If you know Gideon’s Bakehouse, you know it is not just about the cookies.
Yes, the cookies are incredible. Yes, the lines are unhinged. But the thing that makes Gideon’s feel like a genuine Disney Springs institution rather than just another dessert stop is the art. The dark, quirky, completely original visual world that wraps around every menu, every monthly release, and every piece of packaging. That world was built by one person over more than a decade, and this week he announced he is done.
Who Just Left Gideon’s
Michael Reyes, the artist behind the Mr. Eyes brand, shared a personal letter on Instagram confirming his departure from Gideon’s Bakehouse after over ten years with the company. He described the work as something he poured every ounce of his soul into, and called the opportunity to work on a project at Walt Disney World something he never could have anticipated when he first started with the brand.
The goodbye was warm, genuine, and clearly not easy to write. He thanked Gideon’s founder Steve Lewis directly for the trust that made the partnership possible and told fans to keep an eye out for new work and possible surprises from him down the road.
His personal brand, Terribly Odd, which he ran alongside his Gideon’s work for over twenty years, has also officially closed. The website now shows a tombstone marking the end of the project. Terribly Odd announced its closure back in March, with Reyes citing rising costs and limited time. The brand will fold into his Mr. Eyes identity going forward. Fans can follow his future work at the Mr. Eyes Art Instagram account, and his existing work is still available through Spooky Cat Press.
Gideon’s Bakehouse has not commented publicly on the departure.
What This Might Mean for Disney Springs
Here is the part nobody has answers to yet. The artwork Reyes created was not decorative. It was the DNA of the brand. The monthly cookie designs that fans collect, the menu art that gives the shop its moody personality, the entire visual identity of Gideon’s at Disney Springs, all of it carried his fingerprints. What the brand looks like under new creative direction is genuinely unknown right now.
There is also unconfirmed speculation in the fan community that behind-the-scenes changes could eventually affect the broader Gideon’s experience at Disney Springs, with some fans wondering whether things like production or the monthly release structure might shift. None of that has been confirmed, and Gideon’s has said nothing to suggest it. But it is the question everyone is quietly asking.
For now, the cookies are still there. The line is still long. But something that made Gideon’s Bakehouse what it is just walked out the door, and the Disney Springs community is paying attention.
If you know Gideon’s Bakehouse, you know it is not just about the cookies.
Yes, the cookies are incredible. Yes, the lines are unhinged. But the thing that makes Gideon’s feel like a genuine Disney Springs institution rather than just another dessert stop is the art. The dark, quirky, completely original visual world that wraps around every menu, every monthly release, and every piece of packaging. That world was built by one person over more than a decade, and this week he announced he is done.
Who Just Left
Michael Reyes, the artist behind the Mr. Eyes brand, shared a personal letter on Instagram confirming his departure from Gideon’s Bakehouse after over ten years with the company. He described the work as something he poured every ounce of his soul into, and called the opportunity to work on a project at Walt Disney World something he never could have anticipated when he first started with the brand.
The goodbye was warm, genuine, and clearly not easy to write. He thanked Gideon’s founder Steve Lewis directly for the trust that made the partnership possible and told fans to keep an eye out for new work and possible surprises from him down the road.
His personal brand Terribly Odd, which he ran alongside his Gideon’s work for over twenty years, has also officially closed. The website now shows a tombstone marking the end of the project. Terribly Odd announced its closure back in March, with Reyes citing rising costs and limited time. The brand will fold into his Mr. Eyes identity going forward. Fans can follow his future work at the Mr. Eyes Art Instagram account and his existing work is still available through Spooky Cat Press.
Gideon’s Bakehouse has not commented publicly on the departure.
What This Might Mean for Gideon’s at Disney Springs
Here is the part nobody has answers to yet. The artwork Reyes created was not decorative. It was the DNA of the brand. The monthly cookie designs that fans collect, the menu art that gives the shop its moody personality, the entire visual identity of Gideon’s at Disney Springs, all of it carried his fingerprints. What the brand looks like under new creative direction is genuinely unknown right now.
There is also unconfirmed speculation in the fan community that changes behind the scenes could eventually affect the broader Gideon’s experience at Disney Springs, with some fans wondering whether things like production or the monthly release structure might shift. None of that has been confirmed and Gideon’s has said nothing to suggest it. But it is the question everyone is quietly asking.
For now, the cookies are still there. The line is still long. But something that made Gideon’s Bakehouse what it is just walked out the door, and the Disney Springs community is paying attention.
