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Imagineers Share How Carpenters Bring Haunted Mansion Holiday’s Gingerbread House to Life

Imagineers Share How Carpenters Bring Haunted Mansion Holiday’s Gingerbread House to Life

Before the frosting and fondant, Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion Holiday gingerbread house begins in a carpentry shop. Walt Disney Imagineering has shared a behind-the-scenes look at the work that supports this year’s animated ballroom centerpiece.

Building the Haunted Mansion Holiday Gingerbread House

Before the frosting and fondant, Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion Holiday gingerbread house begins in a carpentry shop. Walt Disney Imagineering has shared a behind-the-scenes look at the work that supports this year’s animated ballroom centerpiece.
Before the frosting and fondant, Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion Holiday gingerbread house begins in a carpentry shop. Walt Disney Imagineering has shared a behind-the-scenes look at the work that supports this year’s animated ballroom centerpiece.
Before the frosting and fondant, Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion Holiday gingerbread house begins in a carpentry shop. Walt Disney Imagineering has shared a behind-the-scenes look at the work that supports this year’s animated ballroom centerpiece.

In a new Instagram Reel shared by Walt Disney Imagineering, Disneyland Cast Member Tony walks viewers through the gingerbread house construction process, from an unfinished framework to the completed display inside the attraction.

Tony explains that his carpentry team builds the initial structure using plywood, plastic tubing, and other basic materials. That framework provides the surfaces the bakery team covers with gingerbread, fondant, and frosting.

Before the frosting and fondant, Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion Holiday gingerbread house begins in a carpentry shop. Walt Disney Imagineering has shared a behind-the-scenes look at the work that supports this year’s animated ballroom centerpiece.
Before the frosting and fondant, Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion Holiday gingerbread house begins in a carpentry shop. Walt Disney Imagineering has shared a behind-the-scenes look at the work that supports this year’s animated ballroom centerpiece.
Before the frosting and fondant, Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion Holiday gingerbread house begins in a carpentry shop. Walt Disney Imagineering has shared a behind-the-scenes look at the work that supports this year’s animated ballroom centerpiece.

The footage shows the house in several stages of assembly. Bare wooden panels and roof framing establish its shape, while later shots reveal columns, elaborate decorative trim, and the mansion-inspired façade before its colorful confectionery covering is added.

According to Tony, the team’s Halloween preparations begin in April, when they receive designs for the gingerbread house. Carpenters then determine how to construct the display, including which elements will move.

The final display stands more than 10 feet tall and celebrates 25 years of Haunted Mansion Holiday gingerbread creations.

Getting the house into the attraction requires several rounds of assembly and disassembly. Tony explains that the team took it apart after its initial construction and transported it to the park, where Stage Technician Gary worked on its motion and turning mechanisms.

The structure was disassembled again for the bakery team to decorate, then returned to Gary for reassembly in the attraction’s famous ballroom. The reel ends with a look at the completed house, including its turning columns and the skeleton ballerina emerging beneath the raised roof.

Watch the full behind-the-scenes clip from WDI on Instagram:

We previously shared a look at the finished centerpiece when Haunted Mansion Holiday returned to Disneyland for the 2026 season. The seasonal overlay brings characters and decorations inspired by Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas to the attraction, with a new gingerbread design serving as the ballroom centerpiece each year.

You can check out this year’s new gingerbread house in motion thanks to the latest ride through video from WDWNT POV on YouTube.

What do you think of this year’s Haunted Mansion Holiday gingerbread house? Let us know on social media.

For more Disneyland Resort news and info, follow Disneyland News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. For Disney Parks news worldwide, visit WDWNT.

The post Imagineers Share How Carpenters Bring Haunted Mansion Holiday’s Gingerbread House to Life appeared first on WDW News Today.

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