The Making of Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion Gingerbread House
Season’s screamings! It’s never too early to indulge in gingerbread, especially when it’s inspired by “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas.” Disneyland Park has brought this festive treat to life for the Halloween and holiday season with a Haunted Mansion makeover, courtesy of Santa Jack—better known as the Pumpkin King, Jack Skellington.
As guests explore the mansion, they’ll catch the irresistible scent of gingerbread, signaling the return of the beloved gingerbread display!
This year’s creation is brand new, and we’re excited to share an inside look at how this HOWL-iday display came to life, including some dazzling details about the story behind the house and its characters. Let’s take a peek behind the scenes.
The Story Behind the Creation
In the mansion’s ballroom, you’ll find the gingerbread house, and this year, Santa Jack enlisted the help of Dr. Finkelstein, Halloween Town’s resident mad scientist, to dream up ideas for this year’s masterpiece. And did he ever deliver!
Dr. Finkelstein, with his mad scientist flair, incorporated some of his own experiments into the gingerbread house. Alongside his loyal assistant Igor, he brought the Gigantic Gingerbread Zombie, Lil’ Franky, to life—almost. The doctor and his partner are still making adjustments to complete the transformation, which, unfortunately for Lil’ Franky, involves his head popping off and on—what a headache!
As guests journey through Haunted Mansion Holiday this season, they should keep an eye out for this haunted haunt and Dr. Finkelstein’s eerie creations.
Frightfully Fun Facts
Bringing this gingerbread display to life was no easy feat. The Disneyland Resort culinary teams, along with the technology teams, Disneyland Live Entertainment, and the Disneyland Bakery, all contributed to crafting this mesmerizing creation.
In fact, it took over 150 hours to build and program the animation and lighting, not to mention the countless hours spent baking the delicious components. We’ve gathered some mind-blowing facts to highlight just how much effort went 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
The dedication and creativity of these teams are truly incredible. We can’t wait to see what they dream up next!
(Note: All offerings are subject to change and availability.)