The Holidays Have Arrived at Disney

Fellow Disney Vacation Club members, I’m happy to report that the holidays have begun at Disney theme parks and resorts. Here is what you can expect to see during the holiday season!

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

Conveniently, I was staying in the new DVC building at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa on the morning of November 1st. As I walked to my room on Halloween, cast members had already blocked off the area where the legendary Gingerbread House would go. By the following morning, the Gingerbread House’s exterior was 70 percent complete.

Disney’s magicians manage this feat each year. Within a matter of days, resort lobbies and other locations feature holiday structures like this one:

I cannot emphasize enough that cast members constructed this entire Gingerbread House in roughly 48 hours. That’s what 600 pounds of sugar, 700 pounds of chocolate, and 800 pounds of flour look like! Also, yes, it’s a store that sells all sorts of holiday-related treats. 

Prices range from $4-$16 for typical items like sugar cookies and gingerbread bark. You can also purchase gift bags and boxes for $16-$60 plus a 50th anniversary Gingerbread House miniature for $85. This place is a Disney fan’s dream and a dentist’s nightmare.

Disney’s Beach Club Villas

Disney Vacation Club members have come to expect a unique holiday amenity at Beach Club. I’m happy to report that the Gingerbread Carousel is already up and spinning! Here’s a video:

As usual, every element is edible. Also, you can read the list of the cast members who worked on the structure…and the list is edible, too! 

As a reminder, Disney introduces a new theme each year. For 2022, Disney Princesses reign over the Gingerbread Carousel. Each of the horses reflects a different character. For example, the white horse that looks icy is for Elsa, while the one with books is for Belle. 

The sweets shop is also operational here. Signature Stollen Bread is the most iconic item on the menu. Still, DVC members know that the pins here are the perfect way to commemorate spending the holiday at Disney.

Disney’s Contemporary Resort 

DVC members staying at Bay Lake Tower are once again in luck. You walk across the bridge, enter the building, and turn left. Just like that, you’re facing the Contemporary Bakery’s latest creation.

For the 11th time, the resort hosts a gingerbread store and stand-up display. This year’s design celebrates Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary. 

Also, Disney drew inspiration from Mary Blair for this year’s look. So, it matches perfectly with the Grand Canyon Concourse’s overall style, especially the Mary Blair mural. There are even some hidden five-legged goats in the design! Here’s a quick video:

Importantly (at least for me), the Chocolate Peppermint Cookies are also back for 2022. Unfortunately, I missed my window on these, as the store opened on November 11th, long after I had left. You should buy and devour these cookies, though!

Disney’s BoardWalk Villas 

The gingerbread display at Disney’s BoardWalk Villas opened on November 17th. Disney is constructed a miniature of the new restaurant nearby, the BoardWalk Deli. Here’s a look at the new display! 

The store will sell some items as a tribute to the new place. They include BoardWalk Mickey Sugar Cookies and Artisan Peppermint Marshmallows. You’ll find plant-based holiday cookies here as well.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas

Disney has confirmed the return of the full-sized Baby Gingerbread Giraffe and Baby Zebra displays.

Courtesy of disneytouristblog.com

As was the case last year, you can also purchase gingerbread cookies based on these designs. You’ll have to wait a bit, though. For some reason, Disney won’t sell the cookies until December 6th. 

The American Adventure

EPCOT guests at the World Showcase can once again look at gingerbread structures later this month. The American Adventure will showcase gingerbread versions of the Lincoln Memorial, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, and The American Adventure building itself, including Regal Eagle Smokehouse. 

Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa

Finally, we shouldn’t forget our West Coast friends, as Disney sure doesn’t. The Grand Californian’s Grand Gingerbread House will return soon. Cast members are working on its construction as we speak:

As a reminder, this Gingerbread House is massive. Disney has indicated that this year’s version will be seven feet tall and 12 feet wide. And I can taste those frosted roofs from here.

Meanwhile, the Haunted Mansion Gingerbread House went live with Haunted Mansion Holiday’s opening. Look at this majestic beauty!

Friends, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas at Disney parks and resorts. Don’t let the calendar fool you. It may say that we have yet to reach Thanksgiving, but Disney has skipped straight to yuletide joy!

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