BAY LAKE, Fla, – In a magical tribute to Disney’s 100th Anniversary Celebration, the iconic Cinderella Castle at Disney’s Contemporary Resort is decorated with a Mary Blair-inspired gingerbread display. Designed by Walt Disney Imagineers and pastry teams, this beautiful creation marks the 12th year of the beloved holiday tradition.
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The impressive display boasts remarkable statistics: 1012 pounds of flour, 112 pounds of gingerbread spice, 51 pounds of chocolate, and even a hidden 5-legged goat.
Assembled over 12 days, the masterpiece stands at an impressive 17 feet 6 inches tall by 25 feet, 4 inches wide, comprising over 4000 castle gingerbread bricks crafted by 40 skilled bakery artists. To add a touch of magic, 12 sprinklings of pixie dust elevate the enchantment.
Led by Pastry Chef Jeff Barnes, the gingerbread wonder can be found on the fourth floor of Disney’s Contemporary Resort, captivating guests from Nov. 10 through Jan. 6. The display, a culinary work of art, incorporates 67 pounds of modeling chocolate, 88 pounds of rolled fondant, 612 pounds of sugar, 43 pounds of royal icing, 439 jars of honey, and 512 eggs.
“It’s just a labor of love for all of our cast members,” Barnes said. “There’s a lot of departments involved in here, our merchandise team, our creative director and his team, out Imagineers -- it’s a huge team effort to bring this together.”
The display is not the only things guests can admire. The pastry team will be selling special holiday treats.
“We have some traditional cookies that we’ve been doing here for years like our chocolate peppermint cookie, our gingerbread brick is very popular. We also have the famous Linzer cookie that our guests really know us for and they come only here to get that Linzer cookie,” Barnes pointed out.
Some new items on the menu include a gluten friendly gingerbread cookie and a cookie decorating kit.
This festive season, the Contemporary Resort is not the sole bearer of holiday magic. Guests exploring Walt Disney World can discover similar displays at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, Disney’s Beach Club, Animal Kingdom Lodge, and, for the first time ever, Disney’s Yacht Club.