From the Disney Parks Blog and written by: Amanda Watson
Happy National Gingerbread House Day!
The most wonderful time of the year wouldn’t be complete without something sweet, and the incredibly talented pastry teams at Walt Disney World Resort have added some extra sugar and spice and a little 50th Anniversary celebration magic to the festivities with this year’s gingerbread displays!
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa gingerbread house (open now – Jan. 1)
The pastry team at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa pulled out all the stops this year. From the gingerbread shingles and custom hand-painted character windows to elaborate EARidescent landscapes and handcrafted sugar flowers, the team put thought and care into the tiniest, holly jolly details.
“We know the gingerbread displays mean so much to our guests,” Pastry Chef Assistant John Dettman said. “This year, our team wanted our guests to be immersed in the 50th Anniversary celebration. We incorporated EARidescent hues into our hand painted character windows and Pastry Chef Assistant Fabiola Vidal Vazquez even applied cocoa butter EARidescent airbrush to our landscape plants and flowers.”
Disney’s Beach Club Resort gingerbread carousel (open now – Jan. 2)
Guests are in for a treat at Disney’s Beach Club Resort! The gingerbread carousel’s theme changes each year and this year, the pasty team took inspiration from Disney’s “The Little Mermaid,” and cast members created five detailed horses depicting some of their favorite animated characters.
From concept and design to confectionary creation and assembly, our pastry cast members brought creative storytelling to life.
“The gingerbread display is a team effort,” Jesse Rodriguez, a Pastry Chef Assistant, said. “We all pitch ideas and add our own elements and talents to create something special for our guests. We have so much fun and see first-hand how much the guests enjoy what we we’ve created.”
The carousel also includes a special nod to
the 50th Anniversary celebration, featuring handmade EARidescent snowflakes
that line the carousel topper and shimmering mini ornaments.
The American Adventure gingerbread display at EPCOT (open now – Dec. 30)
The American Adventure at EPCOT features not one, but three gingerbread constructions: the Lincoln Memorial, The American Adventure, and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. Look for a Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary celebration plaque as part of these displays.
“Our gingerbread displays are very detailed, and we are as accurate as we can be to the original structures they are based on,” Pastry Chef Assistant Agueda Vasquez said. “It’s just so great to see the guests’ faces when they walk into the room and admire the amount of time and detail we put into these tiny structures.”
Looking for more holiday fun? Check out the lobby at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge to see the new gingerbread baby giraffe.
Where else but Disney do you get to create such incredible culinary magic for so many to enjoy? If this sounds like your jam, Disney is always looking for great culinary talent to join the team.
Congratulations and thank you to the culinary teams across Walt Disney World Resort that played a role in creating delicious holiday magic this year.
Photographer: Olga Thompson
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