Disney is highlighting the efforts and successes of their culinary cast members as they prepare to celebrate Easter at the Grand Floridian.
At a time when many Disney employees are being let go as a result of mass layoffs, it is nice to cover the good that Disney World cast members are achieving. It’s likewise enjoyable that in the midst of a flood of things Disney celebrates at its parks which are seemingly divisive, for a few weeks we get something almost everyone can get behind: spring Easter eggs.
Here’s the press release from Disney:
Culinary Cast Create Artistry On the Fly
If you start your Disney Easter egg hunt at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, you might spot some familiar birds of a feather. Known for designing some of the grandest displays, Assistant Pastry Chef Fabiola Vazquez continues to challenge herself with her delightful creations. This year, Chef Fabiola was inspired to make her 6.5-foot-tall display of Kevin, a beloved character from “UP,” after seeing how guests joyfully reacted to the walkaround character at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park. Her impressive chocolate sculpture features 1,968 hand-painted feathers and each of Kevin’s baby birds.
“I get inspired by people’s reactions to the displays,” Chef Fabiola said. “For me, that is the biggest joy of making these Easter egg displays.”
...And They Go All in on The Details
Most of the delicious displays crafted by our team of experts take up to three months to develop and design. Each culinary cast member begins the process by choosing their own themes, materials and colors, and figuring out how they will infuse beloved Disney characters, movies, attractions, and more into their creation. If you look closely, you can find story cards next to some of the eggs that share more about the vision of each cast member who created the display and their connection to the design.
“It’s all cast-driven, it’s what they’re passionate about,” said Pastry Chef Kristine Farmer, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.
This year, the culinary team at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa came up with an exciting new way to interact with guests by adding a live painting experience next to the displays. Be sure to check it out and say hello to the culinary cast, who can tell you all about the art of cocoa-butter painting!
Along with giant feathery displays, you can find unique cast creations at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa like an Alice in Wonderland-inspired display featuring a working timepiece or join the Sun Bonnets on stage with a display inspired by the Country Bear Jamboree.
Over at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, you’ll find even more of these confectionery creations. Here’s a behind-the-scenes peek at how the culinary team brought their delicious displays to life:
Over at Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resorts, Pastry Chef Michael Craig and his talented team have also brought whimsical worlds to life using their culinary expertise, out-of-the-box thinking and, of course, a little pixie dust.
One of my personal favorites is this immersive scene inspired by the family-favorite Disney Pixar movie, “Finding Nemo,” located in Disney’s Beach Club Resort lobby. After you’ve finished taking in these spectacular displays, take a quick stroll over to Disney’s Yacht Club Resort lobby to find some fresh and fun designs in full bloom created in honor of the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival.
“What we do here with chocolate involves structure size and design, much like the way our horticulturists at Walt Disney World think about the topiaries they design for the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival,” said Chef Michael. “We even tried to replicate the kinds of flowers and plants the horticultural team uses as much as possible in our chocolate versions.”
Every flowery detail on these beautiful creations is a delight to the senses, and I encourage you to stop by to admire them in person before they hop away on April 11. With fan-favorite displays like the Figment topiary egg complete with lavish succulents, the vibrant “Encanto”-inspired egg, and of course, spectacular topiary eggs of beloved Disney characters like Donald and Daisy Duck that stand almost 3.5-feet tall, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
Of course, this is all possible thanks to the incredibly talented cast members who use their creativity to take inspiration from the tiniest toy models to the grandest sculptures. Be sure to explore more of Walt Disney World Resort during this spring season and marvel at these egg-cellent creations designed by culinary cast who range from experienced bakers to culinary program participants working on their very first large-scale chocolate egg design.
Maybe Figment could use a little extra work… but otherwise, we think all of this is wonderful. Great job to all who participated in creating these works of art!
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