Welcome to planDisney, Rebecca! Thanks for sending us your "sweet" question!
I'm excited to hear that you'll be traveling at the most magical time of the year! Most of the transformation from Halloween to Christmas at Walt Disney World Resort occurs (literally) overnight. You'll see signs of the holidays at Magic Kingdom Park first, and then a week or two later, the Christmas trees and decorations go up around the resorts. While there's no announced schedule, the annual gingerbread house at
Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and
Disney's Beach Club Gingerbread Carousel are typically ready for visitors by the second week of November. I'm certain that the pastry chefs are already working hard as we speak!
Did you know that the iconic 14-foot Gingerbread House is covered with over 5,000 shingles? Cast Members actually sell treats from a shop inside the house, and I always like to pick up a few dark chocolate-covered gingerbread shingles for snacking! Another fun fact is that Disney's Beach Club chefs come together and select a yearly theme for the gingerbread carousel. Last year it was "The Little Mermaid" as well as Walt Disney World's 50th Anniversary. I can't wait to see what surprises they have for this year!
These creations have been Walt Disney World holiday traditions for over 20 years. Another favorite of mine are the gingerbread houses on display in the center rotunda of the American Adventure pavilion, which usually show up later in the month in time for the
EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays. The
Disney Parks Blog has some great articles on the culinary teams that create these displays with a lot of flour, sugar, and pixie dust!
I hope your trip is filled with the magic of the season, Rebecca!
Eean