Making Magic for 37 Years: Meet Frank, Bell Services Cast Member at Disney’s Riviera Resort
The 1971 opening of Walt Disney World and its treasured trinity of accompanying resorts – Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground, Disney’s Polynesian Resort and Disney’s Contemporary Resort – revolutionized the theme park experience, invoking a desire for even more east coast accommodations. Embracing these high standards, The Walt Disney Company leveled up, introducing the first luxury property at “The Most Magical Place on Earth” in the summer of 1988 – Disney’s Grand Floridian Beach Resort.
Frank, part of the resort’s opening cast, recalls welcoming its first guests into the Victorian vision known today as Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. Charmed by its architectural grandeur, this iconic resort set Frank’s 37-year Disney career into motion as a bell services leader.
A notable fairytale aesthetic between Frank’s current resort location, Disney’s Riviera Resort, and his first, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, he says, “So many of our hotels make you feel as if you’ve stepped inside a storybook, and these two are no exception.”
As a bell services cast member, Frank says that the transportation of luggage to and from a guest’s room is vital to upholding exceptional service, and that handling massive amounts of baggage can also be very labor intensive.
On occasion, his team manages miscellaneous items that may range from Christmas trees and holiday gifts to golf bags, groceries and park merchandise. And as a Disney Trainer, Frank instills in new hires the irrefutable trust between cast and guest. Not only reminding them to be efficient in handling possessions but accountable as well.
On top of that, magic makers who serve Disney Vacation Club properties play even more of a spirited role. Dedicated to delivering Membership Magic, Frank makes the impossible become possible for our Members and their guests.
“Some say that cast members can make or break a resort,” Frank said. “I like to think that all of us, whether behind-the-scenes or on the front lines, help bring the magic of the Riviera to life and are part of the reason Members choose this resort as their home.”
Proof to the natural camaraderie that ensues when becoming part of the Disney story, Frank revealed that he is actually one of several bell persons with impressive tenure at Disney’s Riviera Resort, treading closely behind two celebrated employees, who’ve been with the company for 38 and 45 years.
“We’ve certainly bonded over our shared experiences,” he said. “When you come to Disney, you acquire an immediate family. From the moment I started this journey, there was a sense of belonging, and that’s something that has never changed.”
