Gingerbread and Walt Disney World
Run, run as fast as you can to Walt Disney World for a gingerbread man! ‘Tis the season for family, presents, snow, and sweet treats. You can find countless specialty, limited-time food offerings all around WDW for the holidays this year, but if you’re chasing after the quintessential flavor of the season, I’ve got you covered with the best places to grab a soft, spiced, perfect gingerbread treat.
Park Sweets That Can’t Be Beat
-If you’re attending Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, I would recommend filling up on the free-of-charge snicker doodle cookies that are included with the price of your party ticket. They aren’t gingerbread, but they sure are tasty. For those of you not attending the party, or for the party-goers who simply must bite the head off of a chewy gingerbread cookie, head to Main Street Confectionery. In the glass case, you’ll find gingerbread men waiting for you to take them home. These little guys are shaped like the traditional gingerbread man, but with an adorable set of ears modeled after our favorite mouse.
-This year, you can find a gingerbread display in Tusker house restaurant in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. This display is brand new, and African-inspired.
-Hollywood Studios is ramping up their gingerbread game this year with exciting new offerings, like the gingerbread men pops that I really cannot wait to sink my teeth into. These are a soft gingerbread Mickey cookie on a stick with a chocolate-enrobed head, giving you that added dose of sweetness to delight your taste buds.
Miniature gingerbread cookies adorn the top of the “Prep and Landing” inspired cupcakes, and these treats- as well as the gingerbread pops- can be found at various locations around Hollywood Studios (ABC Commissary, Rosie’s All American Café, and the Trolley Car Café to name a few).
-In Epcot, stop into the American Adventure lobby, where you will find a gingerbread display sure to bring the American Spirit to your already festive attitude! The US Capitol is coming to WDW, but in mini gingerbread form! Catch the Capitol on display next to gingerbread Lincoln Memorial. The display is so detailed, right down to the pillars and snowfall effects that it should not be missed.
Full Speed Ahead for Resorts Gingerbread
There are countless opportunities for you to see (and eat!) fantastic gingerbread outside of the parks too. A can’t miss is the Yacht and Beach Club’s classic gingerbread carousel. Upon entering the Beach Club’s gorgeous lobby, you will immediately be taken by the sight and scent of the gingerbread carousel. Each year, the pastry chefs from the resort design and create a moving carousel, made entirely of edible ingredients like modeling chocolate, royal icing, luster dust, and of course gingerbread.
Gingerbread at The Contemporary
The Contemporary is offering you the chance to delight in an all-new gingerbread display this holiday season. Like the chefs at the Beach Club, the pastry chefs at the Contemporary create a gingerbread display each holiday season. This year, they have departed from recent years’ Frozen theme and have decided to go a more classic route. No spoilers on the design here, but I will tell you that this years’ display will feature WDW’s famous castle, Cinderella, and Prince Charming modeled out of gingerbread! I love to see the gingerbread displays, but they aren’t what bring me to the Contemporary year after year. At the foot of the display, the Contemporary sells a slew of holiday treats! There are almond paste cookies in the shape of the famous monorail, sugar cookies, and other delights. But if you’re looking for the best tasting gingerbread in all of WDW, you’ve got to check out the Contemporary. My personal favorite is the classic gingerbread man. It’s chewy, perfectly spiced, and somehow tastes even sweeter if you take it out onto the fireworks viewing balcony (located directly opposite the gingerbread display) and enjoy it while overlooking the Magic Kingdom. What could be sweeter than that?
Gingerbread at the Grand Floridian
No gingerbread tour is complete without stopping off at the Grand Floridian. Each year, the pastry chefs make a gingerbread house. Pretty standard, right? Heck no, this is Disney! The gingerbread house is life sized, featuring subtle nods to Disney classics like Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty in the design. What sends this massive, beautiful, completely edible gingerbread house over the top is this: it’s a bakery selling, you guessed it, gingerbread! You can purchase a chocolate-dipped ‘shingle’, the same exact ones used to construct the house! There are other sweet offerings to indulge in, so come hungry.
If you time it correctly, you may even catch a demonstration by a Disney chef detailing how they execute their incredible artistry in the decoration of gingerbread houses. And if you’re really, really lucky, you’ll get a sample of the tasty gingerbread!
It simply isn’t the Holidays at Walt Disney World if I don’t taste *at least *one of these amazing gingerbread treats. Have you tried any of these treats in past years, or will this be your first time at WDW for the Holidays? Let me know what your favorite holiday treat is in the comments below! And feel free to contact our friends at MickeyTravels for a free quote for your next Disney vacation!
Special thanks to Maria Salerno for writing this article: Hiya pal! I am a NYC-based writer/musician thrilled to be bringing you all things Disney! I’m a WDW Annual Passholder, so you can find me in the parks regularly throughout the year. In addition to being a Disney Parks loving girl, I’m also a Disney toy and merchandise collector, a runDisney enthusiast, and Disney music and movie aficionado. You can follow me on Instagram: NYCtoAP and find me on YouTube: NYCtoAP. Thanks for reading, hope to see ya real soon!