Grand Floridian Gingerbread House Opens November 16th, 2013; Final Touches Include Remy & Stitch, Chef Dusting of “Snow”

Hi everyone!

We now have photos of the Grand Opening of the Grand Floridian Gingerbread House! Click here to see the ceremony, house details and treats.

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The Grand Floridian Gingerbread House is nearly finished, with a final dusting by Executive Pastry Chef Erich Herbitschek! I always enjoy seeing what characters will be added onto the design of the festive house, and this year they include Remy and Stitch! Disney’s Grand Floridian Gingerbread House opens on November 16th. Keep reading for photos and video from today!

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort is already decorated with poinsettias – the tree is not yet up. Soon, decorative deer and other adornments will grace the exterior and interior of the resort.

The Grand Floridian Gingerbread House is celebrating it’s 15th year! I haven’t seen the ingredient list for this year, but it doesn’t change a lot (if at all) from year to year. The 2012 ingredients included 1,050 pounds of honey, 600 pounds of powered sugar, 800 pounds of flour, 140 pints of egg whites! The Gingerbread House stands 16 feet tall.

1999 was the first year for the Grand Floridian Gingerbread House. It is quite the undertaking, and there have been a dozen or so Cast Members working on putting it up over the last few days.

Each year, there are new characters on the house. I love this one, it looks like a baby version of Donald Duck with a candy cane!

Remy appears to be holding some mistletoe in this artwork.

 

Stitch is strumming a guitar while surrounded by presents.

I always enjoy the yearly decorations, including these Mickey Mouse with wreath pieces.

There are so many flowers and candy canes added onto the house.

Tinker Bell was added onto the back of the house.

And Pluto doesn’t look happy to have a wreath around his head. Bah, humbug!

Pooh, Piglet and Eeyore enjoy the snow.

Gifts with name tags are always added inside the roof.

The dusting of the gingerbread house takes 10-15 minutes. The chef squirts down the gingerbread with water, and then sifts powdered sugar onto the house.

He is lifted up by a crane to get each section! We first watched the dusting at night a couple of years ago. We just happened to be at the Grand Floridian today, and stopped by the gingerbread house and asked about the dusting. We were told it’d be “any minute”, and it was!

Cast Members watch as the dusting takes place.

Powdered sugar fell on the poinsettias below.

You can see the powdered sugar being added here. Everyone clapped when it was over – it really is something we enjoy watching. The pastry chefs are so talented! Guests will be able to purchase gingerbread once the Grand Floridian Gingerbread House opens on November 16th. Another favorite Christmas tradition is watching the pastry chefs share gingerbread techniques in the lobby once the house is completed.

Here is our video of the dusting!

This is a new decoration in shop windows at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort  –  a green topiary snowman!

We will bring you full coverage of the Grand Floridian Gingerbread House once it’s open to guests, along with other resorts as they add displays!