The holiday season is officially here as Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort unveil their 2022 gingerbread displays!
The pastry teams on both coasts and at sea spend countless hours masterfully crafting these culinary works of art.
Their passion goes into every detail – from the gingerbread shingles to the masterfully crafted chocolate work, and everything in between. This year marks the return of the display at Disney’s Contemporary Resort and new additions to the Jambo House Lobby Display at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, which may or may not be a life-sized baby zebra, as well as the classic and grand displays at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa at Disneyland Resort and Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa at Walt Disney World Resort.
Read on for the full list of gingerbread displays throughout both resorts on each coast!
Disneyland Park
Haunted Mansion: For years, this display has added even more holiday flare to the Jack Skellington’s transformation of this classic attraction into Haunted Mansion Holiday, inspired by “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas.” The pastry team takes more than 20 days to bring this nearly 300-pound creation with three moving elements to life. Be sure to take a ride on the Haunted Mansion Holiday now through January 8th, 2023 for some extra festive fun.
Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa
Beginning November 14th, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa will be home once again to one of its best holiday traditions – the “Grand” Gingerbread House. This giant gingerbread replica of the hotel is a holiday highlight and can’t-miss stop in the lobby. Standing 7 feet tall and 12 feet wide, the structure is created from more than 600 pounds of gingerbread, 600 pounds of powdered sugar, 250 pounds of fondant, 1 pound of pixie dust, and features 25 hidden Mickeys!
The GHC Holiday Cart will have treats including…
- Mickey Gingerbread
- Poinsettia Cookie
- Snowman Cookie
- Christmas Cookie
- Hanukkah Cookie
- Holiday Cookie Box
- Assorted Macarons (New)
- Kwanzaa Sweet Potato Loaf (New)
- New Year’s Cookie (New)
- Crisped Rice Treat
- Hot Chocolate
- Hot Apple Cider (Available with Bailey’s Irish Cream, Captain Morgan, Grand Marnier, or Rumchata)
- Waffle Shot (Available with milk, low-fat milk, chocolate milk, or eggnog)
- Waffle Shot (Available with Bailey’s Irish Cream, Captain Morgan, Grand Marnier, Rumchata, Amaretto, Butterscotch Schnapps, Rumple Minze, Crown Royal Apple, Skrewball Whiskey, Fireball Whiskey, Louis the 13th)
Disneyland park and Disney California Adventure park will also celebrate the gingerbread festivities with novelties like the Gingerbread Mickey Ear Hat Bowl and the Gingerbread Bottle Topper, as well as in gingerbread-flavored and inspired treats, like the Mickey Gingerbread Man!
Walt Disney World Resort
Beginning November 9th at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, guests will be able to visit the famous gingerbread house. Clouds of cinnamon will be billowing out of the chimney of this life-sized storybook gingerbread house made from a classic Austrian recipe. This house is adorned with white chocolate, candy canes, edible snowflakes, sugar poinsettias, and 25 – yes, 25 – hidden Mickeys! Along the porches, you’ll find an 85-pound chocolate Santa, nutcrackers, toy soldiers, and snowmen that have all been hand-painted by the Grand Floridian Bakery team.
As the 50th Anniversary celebration at Walt Disney World Resort continues, this year’s displays will feature colors and accents inspired by the signature EARidescent look. You can even get limited edition pins, mugs, holiday ornaments, and treats! Some of the goodies you can purchase from the Gingerbread House include:
- Freshly baked, homemade items, such as Gingerbread Mickeys and Shingles, Stollen Bread, Brownie Christmas Tree, and Chocolate Peppermint Bark
- House-made Gingerbread Ornaments and Gingerbread Houses
- New items like the Gingerbread Latte Whoopie Pie and Hot Cocoa Bombs
- Assorted Gingerbread Cookie Bags, Marshmallow Pops, and Caramel Pecan Fudge Bar
- Gluten-friendly, plant-based, and no sugar added treats
- Grand Floridian Combo Box featuring assorted fan favorite treats, including the Chocolate Mickey Ornament, exclusive to the Combo Box
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
Starting on November 23rd Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge will be home to a life-sized Baby Gingerbread Giraffe and Baby Zebra display. This year continues the new tradition begun last year with a life-sized baby giraffe. In addition to this gingerbread guest, there’s a new animal grazing into the lobby. You’ll soon be able to see an adorable life-sized baby zebra – made of gingerbread, of course. Starting December 6th, you can even purchase a Gingeraffe Cookie to enjoy!
Disney’s Beach Club Resort
Since 1999, this resort has been home to the life-sized carousel that actually spins. This carousel and its horses are masterfully created with chocolate, sugar, and fondant along with hand-painted characters and hand-crafted gingerbread shingles and snowflakes decorating the display. What makes this year even more special is that all the horses celebrate a different Disney princess.
Guests can also pick up these festive treats from Beach Club…
- Signature Stollen Bread
- Candied Pecans (Plant-based)
- Trio of Fudge
- Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Snowman
- Crispy Rice Treat
- Chocolate Mickey Cookie (New)
- Peppermint Bark
- Gingerbread Shingle
- Chocolate Gingerbread Cookie (Gluten-Friendly)
- Gingerbread Cookie (Gluten-Friendly)
Disney’s BoardWalk Inn
Starting November 17th, BoardWalk Inn will be homed to an incredible gingerbread display that is a miniature, edible version of your favorite spot along Crescent Lake – the BoardWalk Deli! They will also have treats including…
- Mickey and Minnie Sugar Cookies
- BoardWalk Mickey Sugar Cookie (New)
- Giant Gingerbread Mickey Cookie (New)
- Gluten-Friendly & Plant-based Gingerbread Mickey Cookie
- Artisan Peppermint Marshmallows (New)
- Carnival Bark (New)
- Gingerbread Frost Cocktail
Disney’s Contemporary Resort
2022 is the 11th year the Contemporary Bakery team has created a masterpiece, so how appropriate that it will open on November 11th at 11:00 a.m. The Cinderella Gingerbread Castle is a Mary Blair-inspired castle designed by Walt Disney Imagineers and will feature a brand-new 50th anniversary overlay… and 11 hidden 5-legged goats! There will also be plenty of treats including…
- 50th Anniversary Gingerbread Castle Brick (New)
- Family Tradition Cookie Box featuring a Coconut Macaroon from Chef Jeff’s family, a Sugar Cookie from Chef Kelly’s family, a Butterball from Chef Amber’s family, and a Kitchen Sink Cookie representing all the Cast in the Bakery coming together to bring this display back! (New)
- Chocolate Peppermint Cookie
- Linzer Cookie
- Gluten-friendly 5-Legged Goat Sugar Cookie (New)
- Dark Chocolate Peppermint Holiday Bar (New)
- Hot Cocoa Bombs (New)
- Frozen drinks with optional alcohol floaters:
- Frozen Coquito with a rum floater
- Frozen Hot Chocolate with peppermint schnapps
- Frozen Apple Cider with a fireball floater
In addition, several spots across Resorts will feature a new Gingerbread Martini with Absolut Elyx Vodka, Rumchata Cream Liqueur, and gingerbread spice featuring a rim of gingerbread, freshly baked in the Resort Bakery. It’s the perfect blend of sugar, spice, and everything nice! You can find this delicious holiday beverage at Grand Floridian Café, Cítricos, and Enchanted Rose at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Boma: Flavors of Africa and Sanaa at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, Chef Mickey’s and Outer Rim at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, and dinner at Cape May Café at Disney’s Beach Club Resort.
Also returning this year to our Walt Disney World Resorts with exclusive gingerbread merchandise, are pin signings with our pastry chefs! Dates and times will vary by resort.
EPCOT
The American Adventure: Beginning November 25th, this unique display recreates some classic monuments in America and EPCOT with gingerbread versions of the Lincoln Memorial, Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, The American Adventure building with Regal Eagle Smokehouse: Craft Drafts & Barbecue, and a Festival Kiosk.
Disney Cruise Line
All five ships will continue the yearly tradition of having the talented pastry teams onboard build a unique display for the ships in the atrium. The brand-new Disney Wish will join in on the legacy for its inaugural holiday season with an 8-foot-tall, eight-layer masterpiece. Each gingerbread house in unique for the individual ship and the teams participate in a competition to see which member of the fleet has the best house!
(Note: All offerings are subject to change and availability.)
And as always, be sure to follow ThrillGeek on Twitter and Facebook for the latest updates from Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort!
Clint Gamache is the owner of ThrillGeek. He started ThrillGeek to share his love of theme/amusement parks and pop culture with the world. You can find him at Halloween Horror Nights. Also, be sure to follow him on Twitter @iamcg83