by Beth Keating
Lifestyle/News
DisneyBizJournal.com
March 20, 2023
Disney’s culinary team is amazing, but nowhere is that more evident than when they get to set their own creativity free during the annual gingerbread house and chocolate egg displays. That’s when they really get to have a little fun, and let their own personalities shine as well.
There are dozens of chocolate designs at this year’s display at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, with tiny woodland creatures, scenes from some of your favorite Disney movies, and lots of spring critters scampering along the table. There’s even a special kiosk set up in the center of the lobby to offer some delicious springtime treats for sale.
If you have a bit of a sweet tooth, you might want to indulge in one of the baked goods and candies on display at The Grand Cottage, the treat counter. Just a few of the goodies range from Confetti Cake Lamb Pops ($9.50); to Lemon Blueberry Mickey Whoopie Pies ($8.00); Peanut Butter Cereal Eggs ($5.50); Cream Cheese Carrot Coffee Cake ($9.50); Spring Macarons ($15.00); and Salted Caramel Chocolate Popcorn ($10.00). Looking for a slightly less sugary treat? There’s also a hot cross bun for $4.50.
Some of our favorite eggs from this year’s display include a marvelous rendition of Alice in Wonderland, complete with a working clock embedded in the egg; a six-foot-plus tall version of Kevin and her babies from Up; and the adorable little Orange Bird perched on a crate of oranges. Another favorite wasn’t the most detailed, but has special memories for our family – a lone, lit lamppost beckons viewers into The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe egg.
Other incredible eggs included a tableau of Snow White’s cottage, with the dwarfs’ mine train chugging below; an Avengers’ egg with your favorite superheroes; Figment atop a light up egg-shaped Spaceship Earth; light-up, egg-shaped versions of several Main Street Electrical Parade characters; a really fun Sword-in-the-egg version of Merlin; and a 3-D version of a glowing Tiana and Princess and the Frog scene. A really unique egg was more than just an egg – it was an entire kitchen scene incorporating Disney’s new Munchlings.
The details on the displays are remarkable, and you have to take more than a single look. For example, the Walt Disney egg is a “split screen” with the bottom of the egg featuring blueprints of Cinderella Castle, and the top half coming to life with the fully completed colorful rendition of the castle. But look closely, and you’ll also see Walt’s cast member name tag propped on the edge. Many of the eggs are double-sided, so make sure you check out the fronts and backs of the eggs.
Two interesting changes for this year’s egg display made it all the more interesting, especially if there aren’t as many guests and you can get closer to the eggs. This year, small cards next to the chocolate confections identified the culinary artist behind the artwork, along with some details such as how long they’ve served on the culinary team, and what inspired them to choose the character or movie that they used for their egg.
A second addition is the opportunity to watch one of the culinary artists with an egg-in-progress. If you are there at the right time of day, you can watch one of the pastry artists adding details to an egg with cocoa butter painting, and you can chat with them, asking questions about the creation process, their backgrounds, how to become a member of the culinary team, and more. The egg we were able to observe was exquisite, with dozens of Disney characters forming a bright collage over the surface of the egg. What a fantastic way to add to the experience!
The eggs will be on display in the soaring lobby of The Grand Floridian until Easter (April 9, 2023). The Grand Cottage shop is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. There is no charge to view the egg creations.
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Beth Keating is a theme parks, restaurant and entertainment reporter for DisneyBizJournal.
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