by Beth Keating
News/Lifestyle
DisneyBizJournal.com
November 7, 2021
If you’ve ever struggled to help your kids put together the de rigueur gingerbread house for the holidays at home, and found yourself with off-center roofs and drippy icing, you’ll probably be even more impressed with the skill it takes to master the construction of a nearly 14-foot-high, life-sized version with thousands of gingerbread pieces.
If you are interested, you can take a peek at the building process at three different Disney World locations as Disney’s pastry chefs engineer this year’s awesome gingerbread creations. The buildings take hundreds of hours to create.
The largest of the Disney gingerbread houses began construction this past week, and will officially “open” November 10, 2021, in the lobby of Disney’s Grand Floridian. (Since it is in the center of the Grand Floridian’s wide open lobby, you can get a look now while the preparations continue.)
The house will be on display amidst the festive holiday decorations until January 1. Beautiful scrollwork and ornate porches, hidden Mickeys, heart shaped trim, and candy adornments join the subtle gold theme this year, underscoring the 50th anniversary of Disney’s “Most Magical Celebration.” With the Grand Floridian’s piano player at work at the keys of a nearby grand piano, and the soaring ceilings and stunning chandeliers high above, a visit to the Grand Floridian’s gingerbread house makes for a magical holiday outing for the family. The display is open from 9:30 am – 9:00 pm daily.
In addition to the beauty of the house itself, you can step up to the built-in counter and purchase your own gingerbread goodies, right from the window of the gingerbread Victorian. The inside of the house is stocked with a myriad of holiday delights for guests to take home to sample. There are more than a dozen treats on the menu, including gingerbread men ($6.25); brownie tree pops ($6.50); gingerbread Mickey ears ($9.50); gingerbread men lollipops ($5.50), and even snowman donuts ($4.00). Especially fun are the gingerbread “shingles” to take home from the house ($9.50). (Is that too Hansel and Gretel? No?)
Speaking of shingles on the house… Did you ever wonder what it takes to pull off a full-sized gingerbread house creation? According to Disney, they use:
• 1,050 pounds of honey
• 140 pints of egg whites
• 600 pounds of powdered sugar
• 700 pounds of chocolate
• 800 pounds of flour
• 35 pounds of spices
• Tons of creativity
• Disney Magic and Pixie Dust
There are two other locations with gingerbread confections to add to your foodie tour as well. Over at Disney’s Beach Club, the gingerbread carousel has taken shape, and now spins its way around in the Beach Club lobby.
On display from November 1 to January 2, this year’s carousel is “Little Mermaid” themed, with fun hand-painted characters and intricate details on the four horses themed to Ariel, Prince Eric, King Triton, and Ursula. A fifth horse sits ground based, watched over by Sebastian and Flounder. Be sure to look for the tiny, gold hidden Mickey heads on each carousel horse. Gold 50th anniversary logos adorn the trim at the top of the carousel, alongside sparkly Earidescent blue and white snowflakes.
Last but certainly no less amazing is the historical locations display at EPCOT’s “The American Adventure” rotunda. “The American Adventure Gingerbread Display” welcomes holiday visitors from November 26 - December 30. Buildings this year will include the Lincoln Memorial and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, and will be part of EPCOT’s Festival of the Holidays.
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Beth Keating is a regular contributor to DisneyBizJournal.
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