Sunday Brunch: Holiday Homes Good Enough to
Eat (Part 1)
18 December 2011
With the Winter holiday season well underway, Sunday
Brunch will be looking at some of the many delicious holiday
offerings at Walt Disney World. One of the best traditions at the
resort is the one brimming with holiday cheer, sights, sounds,
smells and tastes: the Gingerbread Houses. These aren't the simple
little doll size houses you glue together with icing and decorate
with sprinkles and candies. At Walt Disney World, the pastry chefs
go big or go home'into a life size Gingerbread House! Many Disney
fans know that one of the biggest is the life size house at the
Grand Floridian resort, but the well-seasoned Christmastime Disney
park visitors know that the Grand's gingerbread house is only one of
several Gingerbread displays throughout all of Walt Disney World.
Believe it or not, the bricks, shingles, and d'cor of this house are
all gingerbread, sugar pieces, and more!
Today, Sunday Brunch will be popping in at the Epcot
house in the Gingerbread neighborhood. I knew that all the hotel
resorts decorated for the holidays and several had gingerbread
displays, but I had no idea that Epcot's World Showcase housed one
too. One night while exploring Epcot, I was approaching The Liberty
Inn, the counter service restaurant at the American Adventure, and
could smell Christmas right around the corner. In addition to the
American Adventure, this pavilion is also home to Santa's Bakeshop
every holiday season. Nestled right at the entrance to the
restaurant, the shop window is open for guests to purchase
Gingerbread Boy cookies as well as smaller gingerbread treats and
toasty beverages. Guest can admire the decorations and magical
fantasy of the shop from the dining room.
To give some perspective on the size of the house, here is a real
Cast member selling Gingerbread treats inside
The shop was created by Santa's elves with the help
of Epcot's Production Bakery team of pastry cooks and chefs. This
team is also responsible for not only the 6,000 gingerbread cookies
to be sold at Santa's Bakeshop, but also the desserts for the Coral
Reef restaurant, Sunshine Seasons Food Fair, Le Cellier Steakhouse,
Rose & Crown Pub & Dining Room, and the Biergarten Restaurant. Led
by Pastry sous chef Amanda Lauder, the team used more than 800
pounds of sugar to construct the life size display.
Gingerbambi
This is only one Gingerbread House in Disney's
Gingerbread Neighborhood. Other stops include the Gingerbread Gazebo
and Bakery at the Board Walk, the Gingerbread Carousel at the Beach
Club and of course, the Victorian Gingerbread House at the Grand
Floridian. Keep on reading Sunday Brunch to learn more about these
totally sweet houses this holiday season.
Bibliography
Brady, David. 'Meet the Disney Team: Amanda Lauder' WDPR
Communication. 5 Dec 2011.