National Gingerbread House Day is December 12th!
The awe-inspiring life size gingerbread house that fills the Grand Floridian’s lobby with sights and scents of the season is the shining star of Walt Disney World Resort’s annual gingerbread displays. Without question, the all-edible house that also serves as a working bakery draws the most crowds of any on Property…but it’s far from the only display you should check out this year!
National Gingerbread House Day falls on December 12th. That’s right smack dab in the middle of the pre-Christmas hustle and bustle! If you’re visiting Walt Disney World Resort during this most magical time of the year, there is more gingerbread to be eaten and more gingerbread houses on display than ever before. Be sure not to miss any!
The American Adventure
The Capitol
In the grandiose entrance to the American Adventure sits an homage to our nation’s capitol in Washington DC. Detailed renderings of the Capitol building and the Washington Monument stand proudly in the lobby- and every bit is made of edible ingredients!
When you visit, pay close attention to the small details. The chocolate molded rendition of dignitaries that hang over the real-life entryway are great! I love that this version of the Capitol gets a fun Christmastime color scheme overlay too!
The Lincoln Memorial
You won’t be treated to one gingerbread display when you visit the American Adventure this year, but three! The Capitol and Washington Monument are a huge part of the draw, but I would be remiss if I skipped over the Lincoln Memorial display! Made of over 50 lbs of gingerbread, the Lincoln Memorial is made entirely of gingerbread, royal icing, and chocolate- I never though I’d say it, but this Lincoln Memorial looks (and smells) good enough to eat!
Tusker House
Yet another holiday season is upon us, and yet again Animal Kingdom is struggling to draw guests who are visiting the Resort specifically for the holidays. Since they took away the Jingle Jungle parade some years ago, there has been seemingly no sign of Christmas-or any holiday- in this Park.
This year though, Disney is trying very hard to change that! With the introduction of a Diwali section to Up! A Great Bird Adventure, they’re clearly trying to turn things around. If one nod to the holiday season just isn’t enough, you’re not alone! Stop by the Tusker House where you’ll find a 3-foot long display paying homage to a real, working African marketplace! Apparently we aren’t the only ones who like to get away for the holidays, you never know what Disney pals you might find in this display!
Animal Kingdom Lodge, Polynesian Village, Port Orleans
If you’re looking to be wow-ed and knocked off your feet, head to the Grand Floridian. If you’re looking to experience as many gingerbread displays as you can fit into one vacation, head to any of the Resorts listed above! The annual Cast Member gingerbread competition is again underway. I enjoy going to see these houses just as much as I do the one at the GFlo.
Plus, if you really want to appreciate the artistry- and specialty tools and equipment- that it takes to pull off that masterpiece, the best point of reference is seeing the work of Cast Members equipped solely with a piece of gingerbread and an icing tube!
Contemporary
Of course, the gingerbread display at the Contemporary is a holiday staple of any Walt Disney World vacation. You can see it from the monorail, but you should definitely disembark to see the Mary Blair-inspired work of gingerbread art up close! In the style of the famed it’s a small world, the pastry chefs at the Contemporary have worked since the summer to make Cinderella Castle come to edible life.
Grand Floridian
If you’re short on time, make this gingerbread house your one stop. Saving the most grandiose and gorgeous for last, the life sized gingerbread house at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa is unlike anything you’ve seen- and I’m woman enough to admit that it brings me to tears each and every year!
The pastry chefs at the Grand Floridian make the dough for this bad boy starting back in July. Although the house is assembled over night, it is far from a 12-hour process to create! With a working bakery inside and hidden Mickeys begging to be discovered, this is a family-friendly stop that each and every guest should put at the top of their ‘Christmas at Walt Disney World must-do’ list!
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