How Disney Creates the Haunted Mansion Holiday Gingerbread House in Disneyland. One of the best parts of making it out to D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event in Anaheim, CA is the chance to visit Disneyland, Walt’s Park! Talk about great timing, because Haunted Mansion Holidays had just started a few days prior to our visit.
Seasons screamings! It’s never too early to start enjoying gingerbread, especially when it’s inspired by none other than “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas.” Available now at Disneyland Park for the Halloween and holiday season, the Haunted Mansion has gotten a festive makeover from Santa Jack, more commonly known as the Pumpkin King, Jack Skellington.
As you venture further into the mansion, you’ll notice the sweet smell of gingerbread, which means one thing – the return of the beloved gingerbread display!
This year’s creation is brand new and I’m happy to share a glimpse into how this HOWL-iday display was made, including some dazzling details on the story behind the house and its characters. Let’s look behind the curtain.
The Story Behind the Creation
Nestled in the ballroom of the mansion lies the gingerbread house and this year, Jack Skellington, or should we say Santa Jack, has recruited Dr. Finkelstein, Halloween Town’s resident mad scientist, to conjure up some ideas for this year’s creation. And boy, did he deliver!
As Dr. Finkelstein used his mad scientist expertise, he incorporated some of his experiments into the gingerbread house. Along with his trusted assistant Igor, he’s brought his own Gigantic Gingerbread Zombie, Lil’ Franky, to life! Well, almost. The doctor and his partner are testing out different tweaks to complete the transformation. And unfortunately for Lil’ Franky, that involves his head popping off and on – what a headache.
As you venture into Haunted Mansion Holiday this season, be on the lookout for this haunted haunt and Dr. Finkelstein’s creations.
Frightfully Fun Facts
This gingerbread display was quite the task to bring to life. Not only for the Disneyland Resort culinary teams, but also the technology teams, Disneyland Live Entertainment, and the Disneyland Bakery who crafted this mesmerizing creation.
In fact, it took over 150 hours – yes, you heard that right – to build and program the animation and lighting. And that’s not even including the hours spent baking the tasty pieces that bring it all together. I’ve gathered some mind-blowing facts to show just how much goes into making (and baking) this 5-foot-tall, 6-foot-wide display a reality.
- 60 Pounds of Gingerbread
- 50 Pounds of Powdered Sugar
- 10 Pounds of Egg Whites
- 30 Pounds of Rolled Fondant
- 5 Pounds of Crystal Sugar
- 10 Pounds of Chocolate
- More than 240 Hours Spent Creating
- 2 Hidden Mickeys
Get a first-hand look at what bringing all this work together is like with this one-of-a-kind timelapse of the teams creating this year’s Haunted Mansion Holiday Gingerbread House!
The work these teams do is truly incredible. I can’t wait to see what they do in the future! For even more Halloween (and foodie) fun, check out this year’s Foodie Guides to both Halloween Time and Plaza de la Familia at Disneyland Resort.
