Fans Petition Disney to Create Memorial Honoring Beloved Grand Floridian Greeter Richard Gerth

in Disney, Walt Disney World

Richard Gerth and Grand Floridian Resort

Credit: Champan Photography / Disney

It’s been almost a year since Richard Gerth, the beloved greeter at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, passed away at 92 years old. Now, Disney fans everywhere are calling upon Disney to create a memorial in Mr. Gerth’s honor.

Mr. Gerth had greeted guests at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort for over 30 years since 1991. He was a much-loved figure in the Disney community, known for warmly welcoming guests to the Resort and even escorting brides to transportation to the Wedding Pavilion on their wedding days. In 2013, he was a recipient of The Walt Disney Legacy Award, which is the highest honor Cast Members can achieve at Disney Parks and Resorts. Disney fans, frequent guests at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, and brides remember Mr. Gerth’s kind nature, and the Disney community was saddened by his passing back in June 2018.

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To honor Mr. Gerth’s memory, Disney fans have created a petition asking The Walt Disney Company to build a statue of Mr. Gerth that can be displayed at the Grand Floridian in Walt Disney World. Here’s what the petition reads:

Walt Disney Worlds Grand Floridian Greeter Richard Gerth Memorial Statue

To be delivered to Walt Disney World, Statue for Richard Gerth

Walt Disney World fans and more appropriately Richard Gerth (the Grand Floridian greeter) who recently passed would like to petition WDW to put up a statue of Richard Gerth at the GF to greet guests forever.

At the time of this article’s publication, the petition has received well over 1,000 signatures since it was originally posted on MoveOn.org on May 21. The current goal listed on the petition is 2,000 signatures, though we expect that number to grow as more and more Disney fans receive word of the petition.

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You can watch a video of Mr. Gerth speaking of his role at The Walt Disney Company below:

If you’d like to sign the petition for Disney to display a Richard Gerth statue at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, you can visit the petition’s website here.

Do you have fond memories with Richard Gerth? Share them in the comments.

in Disney, Walt Disney World

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