Art the Greeter at the Beach Club

[RachelTori]

7/28/2007 Princesses Alicia & Tori and the effervescent Art the Greeter. Beach Club wouldn't be the Beach Club without him.

 

[newholidayx2]

Our family has also had the pleasure of meeting Art. We met him a few years ago and now we stop everytime we're at WDW to say hello. He truly is a great man (as is Stan at WL- they're friends too). Just yesterday when we saw him we had a conversation with a coworker who said its a pleasure having Art work with them. Art had just told us he truly feels blessed to have this job. I made sure I told his coworker.
Arts bday is a few days after mine. He takes vacation the week before so we'll be missing him in Nov. Happy Birthday Art!

 

[Tink901]

Counting the days til I'm at WDW - actually taking Art & his wife to the Pirate and Princess Party on 8/31 should be a great time.

9 long days til I get to WDW....but who's counting!

Thanks for sharing your pictures and comments everyone!!!!!

Brenda

 

[RachelTori]

Counting the days til I'm at WDW - actually taking Art & his wife to the Pirate and Princess Party on 8/31 should be a great time.

9 long days til I get to WDW....but who's counting!

Thanks for sharing your pictures and comments everyone!!!!!

Brenda

Ahhhh - that's so sweet! When you return home, I hope you'll post pictures of the special day with Art & his wife. Have a wonderful vacation!

 

[ChelleinNC]

Art the Greeter is "Disney" and the "Beach Club" to me I've always felt like I was finally home when I walked though the door and saw him.

My kids have great memories with him too. He's always been soooo good with them, and has done special pin trades with them (especially DS).

We'll be across the water at BWV in Dec, but we will definitely stop by to say "hi" to Art!

BTW, I did not change my tagline for this post

 

[Tink901]

Ahhhh - that's so sweet! When you return home, I hope you'll post pictures of the special day with Art & his wife. Have a wonderful vacation!

Thanks! I will post pictures. They are such a cute couple and just awesome people. He is such a humble man. I feel blessed to call him one of my best friends.

 

[elgerber]

Art is truly a treasure!!! When we were at the BC, I was in the lobby without my family. My dd at the time was HUGE into a Bugs Life. He had a Bugs Life pin on his lanyard, but she wasn't with me to make the trade. He took it off his lanyard and put it in his pocket, until she could come back to meet him the next day to trade with him. It was the sweetest thing, and she was so happy to have that pin! I might have a pic, I'm not sure, I'd have to check when I get home. I fear though, that it was in the days before all my pics were digital.

 

[MrsG]

The last time we visited BCV in Feb. 07 we didn't see Art for a few days and we were worried that something was wrong. Well, sure enough he had a few well deserved days off. We were so thrilled when we saw him as he makes us feel like we really were "home". Please tell Art that we look forward to his wonderful smile and kind words whenever we visit. He truly makes our vacation special.

Maryann & Tom Graziano

 

[doconeill]

We finally saw Art on our last day at BC in July...I've got a picture of him on my finally completed trip report (see the link below).

When DD#1 (who was not with us for this trip) heard we finally saw Art, she asked if he still had the pin he got from Samantha Brown on the Travel Channel special, so I he was thrilled that a child would even think of that! Of course he didn't still have the pin (it was a pretty basic pin), but I promised that we'd stop by with DD when we go in December (even if we aren't at BC).

 

[Tink901]

Art truly appeciates that people take the time out of their vacations to stop to visit him and say Hi. He is off on Sundays and Mondays usually, not always during the busier seasons.

I get to see him 8 days and can't wait - taking he and his wife to the Pirate & Princess Party will be a great time - it's fun to watch people when they hear the voice but don't see the uniform.

 

[canwegosoon]

So who knows how many more years Art has in him(lets hope a lot still) but I think the OP has such a great idea...I am going to stop by the BC to say HI to him.

 

[goalie5hole]

They should erect a statue of him when he retires!!!!!!!!!

 

[Tink901]

You know this post reminds me that when I was there in March, Art was "training" another gentelman. I asked at checkout if Art was retiring...and the CM sain, no -but he is cutting back on his hours and he is "getting up there"...(she said it nicely)... So who knows how many more years Art has in him(lets hope a lot still) but I think the OP has such a great idea...I am going to stop by the BC to say HI to him.

Art and I just were talking about him retiring and he told me not for another 5-6 years god willing. I'm good friends with him and he hasn't cut his hours back at all. They are asking him to do more than just greet and they want more staff by the door. Sounds like the desk person had no clue and made a assumption that happens alot instead of saying I'm not sure.

If you ask him he will tell you not retiring or anything anytime soon, god willing.

 

[goofy4tink]

Ahhhh - that's so sweet! When you return home, I hope you'll post pictures of the special day with Art & his wife. Have a wonderful vacation!

Hi Laura!!! Loved the photo of the girls. Can't wait to show Kate the photo of Tori. We were there a few weeks ago...tried to say hi to Art but he was in a deep conversation with management (at least that's what it looked like) so we didn't get to say hi this trip. But, I'll be sure to stop by in Dec...have to say hi then!!
Tink901..here's hoping you have a wonderful trip. And you seem to be heading down about the same time I am in Dec...nice time to visit WDW!!!

 

[Tink901]

Hi Laura!!! Loved the photo of the girls. Can't wait to show Kate the photo of Tori. We were there a few weeks ago...tried to say hi to Art but he was in a deep conversation with management (at least that's what it looked like) so we didn't get to say hi this trip. But, I'll be sure to stop by in Dec...have to say hi then!!
Tink901..here's hoping you have a wonderful trip. And you seem to be heading down about the same time I am in Dec...nice time to visit WDW!!!

Thanks for the well wishes. Management has been with him alot lately, they have him doing alot more tasks now than just greeting at the door. We might have to meet in Dec if time allows.

 

[Kim&Chris]

Thanks for the well wishes. Management has been with him alot lately, they have him doing alot more tasks now than just greeting at the door. We might have to meet in Dec if time allows.

What other tasks to they have him doing? If the mgmt was smart, they'd just let him stand there and greet the guests....because the guests love him, care about him, & make it a point to see him. And I think he feels the same way about the guests. Having him off somewhere shuffling papers (or whatever) instead of showing off that million-dollar smile would be a shame .

 

[doconeill]

If anything, I'd hope they'd have in a more prominent but similar role. He could easily become the icon of Disney Resorts as a whole.

I hope we managed to catch him when we are down there in Dec, since we're not (currently) going to be at BCV...if we're all going the same time, we should just throw a party for him...

 

[Tink901]

What other tasks to they have him doing? If the mgmt was smart, they'd just let him stand there and greet the guests....because the guests love him, care about him, & make it a point to see him. And I think he feels the same way about the guests. Having him off somewhere shuffling papers (or whatever) instead of showing off that million-dollar smile would be a shame .

They have him greeting buses, conventions, some stuff over in DVC, not completely sure I was talking to him the other night - telling him he will be excited to see me for a few days-and take a mini vacation for a few days while i'm there dragging him thru the parks - He is a great friend!!!!

He does truly appreciate all the guest he has gotten to meet over the years and he feels honored that people stop by to visit him. He won't accept that he is a "ICON" I keep trying to tell him!

 

[Tink901]

If anything, I'd hope they'd have in a more prominent but similar role. He could easily become the icon of Disney Resorts as a whole.

I hope we managed to catch him when we are down there in Dec, since we're not (currently) going to be at BCV...if we're all going the same time, we should just throw a party for him...

He works Tues - Sat 8am-4pm and as far as I know he has no December time off planned. Just a week in November around his birthday.

The party idea is a thought - I'll be down there from Dec 6th (night arrival) - Dec. 11th midday. I'm taking him and his wife to MVMCP on the 9th.

Brenda

 

[Kim&Chris]

They have him greeting buses, conventions, some stuff over in DVC, not completely sure I was talking to him the other night - telling him he will be excited to see me for a few days-and take a mini vacation for a few days while i'm there dragging him thru the parks - He is a great friend!!!!

He does truly appreciate all the guest he has gotten to meet over the years and he feels honored that people stop by to visit him. He won't accept that he is a "ICON" I keep trying to tell him!

Yup, that sounds like our Art, humble and sweet. I'll be down there the same time as you (1st week in December) so if I see you "dragging" him around , I hope it's OK if I stop to say hello to him .

EDIT: ooops, sorry I just looked at your dates. We won't be there the same time, but have a great time and tell Art that, to many of us, it's just as important to get a photo with Art as it is to get a photo with Mickey