Based on the picture it looks like the spacer is just a ring around the middle, and the top and bottom seal the whole thing up when you close it. As long as you’ve sprayed non-stick spay on all the parts you should be able to pop the top and then lift the ring out and extract the entire giant waffle in one go. Then, I’m guessing, the ring can expand near the handles, releasing the waffle, and then you lift it away.