The adored greeter at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Richard Gerth, has sadly passed away at the age of 92.
Richard Gerth started working at Walt Disney World in 1991, and his smile and happy disposition welcomed in families for generations. Gerth became such a staple of the Grand Floridian that many guests asked to take their picture with him, something that is not often done with frontline cast members. As much as guests loved Richard, he loved his job; during an interview in 2014, he said, “I think just about every day is a good day…To be acknowledged by another person is the greatest feeling that anyone could get out of a job.”
Gerth was a great representative of what a good cast member should be, and in 2013 Disney recognized that by awarding him with the Walt Disney Legacy Award. The Walt Disney Legacy Award is the highest award a cast member can receive, and those who have been honored with it wear a blue name tag rather than the traditional white name tag.
Image Credit: Disney
Stephen "Steve" Porter started going to the parks with his family in 1996. Since then he hasn't looked back! Steve was a cast member participating in the Disney College Program in 2013. Most recently he graduated from Penn State University!
