We all love decking the halls for the holidays (okay, maybe not all of us… but many of us!). But taking all the decorations down? Admittedly, it’s nowhere near as fun. But none of us are alone. The decorations have to come down at Disney World, too. And every year, one of the first things to come down is the Grand Floridian Gingerbread House.

2017 Grand Floridian Gingerbread House

Yep, while many of the Christmas trees and wreaths stick around for a few days into the New Year, the Grand Floridian Gingerbread House’s last day of operation is January 1st. So what happens when the Gingerbread House is taken down?

Gingerbread House Facts

First the gingerbread shingles are removed from the sets (there are 5,089 of them on the Grand Floridian Gingerbread House).

Gingerbread House Presentation

The sugar remains on the sets, and isn’t power washed off until the sets are taken to the Disney Tree Farm.

Gingerbread House Presentation

Bees then come down and eat the sugar throughout the winter months when it’s more difficult for the bees to find sources of food.

Gingerbread House Presentation

Gingerbread House Presentation

In turn, the bees pollinate many of the flowers and other growing things you’ll see in Disney World on a future trip! You can see it all in action in this Disney Parks Channel YouTube video.

So, though it’s a little sad to see all the decoration come down, this just makes us even more excited to celebrate the 20th year of the tradition of the Grand Floridian Gingerbread House in 2018!

Gingerbread House Presentation

Did you have a great Disney moment over the holidays? Please let us know about it with a comment!