread, 50 pounds of powdered sugar, 10 pounds of egg whites, 30 pounds of rolled fondant, 10 pounds of chocolate, and 2 hidden Mickeys. Want to get a behind-the-scenes peek at how this display was created? Check out our Disney Eats blog post!

Looking for holiday fun at Disneyland Resort? Learn more about three festive holiday dining experiencesguests of all ages will love. One may even include Santa himself.

To see all the bites coming to Magic Kingdom Park and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party this year, take a peek at our official Foodie Guide. With these tasty adventures, the possibilities are endless when you visit Disney Parks – especially during the holidays. Stay in-the-know on all the yummy items on the way, check out our Disney Eats topics pageand follow us @DisneyEats on Instagram and Facebook.

The Making of the Haunted Mansion Holiday Gingerbread House